4/15/14 – Today’s Sawbill Lake ice measurement is 31″. There was very little progress yesterday. The high temperature was 25F and the low was 13F. The sun did provide a little melting, despite the cold temperatures.
Here are some pictures taken by ice measurement crew this morning:

First the bad news. The Sawbill store still looks like the middle of winter, except for the snow being shed from the metal roof.

Now the good news. Sawbill Creek is wide open, which is a major indicator of impending spring.

Leif Gilsvik hanging out on the old, abandoned bridge across Sawbill Creek.

4/14/14 –

Today’s Sawbill Lake ice measurement was 33″. A cold snap is definitely slowing down the melting today.

This very fresh wolf scat was near the canoe landing this morning. It made Roy very nervous.

4/13/14 – Today’s ice measurement on Sawbill Lake is 31″.

4/12/14 – Today’s ice measurement is 35″ with the top 6″ highly degraded and honeycombed. The first ice-out lakes have been reported in southern Minnesota. We are usually about a month later, but it depends entirely on the weather.
We had a nice visit the other day from the new interns at North House Folk School. Former crew member, Jessa Frost, is the program director at North House and Sawbill’s own Cindy Hansen works there part time. If you’re interested in traditional crafts, you will love North House. – Bill

(Front to back) Emily Derke and Mary Cowen – NH interns, Leif Gilsvik, Jessa Frost, Austin Kennedy – NH intern, and the ever graceful Cindy Hansen. Photo by Nils John Anderson.

4/11/14 – The first measurement on the countdown to ice-out on Sawbill Lake was taken yesterday. 33″ of ice was the official reading.

Sawbill crew member Leif Gilsvik puts his back into it for the first daily ice measurement leading to the open water season. Photo by Nils John Anderson.
That said, we’ve lost at least half our snow pack in the last few days. A high sun, warm winds and temps near 50 have all taken a toll. I estimate an average snow depth of about 18″, down form nearly 40″ at the beginning of the week. – Bill

4/8/14 – Cindy and I took our first extended vacation over the last couple of weeks. We wisely chose to head far enough south that we missed the last several blasts of this bitter Minnesota winter of 2014.

Here is what we had to put up with while the blizzards were raging at home. That’s me in the chair to the far right. I think I was napping at the time. – Bill
Here are some recent Cook County West End News from WTIP-FM, North Shore Community Radio:
West End News: March 20th
West End News: March 27th
West End News: April 3rd
In a few days we’ll start the daily Sawbill Lake ice report.

3/18/14 – Here are a couple of pictures to prove that both we and winter are still alive at Sawbill. – Bill

The classic, non-flattering selfie, including a bit of lunch stuck in my teeth.

For this whole long winter Sawbill Lake has had deep, soft snow covering almost universal slush. Finally, the freeze/thaw cycle is allowing us to get out on the lake to wander around and play with Roy and Phoebe.
Here are the last four editions of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio:
West End News: March 13th
West End News: March 6th
West End News: February 27th
West End News: February 20th

3/4/14 – Jerry Vandiver is a successful Nashville songwriter, dedicated wilderness canoeist and friend of Sawbill.
Jerry has recently released his second CD of canoe camping themed songs, “Every Scratch Tells A Story.” The CD begins with the song “My Wilderness Journey.” While Jerry was recording the song, he cut an alternate version called “My Sawbill Journey” (click on title to listen).

If you are inspired by Jerry’s Sawbill journey to share a picture or short video of your Sawbill journey, email it to me and Jerry will produce a YouTube video of the best pictures set to the song.
By the way, Jerry is perfoming with his “One Match Band” at Canoecopia in Madison, Wisconsin this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Sawbill’s guides, Amy and Dave Freeman are also speaking at Canoecopia. – Bill

2/28/14 – Our fabulous guides, Dave and Amy Freeman, were featured today in Minneapolis Star Tribune article.

2/14/14 – Here is this week’s edition of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio.
Here is an excerpt:
Last week, I mentioned my epic fall off the peak of my house. I got a number of emails and comments about my inventing the new Olympic sport known as roof diving. It got me to thinking about other West End winter sports that could be included in future winter Olympic Games.
One event could be Cold Weather Dog Walking. This would be judged on the dog’s form and skill at walking while holding one or more freezing paws off the ground. Points could be awarded for maintaining speed while walking with one, two, or at the pinnacle of skill, three paws in the air. Extra points are awarded for successfully “taking care of business” with one or more paws off the ground.
Another sport could be competitive car starting. Athletes would each be provided with a 1992 Toyota Camry with two hundred and thirty thousand miles on it and a four-year-old battery, cooled down to 32 degrees below zero. Points would be awarded for the least time elapsed from leaving the house to pulling out of the driveway. Style points would be added for combinations of starter fluid, gas pedal pumping and application of jumper cables. Needless to say, at the Olympic level, only batteries with the tiny little side-mounted terminals would be allowed. Points would be deducted for failure to make a solid connection or having the jumper cables pop off just as you turn the key. You are disqualified if you leave your choppers sitting on the air cleaner when you slam the hood.
The final new event could be that ultimate test of speed, agility and strength that we call roof shoveling. Points would be awarded for speed and style, with extra points being added for the size of each block of snow pushed over the edge of a low pitch cabin roof. The judges will want to see a few graceful roof diving moves, with points being added for the length and loudness of the scream and the gracefulness of the landing. Veterans of this Olympic sport, like me, would delight the crowd with our perfect belly flop techniques.
This all gets me to thinking that the West End should submit a bid to host the 2022 winter games. – Bill