I no sooner wrote that the ice was still on Gunflint when Mother Nature changed her mind. Yesterday (5/17) the wind blew the ice around until the lake was clear. Neighbors from the east end kept calling me in the afternoon to say the ice was here or there. Finally the ice was gone. Now even less than a day after the ice is gone, I have trouble remembering what the lake looked like when it was covered with ice. The same thing happens when the lake freezes over in the fall and I have trouble remembering open water. Check our web cam to see the water flowing freely over Gunflint.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Spring Moves Along
The big question this week is when is the ice going out. Lots of wind has helped to move it along. Right now I would say that the west end of Gunflint is out. Shifting winds have moved what ice is left around the lake. Today and tomorrow we have 60% chances for thunderstorms if you believe the weather forecast. That could weaken the ice enough to let the wind finish moving it out. Believe me, we are all ready for open water. There are lots of fish in the lake to be caught.
This week Wolf Point Trail lived up to its name. I was looking out an upstairs window one morning when right on the road a wolf walked by. He was a big gray wolf which is why we decided it was a male. The animal was very relaxed and in no rush to move long. Bruce and I both got a good look at him.
Last Saturday morning we spent a couple hours up at Chik-Wauk planting trees – red pine and spruce. Only six of us appeared and I know why. It was a perfectly horrible day. Between wind, rain and snow, it was a day we should have been inside looking out. Even so, we got a couple hundred trees planted. The most interesting part of the morning was seeing how many trees are coming up. They range in size from six inches to a couple of feet. The differences in size come from a successful planting effort for several years. By lunch time we were all ready to go home. Just stopping moving to eat chilled us all down. A good hot shower felt great when I got back to the house.
We have done a little remodeling in the main dining room. Against the south wall (opposite the windows), we have added three booths. Bonnie is in the process of making cushions for the benches. It will offer a nice change of tables for guests.
The staff for the canopy tour has just finished an intense training program. When the trainers first arrived they did a detailed inspection of the course itself to make sure that it adhered to all the national standards. Then for the next three days the training ran from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Throughout this period, a lot of emphasis is placed on safety. Jason Merrill, who oversees the course, is very fussy that everything is done is a safe manner, every time.
The riding stables are also open for the summer again. It is always fun to get the horses back. Mandy goes down every to pick the horses she wants. Many are repeats from previous years. This gives her a good base to start training the new horses. Just like Jason, she is very insistent that people have a safe riding experience.
So here we are up and running for another summer. The winter just flew by and I expect that this summer will go by just as fast.
This week Wolf Point Trail lived up to its name. I was looking out an upstairs window one morning when right on the road a wolf walked by. He was a big gray wolf which is why we decided it was a male. The animal was very relaxed and in no rush to move long. Bruce and I both got a good look at him.
Last Saturday morning we spent a couple hours up at Chik-Wauk planting trees – red pine and spruce. Only six of us appeared and I know why. It was a perfectly horrible day. Between wind, rain and snow, it was a day we should have been inside looking out. Even so, we got a couple hundred trees planted. The most interesting part of the morning was seeing how many trees are coming up. They range in size from six inches to a couple of feet. The differences in size come from a successful planting effort for several years. By lunch time we were all ready to go home. Just stopping moving to eat chilled us all down. A good hot shower felt great when I got back to the house.
We have done a little remodeling in the main dining room. Against the south wall (opposite the windows), we have added three booths. Bonnie is in the process of making cushions for the benches. It will offer a nice change of tables for guests.
The staff for the canopy tour has just finished an intense training program. When the trainers first arrived they did a detailed inspection of the course itself to make sure that it adhered to all the national standards. Then for the next three days the training ran from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Throughout this period, a lot of emphasis is placed on safety. Jason Merrill, who oversees the course, is very fussy that everything is done is a safe manner, every time.
The riding stables are also open for the summer again. It is always fun to get the horses back. Mandy goes down every to pick the horses she wants. Many are repeats from previous years. This gives her a good base to start training the new horses. Just like Jason, she is very insistent that people have a safe riding experience.
So here we are up and running for another summer. The winter just flew by and I expect that this summer will go by just as fast.
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Changes in the Woods and Waters
Gunflint Lake is still covered with ice. It is quite a change from the last two years when the ice was out in March. It will still probably be 10 days or so before the ice goes out. A lot depends on the wind. Right now there is a large lead of open water from the Cross River. That will erode the entire west bay of the lake. When we have a lot of open water in that bay and the ice is black everywhere and the wind comes from the west end, then the ice will start to move. If all the elements are perfectly aligned, the ice can be cleared from the entire lake in a day or so.
The wind is coming up today. That will help. It did not freeze last night. That’s another plus. We had some rain showers yesterday and drizzling today. It all works to soften the ice. Once things start to move, the ice can go out very quickly.
Animals are starting to move around more. Some guests saw the first bear of the season up near the end of the Trail. Some other guests saw a moose cow and what appeared to be a very young calf – probably this spring’s young. At any rate Mama was keep close track of it. In spite of the resident lynx at the lodge, I saw three snowshoe hares while driving out the side road last night. The deer are around but look very thin. Some grass should start to green up soon and that will help. I think the fawns will be very small this year. Warm sunshine after they are born would go a long way toward keeping them healthy.
Last night around 7:30 we had an interesting combination of temperatures on the lake. The ice was cold, the air was warm and a little rain was coming down. The result was a mist rising off the ice. I stood and watched as the mist went right along the north shore of the lake toward the east. You could actually see it moving along. Then it spread over most of the lake for a short time. It was a little eerie to watch.
Most of the snow is gone from the woods. The waters are filling up the creeks, rivers and swamps. This in turn is flowing into the lakes. I can see the level of Gunflint coming up. My gauge is the northeast corner of the main dock. Two logs and the flat board are still out of water. It is going up every day just a little. Bruce thinks the entire dock will be covered with water. We will see.
We spent Monday night and Tuesday in Duluth with Don and Marilyn. Upper Lakes Foods who sells us most of our food was having a show of most of their venders. Tasting in the evening was extensive but easy since most of the food fit into the appetizer or light meal category. It was Tuesday morning that got to your stomach. We have to taste to learn anything but at 9:00 a.m. you can go from apple pie to garlic sausage to steak. My stomach is not really comfortable with the random mixture of food and the timing of the meal. At any rate, we all survived and found a few things to add to our menu.
Saturday is the opening of the walleye season. With a little luck a couple of the small lakes will be open but don’t expect to hear of anyone getting a boat load of fish.
The wind is coming up today. That will help. It did not freeze last night. That’s another plus. We had some rain showers yesterday and drizzling today. It all works to soften the ice. Once things start to move, the ice can go out very quickly.
Animals are starting to move around more. Some guests saw the first bear of the season up near the end of the Trail. Some other guests saw a moose cow and what appeared to be a very young calf – probably this spring’s young. At any rate Mama was keep close track of it. In spite of the resident lynx at the lodge, I saw three snowshoe hares while driving out the side road last night. The deer are around but look very thin. Some grass should start to green up soon and that will help. I think the fawns will be very small this year. Warm sunshine after they are born would go a long way toward keeping them healthy.
