6/10/08 – Finally, after a cold cold spring, green up is in full swing. Purple, yellow, white and pink wildflowers dot the dense green ground cover just off the trails. The scraggly bare-branch spots on the landscapes that marked the aspen and birch stands in winter and early spring now bear the fresh leafy evidence of a wet start to the season here in the Boundary Waters. Looks like a sign of good things to come. And just in time for summer. – Lee

A few of my favorite aspen basking in the evening sun off the back road of the Sawbill Campground.

Forget-me-nots growing in a spot of afternoon sun near the outfitter.

6/8/08 – The lake trout hit hard and often on an annual trip led by former and current Sawbill crew members. The guys caught 15 lakers (on an undisclosed lake) in all, bringing back six to the outfitter today. They released nine back into the lake. Carl Hansen said they also lost two fishing poles, eight lures and about a hundred feet of line. So, either the fish put up a few good fights, or the fisherman fumbled a few too many. – Lee

Carl Hansen, Jeff Greensmith, Nathan TerBeest, Eric Frost, Josh Jones and Adam Hansen home from a triumphant fishing trip.

Three lake trout caught by a few of the Sawbill guys on their latest trip.

6/6/08 – Heavy rains fell on Cook County last night. Sawbill’s gauge measured two inches of rain. Mary Alice Hansen called in from Grand Marais to report more than five inches (and a flooded yard) there. If you’re coming up today, tomorrow or Sunday, plan a few extra minutes into your drive time to account for a sloppy but passable Sawbill Trail. Highway 61 along the north shore of Lake Superior is experiencing creek and river overflows, but it is still open. Former Sawbill crew member Jeff Greensmith drove up from Duluth this morning and said anyone else passing through should expect brief delays. – Lee

A usually peaceful Sawbill Creek at the south end of Sawbill Lake is rushing hard after last night’s rain.

A view north from south Sawbill Lake, where a few rays of sunshine, and pair of paddlers, defied the clouds and possibility of rain this afternoon.

6/2/08 – Carl Hansen graduated from Cook County High School over the weekend. His plans for the future include attending the University of Montana in Missoula this fall. But for now, Carl is content to spend his summer at Sawbill and hanging out with his dog, Homer. – Eric


Yesterday afternoon a brief thunderstorm rolled in from the south, bringing a gentle spring shower. It was over before it amounted to much, and since then we’ve been enjoying clear skies and mild temperatures. The fishing reports have been stellar from the weekend, and members of the Sawbill crew have been sending out groups with a touch of envy.

6/1/08 – Spring’s blanket of green comes late in canoe country. But, it’s finally here. During the last two days, the boreal floor has sprouted to life with plants just as eager for winter’s end, and summer’s arrival, as we are. – Eric


Two species of violets, the wooly blue violet and the downy yellow violet have just recently become visible – a few weeks overdue. These tiny, delicate flowers will grow to be larger as the solstice approaches. Rather than these colorful flowers dispersing seeds, violets will grow a second flower at the plant’s base.

Flowers of wild strawberries dot the forest floor. Until they fruit, mouths around here will be drooling in anticipation.

6/1/08 – Aaron Johnson sent along these pictures of an eelpout that he caught on Alton last week. Eelpout are fairly common in BWCA Wilderness lakes, but are rarely caught. They are bottom feeders, so they are usually caught when the fisher person accidentally lets his or her bait rest on the bottom.
While they look somewhat eel-like, they are actually members of the family Zoarcidae. There are 220 species world wide. I’ve seen them up to five pounds come out of Alton over the years, usually caught in the winter. They are quite delicious to eat – often called the “poor man’s lobster” by locals.
Their odd appearance has also spawned a host of nicknames. The most common around here are lawyer, burbot, fish doctor, or what I said the first time I caught one when I was a kid, “What the h*** is that ugly thing?” – Bill

Aaron Johnson with his unusual catch on Alton Lake.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

5/29/08 – Some exciting news at Sawbill today. John Barnett and Lucinda Lundey became engaged yesterday in the middle of their 6 day canoe trip. John proposed to Lucinda in middle of Sawbill Lake as they were paddling on their way back. Now if that’s not romantic, I don’t know what is. – Carl

(L-R) James McGlamery, Steven Barnett, Lucinda Lundey, John Barnett

5/28/08 – Frequent Sawbill visitors will recall that we have what appears to be a doghouse with no door in front of our store. The structure is actually a fancy cover for our well. Today Cindy and Hazel Oberholtzer spruced up the doorless doghouse by planting some flowers on the roof.

Cindy and Hazel show off their handiwork–a mix of petunias, verbeena, and calibrachoa.

5/27/08 – After the busy weekend, the Sawbill crew begins to work on all the clean up jobs–not as glamorous as outfitting groups, perhaps, but just as important. Consider this another typical Tuesday at the office.

Bill tackles the annual chore of cleaning the water tank. Because Sawbill’s water is not chemically treated, minerals and algae can slowly build up inside the tank.

A view from the inside.

Meanwhile, Ellyn and Carl clean, refuel, and test our camp stoves. By tonight, the stoves will be back on the shelf ready for tomorrow’s canoe trips.

5/25/08 – Today was our first 70 degree day at Sawbill since last September. On a related note, the Sawbill Glacier, located on the north side of the store, is in danger of disappearing forever, or at least until next winter. Those who would like to see this majestic ice formation should probably come tomorrow.

The Glacier, seen here, was once the size of a large snowbank.