5/8/20 – Sometimes, no news is good news. That’s the case right now as we wait for overnight camping in the BWCA and Superior National Forest Campgrounds to open. Last we heard, the plan is still to open both for overnight use starting on May 18th. We are busy using this extra time right now planning ways to be even better prepared to safely welcome everyone back to the Northwoods. Keep your eyes peeled in the next several days here on our website for an update on how we plan to operate in the time of COVID-19.

In other news, Kit Shirley turned 4 yesterday! While she couldn’t have the party she hoped for with all her friends, we tried to make up for it with a day full of balloons, presents, scavenger hunts, bubbles, pizza, a piñata, cake AND cupcakes. She loves to fish, so it’s convenient that her birthday falls so close to Minnesota’s fishing opener. Last year she landed a big bass all by herself, and this year she tells me she has her sights set on her first walleye.

We’ve gotten several questions about the current fire ban recently. There is a ban on all fires with the exception of liquid fuel campstoves right now. We’ve had a very dry spring, the mud season is not very muddy this year. Additionally, the pandemic puts a strain on bringing in Forest Service fire crews from around the country. To keep our firefighters and first responders safe in this dry spring, a fire ban is the right call. We’ll be sure to let you know if that changes. In the meantime, the newly returned loons are calling and the sunsets have been memorable, creating all the atmosphere we need to feel rejuvenated each evening.

-Clare

5/5/20 – Sawbill Lake was officially ice free as of Sunday, May 3rd. Kit and Dan did a little recon today to see how Alton was fairing. They report lots of open water, but some ice still crowding the eastern shoreline. -Jessica

5/4/2020 – This afternoon the USFS has announced that beginning May 5, 2020, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will be open for day use only.

The overnight use closure that has been in effect since mid April, is going to be continued until May 17th at 11:59 pm. The Wilderness will be open for all use beginning on May 18th.

All Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness overnight permits already reserved for trips beginning before May 18th will be cancelled and refunded automatically. You should receive an email directly from recreation.gov. If you have a reservation with Sawbill Canoe Outfitters for a trip during the now closure period, we will reach out to you regarding options for re-scheduling or cancellation.

This order handed down today by Superior National Forest Supervisor, Connie Cummins, aligns with current Minnesota Stay at Home order and prohibition of recreational camping state-wide.

In response to this order, Sawbill Canoe Outfitters will remain closed until May 18th. If you are a local and would like to rent a canoe for a day paddle, give us a call and we can discuss options.

We applaud the Forest Service for this common sense approach. Allowing day use makes sense for those of us that live near the Wilderness and continuing the overnight closure maintains consistency with guidance from the State.

-Dan

5/2/20 – Today’s official ice measurement; not enough to venture out on. -Jessica

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5/1/2020 – As we welcome the month of May and all the ephemeral transitional magic that happens this time of year, the pandemic response can be characterized in a similar way. Maybe less magic.

Yesterday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz extended the Stay at Home order until May 17th at 11:59pm. The continuation of the Stay at Home order dictates that all non essential travel should be avoided. The provision of supplies, purchasing goods and recreating should be done as close to home as possible.

We have not heard from the Forest Service, yet, how this extended order will affect the opening of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. That said, they have made it clear to us in the past that they intend to align Superior National Forest and Wilderness restrictions with those handed down by the State of Minnesota. To that end, we expect the Wilderness closure (at least for overnight camping), to extend until May 17th at 11:59pm. We will post and update as soon as we see a new order. If no new order is issued, the Wilderness is slated to open on May 5th.

The extended Stay at Home order has been modified to allow for a slow opening of more businesses coined “Non-essential exempt businesses” beginning on May 4th. Businesses, such as retail and equipment rental (like Sawbill), may begin to operate provided that all transactions are done out of doors and maximum physical distance is maintained between staff and public. Prior to this order, we at Sawbill have already been crafting a Preparedness Plan that largely mirrors this new guidance. We are encouraged that we have been on the correct track. Stay tuned as we begin to roll these plans out to our loyal customers. It will look different here, but our core values will still be on display. Providing friendly service to all in pursuit of a Wilderness experience. The health and safety of our staff, our customers and our community is our priority. We are all going to join together in that pursuit. This Plan will be made available on our website when it’s ready.