Last night around 7:30 we had an interesting combination of temperatures on the lake. The ice was cold, the air was warm and a little rain was coming down. The result was a mist rising off the ice. I stood and watched as the mist went right along the north shore of the lake toward the east. You could actually see it moving along. Then it spread over most of the lake for a short time. It was a little eerie to watch.
Most of the snow is gone from the woods. The waters are filling up the creeks, rivers and swamps. This in turn is flowing into the lakes. I can see the level of Gunflint coming up. My gauge is the northeast corner of the main dock. Two logs and the flat board are still out of water. It is going up every day just a little. Bruce thinks the entire dock will be covered with water. We will see.
We spent Monday night and Tuesday in Duluth with Don and Marilyn. Upper Lakes Foods who sells us most of our food was having a show of most of their venders. Tasting in the evening was extensive but easy since most of the food fit into the appetizer or light meal category. It was Tuesday morning that got to your stomach. We have to taste to learn anything but at 9:00 a.m. you can go from apple pie to garlic sausage to steak. My stomach is not really comfortable with the random mixture of food and the timing of the meal. At any rate, we all survived and found a few things to add to our menu.
Saturday is the opening of the walleye season. With a little luck a couple of the small lakes will be open but don’t expect to hear of anyone getting a boat load of fish.
Thursday, May 02, 2013
Turkey and Croatia
As you can tell from the picture, we are home again. Our trip was divided between two weeks in Turkey and one week in Croatia. There were four couples during the Turkey portion of our trip. After spending a couple of days in Istanbul, we took a flight to Izmir on the west coast of AsianTurkey. From there we visited the restored city of Ephesus which is just amazing. It is hard to believe that we are walking the same streets as St. Paul walked. Of special interest was the exhibit of terrace homes. There are six homes with mosaics and frescoes all dating from ancient times. To protect them, you walk on a stairway made of clear plastic. Of course, the best known view of the city is the restored façade of the library. This was our third visit and every time we get to see and learn more about this great restoration.
The next stop was six day cruise on the Aegean and Mediterranean on south coast of Turkey. Our boat was a 100 foot wooden boat with six staterooms. For seven days we cruised in and out of inlets and bays. We stopped and explored small towns. The picture is of our boat anchored at one of the towns while we climbed to explore an ancient fortress about the city. The week was totally decadent because the crew of five provided for our every need.
One highlight of the cruise was visiting a shipyard where a boat similar to ours was being built. OSHA would not be happy with the working conditions. The ladders to get onto the partially completed boat were a little rickety for me but we all got up and down with no problem. This 100 foot boat was started in November and its first cruise is the beginning of June. The place was a beehive of workers. There was no panic but lots of working being done.
The last part of the trip was two nights in Urgup to visit the fairy chimneys and underground city in the area. Our hotel was a cave hotel where the rooms had been carved right into the rock cliffs of the area. The hotel was totally unique and very comfortable. We were scheduled to take a hot air balloon ride but rain, fog and wind forced the cancellation of that trip.
From Kayseri we caught a plane back to Istanbul. There was a day and a half to wander the streets of this fascinating city. One of our must stops was the spice market. Bruce and I brought home a supply of spices to last a bit. Every time I use some of these spices it reminds me of the ancient Spice Road going through Turkey and first introducing Europe to the spices of Asia.
Patty and Mike Feeney continued with us on for a week in Croatia. Bruce found a beautiful apartment for us with a large balcony overlooking the Adriatic. With our car we explored the coast line, the city of Split, the Krka (don’t ask me how to pronounce this) National Park and one of the nearby islands. With only the four of us to set the schedule, it was a perfect ending to our trip.
Of course, during the entire trip we kept track of things back home – especially the snow. Gunflint got about 25 inches of snow during April. It was a huge amount but Duluth got 50 inches! There is still a foot of snow in the woods and the ice on Gunflint is just starting to look gray. Unless something happens very, very quickly the lake will not be fully open when walleye fishing starts. Also all the lakes in the area are going to have high water for a while. It’s quite a change from the last two years when the ice went out on Gunflint in March.
The returning birds are adjusting to the late spring. Some mallards tried to land on a shallow puddle of water on the ice. You could almost see the surprise on their faces when the water was only a couple inches deep.
Last week there was a group of seven eagles on the ice. Two were mature and the others were yearlings without the distinctive coloring of bald eagles. Up at the end of the Trail several mama moose with yearlings have also been seen. Almost everyone claims to have heard a loon calling but who knows where they are landing with ice everywhere.
When I write next week, there will be great changes in the ice and snow along the Gunflint Trail.
The next stop was six day cruise on the Aegean and Mediterranean on south coast of Turkey. Our boat was a 100 foot wooden boat with six staterooms. For seven days we cruised in and out of inlets and bays. We stopped and explored small towns. The picture is of our boat anchored at one of the towns while we climbed to explore an ancient fortress about the city. The week was totally decadent because the crew of five provided for our every need.
One highlight of the cruise was visiting a shipyard where a boat similar to ours was being built. OSHA would not be happy with the working conditions. The ladders to get onto the partially completed boat were a little rickety for me but we all got up and down with no problem. This 100 foot boat was started in November and its first cruise is the beginning of June. The place was a beehive of workers. There was no panic but lots of working being done.
The last part of the trip was two nights in Urgup to visit the fairy chimneys and underground city in the area. Our hotel was a cave hotel where the rooms had been carved right into the rock cliffs of the area. The hotel was totally unique and very comfortable. We were scheduled to take a hot air balloon ride but rain, fog and wind forced the cancellation of that trip.
From Kayseri we caught a plane back to Istanbul. There was a day and a half to wander the streets of this fascinating city. One of our must stops was the spice market. Bruce and I brought home a supply of spices to last a bit. Every time I use some of these spices it reminds me of the ancient Spice Road going through Turkey and first introducing Europe to the spices of Asia.
Patty and Mike Feeney continued with us on for a week in Croatia. Bruce found a beautiful apartment for us with a large balcony overlooking the Adriatic. With our car we explored the coast line, the city of Split, the Krka (don’t ask me how to pronounce this) National Park and one of the nearby islands. With only the four of us to set the schedule, it was a perfect ending to our trip.
Of course, during the entire trip we kept track of things back home – especially the snow. Gunflint got about 25 inches of snow during April. It was a huge amount but Duluth got 50 inches! There is still a foot of snow in the woods and the ice on Gunflint is just starting to look gray. Unless something happens very, very quickly the lake will not be fully open when walleye fishing starts. Also all the lakes in the area are going to have high water for a while. It’s quite a change from the last two years when the ice went out on Gunflint in March.
The returning birds are adjusting to the late spring. Some mallards tried to land on a shallow puddle of water on the ice. You could almost see the surprise on their faces when the water was only a couple inches deep.
Last week there was a group of seven eagles on the ice. Two were mature and the others were yearlings without the distinctive coloring of bald eagles. Up at the end of the Trail several mama moose with yearlings have also been seen. Almost everyone claims to have heard a loon calling but who knows where they are landing with ice everywhere.
When I write next week, there will be great changes in the ice and snow along the Gunflint Trail.
