Great Gray Owl

Well, I pretty much struck out on northern owls this year (this shot was taken in 2005). We had an irruption of boreal owls this winter and I went searching three times and couldn't find them. Birders were coming from all over North America; there were traffic jams in some places on Highway 61 along Minnesota's North Shore (of Lake Superior) in the vicinity of known owls. Locals turned into guides taking paying guests out into the woods. It was crazy. Could I find one though? All I found was a barred owl--still cool, of course--but a common species around here. Thanks for the comments!