1/30/19 – PERMIT UPDATE: We have just (10:20 am) been informed by the Forest Service that due to the extent of the technical difficulties and inconsistencies in functionality of the reservation platform, all successful permit reservations are going to be voided and the system is being closed until the issues are worked out. They will offer notification when the system will go live again. If you have already reserved a permit, we recommend holding tight to see what happens, but be prepared to re-apply for your permit. We’ll update as we learn more. In the mean time, enjoy the crisp weather!

-Dan

1/25/29 – This Sunday marks the 35th start of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon.  The nearly 300 mile race is the longest held in the contiguous United States and is a qualifier for the Iditarod.  Racers start just north of Duluth, make their way up the north shore, head up the Gunflint Trail, back down the trail, and finish in Grand Portage.  Along the way teams must stop at designated checkpoints, one of which crosses the Sawbill Trail.  Racers usually reach this checkpoint in the dead of night, however this year the first few teams are expected to arrive around 3:30 am.  If you’re in the area and up for an early morning adventure I highly recommend spending some time at this checkpoint, or any of the others for that matter.  I can certainly vouch for cheering teams in as you stand around a campfire under the stars.  For more information and to follow the race live, visit the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon’s official website. -Jessica

1/17/19 – As we head into the second half of January, Huckleberry and I decided to do a little snow reconnaissance around Sawbill.  Huck dawned his snow booties, I threw on my snowshoes, we grabbed a measuring stick and we were off.  Upon reaching the lake the first thing we realized was that sticking to one of the preexisting packed trails was a must.  Huckleberry took a few slight detours and found that stepping into the great unknown meant wading through 16″ of snow and a good chance of slush.  Keeping to the highway that was a winter campers trail, we made it up to Boundary Island without any trouble at all.  On our way back from the lake we added an exploratory mission into the woods to measure a whole two feet of snow.  -Jessica

1/4/19 – Since our last post we received a delivery of  23 brand new Wenonah canoes, welcomed a solid foot of snow in one dumping, and rang in the new year with some of our favorite people on one of our favorite lakes. 

In accordance with New Years tradition, we headed down to the lake to ring in 2019.  Just before midnight, temperatures dropped to a relatively balmy (compared to years past) -15 degrees, accompanied by a -30 degree wind chill.

In other exciting news, while visiting over the holiday weekend, Hannah Kennedy (crew member) and Nick Hansberry became engaged!  Welcome to the family Nick!  -Jessica