5/17/09 – What a difference a day makes! Today is a beautiful Boundary Waters Wilderness day with blue skies, light breeze, and warm temperatures. All the canoeists who spent the day pinned down on their campsites yesterday were smiling today.
Today is also a great day because it is the day that our own Cindy Hansen was born. Some would call it coincidence, some would call it fate, but today is also Norwegian Independence Day and the day that crew member Pat Nash was born. – Bill

Cindy Hansen, still a teenager at heart.

5/16/09 – I know that marketing gurus would chastise us for writing so often about the bad weather we’ve been having, but it is truly awful here today. After a relatively balmy day yesterday it is snowing again and the high temperature won’t crack 40 today. Worse than the snow, the wind is howling out of the west at nearly 30 mph.
This kind of weather, although not ideal for relaxing, reminds us that wilderness needs to be taken on its own terms. The wild weather is as much a part of the fierce joy of wilderness travel as the warm sun on a calm day. We are all frail vessels that must use our wits to adapt to the awesome power of nature. – Bill

5/14/09 – After a lovely afternoon yesterday with temperatures in the 60s, we awoke this morning to a biting wind and falling snow. Most of it has already melted, but it was a sharp reminder that it is not quite summer yet even if we did open the Sawbill Beach Club! Fortunately the forecast for the rest of the week looks much more enjoyable. – Caitlin

This view of the Sawbill Trail is more common in October or November, but we got a little reminder of it this morning.

The new spring buds did not seem to mind the light dusting.

5/10/08 – We were a few days late this year in our traditional opening of the Sawbill Beachclub. Finally, this afternoon, everyone was free and the “swim” took place. It requires split second logistics to get the camera shutter timer set and get in the water while not spending an extra second in the drink. Everything went like clockwork, until Roy walked in front of the camera. Dan Shirley and I were in the water, but are out of sight behind the dog. I am typing this with cold stiffened fingers as proof! – Bill

The pause that refreshes for the spring crew.

5/10/09 – Ed Dallas, Sawbill poet laureate, sent along the following:
a hungry south wind
small waves join the rebellion
ICE OUT!

5/9/09 – Happy opening of fishing!

5/7/09 – The ice is gone from Sawbill Lake this morning, at least as far as we can see from the canoe landing. We’ll know more this evening after we go for our first paddle of the season. Four days ago it was 17.5″ thick and safe to walk on. Last year it went out on the evening of May 6th. – Bill

Roy contemplates the peaceful, watery scene at Sawbill Lake this morning.

A few steps away from the canoe landing, this snowbank reminds us of the hard winter just past.

This was the scene yesterday afternoon.

5/3/09 – 17.5″ of ice on Sawbill Lake on this fine, cold, sunny, breezy morning. – Bill

Lee Noble, veteran Sawbill crew member, returns for another year.

4/30/09 – The ice on Sawbill Lake now stands at 20″ thick after a hard rain last night. – Bill

Another sure sign of spring is the arrival of new Kevlar canoes from their home in southern Wisconsin. This load of 12 beautiful Bell Seligas arrived last night. The Wenonah and Souris River canoes are not far behind.

Nash drills on a wet, foggy Sawbill Lake.

The early afternoon view from the canoe landing looking south toward Sawbill Creek.

Homer likes to eat chunks of ice that he finds floating in the “moat” of open water near the landing.

Lake ice is such an interesting, beautiful, complex phenomenon. These patterns appeared today, presumably the result of the overnight rain.

4/28/09 – Here is today’s ice picture and thickness measurement. – Bill

The ice measured 22″ today. I stuck my arm down the hole to check on the ice quality. The top 14″ is not real solid, but the bottom 8″ is solid, clear ice.