Loon Lake Tales

Well first we had a foot of snow earlier in the week and then the cold temps have arrived.  This morning it was -21 below zero.  So it is safe to say winter is officially here.  The Shack is ready for winter guests so check out our open dates at www.visitloonlake.com and make some plans to visit.

Get more info and stories from our Facebook page.

Tom & Terry

Well the season is off and running.  Ed has been fishing almost everyday and is ready to take you out for a guided trip.  Last year he had a great year with our guests.  Even the neighbors started to ask him to take them out and show them the hot spots.  So the next time you visit you may want to take advantage of his fishing skills.

Check us out on Facebook for the most up-to-date info on what is going on at Loon Lake Lodge.

Tom & Terry

Well this morning the ice was off the bay!  The main body of the lake still has ice but it is beginning to break up.  So by sometime this weekend we should be ice free.  The cabins are cleaned and we are ready to take guests.  Give us a call and come on up and see us.  800-552-6351 or check out openings on line at www.visitloonlake.com.

Tom & Terry

Well it is opening of fishing today but no way to get on Loon Lake. In fact it is snowing right now and just not very nice. The lake is still ice covered but the river down just past the Lodge is open for about 200 yards.  I am hoping that by next weekend we will have some open water.

Little Iron just across the Gunflint Trail for us went out today as did some of the other smaller lakes in the area..  So there is hope. 

Happy Mothers Day to all. 

Tom & Terry

Well it still looks and feels like winter.  It was just 10 degrees this morning and as I look out the window the lake is still frozen tight.  Last weekend the fishermen were reporting 30 plus inches of ice on the lake.  So it won't be opening anytime soon but spring will come and the ice will go away.


We still have openings and special rates before Memorial Weekend.  Check us out.

Tom & Terry

Two great events this last weekend and I think everyone had a great time.  First, there was the Mush For a Cure. You can check out the photos on their facebook page.  Smiling faces all around.  Secondly, the John Beargrease came through early Tuesday morning.  There were fewer teams this year and they were running close together so it was more exciting.  When they came down Loon Lake the first 3 teams were only 2 to 3 minutes apart.  For a sled dog race that is close!  The only problem -- it was after midnight so there weren't many spectators.  Check out their facebook page for some good pictures. 

Tom & Terry

March Madness Gunflint Trail style starts this week.  First will be Mush for a Cure.  What is Mush For a Cure? Mush For a Cure is a non-competitive sled dog FUNdraiser with proceeds donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  Over the last few years they have raised tens of thousands of dollars for breast cancer research.  So check them out if you are in the area or go to their web site and you can donate to a great cause.

Starting Sunday the John Beargrease Sled Dog race gets started.  The race comes from Duluth to Gunflint Lake and back again covering nearly 400 miles in just a couple of days.  The trail comes up our driveway so we have a very good view of the race but the problem is they generally come through during the middle of the night.  Terry and I volunteer to provide safety for the teams crossing the Gunflint Trail.  Just to make sure there is no conflict between traffic and the teams. 

So lots of things going on!

Tom & Terry

If you have been to the Lodge over the past couple of years you would have noticed a sharp decline in the number of moose sitings.  Terry and I see, or more accurately don't see this every time we drive to town.  The numbers are now in and it doesn't look good.  In 2006 there were close to 9000 moose in northeastern Minnesota this January the count was down to 2760.

The big question of course is why.  There are a number of theories out there:

• Wolves - some say with the increase wolf population they must be killing more moose
• Warming climate - warming temps causes more stress on the moose making them more vulnerable Minnesota is the southern edge of the moose range
• Disease and parasites - with the moose weaken by other forces they are less able to fight off sickness

No one at this point can say with certainty what is causing the rapid decline.  In the end it will probably be a combination of all of this factors.  Hopefully with new research being done today we can find a solution before it is too late.

Tom & Terry

Snow has been hard to come by so far this year.  The last couple of days have changed all of that.  It looks like we have accumulated 8 to 10 inches of the light fluffy stuff!  That makes it easier on the skiers and snowmobilers.  Some of them however may wait to take part in the new snow due to dropping temps.  It won't get above 0 until Thursday.  


The Shack is open so give us a call if you want to come play in the snow or just come to enjoy the peacefulness of the outdoors. 

Tom & Terry

The 2013 Beargrease Sled dog race has been postponed until March 10.  Snow conditions along the North Shore and even some spots on the Gunflint Trail are short on snow.  No one knows what impact this will have on the number of teams entering the race. 

We always look forward to the race.  We have a front row seat as the teams come down Loon Lake and up our driveway on their way to the snowmobile trail just across the Gunflint Trail from the Lodge. We will just have to wait and see what happens and hope we get more snow.

Tom & Terry