A Bit of Snow

This morning, we woke to a brush of snow on the Canadian side of Gunflint Lake, but only wetness over here. I think it is because the wind is blowing strong from the northwest. As it comes across the warm waters (!!!) of the lake, it melts the snow to water before it hits the ground. So here we are, warmer by the lake. I wanted to share this picture with you, as it is our first look at how the north shore appears with snow as a backdrop to the burned trees that are left. I am interested to see the change as we progress further in to the snowy season, and to see the contrasts that surely will appear.

It was a good weekend to finish up outside chores. I'm not sure where they come from, but a stray pile of firewood here and there shows up, and once again we find ourselves stacking it. I think that Greg loves chopping the wood, and so he goes around when we aren't looking, leaving piles behind. It is such a feeling of accomplishment when those stacks are done.

I also tried a bit of deer hunting on Saturday, which for me was more of a walk in the woods on a pretty morning. Greg took me out with him, and we went up to his stand for a while, and then did some more walking. The morning was warm, at about 31 degrees. The most memorable moment came when a chickadee landed on Greg's rifle, and sat there observing him for about a half a minute. Greg watched him when he left, and it then flew over to me, about forty yards away. The little bird hovered just a foot in front of my face for a moment or two, and then flew on. I think that next time, I will take a small baggie of sunflower seeds with, and see if I can entice one to land on my mitten.

The squirrels are still real active in the woods, stashing away food for the coming winter. I enjoyed watching one scurry around as I quietly sat out there. I like the industrious nature that they have all year, but can especially appreciate it in the fall. Some of the tasks that we must do are of that same nature---gather and store, gather and store. I wonder if they get to rest some in the snowy months ahead?

On our way to church yesterday morning, we noticed a thin skim of ice on Little Iron Lake. Soon it will be a thick coat, and winter will be well on its way. Ready or not, here it comes. I think that we are close to ready.

A Hike to Bridal Falls

Ever since it started raining in early September, we have been talking about Bridal Falls. With all of the water that has fallen, we knew that the falls had to be running like we'd not seen before. The challenge was getting there.....and this proved itself true in a couple of ways.

Greg pulled the boat up in the usual place, just to the west of the creek. It's probably south, if I were to get technical with a compass, but it is easier for me to orient by saying west. We all got out, and found that without hip waders, we weren't going anywhere. The creek was easily overflowing whatever "banks" it might have had at one time, and had spread throughout all of the surrounding woods. The trail was no where in sight. We decided that we would need to get back in the boat, and try mooring more to the west of the usual trailhead---towards where the large hill that makes up so much of the south shore of Gunflint Lake might offer some higher and drier ground.

We found a new place to tie up the boat, and proceeded to disembark right through the dense shore brush, and pick our way through the woods. We headed generally in the direction of the falls, and for the most part were able to initially keep our feet dry. Soon that changed. We got into a large area that had been burned in the spring, and it, too, had standing water. Downed trees, blackened with char, sometimes allowed for crossing, if they were sturdy enough. Since Greg and I both had rubber boots on, we were faring a little better than the kids. But I found it imperative to first brush aside the bright yellow leaves of the thimbleberry bushes that were everywhere. Since we still had not had a killing freeze, the bushes were all standing tall. They hid the ground enough for me to know that I couldn't chance blindly planting my next step, as my left foot is still a bit unsteady following last winter's dancing escapade. It boils down to the fact that it was a very slow hike.

We eventually found our way to the original trail...or something close to it. Here is a photo of Addie, as she walks along side of the trail. The creek was still overflowing, and finding all sorts of pathways in its journey down to the lake.

As we drew near to the falls, we could hear it, which isn't all that unusual. This time, however, the volume was much louder. We went as quickly as we could, even though there was clearly no chance of the water slowing down. A spectacular view awaited us....

Bridal Falls, rushing over the edge, in five different places. I couldn't get it all in one photo.