Monday, April 01, 2013
Slowly Spring Comes
Bruce and I had a great Easter weekend. Lee and Eva came up with Grant and Mae. They were our first house guests in the Tucker Lake house. The kids wanted to explore everywhere. We could not do too much outside since there is still a lot of snow. The snow, however, did allow them to build a snow fort with their father. They also tramped down to the lake. Inside activities included candle making at the lodge and Easter egg coloring. On Sunday morning we had the big egg hunt. All the eggs were found without too much trouble. We used the eggs for egg salad sandwiches for the managers during lunch.
The pile of boxes on our garage is slowly dwindling. I try to do a few each day. We have found most of the necessities of life which takes the pressure off. There are also some things that should have been thrown during the packing process. They are going this time. The idea is to use opaque garbage bags so Bruce can’t ask why I didn’t throw that out instead of bringing it to Tucker Lake to throw out.
Our weather has been typical spring changes. We had a little rain on Saturday morning. It was enough to soften all the snow on the road leading in to our house. Greg came and plowed all the slush out so that we have bare road in a few places. On Sunday morning there were snow squalls coming through. The north wind was howling. When I drove out to go down to the lodge for lunch, there was a small tree across the side road. Luckily it was small enough so that I could drag it off to the edge of the road. Lee says that I am a real pioneer mother now.
On Wednesday we are leaving on vacation. This time we are off for two weeks in Turkey and one week in Split, Croatia. For the entire time there will be no thoughts of unpacked boxes or lodge reservations. Although my cell phone works overseas, at $2.89 per minute plus taxes in Turkey, don’t call me. I’ll call you.
The last weekend of April we are helping Lee and Eva in their booth at the Midwest Mountaineering Outdoor Adventure Expo, April 26-28. The Expo is held at Midwest Mountaineering’s store at 309 Cedar Ave. South in Minneapolis.
But why are Lee and Eva exhibiting at the Expo? On Memorial Day weekend they are opening the Kerfoot Canopy Tour near Henderson, Minnesota. It will be a state of the art canopy tour with 8 zips. Some of them will be crossing a deep ravine. You can get more information from their website at www.kerfootcanopytour.com. Bruce and I are really excited about this new project for Lee and Eva. It is being built by the same company that built our canopy tour. When you plan your visit to the canopy tour, don’t forget that the Minnesota River National Scenic Byway is adjacent to the canopy tour. Also the towns of Henderson and Belle Plain are great places to explore or get a bite to eat.
Time to pack for vacation. I’ll write again when we get home.
The pile of boxes on our garage is slowly dwindling. I try to do a few each day. We have found most of the necessities of life which takes the pressure off. There are also some things that should have been thrown during the packing process. They are going this time. The idea is to use opaque garbage bags so Bruce can’t ask why I didn’t throw that out instead of bringing it to Tucker Lake to throw out.
Our weather has been typical spring changes. We had a little rain on Saturday morning. It was enough to soften all the snow on the road leading in to our house. Greg came and plowed all the slush out so that we have bare road in a few places. On Sunday morning there were snow squalls coming through. The north wind was howling. When I drove out to go down to the lodge for lunch, there was a small tree across the side road. Luckily it was small enough so that I could drag it off to the edge of the road. Lee says that I am a real pioneer mother now.
On Wednesday we are leaving on vacation. This time we are off for two weeks in Turkey and one week in Split, Croatia. For the entire time there will be no thoughts of unpacked boxes or lodge reservations. Although my cell phone works overseas, at $2.89 per minute plus taxes in Turkey, don’t call me. I’ll call you.
The last weekend of April we are helping Lee and Eva in their booth at the Midwest Mountaineering Outdoor Adventure Expo, April 26-28. The Expo is held at Midwest Mountaineering’s store at 309 Cedar Ave. South in Minneapolis.
But why are Lee and Eva exhibiting at the Expo? On Memorial Day weekend they are opening the Kerfoot Canopy Tour near Henderson, Minnesota. It will be a state of the art canopy tour with 8 zips. Some of them will be crossing a deep ravine. You can get more information from their website at www.kerfootcanopytour.com. Bruce and I are really excited about this new project for Lee and Eva. It is being built by the same company that built our canopy tour. When you plan your visit to the canopy tour, don’t forget that the Minnesota River National Scenic Byway is adjacent to the canopy tour. Also the towns of Henderson and Belle Plain are great places to explore or get a bite to eat.
Time to pack for vacation. I’ll write again when we get home.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
It Is Only Unpacking Now
We are moved to Tucker Lake! At any rate almost everything was transferred from one house to the other by 4:00 Monday (18th). Unpacking is a little different story. Monday night was our first night in the new house. I got the bed made okay. Then it was time to work on dinner. I had planned on brats and mac and cheese. The brats were going to be cooked on the George Foreman grill. It was the mac and cheese that was the problem. I couldn’t find any sauce pans. So I ended up cooking the pasta in a frying pan. By then I was so tired that I really didn’t care. Bruce was just as tired as I so both of us tossed and turned together all night. One of the items missing in action was our alarm clock. Neither of us wanted to oversleep the next morning. The alarm clock didn’t surface until Thursday.
At this point it is a matter of unpacking boxes and remembering where everything got put. One of the more painful aspects of the move is that our old house was on one floor. This house has a basement and a second story. I have only fallen once on the steps. It was more embarrassing than painful. Lee and Eva and the kids are coming to visit next weekend. Most everything should at least be out of boxes by then.
In spite of how busy this move is, life around us seems to continue on. Bonnie has been seeing a lynx around the outfitters. Last weekend one of the guests was on the sliding hill with his son. The lynx ran past him chasing a snowshoe hare. What an exciting thing to see! I am afraid that all the snowshoe hares around us have fallen prey to the lynx.
Sheryl sent me this picture to remind me of what our ice was like last year at this time. Right now you can drive cars on the lake and the ice is about 30 inches thick. The picture was taken on March 12, 2012. She and Bonnie left from the Cross River bridge to canoe to Magnetic Lake which they thought had open water. When they got to the narrows, they saw that Magnetic was filled with rotten ice. You couldn’t walk on it and you couldn’t paddle though it.
Right now it looks like the ice could be off Gunflint sometime during the beginning of May. That is a bit of a guess on my part but nothing has even started to melt on the ice. The Gunflint Trail is bare and dry. Some side roads have most of their snow off while others still have a covering of snow and ice. We are getting melting on sunny days but there is still a lot of snow in the woods. All our cross country ski trails are in excellent shape.
My neighbor, Fred, tells me that we have received just over 65 inches of snow this winter. Combine that with our cold weather (down to minus 30 and more) and it was a much more normal winter for us.
At this point it is a matter of unpacking boxes and remembering where everything got put. One of the more painful aspects of the move is that our old house was on one floor. This house has a basement and a second story. I have only fallen once on the steps. It was more embarrassing than painful. Lee and Eva and the kids are coming to visit next weekend. Most everything should at least be out of boxes by then.
In spite of how busy this move is, life around us seems to continue on. Bonnie has been seeing a lynx around the outfitters. Last weekend one of the guests was on the sliding hill with his son. The lynx ran past him chasing a snowshoe hare. What an exciting thing to see! I am afraid that all the snowshoe hares around us have fallen prey to the lynx.
