Wildersmith on the Gunflint

Airdate: September 3, 2010

Airdate: August 27, 2010

Hot and sticky was the character of the Trail last week, as the territory was again dealt little more than a few sprinkles. Wildfire danger has ascended into the “high” category by the judging agency, so residents are edgy in regard to the crunchy conditions throughout the forest. Strangely, I hear no scuttle about campfire/burning bans as rain predictions continue to be a nonsensical fraud around here.

During this keyboard exercise, some partial climatic relief is headed in by way of Canada. Northwest winds are howling down region lakes with the promise of cooler area-wide temps.

The roaring winds in the darkness of last Sunday night and Monday morning had a familiar sound of January coming through the pines, and the prognosticators even mentioned that contemporary scare word ”windchill” for pre-dawn hours in early week data. How about that for a turn-around?

Coupled with dwindling of day light minutes and powder dry soil conditions there is a growing explosion of gold in scattered patches of birch and aspen. A few maples along the Mile O’ Pine have tinges of scarlet, but I’m afraid they might wilt into winter without achieving their full flair, even though it has been humid. I remain amazed that the forest is as lush as it is in this persevering boundary country drought.

The waters of the “Gunflint Gal” keep on tricking away down the Granite River. Add in daytime evaporation and I’ve been measuring the decline at about a tenth of a foot per week on the DNR lake level gauge. It’s going to take months, if not years, to fill ‘er back up.

A happy Trail note was struck last Saturday afternoon as the Mid-Trail gang put on their 2010 flea market, gift boutique, auction and quilt raffle. A big crowd filled fire hall #1 for the fun and refreshments, in addition to taking home some great deals.

When the dust had settled, the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department came up the biggest winner. Some $5500.00 was generated for their coffers from some very generous participants. By the way, the annual Mid-Trail quilters’ work of art was won by Ray Ahrens who has a cabin on Hungry Jack Lake. Great organization made the afternoon fly by. Thanks go out to everyone that lent a hand in making it happen.

The August meeting of the Gunflint Trail Historical Society is little more than a week away. Members and wannabes should mark their calendars for Monday the 30th. This month’s meeting site will be at the new Hungry Jack Lodge beginning at 1:30 pm. Aside from the usual business, there will be a review of the initial weeks of Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center operations. Treats will be served once again.

It seems hard to believe that the yesterdays’ summer is almost gone. Autumn is on the way. Concerns in these parts have turned toward back to school, making jelly, plucking garden crops, getting on with firewood collecting and splitting, wondering about dock removal and snow clearing equipment tune-ups.

It’s a time where the young grouse now look like mom. Velvet is sagging from local ungulate antlers, bears are making hogs of themselves, hummers are nervously hovering in increased numbers at sweet juice bottles, snowshoe hares are having thoughts about a new winter coat, rodent species are collecting every seed possible for the cold weather menu, winged things are thinking about edging southward and lake water temps have peeked warm enough for the shallower bodies to be almost covered in lily-pads and algae.

Yes, the first frost could be just a few weeks away. We can only hope it will be of enough consequence that a farewell bid can be made to our miserable late season mosquitoes.

By the time we meet again on the radio, the “sturgeon moon” will have us headed toward September. Time flies when you’re having fun!

That’s all for now. Keep on hangin’ on, and savor a lasting summer fling!

Airdate: August 20, 2010

One of Fred's Gunflint Lake neighbors caught this video of a bear getting into things it shouldn't.

It’s August, week two, and there barely has been a drop of rain in the upper Gunflint since we last met on the radio. Less than a quarter of an inch in the first eleven days of month eight along our Wildersmith south shore and coupling that with most of July’s precip’ coming in the first half, it’s clearly understandable why I’m saying it’s as dry as the proverbial bone.　

One of the few creeks visible from the high country Trail has stopped pumping water over the mini falls into Larch Creek. Yes, that sparkling little liquid plunge over the granite just southwest of the Seagull Guard Station has ceased tumbling. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen it without at least a trickle in my eleven years of residence.　

A few miles down the Trail, water is so low that one can hardly call the Cross River by such a name. It’s sad to see everything on the forest floor so parched. I had a suggestion from our state to the south that they will gladly pump as much water up this way as we would like if the Gunflint would furnish the hose. 　

Outside of the frustration about moisture, the other facet of our atmospheric conditions has been rather like a yo-yo. Finally dismissing the heat and humidity of last week with a few marvelous forty-degree nights and daytime sixties, there was a feel of fall in the air. Now, as I key this column, the territory is right back into more of those summer "dog days."　

