White Flakes Coming Down

A couple weeks ago, Bonnie set up a camera on one of the trails behind our maintenance garage. She has had great luck with it. The first night she got three great wolf pictures. On the 19th she started with a deer picture and then got two wolves before 11:00 p.m. These pictures above are two of those. It is interesting to wonder if the wolves and deer ever meet since they use the same trail.

On Friday Don, Jason and Lance walked out to test the ice again. I followed along for pictures. The picture above shows the three of them. Don is out quite a bit further on the ice. You can see the rope leading from Jason and going out to Don. The holes revealed a constant depth of 10-12 inches. Also our friend, Bob Baker, reports that he has found the same depth all over the lake as he has been fishing.

Bob’s fishing is a source of great joy to us. Last week he brought us two fresh trout. They were of the size that it was more than we needed for one meal but not quite enough for two. What to do? You guessed it! We ate them both for one meal and they were wonderful. Thanks, Bob

After about an inch of snow over the weekend, we are getting more snow now. It is not a huge amount but just enough to freshen up the trails. After lunch Bruce will be out grooming. When it stops, Jason will be out plowing. Others will be out shoveling the snow off the steps. It is quite a bit of work to clean up from even a light snowfall.

So last week I drove to town with a list of errands. It was warm and the road was slippery. After the straight stretch south of the north Brule, I saw a big beautiful moose on a curve. With the slippery roads, I didn’t want to jam on my breaks. The moose also slipped on the road and went to his front knees. Luckily he quickly got up and off the road. Naturally, I didn’t have my camera with me. It would not have made a difference as I was concentrating on avoiding the moose, not taking his picture.

Later in the Day: I started this blog in the mid-morning. It is now 3:00 p.m. and the snow is still coming down. Jason has the plow truck taking off the snow accumulation in our driveway even though it is still snowing. When this is finished, I will go out and shovel. Don tells me it is to continue all night. I still can’t see across the lake so life is good.

Ever since Bruce and I figured out how to make money from snow, I love every flake that comes down. All of you in the Twin Cities must know we are getting new snow because the phones are ringing off the hook.

Winter Projects

Life is very quiet around Gunflint right now. In fact things are so slow that Bruce and I will probably not go down to the lodge after dinner. At the lodge we have two guests for dinner in Justine’s and only three cabins full. The staff can probably handle it without us.

So what projects do I have when it is slow? My big one is pictures. I got a number of handmade wooden pictures frames this fall. There are lots of old picture of the lodge and outfitters. The idea is to take some of those pictures and enlarge them and arrange them into groups of three or four to tell a story for one of the cabins. So there may be a group of pictures showing the original lodge as it was expanded. Or maybe there will be a group of pictures showing some of the old entrance signs for the lodge. I also have a group of pictures showing Justine as she was growing up or Bruce as he was growing up.

One group that I just gave to Bonnie shows Bruce gathering birch bark like the Native Americans did for birch bark canoes. The pictures tell the story but I have to say that watching him do it was more fun. You can only do if for a couple weeks in June. Then you have to know exactly how deeply to cut the bark so that the tree is not killed. When done properly, the tree will scar but will continue to grow. Above is a picture of Bruce popping off one of his pieces of birch bark.

As of this week we are also finalizing our plans for a new activity at the lodge. Since last summer Bruce has been investigating canopy/zip line tours. He has explored the internet, talked with friends across the country, visited sites, and two companies visited to give us a proposal. The long and short of it seems to be that this is an environmentally friendly activity to add. It uses no motors and makes no sound. We have a spot in the back basin to put it and you don’t have to clear a lot of land and trees.

But even more intriguing is that it seems really FUN. Bruce and I are going down to Florida to visit with a friend who has a canopy tour. We already saw one in Arkansas but didn’t get to ride it was as they were closed. This time I will be riding. Stay tuned for my report on this. If I can do it at my advanced age, anyone can do it. In fact I think I see Bruce’s mother, Justine, and she is the first one in line.

Our plans are to start construction in May and be open the beginning of July. Along with the actual construction there will be an intensive training program for those who will be operating the tour. There is a national organization who certifies the construction and operation of these tours. Naturally, the organization’s name has total slipped out of my mind but I know that they will be looking us over.

