North Shore Weekend

Not too surprisingly, May is rapidly slipping away. The Ojibwe “budding flowers moon” (Zaagibagaa Giizis) will grace the north woods this weekend. Then we head off toward the commemorative “Memorial Day” weekend to kick-off summer.

As I begin this week's report, summer feels a long ways off. Our big day of the walleye fishing opener came and went under less than favorable conditions. “Old man winter” kind of gave us a kiss goodbye reminding all in these parts there is still a little click in his heels.

Strong northwest winds, dismal skies and occasional showers of snow flurries were the order as temps hovered around the freezing point. Saturday AM found a skiff of snow on the ground, and water in my deck-side avian drinking dish stayed frozen all day. It was so cold conditions even prompted a couple nights of firing up the old wood burning stove.

Spring will no doubt bounce back by the time this scoop airs. And, there’s a good chance the last of the snow along our Mile O Pine will have faded into history.

In retrospect, while winter seemed less than gruff during the past months, we’ve had snow on the ground in varying amounts from November into the third week of May. If I count right, it’s seven months of north-country heaven for yours truly.

Although the area experienced a dash of winter, we’ve still not received enough moisture to diminish the wildfire danger. Cooler conditions of late have been a help, but rain remains the key component. The rain recorded here has barely settled the dust in the last week.

Most locals I know deferred frosty angling for a nicer day. However, out-of-towners owever. out-of-towners were not deterred. After all, it's Minnesota and fishing opener is a rite of the season. A trip along the Trail this past weekend found vehicle after vehicle either toting or pulling some kind of watercraft.

Boats started cruising by on the Gunflint gal before Saturday morning twilight and continued right through the day in spite of frigid air and rough seas. I suppose a few “finnies” were caught, but with the waters so cold right now, I’m guessing most walleyes were holed up in favor of warmer waters someday soon.

Last week's story about the first bear sighting has advanced into chapter two. Several folks along the Gunflint Lake south shore report the meanderings of a really “big” one around their places. Of those sharing the “Bruno” visits, none indicate any property ravaging or confrontations - just that it’s snooping around. I guess residents must be doing a good job of removing temptations thus far.

The folks at Gunflint Lodge have observed it, too, and believe this guy/gal may be the same one that caused them considerable grief last summer by getting into a cabin or two without checking in first at the reservation desk.

The Chik-Wauk Museum’s loon nesting platform is reported to now be occupied. I have not been witness to the returning occupants, but the museum manager indicates she witnessed a parental changing of the guard one day last week, so the fragile ovals must be there for the warming. Happy days are here again! All hope is looting raptors can be kept at bay.

On a related note, I’m told the loon cam at the Chik-Wauk site will be up and operating soon. Check the website to follow the nesting/hatching activity over the next few weeks.

When the sun has peeked between the clouds over the past few days, there’s been ceremonious tweeting throughout the woods. Harmonizing is not necessarily the order of performance as crows, jaybirds and the like, are all singing a different tune. And, as I’ve been out around the yard picking up winter blow-down, percussive components have been added to the northern ensemble with drumming grouse and a hammering pileated woodpecker chipping in solo parts. Ah, the north woods refrains of spring, what a delight!

This is Fred Smith, on the Trail, at Wildersmith! On the watch for emerging green!

(Photo by Mick Thompson via Flickr)

The news is good in the West End this week, thanks to 400 employees returning to work at North Shore Mining in Silver Bay. It is a wrenching blow to the entire West End when the plant shuts down. Basically, when North Shore Mining sneezes, the West End gets a cold and Silver Bay gets pneumonia. 580 workers were laid off last winter, so a callback of 400 people is good, but hopefully the remaining layoffs will end soon.
 
I was chatting with some of the temporary fire-fighters at one of the local watering holes this week. There are many out of state crews in town these days, including these fine fellows from Whitefish, Montana. I was surprised when they told me that their tour here had just been extended for another two weeks. When we were chatting, it was raining, right after it had been snowing, so the fire danger did not seem so high. They said the forecast was dry, so they’re hanging around to keep an eye on things. The Forest Service is doing a lot of intentional burning while the conditions are good for that. Having the extra crews on hand is probably part of that process as well.
 
Cook County Higher Education is celebrating 20 years of operation this week. Although located in Grand Marais, Higher Ed has provided college level education for dozens and dozens of West Enders over the years. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Cook County Higher Education is the most efficient and cost effective social program in the county. They provide expertise, support, logistics and financial aid to students of all ages who want to pursue their educational dreams while living right here in Cook County. 
 