Sheryl sent me this picture to remind me of what our ice was like last year at this time. Right now you can drive cars on the lake and the ice is about 30 inches thick. The picture was taken on March 12, 2012. She and Bonnie left from the Cross River bridge to canoe to Magnetic Lake which they thought had open water. When they got to the narrows, they saw that Magnetic was filled with rotten ice. You couldn’t walk on it and you couldn’t paddle though it.
Right now it looks like the ice could be off Gunflint sometime during the beginning of May. That is a bit of a guess on my part but nothing has even started to melt on the ice. The Gunflint Trail is bare and dry. Some side roads have most of their snow off while others still have a covering of snow and ice. We are getting melting on sunny days but there is still a lot of snow in the woods. All our cross country ski trails are in excellent shape.
My neighbor, Fred, tells me that we have received just over 65 inches of snow this winter. Combine that with our cold weather (down to minus 30 and more) and it was a much more normal winter for us.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
The Move is Coming
Last night we got about 4 inches of new snow. Suddenly everything looks white and fresh. I usually don’t think that the first night of Daylight Saving Time will give us more snow but what can we do. After all the activity between the Trout Derby and the Mush for the Cure, this snowfall makes the entire lake look white and new. It will also make all the trails sparkle with new snow.
As Bruce mentioned on our homepage, he did get a close haircut. It looks pretty good and we were amazed at how much it has grown out even in a couple of days. He went to town yesterday for a talk at the ACA. It was funny how many people did not recognize him.
Of course, the races are the big thing for the Mush for the Cure. This year they had 16 mushers in the short course and 24 mushers in the long course. Teams came from New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Idaho just to name a few.
Bruce and I walked down to see the dogs take off. Occasionally, I have people mention to me how cruel it is for the dogs to have to pull the sleds. I wish everyone could see the dogs waiting to take off for the race. Every single dog was barking and straining to start going. No dog wanted to be left behind. They all just shot out when the race started.
Part of the deal is for the mushers to dress in pink. Here is a picture of our guide and musher Adam. He came in third in the race and won the ribbon for the best costume. He also raised over $900 in donations. We are all very proud of him. All the mushers devote a lot of time and work to participate in this event.
You may be wondering about our big move. It’s coming. On the 18th we will start to take stuff over to Tucker Lake. Meanwhile our house looks awful. I am not an immaculate housekeeper but we do like things picked up. Well, this house is filled with boxes – both empty and full. Bruce and I are wondering how we managed to accumulate so much stuff. The move is forcing us to get rid of a bunch of stuff either through the thrift store or the garbage. It is almost embarrassing how much stuff there is.
The only saving thought is that Tom and Melissa’s stuff in our new house is just as overpowering as ours is. They will be moving out on the 15th and going down near the Twin Cities. The pull of grandchildren was just too strong for them to ignore.
Living on Tucker Lake is going to be a new experience for us. We are going to have to commute to work. All these years you people have told us about the joys of commuting. Now we are going to experience. Of course, I can’t complain too much. Our commute is only five miles.
As Bruce mentioned on our homepage, he did get a close haircut. It looks pretty good and we were amazed at how much it has grown out even in a couple of days. He went to town yesterday for a talk at the ACA. It was funny how many people did not recognize him.
Of course, the races are the big thing for the Mush for the Cure. This year they had 16 mushers in the short course and 24 mushers in the long course. Teams came from New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Idaho just to name a few.
Bruce and I walked down to see the dogs take off. Occasionally, I have people mention to me how cruel it is for the dogs to have to pull the sleds. I wish everyone could see the dogs waiting to take off for the race. Every single dog was barking and straining to start going. No dog wanted to be left behind. They all just shot out when the race started.
Part of the deal is for the mushers to dress in pink. Here is a picture of our guide and musher Adam. He came in third in the race and won the ribbon for the best costume. He also raised over $900 in donations. We are all very proud of him. All the mushers devote a lot of time and work to participate in this event.
You may be wondering about our big move. It’s coming. On the 18th we will start to take stuff over to Tucker Lake. Meanwhile our house looks awful. I am not an immaculate housekeeper but we do like things picked up. Well, this house is filled with boxes – both empty and full. Bruce and I are wondering how we managed to accumulate so much stuff. The move is forcing us to get rid of a bunch of stuff either through the thrift store or the garbage. It is almost embarrassing how much stuff there is.
The only saving thought is that Tom and Melissa’s stuff in our new house is just as overpowering as ours is. They will be moving out on the 15th and going down near the Twin Cities. The pull of grandchildren was just too strong for them to ignore.
Living on Tucker Lake is going to be a new experience for us. We are going to have to commute to work. All these years you people have told us about the joys of commuting. Now we are going to experience. Of course, I can’t complain too much. Our commute is only five miles.
Monday, March 04, 2013
March Pops In
March has popped in on us and it feels just a tad bit warmer. We can still get below zero but it warms up into the twenties almost every day. Of course, the days are also getting longer. It is the kind of weather where people are more interested in getting outside.
With that in mind, Sunday (the 3rd) was the snowmobile club’s annual trout derby on Gunflint Lake. It appeared to be one of the best attended in several years. Bruce and I went over for just a moment. It looked like at least 100 people were gathered around. It is a great family even with all ages finding something to do. The winning fish weighed about 6 ½ pounds. It was a good enough for the $500 first prize. That’s not a bad reward for a morning’s fishing. Gunflint looks rather barren this morning with everyone cleared off. I have a small picture for you. The main lodge at Gunflint is just barely visible in the background.
Bonnie from the outfitters also felt the urge to get outside for a bit this past week. She met Janice from the Quetico Park at the gate to the Chik-Wauk Museum. The two of them were going to snowshoe up to the top of Blueberry Hill. Starting at the gate it is about 1 ½ miles up to the top of the hill. Once on top you get a wonderful view down the Saganaga Channel. Bonnie figured the up and down took about 2 hours total time. By the time they got to the top she was ready to die but it was worth it. On the top is a beautiful bench that Bob Baker Sr. built. He is assembled it, then disassembled it, and a group of guys carried the pieces up where Bob put it back together again. It is a great spot from which to absorb the forest and lakes spreading out in front of you.
Our dog musher, Adam, has been very busy giving rides to everyone around. The warm days (up here daytime temperatures in the twenties are considered warm) have tempted lots of people to take a ride. Last Saturday Adam was giving rides on the lake as he usually does. A couple was in the sled and they all took off as planned. Suddenly Adams was distracted for just a minute. At the same time the sled’s runners went over a runted area. In just a flash, Adam was off the sled and in the snow. He jumped up and ran after the dogs yelling for them to stop. They slowed down a bit and he tried to get the guests to use their feet as brakes. Finally all the dogs stopped and Adam caught up to them. It is a good reminder that Adam is not just along for the ride. He has to concentrate all the time to keep control over everything.
Reservations for the summer are really coming in. Every day we are surprised at how many people are calling to reserve their favorite cabin. If you are thinking about coming our way this summer, give us a call so that we can hold your special cabin.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Moving Along on the Lake
One of the nice parts about living in the woods is that there is always something happening. It is nothing earth-shattering but just little quirts in life.