It was fascinating to just sit and watch all of the water course over the edge, and then continue on down the stream. Paul and Addie bushwhacked up to the top, so that they could see the view of it from another direction. Greg went up to join them, but I knew that it was best if I stayed down below. My achilles tendon has improved impressively over the summer, but I didn't want to push my luck, since we still needed to hike back out.

When it was time to leave and start that hike back out, I wished that we had marked our trail with flagging ribbon. Once again, it was an interesting challenge to decide where to go next.

When I ended up on a log like this, I knew that I needed a picture of it. My kids know how much I do not care to be in this position....but sometimes I have to. Slow and steady, I can usually make it ...and in this case, I could even snap a photo. (Look Ma, no hands.)Finally we were back to the boat, and we started our bumpy ride back to the lodge. The wind had not died down, so a side trip to the east end of the lake was postponed. We won't make it down there this year, but that's fine. The water will still be high in the spring when the ice goes out. That will be a great time to visit the east end, and to see what is left of that beach!

Halloween Fun

Yesterday was one of those beautiful fall days that you want to last for several more hours. Paul, Addie and I worked hard on the stacks, while Greg was out mowing ski trails with a tractor. The bugs even made a short appearance, in the form of black flies and a couple of mosquitoes. We finished up chores at a neighbor's cabin, we put away lawn chairs, and we stowed some canoes and such. Greg and I finished out the day as dusk was falling by going on a date to the dump. Such excitement around here.

Actually, the real excitement is today, for it is Halloween, even in the woods. Addie has been very busy designing and sewing her costume, and I pitched in a bit to help. I recalled several years of last minute sewing on October 30, so that costumes would be ready for school parties the next day. Those nights were so stressed, I am happy not to go back to that. One year, all three kids wore variations on the same theme: Rodents Of Unusual Size, or ROUS 's from the movie Princess Bride. With fake fur, I was able to fashion three different colored rat costumes. We would go trick or treating to a handful of neighbors' cabins, and the kids would come home with a bag of candy so full, you would have thought we hit three suburban neighborhoods.

We start the Halloween celebrating a bit early, by hosting a lasagna dinner/Halloween gathering on the last weekend of October. That is when the Minnesota Rovers are up to do their annual trail maintenance on the Border Route Trail. Here are a couple photos of who came this year.

Not everyone dresses up, but we all have a good time.

Happy Halloween to everyone--be safe out there, and don't eat too much candy.

Greg's views on the current status of the Lake

To learn more about the level of the lake in comparison to other years, we turn to our guest blogger, Greg.

Gunflint Lake is not quite at an all-time high level. In the last 10 years, I have seen it higher twice: In the spring following the great winter of '95-'96, it was two inches higher. And the spring of '01 (after a winter of ample snowfall and torrential March downpours) topped it by a whopping six inches.

Likely, there were other higher springtime levels, but these would have been before I was paying close attention, or before I was born. And note that those two times already mentioned were both in the spring. That is when the lake is supposed to be high. But this is fall, and as far as I know, these levels are unprecedented.

In the fall of 1978, the lake came up quite a lot, and roads washed out all over Northeastern Minnesota. Back then, I wasn't in to marking the water levels on fixed objects, like certain rocks or our concrete boat ramp. But I am now, and I can say with the conviction of a scientist that Gunflint Lake is real full. In fact, it has risen 55.75 inches since December 2006, which was the lowest I've seen it.

To put that into perspective, if Gramma Peggy were alive today and standing on one of the rocks we take our measurements from, the water would be over her head. By contrast, last December, the bottoms of the feet of her bunny suit would've stayed dry.

Typically, Gunflint Lake will rise 24 to 30 inches between fall-low and spring-high. If that happens by next spring, it will create some real problems. Waves are already lapping at some cabins' footings during high winds. Beaches are underwater, so it is a struggle to find places to put boats. Come next spring, on a very rough day when the waves reach 12 to 18 inches from crest to trough, there will be serious erosion of the duff layer along the shore. Some trees will topple. The lake will be full of flotsam, redistributing debris according to the whims of the wind direction. And it will be a sight to see; a once-in-a-generation event, or perhaps even a lifetime.