For instance, they are offering a Nursing Assistant/Home Health Aide course starting in June.  This certification can qualify you for good jobs that are in demand, but is also are a good first step toward more advanced health care training, leading to better and better paying jobs. Higher Ed says that if you are interested, regardless of your financial situation, you should apply and they will work diligently to find a way to make it work for you. To find them, just google “Cook County Higher Education” or call WTIP for full contact information.
 
The Clair Nelson Community Center in Finland is looking for some volunteers this summer. They need window washing, weed pulling, landscaping and help painting the dugouts. I must confess, when I read about painting the dugouts, I pictured Finland residents painting dugout canoes and wondered to myself why on earth they had dugout canoes. Half a day later, it dawned on me that they meant the dugouts at the ball field – at least I think that’s a more reasonable guess. Call Joyce Yamamoto at 218-353-0300 and leave a message if you can spare some time.
 
Birch Grove School’s “Gala For the Grove” is scheduled for Saturday, June 18. Get your tickets early to this popular event. The elegant, multi-course meal is just the beginning of the fun that includes a silent auction, prize drawings and the always-popular live auction. The auctioneer is frankly terrible, but the donated auction items are spectacular and steer every dollar to serving the students at the award winning Birch Grove Community School. Contact Caroline at 663-0170 to reserve your tickets.
 
I have an ethical dilemma on my hands and would like the West End community to help me solve it. About a week ago, an unfamiliar bicycle appeared in the bike rack here at Sawbill. That is not an uncommon event, so I thought nothing of it. But, a few days later, a note appeared on the bike that said “Dibs – Bilbo.” Bilbo is my nickname among the Sawbill crew – don’t ask me why. Apparently, the crew decided that if it wasn’t claimed, the bike should be mine, as my bike is living in Montana with my youngest son.
 
When I made inquiries, it came to light that a customer had found the bike in the woods alongside the Sawbill Trail. They spotted it back in the woods, fished it out and delivered it to Sawbill.
 
It’s not an expensive or particularly new bike, but it’s nice enough that it certainly doesn’t look abandoned. I guessed that it maybe fell off a car-rack, but it doesn’t seem to have the kind of dents and scratches that would result from that kind of accident. My best guess is that someone stashed it, for whatever reason, with the idea of picking it up later. Of course, when they returned, they would jump to the conclusion that it had been stolen.
 
Before I can feel good about calling the bike my own, I’m putting out word that the bike is here. If you own and can even come close to describing it, then it should return to its rightful owner. You can email me at: [email protected] or contact me through WTIP. Let’s see what word of mouth can turn up.
 
It’s episodes like this that make be so glad to live in Cook County’s West End.
 
For WTIP, this is Bill Hansen with the West End News.

Cook County adventurers Dave and Amy Freeman are spending a year in the wilderness. On a regular basis they’ll be sharing some of their experiences traveling the BWCAW.

(Photo courtesy of Dave and Amy's Facebook page)

Deane Morrison is a science writer at the University of Minnesota, where she authors the Minnesota Starwatch column.

Mars in opposition, at its peak brightness the 21 through 24; a soft golden Saturn also in opposition; Jupiter in the southwest; this week's challenge: Corvus, the crow; and a full moon rising at 8:24pm on Sautrday 21, four hours after fullness.

(image by chaouki via Wikimedia Commons)

Into week two of our fifth month finds spring edging forward, seemingly with two steps forward then one step back. As this scoop hits the keyboard, the upper Gunflint Trail has been a part of extreme temperature swings.    

As last week's column aired, this neck of the woods saw the mercury soar to the 90 degree mark up at Trail's end, and in less than 24 hours, we at Wildersmith awoke to frost on the roof tops.  

All of this has happened under mostly fair skies, in spite of occasional tufts of smoke from the raging Canadian wildfire in Alberta. Fair skies obviously have left this area moisture starved with barely a few sprinkles since our return of a week ago.  

So we Gunflinters are in grave wildfire danger too. At this writing, folks remain on pins and needles wondering why responsible agencies have not invoked total burning bans in the county, knowing about 98 percent of all wildfires are caused by human actions. 

It’s particularly nerve racking remembering that nine years ago at this time, the territory was under searing siege due to a judgmental error by a lone camper. The resulting historic Ham Lake Fire torched 75,000 acres of the border country and destroyed over 140 upper Trail property structures. 

Needless to say, residents are quickly getting their wildfire sprinkler systems up and running. Yours truly has been into the cold lake placing pump lines and firing up the three units for which I have responsibility. Wildersmith is ready, hoping the need for pumping does not become a reality.  

Speaking of the cold lake, it was so cold my hands ached in a matter of seconds when dipped into the icy liquid. The rest of me was covered in deep sea wet suit protection. Going through this annual exercise is always a keen reminder of how dangerous the water can be soon after ice out. By the way, the water temp was in the mid to upper 30s as I took my first dip of 2016, brrrr!  