With many cloudless skies of late, there has been a marvelous twinkling through the tree tops. It’s that time of year when those coniferous cones are oozing that sticky concoction. A magical crystal display glistens in the low heavens when gently swaying branches and sun beams interact with the gelatinous droplets. It’s another sample of "Ma Nature’s" superb ability to embellish our world.　

There is on-going conjecture about extending fiber optics through the territory, but recently there have been some splendid natural fiber installations on cool early mornings in the neighborhood.　Those arachnid spinners have been producing a glorious network east of the house. Their efforts would surely make even the most comprehensive man-made venture green with envy. The intricate workmanship of these dew catchers is something to behold as they shimmer from branch to branch and leaf to leaf.

I’m still hearing about bucket-buster patches of blue morsels being discovered. Always found in a surprising secret location that no one, not even a bear, has yet detected. I listened with interest the other night as collectors of indigo pearls defined dirty pickers and clean pickers. It seems the defining moment comes after returning home with a full container and has nothing to do with one’s hands or seat of the pants. "Clean" pickers meticulously bring them home pretty much void of stems leaves and other debris, while the "dirty" pickers strip berries in one fall swipe (bear style), usually leaving the sorting of morsels from chaff to someone else. Which style fits you?　

The mid-Trail folks will be sending summer on its way this Saturday. The annual August afternoon of fun and fundraising will begin at 1:00 p.m. in Fire Hall Number One. Everyone is encouraged to join in the festivities and lend another hand in support of the Gunflint Trail firefighting volunteers and EMTs. There will be a lot of flea market stuff and the auction is always a blast, culminating in the drawing for that great Mid-trail Quilter’s creation.

So, all you visitors and Gunflinters come on down!　

That’s all for now. Keep on hangin’ on, and savor the aging summer!

Airdate: August 13, 2010

Enter August, the month of the Sturgeon Moon. Mother Nature has again turned on the moose and me with some miserable "Augustus" humidity. About two days of this has me yearning for those magic "S" and "C" words associated with December.

A couple days last week were heavenly up this way. A surging northwest wind overpowered its southerly counterpart and reminded me of just how wonderful fresh air from the north can be. It is just one opinion, but the aromatic nip of currents from Canada and beyond is beyond compare with the dank muggy from points south. No wonder thousands of visitors head this way from the metropolis when the thermometer heads upward.

But here we are once more in the grasp of ugly stickiness. Further, the Natural Gal has issued another backorder on precipitation. It seems totally unfair that border country should be choking in dust for what seems like an eternity…but what are you going to do when every rain prediction barely wets the bottom of the rain gauge? We could sure use a siege of 40 days and 40 nights to get things flowing again!

The lake water level on Gunflint Lake is ebbing lower and lower with each passing week. Long-time residents along her shores claim to have never seen it this low. The same can be said for her big sister, Saganaga, with new mini-islands of granite popping up where they have never been observed previously.

On a more positive note, for those liking to dip in the lakes, water temps have risen to near the mid-70s on the deeper bodies. This is about where it topped out last summer. So come on in, the water’s fine!

Harvest season continues but may be slowing some as the arid conditions are not pumping up those blues like they were a couple weeks back. Meanwhile the colorful berries of late summer are changing their hue in some places.

Berries of the mountain ash, high bush cranberries, pin cherries and some domestic black cherries here in the Wildersmith yard have all turned to the ripening stage. So another luster of autumn is added to the growing golden ground-level floral experience.

One can only hope that all this earlier-than-usual maturation in the fruit of the forest might indicate an advanced transition to winter. At least a few of we forest dwellers hope so.

In its first month of operation, the newly opened museum and nature center at Chik-Wauk has been quite an attraction for both residents and vacationers. Averaging over 100 visitors per day, the 3,000th person crossed over its threshold July 28 to see and hear the story about people of the Gunflint.

The Gunflint Trail Historical Society’s officers and board of trustees are extremely pleased with the turnout and reviews from attendees. The facility remains open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October 17.

Special events are happening there, too, as every Thursday the USFS is presenting an afternoon program on Becoming a Boundary Waters Family. In addition, the annual Taste of the Gunflint will be held on the Museum grounds Saturday, September 11 with a pie and ice cream social/fundraiser.

Don’t forget the August 14 mid-Trail fundraising extravaganza for our Trail Volunteer Fire and Rescue crews. It commences at 1 p.m. in Fire Hall # 1. So activities beyond the usual fishing, camping, hiking, canoeing and the like are keeping the calendar squares filled throughout the Gunflint Community.

Keep on hangin’ on, and savor summer fun on the Gunflint!

Airdate: August 6, 2010

Airdate: July 23, 2010

Airdate: July 2, 2010