Hopefully this will all be running when you visit us this summer.

A Warm Winter So Far

Above is a picture of our front desk staff. Sometimes it is nice of have a mental picture of the person you are talking to. From left to right you have Katie, Kaci, Marilyn, and Dave. They are the four who answer the phone the most. Of course, Sheryl, Bonnie, Bruce and I also answer the phone from time to time. Marilyn tells me, that the front desk is the glue holding the rest of us together. So you best nice to them or who knows where they might stick you.

Wolves are still all over the place. At breakfast the other day, everyone in the dining room got a see a wolf hanging out by the large point to the left (west) of the lodge. Last Sunday my big brown wolf calmly walked right in front of the lodge in the middle of the afternoon. He was about 20 feet out on the ice and totally unconcerned about any activity from us.

Adam had the most interesting sign of wolves. In the back basin Bruce has marked some large pines with red tape. From the tracks, the wolf walked up to one of the trees and pulled the red tape off. We don’t know if he thought it was food or if the tape was blowing in the wind and irritating him.

This past week we have gotten several inches of new snow. Although it has been warm up here for January, we have been able to maintain our ski trails. Dave Tuttle was out yesterday and groomed everything. Guests tell me that it is really great to get out.

The new snow also has everyone looking again for wolf tracks. At this point we are all looking for more signs of wolves. Luckily we have not yet seen any of the more unpleasant signs of wolves – dead deer. That sign will come too.

The ice on Gunflint Lake still does not give us a lot of confidence. After this next weekend, we will probably go out and test it. I am sure that many think we are being overly cautious. They are correct but this is most definitely a better safe than sorry situation.

Like most of you, we are having a very warm winter. Usually the temperatures hit 40 below this first week of the New Year. During the day they warm up to 30 below. This year nights are in the high 20’s. During the day we have temperatures that hover a couple of degrees above freezing. We all feel that true winter will come soon and will last way into April. Like everything about the weather, there is nothing we can do. That is what makes it so frustrating – no control. So hang in there, winter will eventually come to Minnesota.

Happy New Year!

Above is a picture of Bryan Ziegler and Sara Daggett. They are guests at the lodge over the New Year’s holiday period. They also got engaged on the 31st. At dinner I was able to admire Sara’s ring. We wish them the very best in their new lives. Their engagement was the perfect event to end one year and start another.

Gunflint Lake froze on the 28th – finally. The entire lake went in one night. Then the next day we got 4 to 8 inches of snow depending on where you measured. Bruce and Bob Baker were quickly out grooming the ski trails. It was a perfect amount of snow to start laying tracks. All the guests have been out and about enjoying the trails. For many it was a great improvement over their lack of snow at home.

Yesterday and today we are getting more snow. Right now the wind has come up and the lake is filled with blowing snow. It is just what we wanted. This will blow the snow off the new ice. Then tonight and tomorrow night the temperatures are due to get below zero. With little snow on it, the ice will start to increase in size and strength.

Meanwhile we continue to tell everyone to stay off the ice. It is so hard when the lake looks perfectly safe. The miserable wind is helping keep people off the ice. As I sit here at my computer, I can hear it howling outside. It will be a good night for a fire in the fireplace.

Many of you have read my stories about other people seeing animals in the woods. Today I have my own story to tell.

The other morning I was sitting the kitchen talking to Grandson Tanner. Suddenly a deer came flying past my garage door and up the driveway. Right behind it was a huge brown wolf. The wolf was just loping along. Wolves cannot outrun a deer but they can keep running forever. They will literally run a deer to the ground.

I did not see the outcome of this chase but the wolf was a magnificent animal. Every attribute that the description “alpha male” brings to mind was present in this animal. In just a minute he was gone but I have a picture in my mind of him that will never go away.

Unfortunately, there is a little more to my story. On top of the stove sat my camera. It remained right there during the entire encounter. My friend, Melissa, would be very disappointed in me. Honestly, it was too exciting to even think about the camera. I need more planning before I can get that perfect wolf picture.

Bruce and I had a quiet New Year’s Eve. The dining rooms and bar were busy at the lodge but we don’t stay open any longer than normally. With neighbors and lodge guests, it was fun to share the good feelings of a new year. We also would like to extend those feelings to you and your families.