Take our weather as an example. You would think the temperature would be pretty consistent from one spot to another. Guess again. The other day Bonnie was driving to work. At the top of the Gunflint hill she happened to look at her car thermometer. It said 7 degrees above. Then as she went down the hill and in the side road to the outfitters, the temperature dropped. By the time she stopped behind the outfitters, her thermometer read 25 below! That is quite a change for such a short distance.
Animals living here are also great fun to watch. The other day we saw a snowshoe hare on the lake. Because the hare is white, we only saw it because of the speed at which it was running around. None of us has ever seen a hare on the ice. I did see another one at my house the other day. Unfortunately, he is probably not going to be around much longer. Yesterday when Bruce was driving home at 4:00 p.m., there was a lynx sitting on top of one of the snow banks in our driveway. Snowshoe hares are one of the lynx’s favorite meals.
Of course, the best things to watch are usually the fixes that people manage to get themselves into. Our neighbor stopped by at lunch yesterday. He had a half story to tell. Some guests had taken their 4-wheel ATV down to the east end of the lake to fish. They had, with difficulty, gotten way past the furthest summer home to the east. The snow was deep and they constantly had to back up and take a run to move forward. Eventually the transmission on the ATV broke. Now they are truly stuck in the middle of nowhere.
They walk in and get the 4-wheel drive pickup. Again the deep snow forces them to continually back up and take a run for it. Finally they gave up. Taking the transmission out of an ATV is a lot different than taking the transmission out of a truck.
So Saturday (the next day), they bring down their buddies’ two snowmobiles to try to tow the machine out. Problem is that the two front wheels of the ATV keep bogging down in the snow. Next they try to use shovels to hold the front wheels up. Then they try two small sleds under the wheels. No luck. Now they are in town to buy a heavier sled.
The men got back from town with four sleds. One went under each wheel. This let them tow the ATV to land without getting the tires bogged down in the snow. I imagine it was quite a project. Glad all that I had to do was write about it.
Take our weather as an example. You would think the temperature would be pretty consistent from one spot to another. Guess again. The other day Bonnie was driving to work. At the top of the Gunflint hill she happened to look at her car thermometer. It said 7 degrees above. Then as she went down the hill and in the side road to the outfitters, the temperature dropped. By the time she stopped behind the outfitters, her thermometer read 25 below! That is quite a change for such a short distance.
Animals living here are also great fun to watch. The other day we saw a snowshoe hare on the lake. Because the hare is white, we only saw it because of the speed at which it was running around. None of us has ever seen a hare on the ice. I did see another one at my house the other day. Unfortunately, he is probably not going to be around much longer. Yesterday when Bruce was driving home at 4:00 p.m., there was a lynx sitting on top of one of the snow banks in our driveway. Snowshoe hares are one of the lynx’s favorite meals.
Of course, the best things to watch are usually the fixes that people manage to get themselves into. Our neighbor stopped by at lunch yesterday. He had a half story to tell. Some guests had taken their 4-wheel ATV down to the east end of the lake to fish. They had, with difficulty, gotten way past the furthest summer home to the east. The snow was deep and they constantly had to back up and take a run to move forward. Eventually the transmission on the ATV broke. Now they are truly stuck in the middle of nowhere.
They walk in and get the 4-wheel drive pickup. Again the deep snow forces them to continually back up and take a run for it. Finally they gave up. Taking the transmission out of an ATV is a lot different than taking the transmission out of a truck.
So Saturday (the next day), they bring down their buddies’ two snowmobiles to try to tow the machine out. Problem is that the two front wheels of the ATV keep bogging down in the snow. Next they try to use shovels to hold the front wheels up. Then they try two small sleds under the wheels. No luck. Now they are in town to buy a heavier sled.
The men got back from town with four sleds. One went under each wheel. This let them tow the ATV to land without getting the tires bogged down in the snow. I imagine it was quite a project. Glad all that I had to do was write about it.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Signs of the Season
Sheryl has been out walking around the woods. She saw this owl on a hike to the high cliffs. I especially liked the snow surrounding the owl.
You know, we never complain about too much snow round here. Over the weekend we got 5-8 inches of the fluffy white stuff. Our snow banks seem to be a mile high. In addition the ski trails and snowmobile trails are wonderful. We have a few white puffy clouds today but basically no snow in the forecast - 20% which is just a face saver for the weatherman in case something comes.
The lake is just as full of ice. I have heard up to 24” of good ice. Certainly people are going all over for fishing. My favorite story comes from our neighbor. Bob is now going out and cutting about a three foot by four foot hole in the ice with his chain saw. He puts in line at about 3 feet down and watches the fish come up to his bait. When the fish is hooked, he doesn’t have to put his arm in a tiny hole to get the fish out. Bob just takes his handy landing net and nets the fish. Watching the fish is almost as much fun as catching the fish.
I know the next question is what does Bob do with this huge slab of ice from the hole? He uses a pole to slide the slab under the adjoining ice. That way the slab is out of his way and he doesn’t have to try to lift it out of the water. Bob is a pretty tricky fellow.
In case you haven’t heard, Bruce has agreed to have his head shaved this year for the Mush for the Cure. All the money goes for research into breast cancer research. He has to raise $2500 for the privilege of getting his hair shaved. If you are interested there is a wonderful picture of Bruce soliciting your donations at www.active.com/donate/2013mushforacure/brucekerfoot. I was the photographer of Bruce not the owl.
Over the weekend word was received that Ralph Griffis of Chik-Wauk Lodge died. He and his wife (who is still living) were the last private owners of Chik-Wauk. My favorite story of Ralph goes back some years to when they owned the lodge and I was a new bride. We had been having lots of rain and the lake waters were really rising. Ralph called me one day and asked if the water in Gunflint Lake was still coming up. I said yes but was quite confused. Ralph patiently explained to me that Gunflint Lake flows into Saganaga Lake (his lake) via the Granite River. One week after Gunflint stops coming up, Saganaga stops coming up. It takes that week to drain from Gunflint to Sag. It is pretty obvious when you think about it.
When I look outside, it is like we are in the middle of winter. There is, however, one small sign that spring is on the way. Our days are getting longer. All the extra minutes each day are finally adding up and now we have a couple extra hours of day light than on December 21st. This reverses itself on June 21st when the days start getting shorter.
You know, we never complain about too much snow round here. Over the weekend we got 5-8 inches of the fluffy white stuff. Our snow banks seem to be a mile high. In addition the ski trails and snowmobile trails are wonderful. We have a few white puffy clouds today but basically no snow in the forecast - 20% which is just a face saver for the weatherman in case something comes.
The lake is just as full of ice. I have heard up to 24” of good ice. Certainly people are going all over for fishing. My favorite story comes from our neighbor. Bob is now going out and cutting about a three foot by four foot hole in the ice with his chain saw. He puts in line at about 3 feet down and watches the fish come up to his bait. When the fish is hooked, he doesn’t have to put his arm in a tiny hole to get the fish out. Bob just takes his handy landing net and nets the fish. Watching the fish is almost as much fun as catching the fish.
