5/6/10 – Our satellite internet service has been down for the last two days. I’ve know for some time how dependent we’ve become on high speed internet service, but it’s a whole different feeling when it’s actually gone. We do have a numbingly slow dial-up connection for a back up, so I’ve been able to keep up with reservations and inquiries at a minimum.
Living so far from town and off the electrical grid has taught me to use unusual resources to solve problems. The satellite company probably doesn’t want me opening up the modem and re-soldering connections – but hey – it worked!
We’ve had a dusting of snow on the ground for the last two mornings. Snow is also in the forecast for tomorrow. It seems like March, April and May have somehow gotten out of order this year. – Bill

By 7:30 am the snow was already almost melted.

The Bell Seligas patiently wait for the canoeing season to really get started.

4/30/10 – We finally got some rain last night and today. It had been 13 days since the last drop of rain and almost a month since we got more than a trace. There was only .06″ in the rain gauge this morning, but we’ve had some good showers since then and more on the way. It’s a relief to see it and it will help with the green-up, but we need several inches to really catch up.
The Superior National Forest, which contains and administers the BWCA Wilderness is now tweeting: http://twitter.com/SuperiorNF. – Bill

4/22/10 – It is as dry as I’ve ever seen it up here. A nearly a snowless March, followed by the earliest spring in anyone’s memory, combined with a lack of green foliage, has produced very high fire danger. Starting tomorrow, all open fires are banned anywhere in northeastern Minnesota. Propane and gas stoves are still allowed.
Fortunately for us, a contractor is here at the moment installing a large outdoor sprinkler system to protect our buildings from a catastrophic wildfire. We’ve had a smaller system of sprinklers that covered all our buildings and critical equipment, but the new system will ring the property with athletic field sprinklers that will just soak everything down if we are threatened by a fire.
On the positive side, it is very pleasant here right now – chilly at night, but warm and sunny every day. There have been eight or ten parties out on canoe trips already and they’ve all had a great time. – Bill

4/20/10 – Rick Kollath and Jane Reed, from Duluth, were the last paddlers at Sawbill last fall, taking a very late season trip up to Cherokee just before the lakes froze over. They were the second group to go overnight this spring, taking the Little Sag West loop in just four days. Other than some high winds on their first day, they had nearly perfect weather. They were kind enough to send along some pictures. – Bill

They couldn’t remember where this was, but it looks like the Mora side of the Mora to Little Saganaga portage.

Rick and Jane found this eagle nest right next to the biffy on one of their campsites.

At first I couldn’t see why this picture was special…

4/20/10 – Our first 2010 crew member has arrived. Luke Opel hails from Apple Valley, Minnesota. He’s a very experienced canoeist who spends his winters working in the downhill ski business and coaching the high school ski teams at Apple Valley and Rosemount, among other things.

Luke Opel, new crew member, getting very familiar with t-shirt pricing.

4/12/10 – On the way home from town tonight I was held up by a sleek, healthy looking cow moose that wouldn’t get out of the road. As I waited for her to get out of the way, it became obvious that she was deeply concerned about something on the north side of the road as I waited on the south. She would occasionally glance at me, but she was staring intently the other way with her hackles up. Every so often she would startle and take a few running steps in my direction until she was just a few feet from my front bumper.
I couldn’t see anything in the darkness beyond my headlights, but I imagined that it must be a pack of wolves, or a cougar, or a sasquatch that could cause terror in the heart of a 1400 pound moose. When she finally got spooked off the road I pulled cautiously ahead, hoping catch a glimpse of the fierce predator – and there it was – a snowshoe hare. – Bill

4/4/10 – The ice went out on Sawbill Lake today. In the 54 years that we have been observing, this sets the earliest ice-out record by exactly a week. The historical average ice-out date for Sawbill Lake is May 1st. We took advantage by going for a gorgeous sunset paddle with good friends and former crew members Eric Frost and Jessa Wallendal, before sharing Easter dinner. – Bill

Some ice was still floating around the landing, but the lake as a whole was more than 90% ice free, which is the official criteria.

We planned to break through the ice around the landing, but it proved to be much too solid, so we went to Plan B – paddling around the edge.

Plan B didn’t work, so Plan C – portaging down the lake shore to open water – was implemented.

Homer The Retriever wonders why we are portaging after only paddling about fifty feet.

Even in silhouette you can sense the joy that Frosty and Jessa feel with open water under their bow.

But, they have to wait in the sunshine while their companions get three dogs loaded up.

The always alert Sawbill Outfitters security team on the first marine patrol of the season.

We found this large piece of ice floating in the mouth of Kelso Bay.

Lake ice is always interesting, especially at break-up. Cindy thought this looked like the satellite photos of the Lake Superior ice pack. Nature tends to repeat her forms.

Frosty and Jessa enjoy the evening.

Cindy and Bill reluctantly head home.

4/2/10 – Cindy and I just returned from a quick vacation to visit our younger children, Carl and Clare, in Montana. Carl is a student at the University of Montana and Clare is working in Missoula. We enjoyed some excellent big mountain snowboarding near Missoula and then traveled up to Fernie, British Columbia. Our brother and sister-in-law, Karl Hansen and Lee Stewart, took care of the business while we were gone – many thanks to them.

The gorgeous Fernie Alpine Resort.
We returned to Sawbill last night and found Sawbill Lake partially clear of ice. Usually, we drill holes and report on spring ice depths for a few weeks before the ice goes out around the 1st of May. This year, it is already too thin to stand on and will likely go out in the next day or two. That will set the record for early ice out by about a week.

Very thin ice as seen from the Sawbill Lake canoe landing.

Open water along the west shore of Sawbill Lake.

Homer and Roy take advantage of the open water for the first dip of the season.

While we were away, the first load of canoes for the upcoming season arrived.

3/22/10 – Dave Freeman and Amy Voytilla were married yesterday in a very unique setting on White Iron Lake near Ely. Dave was a Sawbill crew member for many years and recently has been a wilderness guide for many Sawbill canoeists. Amy has guided here for the last couple of years as well. Both have worked for many winter seasons at Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge near Ely.
The site of the ceremony was accessible only by lake. Many of the guests rode dogsleds out to the ceremony, some walked, but four of us who worked with Dave and Amy at Sawbill chose to ice skate.
Congratulations to Dave and Amy. In a month they will leave on their “honeymoon” – a three year, 11,700 mile journey across North America by kayak, canoe, and dogsled. – Bill

Adam Hansen and Jeff Greensmith demonstrate wedding travel – Sawbill style.

Former Sawbill crew member Eric Frost (center) conducts the wedding of Dave Freeman and Amy (Voytilla) Freeman.

Cindy Hansen and John “OB” Oberholtzer look on approvingly.

After the ceremony, Dave and Amy walk to their dogsled limo.

Amy and Dave mush off into their future together.

3/21/10 – The return to cooler weather allowed me to get out on Sawbill Lake yesterday for some rare spring ice skating. It was mostly really bumpy and difficult except out in the middle where there were large swatches of smooth, black ice. – Bill

Skating north in the BWCA Wilderness on Sawbill Lake.

Roy and Phoebe enjoy running into the wind.

Ice is a mysterious, complicated and intriguing compound.

Footprints in the snow from much earlier in the season are preserved in solid ice.