Resident Animals

It is the day after and life is somewhat back to normal. We had a very quiet Christmas. Neighbors came for dinner. It was relaxed and pleasant. However, we still ate too much. I could hardly face food this morning or at lunch. Luckily it is just soup for dinner. I didn’t do a turkey so we do not have lots of leftovers. We didn’t miss the turkey since there were lobsters for dinner.

Christmas Eve we went to town for church services and dinner with friends. On the way home I took a picture of a tree right near the Birch Lake Road. My camera is not really good at night so you will have to imagine it. This is a 25 foot spruce tree that is about ¼ mile from the nearest electricity. Daryl Popkes and Tom Leddy dreamed it up. They got a neighbor with a cherry-picker truck to help string the white lights Tom had purchased. Since they were LED lights, not a lot of power was required. Daryl figured out how they could use a timer and a car battery to do the job. It is really a striking addition to the Trail. Our thanks go out to Tom and Daryl.

Due to warm temperatures and wind, Gunflint Lake has virtually no ice. We had some but the wind has broken it up. A night that gets down to below zero would solve the problem immediately. Keep your fingers crossed.

Of course, we have had lots of the resident animals visiting over the holiday season. For several years we have had a doe with a hole in her left cheek. She is back again this year with two youngsters. None of us expected her to be around for these past few years.

Fred and Fran saw a beautiful wolf when they drove down to our house for Christmas dinner. They have been seeing wolves regularly. Also some of the staff who walk our trails have seen large prints that look like dogs but couldn’t be. I have my camera and hope to capture one of these with the camera. Hopefully I will have better luck than the moose.

With open water we have also seen otter at the dock. Today there were three of them playing around. Just in front of the dock house there is still a little bit of ice. One of the guests watched as an otter brought a fish up onto the ice. It quickly became breakfast for the otter. It is a real bonus for all of us to see these animals right in front of the lodge.

Not to be left out are all the deer that have appeared as if by magic. Bruce put some corn out at our house and 6 deer appeared immediately. Someone dropped corn right at the front door of the lodge. This morning there was a deer feasting on the corn. Pretty soon they will be eating out of our hands.

It is amazing how many animals we are seeing. I don’t remember this many (except the deer) in years past. What a blessing they are.

Christmas 2011

As Sheryl’s picture taken yesterday morning shows, we are still waiting for the lake to freeze over. It all comes down to clear skies, no wind, and low temperatures. Eventually we get it all together but patience seems to be the word this year.

The snow is doing a little better. We have about 5-7 inches depending on where you are on the trails. Adam has been able to do a few dog sled rides on one of his trails. Tomorrow we are due to get some snow. It is always hard to figure out exactly what that means but we will hope for lots of inches. All the ski trails have been rolled and are ready for a few inches on top to smooth them out a little more.

On Sunday we had two sets of guests check in after seeing moose on their drive up. One saw a huge bull moose somewhere near Loon Lake. The other couple saw a cow and a young bull somewhere down the Trail. So on Monday when I drove to town, my camera was right up there in front. I saw 5 birds. From way last year my goal has been to take a picture of a moose out the car window and send it to Grandson Grant. I have lots of moose pictures but this was going to be one I took myself from the car. The most common reason I don’t have the picture is because I forget the camera. When I finally get the picture, I will share it with you.

As the holidays approach, the pace is picking up at the lodge. Once again we have more guests coming in than in 2010. Also Don is making the bistro and Justine’s more popular for everyone. Some nights I wonder where all the people have come from.

All my Christmas cookies are gone. I made ten different kinds so each person on the staff could have a plate of cookies. Then the extras were sitting around our house. They all went down to the lodge and out for the guests. Bruce and I would have eaten every single one of them otherwise. My waistline breathed a sigh of relief when the last cookie was gone.

I think I am ready for Christmas. The food I am bringing for Christmas Eve dinner is ready. The menu is planned and purchased for Christmas Day. The guests are invited. The house is decorated. As usual there will be some last minute pickup and cleaning. It will be a very lazy day. Our main project will be to answer the phone and eat too much.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you.

Ice Skating

Bruce and I are home from the latest round of conferences and we are both very glad to be home. The best part of the latest trip was catching up with Brian’s family in Sacramento. Grandson Sam had his school’s Christmas concert the night we were there. He and another alto sax player had a duet of Frosty the Snowman. Naturally, it was perfect! Amy and Max are both growing like weeds.

