1/1/21 – As 2020 came to a close we were rewarded with a winter snow storm just before Christmas. We now have about 15 inches of snow in the woods and between 11 and 13 inches on the lake. As a result, we’re now able to take advantage of the ski trails, but lake travel has become a bit trickier with the added snow and resulting slush. I ventured down to the lake yesterday afternoon and found I really couldn’t go very far without sinking into the dreaded sloppy stuff, however it seemed like some folks with larger wooden snowshoes were able to mostly stay above the fray. -Jessica

12/22/20 – Yesterday I decided to celebrate the winter solstice by heading down to the lake with a glass of homemade black spruce cordial (see link for recipe).  Once I reached the landing I decided I might as well walk across to the western shore since it was not too windy, lightly snowing, and easy walking.  At about the halfway point I paused to take a picture of the setting sun and accidentally spilled all of the cordial onto my jacket, brand new mittens, and onto the snow covered lake (I hadn’t even taken a sip yet).  After briefly muttering a few choice words under my breath, I realized two very big silver linings.  First, I could now confirm the new mittens I had recently spent big bucks on were, as advertised, liquid proof! They hadn’t soaked up a single drop of cordial, which was more than could be said for my jacket. Second, cordial snow cones are delicious!!!  All in all the celebration was a resounding success.  -Jessica

12/16/20 – As we enjoy this relatively uneventful (as far as Sawbill is concerned) December, I thought I would share one of my favorite newsletter posts from the archives. There were lots of gems to choose from, so stay tuned for more blasts from the past. -Jessica

7/9/04 – Toby (Sonya’s Dog), Homer, and Sunny discuss themes for the second annual one eyed dog conference, tentatively planned for July 16th, 2005. Sunny’s lecture on advanced dog treat detection for one eyed canines drew a large crowd. She is planning to publish several exciting papers on dog treat detection and several other topics in the OCCS’s (Optically Challenged Canine Society’s) quarterly newsletter. When asked about this year’s conference, Toby said,” I have always felt ashamed and alone because I poked my eye out with a squeaky toy….. Meeting other one-eyed dogs has helped me realize that there are optically challenged dogs out there living happy, healthy lives. Sunny and Homer have taught me so much. I can’t wait for next summer’s conference!” – Dave

12/10/20 –  Yesterday I decided to head out on the lake for my inaugural ski of the season.  There was just enough snow to hinder any ice skating attempts, but windswept enough that there were a fair number of bumpy ice patches to dodge.  It certainly was nice to be outside soaking up the sun.  Fingers crossed for more snow soon so we can hit the ski trails!  -Jessica

11/23/20 – Sawbill is now the proud owner of some visual real estate along highway 61. As you’re driving to and from the area keep your eyes peeled for these beauties. -Jessica

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11/19/20 – Sawbill traveler, Evelyn Greathouse, recently shared a memory she painted from a September trip with her husband. What a way to bring some of the warmer months back to life as we ease into winter. -Jessica

11/5/20 – We’ve been enjoying substantially warmer temperatures the last couple of days, but colder temperatures late last month left the lake frozen over as far as the eye can see. The ice doesn’t yet look enticing to venture out on, but based on the very scientific “large rock test,” it’s certainly thicker than skim ice. -Jessica

10/15/20 – It’s been an exciting couple of days here at Sawbill. Yesterday, the kids and I went for a drive to seek out some fresh Lake Superior fish to put in our freezer. We took the long way and while we were cruising along a little used backroad we came across a pack of wolves! We were able to watch the pack, which looked like 2 or 3 grown adults and 2 pups, for quite a while. Eventually, they passed right by our car and headed off into the woods.

This morning we woke up to the first real snow of the season. Everything is covered in a nice fresh layer of crisp early season snow and even the air smells cold. We’ll be spending today and tomorrow putting the canoes into storage. In addition to the cold and snow, it’s been quite windy up here too so the lake is not very hospitable to travel at the moment.

-Clare

10/13/20 – The Forest Service has officially shut off the water for the Sawbill Lake, Crescent Lake, and Temperance River campgrounds. With temperatures forecasted for lows in the low 20’s and highs in the upper 30’s for the foreseeable future, we have also shut off and drained our seasonal water systems. Due to the ongoing nature of the pandemic, the Forest Service is closing these campgrounds to all camping for the winter. Typically, they would simply go into a “no-fee” status where we don’t maintain the outhouses, the water is off, etc. but folks can still camp. This year, they will be closed until further notice to all camping to reduce risk of exposure in places that aren’t being maintained.

In a nutshell, Crescent Lake and Temperance River campgrounds are closed effective immediately.

The Sawbill Lake Campground will remain open, on a first come first serve basis, until Monday October 19th – with no fees required. We will be maintaining the outhouses this weekend, even though camping is free and the water is off, just to facilitate folks having one last chance to camp up here during MEA weekend.

As always, please feel free to give us a call if you have any questions. Thank you for your support!

Clare

10/11/20 – Even though temperatures this week were unseasonably warm we are still feeling festive this fall season. To celebrate the return of cool weather, we had our annual crew pumpkin carving last night.

Thanks to our crew’s incredible dedication, we’ve been able to quarantine ourselves together all summer. This has limited our exposure and allowed us to provide a safe environment for our customers. But it has also allowed us to have festive events like this, which feels like a welcome dose of normalcy.

Three cheers for fall!

-Clare