I know the next question is what does Bob do with this huge slab of ice from the hole? He uses a pole to slide the slab under the adjoining ice. That way the slab is out of his way and he doesn’t have to try to lift it out of the water. Bob is a pretty tricky fellow.
In case you haven’t heard, Bruce has agreed to have his head shaved this year for the Mush for the Cure. All the money goes for research into breast cancer research. He has to raise $2500 for the privilege of getting his hair shaved. If you are interested there is a wonderful picture of Bruce soliciting your donations at www.active.com/donate/2013mushforacure/brucekerfoot. I was the photographer of Bruce not the owl.
Over the weekend word was received that Ralph Griffis of Chik-Wauk Lodge died. He and his wife (who is still living) were the last private owners of Chik-Wauk. My favorite story of Ralph goes back some years to when they owned the lodge and I was a new bride. We had been having lots of rain and the lake waters were really rising. Ralph called me one day and asked if the water in Gunflint Lake was still coming up. I said yes but was quite confused. Ralph patiently explained to me that Gunflint Lake flows into Saganaga Lake (his lake) via the Granite River. One week after Gunflint stops coming up, Saganaga stops coming up. It takes that week to drain from Gunflint to Sag. It is pretty obvious when you think about it.
When I look outside, it is like we are in the middle of winter. There is, however, one small sign that spring is on the way. Our days are getting longer. All the extra minutes each day are finally adding up and now we have a couple extra hours of day light than on December 21st. This reverses itself on June 21st when the days start getting shorter.
Saturday, February 02, 2013
Moving
We are into our typical winter weather patterns. The temperature has been going down with clear skies, a waning moon, and no wind at night. This morning it was 30 below at our house. In a few days it is due to warm up to above zero. Then we will get some snow. Meanwhile the cold temperatures give us really good traction for driving. This variation of deep cold and no snow with warmer temperatures and snow will keep up for much of the winter.
Looking at the temperatures outside makes me look at the inside of our home. It is comfortably 70 degrees. That is a 100 degree temperature differential. When we have the fireplace going it is even a greater difference.
Daughter Shawn and her husband, Bob, give Bruce a big load of firewood each year for Father’s Day. We keep drying until just these cold days. There is nothing better than to come into a house with a cheery fire in the fireplace. We start it before dinner, throw an extra log on before going down to the lodge after dinner, and then put on a couple of logs when we come home. The smell, crackling and popping are all the music that we need in the house.
We have been seeing a pair of moose regularly just south of the North Brule River. I understand that there are also four moose hanging out around the upper end of the Trail. Neighbor Sally says she sees them every time she drives back and forth to down.
The ice on Gunflint is quite thick in many places. We are starting to see vehicles on the lake regularly. This does not mean that you can drive just anywhere. Always check with someone local before going out. On Gunflint, for example, it never freezes over at the Narrows leading to Magnetic no matter how cold it gets. In fact I have never been over close to the Narrows during the winter in all the years I have lived here.
I am slowly getting packed up for the big move to Tucker Lake. It will be a big change in our lives. Even though it is six weeks from now, both of us are getting excited for the move. The big question is how did we get so much stuff? I don’t know how people can move every few years. And getting boxes is another big deal. We are lucky to have all the food and liquor boxes that are delivered to the lodge regularly. Also I don’t have to do too much to pack our clothes. With only five miles to move, I will tie groups of hangers together and move them in the car. The short distance also allows me to pack things like towels in plastic bags. I think when I unpack there will be a lot more stuff leaving our house.
Just so you know that things are split, Bruce gets the garage to pack and move plus his office. Both are jam packed.
Looking at the temperatures outside makes me look at the inside of our home. It is comfortably 70 degrees. That is a 100 degree temperature differential. When we have the fireplace going it is even a greater difference.
Daughter Shawn and her husband, Bob, give Bruce a big load of firewood each year for Father’s Day. We keep drying until just these cold days. There is nothing better than to come into a house with a cheery fire in the fireplace. We start it before dinner, throw an extra log on before going down to the lodge after dinner, and then put on a couple of logs when we come home. The smell, crackling and popping are all the music that we need in the house.
We have been seeing a pair of moose regularly just south of the North Brule River. I understand that there are also four moose hanging out around the upper end of the Trail. Neighbor Sally says she sees them every time she drives back and forth to down.
The ice on Gunflint is quite thick in many places. We are starting to see vehicles on the lake regularly. This does not mean that you can drive just anywhere. Always check with someone local before going out. On Gunflint, for example, it never freezes over at the Narrows leading to Magnetic no matter how cold it gets. In fact I have never been over close to the Narrows during the winter in all the years I have lived here.
I am slowly getting packed up for the big move to Tucker Lake. It will be a big change in our lives. Even though it is six weeks from now, both of us are getting excited for the move. The big question is how did we get so much stuff? I don’t know how people can move every few years. And getting boxes is another big deal. We are lucky to have all the food and liquor boxes that are delivered to the lodge regularly. Also I don’t have to do too much to pack our clothes. With only five miles to move, I will tie groups of hangers together and move them in the car. The short distance also allows me to pack things like towels in plastic bags. I think when I unpack there will be a lot more stuff leaving our house.
Just so you know that things are split, Bruce gets the garage to pack and move plus his office. Both are jam packed.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Animal Encounters
We have had a good week here at Gunflint. First of all about 8 inches of snow came down on Friday and Saturday. It looks beautiful! The trails are in great shape with a solid base and a good track on top of that. Even if they are just skiing on the lake, everyone is having a ball.
After the snow we got clear skies and a full moon. You know what that means. The temperature just dropped. We have had 25 below or less for the past two nights. It is beautiful but best seen by looking out the windows. We have noticed that everyone in camp comes to get a movie. They probably have the fireplace going and are just sitting back with the movies. Maybe there is a little popcorn to go with the movie.
People have been seeing lots of game. Earlier this summer you may remember me talking about seeing a lynx where Bruce parks his truck at our house. We think that the animal has been hanging round. All the snowshoe hares have disappeared. Last weekend, some guests were skiing near the junction of the Lonely Lake Trail and the Big Pine Trail. They spotted a lynx. The animal did not just run off but stood there looking at them for several minutes. This let them get a really good look at the lynx. It is a great thing to see.
Sheryl also had an exciting viewing one night. It was late and she was reading in bed. Suddenly she heard what sounded like bleating. She looked out her bedroom window into the parking area behind Cabin #7. There was a deer that had just been taken down by a single wolf. Sheryl was able to get some great picture but they are a little too graphic for me. After feeding for a bit, the wolf moved into the bushes and howled before coming back to feed some more. By morning there was nothing to see. Looking around, Sheryl saw where the remains of the animal had been dragged into the woods between Cabin #9 and the road.
The interesting thing was Sheryl’s reaction to this. She was watching it all from a nice, safe house. Even so, there was a shiver that passed through her. That shiver must go back thousands of years when mankind was not so safe from wolves.
I had that happen to me years ago. Bruce was at a sports show in Milwaukee and I was the only one home. Our dog, Itzy, was restless. She was up and about and around and just would not settle down. I turned the outside lights on but there was nothing to see. Finally I let the dog out and stepped out myself. I could hear the howling of a pack very close to the house. Even safe in the house, it was not comfortable. Bruce just laughed when I told him about it. The next morning I found the tracks of the wolf pack right behind the outfitters building.