The lodge and grounds are now decorated up for Christmas. Here is a picture of the dining room Christmas tree. The festive atmosphere made a great backdrop for our staff Christmas party last night. Only problem was that I ate too much. I think everyone else did too.

Over the weekend one of those rare events occurred that locals are thrilled with. I called my friend, Kathy, on Seagull Lake to confirm the event. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the ice on Seagull was perfect for skating among the islands. Kathy told me that she went out each day for several runs. No one up here can skate too long because we rarely do it. The ice was solid but you could see through it to the rocks on the bottom of the lake. Her husband, Mike, was busy looking at where water lines went in. Mike is a builder so it was fun for him to see the lines. They also saw anchors and lures on the bottom. Surprisingly, they did not see a single fish. Seagull is a great fishing lake so where did they all go?

Kathy also told me that they were able to do a little ice skating right after Thanksgiving. Not as big an area was frozen but it was perfectly safe. She said that you could skate on safe ice but see the waves breaking on some open water not that far away. It was a little weird to skate and see the waves at the same time.

I should add a disclaimer: Don't do this unless you have good advice from local people who know the ice conditions. It was be really treacherous.

On this Sunday Mike decided to fly over the area to see where the ice was or was not. The west ends of Seagull and Saganaga were still open. Those have the largest area of open water that is not broken up by islands. The east end of Clearwater was also open. Mountain, Arrow and Pine Lakes were also open as is Gunflint.

With snow yesterday and today, this fleeting opportunity for lake skating is over. If everything holds, there will be a chance to easily ski on the lake. If we get too much snow, it will push the ice down and slush will form. I am always fascinated by the effects of ice and snow on lakes.

Meanwhile we are anxiously waiting for Gunflint to freeze. As I type this, I can hear the wind blowing outside. We need some time with no wind. Kathy and I have both seen the ice just freeze a lake over once the wind dies down. Hopefully, that will happen soon on Gunflint.

Preparing for the Holidays

Animals are continuing to appear around the lodge and our homes. Dave Schudy had a wolf hanging out by his truck a couple days ago. Yesterday I saw my first deer at our house. Then last night there were deer down by the lodge. We don’t start feeding deer until after the hunting season is closed. Even then we don’t get a lot in until the lake is frozen. That big lake gives the deer a great escape hatch if there is too much activity at the lodge. We will see if more deer come in tonight.

As part of my last blog, here is a one of a kind picture – me sewing. Don’t get excited about the sewing machine in the background. It’s Melissa’s. The only sewing machine around here is the one we use for repairing tents! I have been told that the machine is not acceptable for dolls. At any rate the doll is now wrapped up for a little girl’s birthday.

Since Bruce and I leave tomorrow for a week, I have been rushing to get everything ready for Christmas. My halo is showing and it’s very shiny. Christmas cards are in the mail. All the grandkids (8) are taken care of. Plans are in the works for each child’s (well, adults with spouses) gifts. The staff’s presents are wrapped and ready for our party on the 14th.

Meanwhile our weekends are busy at the lodge. We are the only restaurant open on the Trail at this time. If you drive up for lunch, the Red Paddle is the only game in town. I think that other restaurants open on the 26th. Christmas Day is the only day of the year that we do not serve any meals.

Everyone on the staff is busy stringing lights for Christmas. Jacob has put lights on probably twenty trees down the driveway and on the patio. The girls are going crazy around the front desk. We are saving the trees for the main room and Justine’s to be decorated by our guests. The guests will also be making wreaths for each cabin. It is a very festive time at Gunflint.

I am not going to write any more. The clothes for our trip are sitting on the bed. Some of them need a touch of the iron. The plan is to get everything packed before we go down to the lodge after dinner. We leave at 6:30 tomorrow morning.

Good luck to everyone with their holiday planning and shopping.

In Between the Holidays

Thanksgiving has come and gone. We had about 150 people for dinner including our staff. Don and his crew did a great job with the menu and with exceptional service to all our guests. At the end of the night we were all stuffed.

