Wildersmith on the Gunflint September 8

Could it be a geriatric thing as these wonderful days along the Gunflint seem to go by so fast? Here we are having whizzed right by the full lunar experience, with one week of the ninth month into the books. Although my memory skips a beat once in a while, I still remember how long the days seemed when I was a kid, and now they’re all so short!                                                                                                                                                                      
Day by day we Gunflint regulars are noting changes in our natural surroundings as fall intensifies. Travel in the upper Trail, past the Kekakabic Trail trailhead, finds the most spectacular crimson maples I’ve ever noticed in this area. There aren’t an over-abundance of them, but nestled in amongst the coniferous green, those cherry red beauties provide the viewer with a holiday look of December. For an added touch, a smattering of gold nuggets, on the paper birch have the territory lit up like a Christmas tree when the sun is just right.                                                                           

This is such a colorful time of year one can’t help but be energized. The area is about to be a “leaf peeper's” dream come true while the forest slips into autumn apparel.                                                                                                                                  

Adding more zest to these times have been those majestic “Canadian” sunsets. One such, at day's end on Gunflint Lake over the past week has burned indelibly into my memory bank. On this particular evening, through a combination of thin clouds and wild fire smoke from afar, “old Sol” was spewing out reflections over the water to make it look like pink champagne. All of mankind couldn’t have scripted an equal to this “pink water” magic sent from heavens to earth!                                                                                                                                                                                                
A little bit of heaven right here on earth took place last Sunday at the annual “social” up on the historic Chik-Wauk campus. Truly a sweet tooth’s delight, over 300 pieces of pie and an equal number of ice cream dips were served on a splendid day.                                                         

Folks came “out of the woods" from both near and far to share in celebration of summer's end and the autumn take-over. With a special touch added by the North Shore Community Swing Band, sweet tunes were echoing off the granite hills surrounding this grand, end of the Trail destination. The day was a “honey," one of unmatched north woods delight for all!                                                                                                                                                                                     
Once again the Gunflint community stepped up with a superb event. Huge thanks to GTHS organizer Judy Edlund and her crew of volunteers, the great Chik-Wauk staff, Gunflint Lodge for in-kind donations, the “Swing Band” and of course, to the Gunflint pastry artisans.                                                   

In a related note, the Gunflint Trail Historical Society will be hosting the final membership meeting of the season, this coming Monday, September 11. The meeting will be held in the Schaap Mid-Trail Community Center beginning at 1:30 pm. Treats and conversation will follow the program.                                                                                                                                                             

 A full-house turned out last week at the mid-trail Schaap Center for the first in a series of Cook County budget levy meetings for the coming year. It was a well-managed and informative session. Whether one agreed with the budgeting projections or not, it was great to see folks come out and exercise their rights as citizens. Some loud and clear messages were spoken, and it would be assumed they were heard by those charged with this difficult taxing task.                                                                                                                                                                                   
With prognostications of winter on my mind, and help from a dear friend, I got some firewood splitting and stacking done over the last week. So this task is scratched from the “getting ready” list. However, docket check-offs are far from complete.                                                                  

While speaking of forecasts, a couple of those wooly bear caterpillars have been observed recently. Dark and lush in their woolly coat, the age old story of the darker and fuller their fuzz, the more severe will be the winter ahead. On the contrary, this is a myth with no scientific substance. But if one believes the tale, it should be considered only reliable as one of those 10 percent chance predictions from the climatological sensationalists.                                                                                                                                                                  
A fellow from over on Loon Lake shared a recent bear happening at his place. A rumble early one morning found something causing a ruckus. Strangeness of the source was it seemed to be right above where he was slumbering. A nudge from his wife prodded him from bed to go outside and see what was going on. Prowling around the exterior, he came to where he believed the noise was originating. Looking up over the corner of the eve, he came face to face with “Bruno.”        

Not three feet away, he was startled into a vociferous rage sending the bear in a sprint to the other side of the cabin. Whether or not the bear was scared by this irate person from out of nowhere or just mad for being disturbed, the ornery critter stopped long enough to tear off a section of fascia trim at roof's edge before departing into the dawning twilight.

This “Bruno” occurrence makes me wonder if it might be the same critter or a cousin that ripped shingles of the roof at Wildersmith a year or so ago? Guess we’ll never know what’s going on in the head of our “Ursus” neighbors. A few things we do know for sure, bears were here first. Second they are always hungry and expect the unexpected!                                                                                                                                                                                        
For WTIP, this is Fred Smith on the Trail at Wildersmith, where every day is great, with “oft” unforeseen adventures!