1/22/13 – Life gets interesting when the temperature drops to -20 F and stays there for awhile. This cold snap was ushered in by high winds with gusts close to 50 mph. The wind blew out the propane tank heater on our diesel powered generator, so it failed to start automatically. Our battery bank kept us powered up while I started the heater to warm up the generator.
Once I got that fixed, I noticed that our propane backup furnace was also out. It turned out that the wind had packed snow into the fresh air supply pipe on the furnace, causing it to shut down. Our wood boiler was keeping up fine, but it always makes me nervous when we don’t have a functioning backup.
This morning, the diesel fuel stopped flowing from the fuel tank to the diesel generator. This time, ample sunshine kept us powered up until it warmed up enough (all the way to -12 F) to allow the fuel to become liquid again.
Meanwhile, our radio phone system went down, presumably from a power outage in Lutsen where our base station is located.
The fun never ends here at Sawbill! – Bill

1/21/13 – We got this nice YouTube link from one of our favorite customers, Willie Waldman, today. Willie is a talented and well known jazz trumpet player. Every year, he and his band, the Willie Waldman Project, play the Summer Camp Music Festival in Peoria, Illinois and then head straight up to the BWCA Wilderness for a canoe trip. This year, they came through Sawbill. The music for the video was recorded on a campsite in the wilderness and is completely improvised. The guitarist is Clint Wagner, playing a small, travel style Martin guitar. – Bill

Willie Waldmen and Clint Wagner jamming in the wilderness, June 2012.

1/17/13 – It’s little nippy here this morning with the temperature standing at -9F when we got up. The overnight low was -13F with a fairly steady north wind. It feels good to those of us who have spent our lives in the north woods.
I’ve seen a few lynx lately as I’ve been doing some longer drives on the back roads. A friend sent a picture of a lynx that they captured on their trail camera. – Bill

1/14/13 – Our good friend, songwriter and musician, Jerry Vandiver, has started a Kickstarter campaign that we are supporting. In addition to his obvious creative talents and being one of the nicest people I know, Jerry does a lot to promote the love of wilderness. Here are the details in his words:

The Project
Last year I answered a life-long dream by combining my two passions – songwriting and paddling (a canoe or kayak, c’mon now!) – when I recorded the CD “True and Deep – Songs for the Heart of the Paddler.” I held a CD “release party” in the form of three concerts at Canoecopia (in Madison, WI) last March to multiple standing ovations. Canoecopia is the largest paddle sports expo in the U.S., with over 20,000 paddlers (my audience!) attending the three-day event.
Canoecopia wants us back this year for 3 concerts on March 8, 9 & 10, but their limited budget can’t cover all our expenses and that’s where this campaign, and YOU, come in. I’m looking for you to be a part of our journey back to Canoecopia 2013. Your investment in “Jerry Vandiver and the One Match Band” will help pay for the musicians, rehearsal time, transportation, sound, and lodging. If this campaign raises more than the goal amount, it will be invested to go to future paddle sports festivals and expos as well!
Who the Heck is Jerry Vandiver and the One Match Band?
I’m glad you asked. I (Jerry) am a singer/songwriter in Nashville, TN. I’ve been blessed to have a few recording artists record my songs – Barbara Mandrell, The Oak Ridge Boys, Phil Vassar, Lonestar, and Tim McGraw, to name a few. I’ve even heard a couple of those songs on the radio! I also get to perform regularly at the Bluebird Cafe and the Country Music Hall of Fame here in Nashville, as well as many other songwriter venues and house concerts around the US and Canada. Most importantly, I’m an avid wilderness canoeist and camper, especially in the Boundary Waters (where my wife and I were married) and Northwest Ontario.

1/12/13 – Like the rest of the Midwest, we’ve had quite a meltdown here in the last two days. We had a little more than .6″ of rain and lost about half our snow, leaving about 5″ on the ground. The temperature is dropping fast now and everything will be well frozen by this afternoon. The driveway will be treacherous, but maybe the lake will be good for ski skating? – Bill
Here is this week’s edition of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio.

1/9/13 – Today, we are having what passes for a blizzard now-a-days. High winds, falling temperatures and an inch of snow. The “storm” has knocked out power at the tower site in Lutsen where our radio telephone connects to the real world. If you’re trying to call us, be patient, or send an email. Our internet connection is by satellite, so only goes out when it rains or snows really hard. It’s the price way pay to live in paradise.
With today’s snow the total for the winter is 26.5″ with trace amounts that fell on 23 days not included. As of today, there is 10″ of snow on the ground.
A lot of people are starting to plan their canoe trips for this summer and are wondering about booking permits. The system has been simplified a little bit this year. All overnight permits in the Sawbill area can be reserved on a first come, first served basis beginning Wednesday, January 30th at 9 am central time. Actually, if you reserve your permit anytime before the end of February, you are almost certain to get the date and entry point that you select. As always, you can contact me and I’ll reserve your permit for you. You can email or call with the information asked for at this link: https://sawbill.com/www/planning/permits/permitres.html.
You can also just note on your outfitting reservation that you would like us to reserve a permit for you.
Here is a little more New Year’s broom ball fun from the crew reunion, thanks to filmmaker extraordinaire, Carl Hansen. – Bill

1/3/13 – Each year, it is bitter sweet when the New Year’s crew reunion ends and the current and former Sawbill crew head back to the “real” world. This year we had a great group here and the usual ton of fun. – Bill

Sawbill Lake at midnight, January 1st, 2013.

12/29/12 – This is a favorite time of year for us. It really represents the turning of the season, when most of the work from the last season is done and we turn our attention to the upcoming year. It makes us think about all the great people who visited last year. The relationships, both old and new, are what makes this business a joy for us.
Right around New Year’s Eve is when we host our annual crew reunion. Sawbill crew members, both former and current, return for a few days of fun in the snow.
Yesterday, we had a great ski on Sawbill and Smoke Lakes with the first of the reunion arrivals. – Bill

Cindy Hansen, Clare Hansen and Dan Shirley on Sawbill Lake.

Phoebe rolls in the fresh snow.

The portage from Sawbill to Smoke was magical. We currently have 11″ of snow on the ground.

Smoke Lake.
Here is this week’s edition of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio.

12/21/12 – Mary Bart sent along this picture of her son Chris, acting in his kids’ Christmas play at the First Congregational Church of LaGrange. This church has a long history of Sawbill canoe trips and Chris has been coming to Sawbill since he was a small child. – Bill

What’s the connection between the Christmas play and Sawbill? Take a careful look at the map in this wise man’s hand. Should we be keeping an eye out for a large star in the east?
Here are the last three installments of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio:
West End News, December 20th, 2012.
West End News, December 13th, 2012.
West End News, December 6th, 2012.

12/10/12 – Cindy and I spent a couple of days in Duluth, attending meetings, running errands and going to a holiday party. While we were gone, Sawbill crew members Crista Clark and Carl Hansen stayed here to take care of the systems, answer the phone and keep the dogs entertained. They discovered that Alton Lake was in perfect shape for skating and took full advantage. Unfortunately for us, it snowed right after we got home, so we missed out. – Bill

Carl on Alton Lake. Photo by Crista Clark.

Phoebe and Roy love to run on the ice, although they can’t corner very well. Photo by Crista Clark

The fresh snow spoiled the skating, but the beauty made up for it.