Two of our neighbors on the side road, Roma and Peter, came down for Thanksgiving dinner. As they were driving down, Peter looked in the rearview mirror. Behind him on the road was a huge wolf. He particularly noticed the big bushy tail the wolf had. Compared to when I first moved up here, we see a huge number of wolves. I was living here for several years before I saw my first wolf.

All our snow melted early last week. Then on Saturday we got four inches of new snow. It is beautiful. Adam has been out grooming the dog sled trails. Jason has been out grooming the ski trails. It was a wet heavy snow that packed down really well.

Gunflint Lake is still totally clear of ice. Even the bays have not started to freeze over. With temperatures in the 20’s, we need colder weather to get the water closed to 32 degrees. As it is, the lake has not even been steaming much lately.

This week I participated in an event I rarely do. My friend Melissa helped me sew a doll for Granddaughter Mae. Mae loves her dolls and I got this insane idea that a good grandmother would make her one. One of my friends advised me to make two sets of clothing so Mae could change the doll. I just groaned.

Looking on the internet I found a pattern for a doll that was sized to wear preemie clothing. It was my salvation. My friend Bev took me shopping at JoAnn’s Fabrics. Bruce came too and followed us around for an hour or longer. Bev made sure that I got everything.

On Monday I was over at Melissa’s and ready to get this project going. The pattern called for stretchy fabric. Melissa quickly named the fabric “stretchy shit” as I struggled with it. Finally we replaced the stretchy stuff with muslin. Life proceed much more quickly and pleasantly after that.

It took all day but the doll is almost finished. I still need to draw on the face. That is almost as difficult as making the doll. I am fairly good with words but not drawing. It is going to take some practicing. Luckily Mae will only be two on her birthday. I hope she likes the doll. I think that this will be my last sewing project for a bit.

Bruce and I leave next Sunday for a national outfitting convention in Reno. The convention is only three days long but it takes us two days on each end to get there and back. Sometimes living up in the woods can be a pain.

Thanksgiving

The picture above is of a large moose track. We have a two part story revolving around this track. Yesterday morning about 7:00 a.m. Kevin Walsh yells at Sheryl to come out. There is a small bull moose swimming past the lodge dock to the west. They grab Sheryl’s camera and hop into her truck. The plan is to meet the moose at the public landing and get pictures. The moose does not cooperate and gets out of the lake in front of Cabin #11. As they came back, the moose must have heard them. He disappears by Cabin #9. There was no chance of a picture.

This morning Kevin’s hunting partner comes to get me. They have discovered tracks by the outdoor hot tub for Cabin #9 and near Cabin #3. This is the picture of one those tracks. There are also tracks of a smaller cow moose. The guys seem to think that the big bull drove off the smaller bull to keep the little guy from the cow moose. It sounds as good as any other explanation.

For most of the morning Gunflint Lake has been steaming. This occurs when the lake water is warmer than the air temperature (I had 7 degrees at my house.). The steaming means that the lake is cooling down in anticipation of freezing. Usually Gunflint freezes during the first ten days of December. A night with clear skies, a full moon, and no wind usually is needed to freeze the lake. We will see when it freezes this year.

The lodge is now in our winter mode. Fires are lit in the two fireplaces each night. Bruce loves to come in and add more wood to each fire. If it is a cold morning, we start them even earlier. On Friday and Saturday, Mark Darling comes in to play his keyboard during dinner. There is nothing that warms a room more than some mellow live music. Of course, the lodge also looks welcoming because of the soft yellow glow from the room lights in contrast to the black night outside. We are now getting dark around 5-5:30 p.m.

The kitchen is not mellow right now. Preparations have started for Thanksgiving dinner. With the staff, we will be having about 150 people. Four huge turkeys are thawing. Two 40-pound bison roasts are also thawing. Several hams will be smoked. Don starts smoking all this meat in the wee hours of the morning. It has to be ready to serve at noon. In addition Adam, Hudson, Dan and Curtis will be preparing an assortment of side dishes and desserts to fill everyone’s hollow legs.

From all of the Gunflint family to your families, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. Just like you, we are very thankful for all our blessings.

The End of Fall

Bruce and I are home from a long driving trip. We visited family, attended conferences, and checked out other resorts. It was 4500 miles of new things to see. My own bed felt good that first night. Now I am in the midst of putting everything away and washing clothes. Another pleasure is to eat some home cooked meals. Restaurants are fine but we get tired of them. With so much restaurant food, the bathroom scale was not my friend.

