Wildersmith on the Gunflint: May 16

            With one exception the Gunflint territory has made significant strides in the march into spring over the past seven days. Warmer daytime temps and some timely rain showers have things advancing nicely.
            The one exception I reference is lake ice. Although many shallower bodies of water and a few bays on the larger lakes have turned liquid, the big lakes in the county remain locked up in winter persona.
            This being the case, opening day fishing activity in this part of the state was non-existent to marginal at best. So the upper Gunflint area, as a fishing destination, has marked a second consecutive year where Old Man Winter has ruled.
 Fishing on opening day up here in border country has always had anglers on edge so this happening was not too unexpected. Plus the cold water this time of year is not the most conducive to good luck, but just wait a couple more weeks. There were a few brave souls, however, who put in where possible, and at least one I know of came home with a nice lake trout.
            Speaking of brave souls that do challenge the icy conditions, I’m reminded of a story from yesteryear. It seems the lake ice back then might have been similar to 2014. The subject of this saga decided ice on opening day was not going to deter him.
Donning waders and winter wear, he loaded gear (including an ice auger) into his canoe and cautiously pushed out onto the frozen surface. Testing things, step by step, he advanced until he found a favorable spot, then drilled a hole in the crystal and dropped in his jigging equipment. Sitting back in the canoe, in time he had a strike, and eventually pulled a nice trout up through the icy orifice.
With a fresh laker in his watercraft, equipment was reloaded and step by step, the canoe was ushered back to shore. And then it was supper, fresh from a truly icy lake, in “the land of sky blue waters.” How’s that for a fish story? And what determination!
Shifting gears back to spring, a few snow bird neighbors are beginning to wander back to the northland. And the real snow birds of Minnesota have been circling the skies looking over former nesting quarters for the past week.
I’m talking about common Loons.  A number have been reported searching for their old retreats only to be delayed in some areas by minimal open water. Apparently their internal clocks were not in sync with our lengthy Gunflint winter.
 I was privileged to watch last Saturday as the nesting platform in North Bay (which is now ice free) at Chik Wauk Museum and Nature Center was towed into place. It was both interesting and a bit comical to watch the loon pair of that neighborhood.
They seemed as excited as kids in a candy store, skirting the potential nesting retreat as it was launched and then following while it was pulled into position to be anchored off. Within seconds after the towing folks cut loose, the pair was making a “wings-on” inspection of the re-located digs. I assume they found it to their liking.
Spring apparel is being noted on any number of beings from the wild neighborhood. Recently the Smiths spotted a yearling moose that was partway through taking off its now-shabby winter coat.
Then farther down the Trail, we encountered a few snowshoe hares that are in transition to warm weather gear, being almost out of and not quite into their seasonal camouflage. Apparently their feet are the last body parts to make the change, as all were still hopping in white socks.
And last but not least, the red squirrels frequenting our deck are in various stages of un-dress, having partially molted into cooler fur coats.
On another topic for this week, I can’t help climbing onto the old soap box for my annual declaration of disgust with my fellow man. Now that the snow banks are retreating back from the traveled parts of our byways, we observe once more that a certain sector of our society has not grown one iota in respect for our treasured Gunflint Trail view scape.
Unsightly littering of packaging and a sundry of other trash stands out obnoxiously in our barren ditches. I for one say this behavior is totally unacceptable both here and anywhere for that matter. Couple these messes by uncaring masses with the often natural forest mishaps and we find this time of year looking like an ugly duckling following the winter shroud’s exodus.
We humans seriously need to control what we can in regard to the trails we leave and partner with Mother Nature’s green-up to lessen the impact of those not-so-lovely natural accidents.  Then all will be good in this heaven on earth!
In spite of my “soap box” rhetoric, there’s a rebirth of beauty taking hold in them thar  Gunflint hills. The frozen juices of our coniferous forest are flowing freely once again. Evergreens are overcoming their drab winter look with a refreshing twinkle of warm-season greenhood. And in a few weeks, their budding deciduous cousins will “spring” forth with their virescent contribution too. Folks out this way can hardly wait!
Keep on hangin’ on, and savor the coming of the green!