According the the State’s order, all recreational camping is still not allowed. The Forest Service has also informed us that the camping closure on the Superior National Forest is also being extended to match the order from the State. All reservations for stays that begin before May 18th for National Forest Campgrounds, including Sawbill Lake and Crescent Lake, are going to be cancelled and refunded. If you have made a reservation already for this time period, expect a cancellation email directly from recreation.gov in the next day or two. Reservations for May 18th and beyond are still being honored at this time and new reservations can be made.

We have developed and submitted a detailed and comprehensive Covid-19 Campground Operations Plan to the Forest Service. It is in the review phase. We are confident in our Plan. It will become available on our website once it is approved.

So, the take-away is: Sawbill can technically open on May 4th to sell goods and rent canoes. However, with the Wilderness likely being closed and a Stay at Home order asking people not travel long distances, we are effectively going to remain closed. We could rent a canoe to a Cook County local to take a day trip paddle on a non-Wilderness lake. That scenario is obviously not a very large part of our business, so we’ll continue to monitor the situation, prepare for the new normal and look forward to a fantastic Wilderness paddling season when the time comes.

The Wilderness is medicine for the mind, body, and soul. Its remedy will be more important than ever in the coming months. We look forward to helping people have that experience. Hang in there everyone and we’ll see you when the time is right.

-Dan

4/30/20 – Tune into 90.7 FM, or stream at wtip.org, tonight at 7 pm (CST). Sawbill’s very own Dan Shirley will be in on a community conversation with other business leaders and healthcare professionals of Cook County. -Jessica

The program is archived here. As the coronavirus continues to impact so many different aspects of life for people here in Cook County and throughout the state of Minnesota, one question that continues to loom in the background of day-to-day discussions is when and how will the local economy recover? It’s a question on the minds of nearly everyone in the local business community, as well as those who live outside the area and are anxious to plan their next trip to the North Shore. At the heart of the question is how do we balance community health, both physical and mental, while giving consideration to a local economy that relies on tourists visiting the region?

WTIP North Shore Community Radio

4/26/20 – The ice is clocking in at 23″ from top to bottom this morning, but all of it is not frozen. There are three distinct layers of ice separated by 2-3″ pockets of water. Each day the open water near the mouth of Sawbill Creek creeps a little closer to the canoe landing, so we are certainly making progress toward ice out.

This time of year I always haul around my binoculars in the off chance I see a critter out on the ice, or an unknown bird flitting about. This morning it payed off as I was happy to find three male hooded mergansers and one female soaking up the morning sun. Also of note, I heard my first loon call of the season. If I had to guess I would say it was hanging out on a small pond on the west side of Sawbill lake where water flowing in from Alton lake keeps things free of ice. -Jessica

4/24/20 – The annual ice countdown has begun! Late this afternoon I measured 22″ of mostly solid ice. -Jessica

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4/22/20 – For about two weeks now I’ve been anxiously watching a small patch of ground behind the house waiting for something to happen. Yesterday I finally found what I had been impatiently waiting for, a handful of crocus’ poking through the soil in one of the few areas not covered in an abundance of snow. These plants are tough as nails. They’re currently enduring 28⁰ F and they’ll be lucky if they see 33⁰ F today. -Jessica

4/19/20 – Longtime customer, Bob Henry, sent us the following recollection of a few moments drifting on Sawbill Lake.

Three of us spent five nights at campsite 916 on the North end of Sawbill about ten years back. And as was our habit, we pack up Sunday morning and head home to the Twin Cities. Once our canoes were packed, we headed South past 913. There was a group staying there and a young woman was sitting on waters edge with her guitar, singing softly. I asked if I could maybe request a tune, and did she know any Irish jigs? She did and she began singing. It was grand. Just her guitar and voice echoing gently across the calm water, under clear blue skies. We drifted for a minute, thanked her, and continued to Sawbill landing. I wish now that I would have recorded it on my digital camera, but that’s not like a memory, is it? Another great Sawbill memory.

Bob Henry