If you are interested, now is the time to come up and experience our wonderful snow. A word of warning, most of the cabins are booked on weekends. Mid week there are still cabins available but even that is filling up quickly.
After the snow we got clear skies and a full moon. You know what that means. The temperature just dropped. We have had 25 below or less for the past two nights. It is beautiful but best seen by looking out the windows. We have noticed that everyone in camp comes to get a movie. They probably have the fireplace going and are just sitting back with the movies. Maybe there is a little popcorn to go with the movie.
People have been seeing lots of game. Earlier this summer you may remember me talking about seeing a lynx where Bruce parks his truck at our house. We think that the animal has been hanging round. All the snowshoe hares have disappeared. Last weekend, some guests were skiing near the junction of the Lonely Lake Trail and the Big Pine Trail. They spotted a lynx. The animal did not just run off but stood there looking at them for several minutes. This let them get a really good look at the lynx. It is a great thing to see.
Sheryl also had an exciting viewing one night. It was late and she was reading in bed. Suddenly she heard what sounded like bleating. She looked out her bedroom window into the parking area behind Cabin #7. There was a deer that had just been taken down by a single wolf. Sheryl was able to get some great picture but they are a little too graphic for me. After feeding for a bit, the wolf moved into the bushes and howled before coming back to feed some more. By morning there was nothing to see. Looking around, Sheryl saw where the remains of the animal had been dragged into the woods between Cabin #9 and the road.
The interesting thing was Sheryl’s reaction to this. She was watching it all from a nice, safe house. Even so, there was a shiver that passed through her. That shiver must go back thousands of years when mankind was not so safe from wolves.
I had that happen to me years ago. Bruce was at a sports show in Milwaukee and I was the only one home. Our dog, Itzy, was restless. She was up and about and around and just would not settle down. I turned the outside lights on but there was nothing to see. Finally I let the dog out and stepped out myself. I could hear the howling of a pack very close to the house. Even safe in the house, it was not comfortable. Bruce just laughed when I told him about it. The next morning I found the tracks of the wolf pack right behind the outfitters building.
If you are interested, now is the time to come up and experience our wonderful snow. A word of warning, most of the cabins are booked on weekends. Mid week there are still cabins available but even that is filling up quickly.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Ice Part III
Last week and the week before I wrote about lake ice. This is Part III of the ice store. In talking about the ice I added that you should always check the local conditions before going out onto the ice. We had a group into one of the large cabins who were going out for the opening of ice fishing on Saturday. Their means of transportation were going to be several ATV’s to the east end of the lake.
Along the south shore of Gunflint is a pressure ridge. One of the ATV’s went through the thinner ice associated with this pressure ridge. The machine went 2 ½ to 3 feet in the water. Since there were other machines, the men were able to pull the one ATV out of the hole. Everything worked out OK but it is always a scare to go through where you think there is solid ice. I am sure that there will be other events regarding the ice as the winter goes along.
The big question right now concerns our snow conditions. The answer is that we are skiing on a thin layer of snow with a hard base. Everyone would love some new snow to go on top of what we have. Our temperatures are in the low single digits but above zero.
There was one morning that the road ice was treacherous. Dave at the front desk has a five-minute drive to work. That morning it was 45 minutes. When Bruce walked out to his truck to drive down to the lodge, he dusted the ice with his butt. I stayed in the house and did not attempt to go anywhere until the temperature changed later in the day. Even then, no one was driving very quickly around here.
Bruce and I have been getting a few laughs watching the Los Angeles weather. (We don’t get local – Minneapolis – stations because we would have to cut down two white pines to see the satellite.) Out west they are complaining about the cold conditions when the temperatures are in the forties. That would be a real heat wave around here.
Slowly our house is looking quite bare. Don is saving grocery and liquor boxes for me. We are going to needs lots and lots of boxes to get everything over to Tucker Lake. In fact Bruce just came in with a few more boxes. Without having food delivered for a commercial kitchen, I don’t know how you would accumulate enough boxes to pack a household up. At any rate I am slowly getting the job finished. We are lucky to have a staff to help move everything. Moving a dozen boxes a day is one thing, but I don’t think that I am up to moving all the boxes at one time. Boxes of books are heavy. I have five boxes of cookbooks alone after I gave a bunch away to the library.
The best part of the moving project is the end result.
Along the south shore of Gunflint is a pressure ridge. One of the ATV’s went through the thinner ice associated with this pressure ridge. The machine went 2 ½ to 3 feet in the water. Since there were other machines, the men were able to pull the one ATV out of the hole. Everything worked out OK but it is always a scare to go through where you think there is solid ice. I am sure that there will be other events regarding the ice as the winter goes along.
The big question right now concerns our snow conditions. The answer is that we are skiing on a thin layer of snow with a hard base. Everyone would love some new snow to go on top of what we have. Our temperatures are in the low single digits but above zero.
There was one morning that the road ice was treacherous. Dave at the front desk has a five-minute drive to work. That morning it was 45 minutes. When Bruce walked out to his truck to drive down to the lodge, he dusted the ice with his butt. I stayed in the house and did not attempt to go anywhere until the temperature changed later in the day. Even then, no one was driving very quickly around here.
Bruce and I have been getting a few laughs watching the Los Angeles weather. (We don’t get local – Minneapolis – stations because we would have to cut down two white pines to see the satellite.) Out west they are complaining about the cold conditions when the temperatures are in the forties. That would be a real heat wave around here.
Slowly our house is looking quite bare. Don is saving grocery and liquor boxes for me. We are going to needs lots and lots of boxes to get everything over to Tucker Lake. In fact Bruce just came in with a few more boxes. Without having food delivered for a commercial kitchen, I don’t know how you would accumulate enough boxes to pack a household up. At any rate I am slowly getting the job finished. We are lucky to have a staff to help move everything. Moving a dozen boxes a day is one thing, but I don’t think that I am up to moving all the boxes at one time. Boxes of books are heavy. I have five boxes of cookbooks alone after I gave a bunch away to the library.
The best part of the moving project is the end result.
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
January Changes at Gunflint
Well, I have no ice testing pictures. Don went out last Thursday and forgot to call me. I can give you the results from the about 30 holes that he made. Out in the middle of Gunflint the ice ranged from 10-14 inches thick. Generally it was a solid blue ice. Surprisingly just in front of the dock the ice was only about 6 inches thick. That is a safe thickness for walking but we won’t be driving vehicles on the ice for a bit yet. I also wish to make the point that this in no way declares that the ice is safe all over Gunflint Lake. Ice changes all the time during the winter. Whenever you go on the ice, be sure to check the local conditions where you are going. Bruce fell through the ice once as a boy and he says it is not something you wish to experience.
As with everyone, our life has changed a bit in the past week. We bought a house on Tucker Lake which is about 5 miles from the lodge. One day we may not be running Gunflint (not anytime soon) and it would be nice to have a place to live. Our friends Tom and Melissa were selling their beautiful home and we could not resist. The two of them will continue to live on Tucker Lake until remodeling is done on their new home near the Cities. Then in March Bruce and I will make the big move. Many of you have lived all over the country but this is the first time (except for college and the military) that Bruce will not live on Gunflint Lake. For me, I have only lived here for 44 years so it is not as big a change for me.
