Loon Lake Tales

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The dogs are running!!

10:53 AM

The John Beargrease Sled Dog Race is off and running. The end of Gunflint Trail is the half-way point of the 390 mile race. The first teams got to Trail Center early last evening and most teams rested 4 to 6 hours. Terry and I were manning the crossing at highway 92 which is the road to the Iron Lake campground. We just had to make sure there was no car traffic to interfere with the racers. We had lots of dog teams but not one car! The first teams were heading back to Duluth by midnight and there are a number of teams in the hunt. The 92 crossing is one of the few were teams are going up to the final loop on Gunflint and Loon and then heading back to Duluth so there was a lot of times to record. That makes the time go by quickly when you our sitting out in the woods most of the night.

The pictures are of team number 4 which is the last place team at this point. He is running about 10 hours behind the leaders. The one shows the team approaching the Lodge follow by one of them heading up our driveway.

We always have fun watching the different teams. Weather is perfect for the dogs with temps ranging between 10 below and 10 above. Most mushers prefer the colder temps to keep their dogs from overheating.

Have a good day and remember it is time to starting about summer!!!!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Great Day

1:32 PM

Terry and I had a chance to go out snowmobiling today. We don't get out too often and it was a great day. Rollie and Mary from the north side of Loon Lake along with Terry and I went down to Hungry Jack Lodge. The weather is nice with the temps around 0 but it was sunny. We took the snowmobile trail down and it was a bit rough. They haven't groomed the trail lately and it showed. We meet some friends from Gunflint for lunch. Everyone had a good time. On the return trip we followed the lakes which made for a smoother ride. No major problems but we did hit some slush on Little Iron Lake.

The John Beargrease Sled Dog race is off and running today. They leave Duluth and follow highway 61 to Grand Marais then up the Gunflint Trail as far as Gunflint Lake then circle back to Duluth. We watch them come across Loon Lake and up to the Lodge following our driveway to the snowmobile trail. The entire race take a little more than 3 days.

It won't be too long until spring!!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Mild Weather

11:48 AM

We have been having great weather this past week. The high temps are 28 to 34 degree range everyday! It has been great weather to get out and enjoy the woods. Our granddaughter Hannah enjoyed a day of sliding down the hill behind cabin 2 with Grandma. Like with everything there is a not so nice side to the warm weather and that is a lack of real good snow. Yes we do have snow but we could use more. Sounds like it is coming this weekend. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Some upcoming events will be the John Beargrease Sled dog race which leaves Duluth the end of January. The last I heard it will come through Loon Lake again this year. The dogs always impresses me with their strength and desire to run. Something to see.

Winter Tracks will be taking place the later part of February. I will get you some updates on what will be happening around the Trail during that weekend.

With the great weather there is always something to do on the Trail. Remember the Shack is open with some great mid-week rates. Give us a call - 1-800-552-6351.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Update

2:07 PM

Sorry it has been so long. Where does the time go. I know I should be better at this but there never seems to be enough stuff to write about and the next thing you know it has been 7 months!! My New Year's resolution is to do a better job on updating the blog. So there you have it. Help me keep my resolution and email me if I start to fall behind.

Since last I wrote a few things have happened -- like an entire summer season! We did rebuild the front of the Lodge building and put a new roof on the front of the building. This next spring we will finish with the roof project and put new flooring in the dining room. We upgraded the sprinkler system and did extensive brushing around all of the buildings. I didn't know if people would like the open feeling but it has been well received. Steve returned for his second season. He didn't get out fishing as much as he wanted but it is nice for us having someone around who knows how everything works. Joining Steve this year was his brother John. Both guys are in college this year -- Steve at the University of Minnesota and John at the University of Wisconsin. We don't know if either will return for another summer season.

Over all the summer was cooler than most. We had our nicest weather in late August and September. Considering the economy was down we had a good summer. Things started out slow and picked up in July and August. Many guests from past years and a few new faces trying us out for the first time. The biggest group of the summer was the Droneck family get together the first week of August. The biggest fish of the summer (pictured above) was caught by Jake DeWoskin group in May. It was a very nice Lake Trout over 15 pounds. Biggest surprise of the summer was a cougar siting by Mike and Anita Focht. They were driving up the Gunflint Trail just about a mile from our drive and saw it crossing the road. Since then there have been other sitings in the area.

These are just a few of the things I should have been writing about but that is in the past. Winter is here and we have about a foot of snow on the ground. The lake is frozen with 14 inches of ice in the bay and the Shack is open for those of you looking for a winter experience. It has been a little on the cold side these last few days but Terry is out skiing most days and says the conditions are great. Give us a call if you are looking for a winter retreat.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

The ice is gone but........

7:12 AM

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!

If you look closely at the picture you can see a boat just off to the left of the birdhouse. We have some hard core fishermen trying their luck.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Fishing Opener is coming!!

1:18 PM

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.

If you are looking for a lakefront log cabin we are running specials during the early part of the season. Be sure to check them out and also check out our new online booking. We have been using it for the last couple of weeks and so far people seem to like the ease in checking availability and making a reservation. Make sure you let us know how it works for you!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Boys' Weekend

8:44 AM

Each year three of my close friends come up from Duluth for a boys' weekend. We ski, snowshoe, hike whatever the weather allows. This year we hiked over to Bridal Falls which is located between Crab and Gunflint lakes. It was a great day. Weather was just right -- not too cold. It is about a 2 mile hike from the Lodge. Lots of wolf tracks and other signs of wolf activities. The Falls were great but the most amazing thing was the smoke. The area was burned in the Ham Lake May 2007 fire and it is still smoking! Water had been pumped onto the area during the summer of 07 but to no avail. The fire had burned down deep into the duff. Then last March the Forest Service planted dynamite and blew up

sections of the area in an attempt to put the fire out but again to no avail. The picture shows the area that was blown up but the smoke is hard to see.

We also spent a day snowshoeing around the area. The conditions were tough. Even with snowshoes we had a hard time in the deep snow. We followed the creek coming from Little Iron to an area where it merges with a creek from Little Mayhew. It then flows into Loon Lake. It is a beautiful area that few people see. I think we will make a trail into the area for summer hiking.

Lots of freezing rain in the area as of late. Spring must be coming soon.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Great Weather

9:38 AM

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.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The Martens are coming!

2:28 PM

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.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Running Dogs

2:19 PM

Had a great time at the Beargrease Sled Dog Race again this year. Our part of the race is just a small snap shot. I work with the check in and check out of teams at Trail Center. Reporting times and number of dogs for each team to the race managers. Teams started arriving a 7:15 pm and continued until around 4:20 am after a few hours rest they then started to leave. The last team out left at 6:00am. Temps were in the 20 below range but the dogs were ready to go. I on the other hand was ready for bed!

With the race coming through Loon Lake this year I wanted to get at least one picture of a team coming down the bay. It was about 8:00 am when I thought I saw the first dog approaching but it was just a single dog and it took me a few minutes to realize it was a wolf following the trail of the sled dogs. He walked on the trail from the point across from the Lodge to just short of the

boat landing. I quietly watched hoping I could get a good picture but something spooked him and he was gone like a flash. Shortly a team did come around the point heading for the Lodge.

After the teams pasted I headed to bed to get some sleep. Each year I have more and more respect for the mushers and their teams. The race ended with the first team back to Duluth on Wednesday afternoon. If you ever wanted to see a race up close check out the dates for next year. The "Shack" offers a great view of the teams coming down the lake and if you want you can go and cheer the teams on as they come off the lake. I guarantee it is something you don't see everyday.