There has been some snow while we have been gone but most of it has melted. Last Thursday we had three parties check out after fresh snow. Two of them ended up in the ditch going home. This is a common occurrence after the first slippery snows of the season.

Here at Gunflint we are into that gray time between fall color and snow. Some of the smaller lakes on the Trail have already frozen over – Swamper and Iron Lakes are two of them. Gunflint Lake is nowhere near freezing. In fact this weekend one of our guests took a sauna and then plunged into the lake. He said the lake was warm but I don’t believe him.

It is deer hunting season. Bruce hopes to get out this coming week. Our traditional meal the first night after Bruce gets a deer is pan fried heart for him and liver for me. Meanwhile more interesting stories are coming in about other hunting experiences.

Perhaps the most unusual came from our neighbors. Father and son were out hunting one morning. Suddenly a doe came running at full speed in front of them. Before they could catch their breaths, eight wolves came chasing the deer. It was quite a thing to see. We rarely see wolves actually chasing deer. Many hunters tell me that these unexpected happenings are some of their favorite parts of hunting.

My rabbits around the house are still changing color. They now have white feet, white ears, and a white belly. The back is still brown but that should change fairly soon. Bruce thinks they would be good for stew but I keep saying that I am not cooking them.

Yesterday we had our winter hay delivered. Mandy always buys enough hay in the fall to get us through until next year’s crop comes in. Because our hay barn has only three sides, the deer often find it a great place to feed all winter long. As the picture above shows, Mandy is set on outwitting the deer this year. There is a wall of hay stacked to the roof. In front are obstacles to any feeding from that side. By spring we will see who won – Mandy or the deer.

As I sit here typing, the sun has disappeared behind some clouds. In the west it looks pretty gray. Perhaps tonight will be the night we get out first snow that stays with us all winter long.

The

Last Projects and a Long Trip

This is going to be one of my quick blogs. The Vikings and Packers are playing soon. The odds are really against the Vikings but I still like to watch the game. While it is on, I am making applesauce. I have some Haraldson apples which will be good. Then I have two pair of pants to hem. Not my favorite job but that’s life.

The lodge is still running pretty full. Our meal business has slacked off because there are not a lot of people on the Trail. As much as I would like to be busier, we are all tired and ready to slow down a bit. Most of the guests are spending their time hiking and relaxing. It is cold and rainy today so the lake doesn’t look very appealing. The last week has been warm and lovely but we still don’t have a lot of people out on the lake. The horses leave tomorrow.

My rabbits are still turning color. They now have white feet, white ears and a white back. The stomach must turn white last. Bruce keeps telling me that we are going to have rabbit stew but I won’t cook it so that ends the talk.

Yesterday Bruce was out on the final harvest in the garden. He cut the last of the chives and parsley and took it down to the kitchen. The next job was to dig up the last of the carrots. I never expect as many as we get. It took me 45 minutes to just wash them all. Tonight I will oven roast them for dinner with a baked potato and grilled lamb chops.

On a cool damp day like today, our fireplace will be cranked up. It seems to add much more to the room than just heat. My job is to keep the wood box full. Bruce splits most of the wood by hand throughout the winter. He enjoys doing it. Then daughter Shawn brings up a nice load of hardwood for Father’s Day. We do pretty well with all of it.

One of my fall projects is placing the spring flower orders for us and many of the neighbors. Ronnie Smith, our gardener, does our order and I gather from the others. As I am typing this, it dawned on me that I forgot to order some new strawberry plants for our garden. Not getting those would be a tragedy. Not to mention that I would be in big trouble with Bruce.

You are not going to hear from me for several weeks. We leave tomorrow for the Minnesota Resort Association fall conference. Bruce is giving a talk on packaging. Then it is down to visit Lee and his family in the Twin Cities. Robert, Miranda, and Zach come next in Missouri. Then it is off to see some friends’ resort near Ponca, Arkansas. Then we visit another friend in Missouri. The next hop takes us out to Hendersonville, North Carolina, where my sister and brother-in-law live. Finally our last stop is the outfitters convention in Sandusky, Ohio. We will be home about November 11.

