Wildersmith on the Gunflint: March 13

A week into daylight savings time and we are March-ing along to a hint of spring. Already coming up on the halfway point of 2015 segment three, we at Wildersmith saw our first temps above the freezing mark in many weeks. Miracles of March are soon to be observed. Winter resident avians are pairing up; wolves, foxes and coyotes are gestating the new generation; sap in sugar maples will be oozing upward; our snow cover will be receding from the base of trees; snow fleas will pepper our white carpet under warming rays and pussy willow buds are soon to swell. Yes, there’s renewed oomph in old Sol.

Prelim to our current vernal prelude, the mercury still had the gall to bury itself below zero a few days out here in week one of the month, and a few inches of white were added to our less-than-normal seasonal tally. It’s hoped by yours truly, and a few others, that winter does not give up the ghost just yet. Based on the puny winter precipitation tally thus far, it stands to be an unnerving spring fire season should the landscape dry up earlier than usual.

Winter outdoor activities remain on our mind though, and were even more tolerable last weekend. Compared with terrible cold conditions last year, Sunday’s annual trout fishing derby had this year’s participants thinking they’d died and gone to heaven with moderate winter conditions. Ninety entries signed in, building an immediate ice community on Gunflint Lake. The atmosphere was abuzz with conversation and occasional screaming snowmobiles. By posting time at 2 p.m., the trophy board was impressively full. The winning “laker” was turned in shortly before the closing deadline, weighing in at 8 pounds 11 ounces. Jordan Ekroot was the lucky catcher and took home the $500 first prize. Congratulations to Jordan and organizers for making this another great event!

 Meanwhile, back down the Trail at Trail Center Lodge, a huge turnout enjoyed a marvelous day at the “Dog days of Winter.” With leadership impetus from Sarah Hamilton and organizational assistance from many contributors and volunteers, a number of snow-related activities were held on the ice of Poplar Lake. Observers took great interest in the short run dog sled races for participants of all ages. There were 32 dog team entries so it was a yelping good time. Another event, skijoring, captured considerable attention. Seventeen teams (dog/s & skier) took to either of the three- or five-mile courses. From the smiles on everybody’s faces, one could see the “Dog Days of Winter” possibly becoming an annual event. It had the nature of being great family fun! Thanks to Sarah and all for making it happen!

It appears the upper Trail sky line could be taking on another character. Cook County and the state of Minnesota are now planning to build an additional communication tower near Seagull Lake at the end of the Trail. The addition to the viewscape of the area is being requested of the state by Cook County to apparently fill some weak spots in communication coverage by existing equipment. The tower would be located about one and one-half miles from Seagull Lake and could be seen from everywhere in the blow down/fire scarred corridor and far into the BWCA wilderness. It would be the most prominent visible feature on the landscape for miles around. This proposal is causing considerable angst among some residents and business owners of the area. It’s not that these folks are against enhanced communication capabilities for safety reasons.

They would just like to see proponents’ exploration into alternative technologies that would not involve erecting an unsightly tower in this visually sensitive area. It seems hard to believe with all our American know-how and ingenuity that some type of communication amplification system couldn’t be produced to better fit into the natural Trail’s End surroundings.

Sharing concerns on this issue, like any other, is your right and responsibility!

Keep on hangin’ on, and savor winter as it winds down!