With cool temps and dwindling patches of piled snow, the eighth annual “Ham Run” half marathon and 5k run were celebrated last Saturday. The event, held in commemoration of human survival and forest re-birth following the horrendous Ham Lake burn of 2007, saw over 140 runners in the two events.

The anniversary of the running was a happy time, as have been the previous seven, with sunny skies guiding runners along this taxing, but most scenic course in the universe. Thanks go out to organizers, sponsors, and dozens of volunteers for making it happen. 

As May ends week two, excitement is building at the Chik-Wauk Museum site. The Museum will be opening for its seventh season. Meanwhile, final touches are being applied to the new Nature Center building project. Along with the new Nature Center exhibits and programming, the Museum is featuring a spectacular new temporary exhibit spotlighting “Birds of the Gunflint Wilderness.” Both facilities will open on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.  

I’ve had a sneak preview of the new NC facility. The exhibits are simply stunning as the Nature Center planning committee, in concert with the Split Rock Studios’ designers, have put together another splendid component for sharing more of the Gunflint story.  Gunflint Trail residents and visitors alike will want to make the historic resort site a destination choice for this summer. The new Nature Center and museum temporary exhibit is a must see. Special Nature Center programming events can be monitored on the Chik-Wauk website.         

This week's commentary finds me reporting a first bear sighting. It was a momma and her triplet cubs plotting a breaking and entering of the garbage canisters site along the Trail.

In another critter episode, a fellow reports the sighting of an adolescent moose having apparently received a snort from momma to get out on its own. This rejection must have been in favor of a new arrival. Guess the forlorn youngster was wondering aimlessly, looking as confused as a freshman going to the first day of high school.  

On a final “wild neighborhood” note, after telling of snowshoe hares making their wardrobe transformation in last week's column, I recently observed three white tails yet to have shed their winter camo. I’m thinking their copper tone summer wear is due very soon.   

Lastly, spring really becomes official this weekend with our “walleye opening day.” Good luck to all anglers and be safe in these icy cold northland waters!    

This is Fred Smith, on the Trail, at Wildersmith! Our Gunflint spring is trying to “bust out, all over.”
 

They’re the first flowers of spring getting as much sun as they can before the leaf cover takes over.  WTIP’s Jay Andersen talks with naturalist Chel Anderson about spring ephemerals.

(Photo by Emma-O Productions on Flickr)

The Sawbill Trail has become a beehive of activity this week and the busy tourism season hasn’t even started.
 
Many fire engines have been patrolling the back roads, including the Sawbill Trail, due to the almost continuous red-flag fire conditions that we’ve been experiencing. On Wednesday, with cooler temperatures and a solid forecast of coming rain, the decision was made to burn over some recent logging sales along the Sawbill.
 
This involves many people in many pickups, semis with heavy equipment and a lot of good communication with stakeholders and the public. The Forest Service is really good at fire, due to their thorough understanding of fire science and many decades of hard-core practical experience. The fires burned hot, the rain arrived on schedule and it was “mission accomplished” all around.
 
On the same day as the fires, Northland Constructors of Duluth started work in earnest on the eight mile paving contract that they have this summer on the Sawbill Trail, which is known to them as Cook County State Aid Highway # 2. Unlike the Forest Service, the County does very little public outreach when they start a new project. I guess they figure the stakeholders and public will figure out what’s happening when they see it. In chatting with the contractors though, they mentioned that they expect to be on the job for at least three months, with a month and a half of prep work and two months for the actual paving.
 
The Sawbill Trail was completely reconstructed about 20 years ago, so the paving will basically go on top of the existing roadbed. It looks like some culverts are earmarked for replacement. I’m hoping that the half-dozen “Dukes of Hazard” style frost heaves that form every year will be dug up and stabilized, otherwise the paving in those spots will be broken chunks by this time next year.
 
While there is something sad about encroaching civilization up the Sawbill Trail, I recognize that a gravel road is no longer practical for the amount of traffic received.  The engineers also make a strong case for both the greater safety and long-term environmental advantages of pavement over gravel. Fortunately, the last six miles of the Sawbill Trail will never be paved, so the tradition of dusty washboard and bone-jarring potholes will continue for future generations.
 
As if that wasn’t enough activity for one little rural back road, there were also contractors that were placing some kind of foam protectors over recently planted trees along the Sawbill Trail. I assume it is a form of browse protection, but didn’t have time to stop for an explanation.
 
Very soon, the canoeists and fishermen will be mixing it up with all the workers along the trail, which will make for an interesting and lively summer.
 