Needless to say, we will be glad to be home. My butt is going to be sore from sitting in the car.

RAIN!

It’s raining! About midnight last night we started to get some rain. It kind of drizzled and dribbled throughout the night. Then this morning we have received some heavy showers. Hopefully more will come during the day. One day like this will not be enough but it is a start. All the lake levels are low and we really need this rain.

The work on the Pagami Lake fire continues on. As of this morning the Forest Service says the fire is 87% contained. In some areas they are even beginning mop-up operations. Part of this is to haul back out all the unneeded equipment. At the end of big fires there is usually a huge pile of wet hose to be dried. It is all part of the process.

I worked at Chik-Wauk Museum yesterday. Around noon we had a very excited couple come in. They had just seen a huge bull moose by the Seagull Creek area. You can’t imagine how excited they were. The woman said she was still shaking. When I got home, Bruce told me he had heard that there was a bull moose courting a cow moose in that area. Of course, I saw nothing when I drove home. It all goes back to being in the right place at the right time.

Bruce and I drove home from the lodge the other night and saw a rabbit in the driveway. We often see rabbits around the house. This one, however, had white feet and white ears. It is just another sign that winter is coming. I think that the next part to change color on a rabbit is its belly. We will see.

The other night we went to dinner at Hungry Jack Lodge. It was for the 75th anniversary of the Gunflint Trail Association. About 70 people attended including owners, employees and past owners. During the evening we exchanged stories and memories of Trail years. Everyone also brought a poster with some information about their business. Lisa Wagner was there to video many of the stories to save for the 100th anniversary.

The GTA is the second oldest tourism organization in the State of Minnesota. We have had our differences but have also found that we can accomplish much more by working together than by fighting. In recent years we have worked to get ambulance service, a fire department, Fire Wise protection around homes, trees replanted, advertising to bring guests in. The list is endless. Most of it could never have been done by working alone. I wish Congress would learn that lesson.

I can still hear the rain outside. It is a really gray day but just what we need. This rain will take down the last of the leaves. The only fall color left is the needles on the tamarack trees. They will be gone soon. Then we will wait for the first snowfall.

Fall Days

My thanks go to Mark and Jeanne Scharf for today’s wolf picture. They checked into #27 early last week about 3:00 p.m. As they were about to walk down to dinner, Jeanne saw the wolf thru the window in the front door. Out came the cameras and the rest is history. I have since heard that a wolf has been hanging around the public landing on Gunflint. It could be the same one.

Two days after the Scharf’s arrived, more incoming guests saw a wolf as they were driving up the Trail. Up until the last few years, we never saw wolves. I am assuming that these and other sightings are the result of a larger wolf population.

The Pagami Lake fire is winding down. The Type I Incident Management Team has just been replaced by a Type II Team. This is a very typical event as containment of a fire increases. As of today the fire is 71% contained. We have not smelled any smoke for a couple of weeks now.

The Forest Service has completely lifted the ban on camp fires, but we still need rain. Those of you familiar with the beaver pond on the Round Lake Road will be surprised to learn that it is totally dry. Several days of a nice gentle rain would be wonderful.

This past week the ladies from Always An Adventure were with us for four nights. This group has been with us for about 14 years. They are here to get out and explore the area no matter what the weather. It was raining the day their boat trip to Bridal Falls was scheduled. Even so 20 people went on the trip. One day they canoed into Ham Lake. Another day a group of them went into Stairway Portage. There were also individual hikes they organized on their own. It is fun for us to host a group that wants to get out and enjoy the woods.

Speaking of enjoying the woods, Bruce and I did a little of that yesterday. It was a beautiful fall day so we decided to go partridge hunting in the afternoon. We spent 4 hours driving back roads until my insides were like jelly. We stopped at one of the neighbors to see the construction of their new house. During the drive we got three partridge. While it is nice to get the birds and we would have liked more, just being out and about is what we enjoy doing. It was certainly better than watching the Vikings lose their fourth game of the year.

Lunch was very busy today. Adrian, Don and I kept running for about 3 hours. Since the weather was cooperating, most people wanted to sit on the porch. We would have all enjoyed sitting on the porch too. It is the perfect place to be on these fall days. Winter is coming and the porch will soon be covered with snow.