Wildersmith on the Gunflint - February 7

Wildersmith on the Gunflint     by    Fred Smith
February 7, 2020    

It seems the rush of 2020 has not diminished from that of 2019. One twelfth is into the books, and month two is a week old. By weekend’s closing, the Ojibwe, full “Sucker moon” will have reached the pinnacle as winter meanders along in border country.                                                         
 

Speaking of winter, the season looks to be one day longer than usual with this being “leap year.” While calendar settings don’t usually reconcile with what really happens in this neck of the woods, we can look forward to more than another six weeks. Local wood chucks slumbered right through “Ground Hog Day” and likely only dreamed of coming out to see if a shadow was cast.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
As an example of seasonal twists and turns, last weekend looked to be reasonably calm with warm temps. In fact the local forecast called for “mostly cloudy.” To show atmospheric  prognostication is not a pure science, the upper Trail awoke Sunday morning to a new six inch blanket of “mostly cloudy” in the Wildersmith neighborhood, with the likelihood of even more along the Trail “snow zones.”                                                                                                                                                                            

In fairness to those who make a living predicting those percentage chances of this or that, I can predict a 100% chance, the elements of “Mother Nature’s” realm are in charge with meteorologists just watching and hoping like the rest of us.                                                                          
 

As I mentioned, the area being under a siege of warmer than usual temperatures, a look back at the first few days of February 2019, found the readings along the Mile O Pine were an actual teeth chattering minus 35 to 40F. Here we are three hundred sixty five days later with the mercury hovering near the freezing mark at the time of this scribing last Sunday. Easy math totals a near seventy degree swing. What difference a year can make.                                                                                                           
 

At the same time we Gunflint folk are looking at extended cold season days ahead, there seems to be some spring-like rumblings going on in the bowels of “mother earth.” It seems that those jaw jarring dips, in any number of culvert locations along the Trail, are growing more conspicuous, earlier than expected. If regular Trail travelers haven’t already found out the hard way, a word to the wise, beware, those asphalt undulations are about to test every connection in your vehicle.                                                                                                                                                
 

The fluffy dropping of last weekend coupled with a visit from “Jack Frost”, has had our wild country in splendid white lace attire. “Mr. Frost” was around for several days doing his version of “Pleine  Aire” hoar-frost creations. The actual exhibit found a new touch of crystal being added each day before snow puffs were piled back on each and every forest extremity. I must say, Jack’s effort this time around was an exhibit of “Best in Show”.                                                                                                   

There was a howling in the woods last Saturday and it wasn’t from the local wolf pack. An unusual sunny Gunflint winter day of late found the annual running of the Cook County Ridge Riders Snowmobile Club “fun run.” Sledders were a blur as they sped by the Smith shore line, taking advantage of wide open spaces on the Gunflint Lake to burn the cobs out. Hope everyone had good day and return to the start safely!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
The club’s next event will be their Drag races beginning at noon, Saturday the 15^th on Hungry Jack Lake. Check their website for more details.                                                                                            
 

In closing, I predict there’s a 100% chance love will be in the air next weekend. It’s a time of bouquets, hearts and chocolates! Be ready to honor your Valentine!                                                                                 
 

For WTIP, this is Wildersmith on the Gunflint, where every day is great, with wilderness surprises, always in the making!