I try not to put too much about my own family in the West End News, but I must break the rule to announce the arrival of my latest granddaughter, Kit Shirley, on May 7. Kit’s mother is our daughter, Clare, and father is our son-in-law, Dan.
 
The women on Clare’s side of the family have a reputation for fast deliveries, so that was a concern, now that hospital deliveries are no longer done in Grand Marais. When Clare’s labor started, she and Dan headed for Duluth as planned.  However, little Kit really wanted to be born in Grand Marais, just like her mother and grandmother, and that’s exactly what happened less than two hours later and just minutes after arriving at the emergency room. It was an anxious and hectic trip to town, but the result was perfect and healthy in every way. Kit is now firmly in residence at Sawbill, where her parents took over management this spring. She may not be washing canoes this summer, but I expect she’ll be completely in charge of public relations.
 
 

Jonathan Thunder is a painter and digital media artist who was born on the Red Lake Reservation, raised in the Twin Cities, and currently resides in Duluth. In this segment, he shares his thoughts on dream imagery and some urban influences that have appeared in his paintings. He explains the choices that Native American artists have in classifying their work and the complications involved with using "traditional" images in works of modern art. He also tells the story of his first solo exhibition and the courage required to show highly personal artwork to a larger audience. In closing, Jonathan shares his experience animating the Onondaga Creation & Peacemaker Story, a film he created for the 2015 LaCrosse World Championships.

More art and information is available at www.thunderfineart.com.

(Photo of Jonathan Thunder by Jason S. Ordaz, courtesy of the Institute of American Indian Arts, 2016; other photos by Jonathan Thunder)
 

Cook County adventurers Dave and Amy Freeman are spending a year in the wilderness. On a regular basis they’ll be sharing some of their experiences traveling the BWCAW.

(Photo courtesy of Dave and Amy's Facebook page)

April has given way to May, and week one is into the books. The Wildersmith two are back in the woods following a trip to Iowa for my annual officiating duties at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, in addition to visiting our kids and re-connecting with many dear friends.   

The Gunflint wilderness seems so quiet and welcoming after what was a hectic time of helping our daughter prepare to relocate, and experiencing the never ending turmoil of human interaction in metropolis. We are surely blessed to have the better of two worlds, one being the ability to reconnect periodically with the civilized world; and two, being able to escape urban hubbub for the serenity of life in unorganized territory. No wonder this place has such magnetism!   

My last day at the Relays event proved to be record setting in terms of miserable weather endurance. A day in Iowa with rain, 40 degree temperatures, and 30 mile per hour winds made a brisk 40 below January segment in the north woods seem not too bad at all. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt such a bone chilling, and that’s saying a lot for a guy who enjoys winter as I do.    

Speaking of winter, it’s pretty much put to rest as of this scribing. But we can’t count it out for yet another couple weeks. Remnant splotches of snow in roadside ditches and shadows of the forest, along with broken tree branches, a few downed telephone poles and sagging phone lines linger as the only reminders of our past season.   

A further note on the area's advance toward seasonal rebirth, declares the ice is out on area lakes. Here on Gunflint, the progression of open water took the better part of a week, with final hard water disappearance at the east end occurring on April30. So it lasted just about as I thought it would. I’m indebted to a friend down the road who stepped up to make the official “ice-out” call in my absence.     

The water now lapping against our granite shore is every bit as joyous, as is the anticipation of those first freezing crinkles each November/ December. It’s just pretty darn energizing! And for angling enthusiasts, there will be no worry about ice in 2016 for getting after those walleyes next weekend.   

Back country roads are drying readily as run-off is back into drainage swales and culverts. In fact, my return trip found the vehicle kicking up dust instead of “mud season” goop!    

Meanwhile, the forest landscape is drab as it awaits renewal of chlorophyll production. The deciduous part of the forest is barely into the budding stage. However, coniferous cousins have regained the verdant twinkle as their juices are already running.     

Signaling spring is in full swing, snowshoe hares have just about completed their warm season wardrobe transition. One crossed our path on the county road during last Sunday's return. It was sporting the usual dusty summer coat with the only reminder of winter garb, being its snow white socks. 

In a closing tidbit, it’s always a relief to get back home after a time away. I was amused while beginning to unload the vehicle, as a couple of resident squirrels came by to greet me. Obviously they wanted a hand-out as they scurried about, chattering food service orders. Following me like a canine pet, until I threw out some seed morsels, one excitably came close to running into the house while I carried in luggage. It sure is nice to be wanted!  

This is Fred Smith, back on the Trail, at Wildersmith, savoring the Gunflint charm!

(photo by Enzik via Wikimedia Commons)