The next question is what will happen to the house we are presently living in? It will become Cabin #12 or the Pow Wow Lodge. With 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a large living room with fireplace and a good size kitchen, we hope that many of you will enjoy a stay in it. The remodeled unit will be available starting Memorial Day. Since most of our large cabins are already booked for the summer, keep track of the progress on the Pow Wow Lodge at our regular website at www.gunflint.com. In fact, that website will give you all the current information about what is going on at Gunflint.
With more guests around this January, the deer are getting fed more regularly and their numbers have increased. This has just attracted more wolves. We see them on the lake most every day. You never know when they are going to appear.
This fall there have been several articles in the Minneapolis paper about how the DNR thinks the moose population is going down. We personally have not seen as many moose this past couple of years. Starting with the holidays, however, our guests are seeing lots more moose as they drive up. My guess is that 50% of our guests are seeing moose on the road either coming or going. Hopefully this means a real increase in the population.
As with everyone, our life has changed a bit in the past week. We bought a house on Tucker Lake which is about 5 miles from the lodge. One day we may not be running Gunflint (not anytime soon) and it would be nice to have a place to live. Our friends Tom and Melissa were selling their beautiful home and we could not resist. The two of them will continue to live on Tucker Lake until remodeling is done on their new home near the Cities. Then in March Bruce and I will make the big move. Many of you have lived all over the country but this is the first time (except for college and the military) that Bruce will not live on Gunflint Lake. For me, I have only lived here for 44 years so it is not as big a change for me.
The next question is what will happen to the house we are presently living in? It will become Cabin #12 or the Pow Wow Lodge. With 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a large living room with fireplace and a good size kitchen, we hope that many of you will enjoy a stay in it. The remodeled unit will be available starting Memorial Day. Since most of our large cabins are already booked for the summer, keep track of the progress on the Pow Wow Lodge at our regular website at www.gunflint.com. In fact, that website will give you all the current information about what is going on at Gunflint.
With more guests around this January, the deer are getting fed more regularly and their numbers have increased. This has just attracted more wolves. We see them on the lake most every day. You never know when they are going to appear.
This fall there have been several articles in the Minneapolis paper about how the DNR thinks the moose population is going down. We personally have not seen as many moose this past couple of years. Starting with the holidays, however, our guests are seeing lots more moose as they drive up. My guess is that 50% of our guests are seeing moose on the road either coming or going. Hopefully this means a real increase in the population.
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
The Saga of Ice
Just like your families, Christmas and New Year’s have now come and gone for our Gunflint family. We have had time to remember how much there is to be thankful for. Let's hope we can remember this for more than a few days.
The cabins at the lodge have been filled to overflowing. I counted and for one week we have only four nights open in all the cabins. The dining room has been equally busy. After a huge breakfast buffet this morning, there was a family driving by looking for lunch at 11:15. A short bit of waiting with coffee and cookies and lunch was on their table.
The last few days have been clear and cold. It was -7 at our house this morning. While the lake is frozen, we have not tested it yet. To be cautious, we are asking everyone to stay off the lake. It is probably safe to walk right along the edge but that is as far as we go.
Don hopes to get out to test the ice in a couple of days. He puts on a dry suit. We tie a 50 foot rope around his waist kind of like a dog lease. Out he goes to drill holes every 50 to 100 feet. I follow holding on to the lease and with a radio in my other had. Of course, I don’t really need the radio because everyone is watching us from the lodge windows. Sheryl will take a picture for next week.
As I have been home this afternoon, the sky has clouded over. The weather forecast is for 70% chance of snow. Everyone is ready for it. A foot would be perfect but even 6 inches would work. The clouds have also warmed things up. We already have 10 degrees above zero. That may not sound like much in your part of the country but it is almost a heat wave up here. It also brings snow. Keep your fingers crossed!
One of the interesting things about winter is to watch the changes in the ice. As you know, the colder it gets, the more the ice expands. The shoreline keeps it from going out too far. Eventually the pressure builds up so much that a pressure ridge explodes across the ice. It can sound like rumbling or like a shot. Right now we have a pressure ridge that is horseshoe shaped from our side of the lake to the west and then going down the northern shoreline of the lake. It is clearly visible from the lodge.
All of this will disappear if we get snow. A new development will occur. That light, fluffy snow will push down on the lake so hard that fine cracks will appear in the ice beneath the snow. Water from the lake will flood the snow creating slush. There will still be dry snow on top to keep the slush from freezing. Eventually the unwary skier, snowshoer or snowmobiler will venture into this covered slush and get wet all the way up the leg. The insulating snow is disturbed and the slush will quickly freeze. If this happens with a snowmobile, you have mere hours to get it out before the machine freezes in.
So we will look tomorrow to see what happens. I’ll write next week more in the saga of ice.
The cabins at the lodge have been filled to overflowing. I counted and for one week we have only four nights open in all the cabins. The dining room has been equally busy. After a huge breakfast buffet this morning, there was a family driving by looking for lunch at 11:15. A short bit of waiting with coffee and cookies and lunch was on their table.
The last few days have been clear and cold. It was -7 at our house this morning. While the lake is frozen, we have not tested it yet. To be cautious, we are asking everyone to stay off the lake. It is probably safe to walk right along the edge but that is as far as we go.
Don hopes to get out to test the ice in a couple of days. He puts on a dry suit. We tie a 50 foot rope around his waist kind of like a dog lease. Out he goes to drill holes every 50 to 100 feet. I follow holding on to the lease and with a radio in my other had. Of course, I don’t really need the radio because everyone is watching us from the lodge windows. Sheryl will take a picture for next week.
As I have been home this afternoon, the sky has clouded over. The weather forecast is for 70% chance of snow. Everyone is ready for it. A foot would be perfect but even 6 inches would work. The clouds have also warmed things up. We already have 10 degrees above zero. That may not sound like much in your part of the country but it is almost a heat wave up here. It also brings snow. Keep your fingers crossed!
One of the interesting things about winter is to watch the changes in the ice. As you know, the colder it gets, the more the ice expands. The shoreline keeps it from going out too far. Eventually the pressure builds up so much that a pressure ridge explodes across the ice. It can sound like rumbling or like a shot. Right now we have a pressure ridge that is horseshoe shaped from our side of the lake to the west and then going down the northern shoreline of the lake. It is clearly visible from the lodge.
All of this will disappear if we get snow. A new development will occur. That light, fluffy snow will push down on the lake so hard that fine cracks will appear in the ice beneath the snow. Water from the lake will flood the snow creating slush. There will still be dry snow on top to keep the slush from freezing. Eventually the unwary skier, snowshoer or snowmobiler will venture into this covered slush and get wet all the way up the leg. The insulating snow is disturbed and the slush will quickly freeze. If this happens with a snowmobile, you have mere hours to get it out before the machine freezes in.
So we will look tomorrow to see what happens. I’ll write next week more in the saga of ice.
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