Loon Lake Tales

Well the ice went off the lake mid week and things looked great. As you can see by the picture things have turned cold again. We woke up this morning to the new snow. It really isn't that unusual to have snow opening weekend but that doesn't mean we have to like it. The good news is that it won't stay around very long. Warmer temps are predicted for later in the week.

We have been working on the Lodge building. Last fall we cut out a portion of the front wall, the end of the porch and parts of the dining room floor. We then pored a concrete footing along the front wall out to the porch. Taking off the roofing, replacing roof boards and starting to replace the front wall are the first order of business this spring. We want to keep the old Lodge building but it was time to do some major repair work. The dining room will not open until mid June at the earliest.

Our new online reservation program has been very well received. The nice thing about it is you can also check for availability to help you plan for your summer vacation. So give it a try and let us know what you think. Don't forget we are running specials until the end of June!

The fishing opener is just 3 days away and with any luck the ice will be off the lake. I took this picture yesterday from our deck. With some wind and a little rain it should be gone within a day or two. With the ice going out this close to the opener the fish should be in shallow water and most likely near the river coming from Little Iron/Little Mayhew. Minnows and frozen ciscoes are always a good bait early in the season.

It has been busy as of late. The weather has been cooperating for the most part. People have been able to get out and do all the winter things. Because the snow is compacted you can easily walk on snowmobile track. You don't need skis or snowshoes unless you go off the beaten trail. Sally, her husband and friends used their snowshoes to get to the high ground above Crab Lake. It is a great view of not only Crab Lake but you can also see Gunflint Lake and Loon Lake. It was a great day with the sun shining and the temps were just right.

Our son Adam was celebrating his 30th birthday with some of his buddies. They snowmobiled from Duluth to Grand Portage where they spent the night. Then the next day they rode the trails up to Loon Lake. They said the trials were in great shape and all had a great time.

We will be closing for the rest of the winter and opening up again May 1st. That will be Green Up Weekend. Check out the web site and see all of the events planed. It was a great experience last year for all who attended.

Well we have a new visitor to our bird feeder. We call them Pine Martens but they are also called American Martens. They have a long slender body covered in glossy brownish fur with a lighter coloured throat, a long bushy tail and a pointed snout. Like those of cats, its claws are semi-retractable, and aid it in climbing trees. It also has very large foot pads in relation to body weight allowing it to walk on hard snow. This provides the marten with a distinct advantage in areas that receive heavy snows.

They mainly eat small mammals like red squirrels or mice but will eat just about anything. They can be aggressive if cornered but if you leave them alone there is no problem. Their fur looks very soft but I have no plans on checking that out. During the fur trading days their numbers fell when their fur became desirable for coats. Today some trapping is allowed but the season is limited.

We see them mainly in the winter and early spring. Just another of our interesting neighbors.

For over 25 years there has been a sled dog race commemorating the life of John Beargrease. He and his brothers delivered mail along the North Shore of Lake Superior in the late 1800s. They used a number of different means to move the mail from Duluth to Grand Marais --walking to canoeing and then in the winter, sled dogs.

The race route has changed over the years and this year they will be coming down Loon Lake to the Lodge and travel up our road to connect to the snowmobile trail that parallels the Gunflint Trail. Last year I was a volunteer and it was a tremendous experience. I never knew the physical and emotional strength it took to run a sled dog marathon. The dogs are the most important part of the race and a great deal of effort is put into making sure no animals are hurt. There are veterinarians all along the route to make sure care is available. The mushers themselves are almost secondary.

The race will start Sunday, January 25th in Duluth and will finish sometime on the 28th back in Duluth. The exact time they will be coming through Loon Lake is a little hard to estimate. We are around the half way mark so best guess would be sometime Monday night or early Tuesday morning. If you are anywhere along the North Shore, Gunflint Trail or Loon Lake during that time be sure and take advantage and cheer the teams on.

Well this is a good time to catch up on my reading. My thermometer quit working last night so I checked out the weather station at the Seagull Guard Station. Many of you have seen the place about halfway between Loon Lake and Sag Lake. They have an online weather station and according to them it was 45 below this morning at 7:04. Burrrrrrr. It always surprises me that things work at that temp. Our house was nice and cozy so I went down to make sure the Shack was warm and everything was working just fine. The good news is just about all the slush is gone. When it is this cold everything outside freezes solid.

I tried to take a picture of the birds feeding today but every time I tried they took off. You should see them. They look about twice as big as usual with their feathers all puffed up to keep themselves warm. They were feeding all day just trying to keep moving and to keep their strength up.

Well that is all for now it time to finish that last chapter.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! So far we have had a great winter for snow enthusiast. We have been getting some snow about everyday. Some days more than others but I am shoveling the deck every morning. We have had a few snowmobilers by but that part of the season is just getting started. Terry has been out skiing everyday. Right now she heads off to Crab Lake. Larry our neighbor has been grooming and packing the trail so conditions are very good. The lake is a different story. We got a great deal of snow right after the lake froze over. This causes slush. Not very nice for anyone. You can't ski, snowmobile or snowshoe when there is slush on the lake. The good news is we are now experiencing some cold weather and it should take care of the problem in short order.

Just to remind you we do have the "Shack" open this winter. It is a great place to recharge your batteries. It is the only cabin we have open so you have to place to yourselves. Lake trout fishing is generally good on the lake if that is your thing. You can also go cross country skiing right from your door or snowshoe almost any place you would like. It is like having your own place.

Some events coming up that I will write more about later -- John Beargrease Sled Dog Race the end of January and Winter Tracks Festival coming the end of February. Keep checking back to find out more.