7/5/08 – The town of Tofte put on its annual Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza last night, illuminating the night blue sky over Lake Superior. Crew member Molly Breslin took these fantastic photos from the rocky shoreline to share with our newsletter readers. Everyone at Sawbill wishes you a safe and happy holiday weekend! – Lee

7/3/08 – Road crews will begin culvert work on the Sawbill Trail Monday July 7. It will remain drivable. If you’re coming up next week for a canoe trip, expect delays up to 20 minutes. Further travel advisories will be posted as they become available. – Lee

7/2/08 – Sawbill welcomes back campground hosts Jim and Rachel TerBeest! Jim and Rachel have been the Sawbill campground hosts since 1985 and have been camping at Sawbill for 34 years.
Jim and Rachel had an unbelievable first year of retirement, traveling to Israel and Nicaragua as well as spending lots of time with their grandchildren in Omaha. It’s great to have them back! – Frosty

6/30/08 – Painted turtles have been lining the Sawbill Trail and nearby roads. They haul themselves out onto the roads in search of sunny spots, but unfortunately are often the victims of vehicles. If you’re traveling on the backroads near Sawbill, keep an eye out for their dark shells. Try to avoid hitting them, or even better, help them get to safety. – Frosty

Frosty helps a turtle to safety along the Sawbill Trail.

This painted turtle had an eight-inch shell, leading me to believe that it was pretty old. In the wild, painted turtles have a maximum lifespan of 30 or more years.

The lupines are blooming! This year is proving to be one of the best years in recent memory for the lupines.

A lupine from above.

The sunset in Grand Marais harbor last night was spectacular. So even though this photo might be a little out of place, I thought I’d share it with you. The ship is North House Folk School’s Hjordis, which regularly takes groups out to enjoy the lake. Find out more information at the North House web site. – Frosty

6/29/08 – Grand Marais residents Mark and Karen Blackburn-Till brought their kids, David, 8, and Chloe, 5, up to Sawbill for a weekend of camping. Karen worked at Sawbill for a number of years, and David and Chloe are already working on their applications for being crewmembers in 2021. Karen and Mark have vowed to take their kids camping every other weekend this summer. So far they’ve stayed at Trail’s End up the Gunflint Trail and Lamb’s Resort on Lake Superior in Schroeder. Way to go, guys! – Frosty

6/27/08 – Summer is in full swing around Sawbill. The warm weather and clear skies have lured flowers into bloom. Along trails, portages, and roads, colors appear in fine contrast to the green shady boreal forest floor. – Frosty

Wild Roses just started blooming en force. The shade of pink reflects their surroundings. Those found in shade appear darker than the lighter ones found in full sun.

Hawksweed lines ditches and thrives in warm weather. Even though they’re not native, we still like the looks of them.

Trumpet Honeysuckle is very rare around here, but is such a treat to see. This flowering shrub can’t be resisted by hummingbirds.

What would summer be without a sighting of the elusive Ladyslipper? Ladyslippers are orchids and have six varieties, all of which can be found in Minnesota. Ladyslippers have an extremely low germination rate, but once they do, they can flower for over 100 years. If you see a Ladyslipper in the forest, please leave it for others to enjoy. Picking one could destroy a century-long blossom.

The water in Sawbill Lake has warmed up to allow for comfortable, long swims. Come on up and enjoy! – Frosty

6/25/08 – Northeast Minnesota moose are reclusive animals and thus a rare sight in the Boundary Waters and Superior National Forest, so count yourself lucky if you ever get a picture like this. Jeremy Schulz, from southeast Minnesota, just sent us this photograph he shot of a young moose skirting Four-mile Lake, just southwest of Sawbill. Thanks Jeremy! – Lee

Young moose, courtesy of Jeremy Schulz.

6/24/08 – Jogging south on the Sawbill Trail today, I saw a large black figure about 300 yards ahead moving away from me on the trail. I kept running to within 200 yards of it and saw it was a big black bear skirting the road lazily. I was downwind from it, but wanted to be cautious since I was on foot, so I slowed to a walk and followed it for about three minutes as it continued ambling along. Finally at about a mile south of the outfitter I drew close enough to distinguish the lighter shade of tan around its snout when it ducked off the road and into the brush to the west. Awed by the encounter, I decided to head back to the outfitter to avoid giving the bear the impression it was being followed. – Lee

6/20/08 – The photograph hardly does it justice, but the first summer swarm of dragonflies has arrived en masse. The shot below, taken above the outfitter, shows just a small part of the multitude of these predatory insects that can be seen buzzing around the woods and lakes here. Dragonflies signify another step in the progress of the seasons here in the Boundary Waters, and a valuable ally in our resistance against the invasion of pesky critters like mosquitoes and black flies. – Lee

Those little black specks in the sky? Dragonflies, looking for a bite to eat.

6/19/08 – Bill and Beverly Flood from Lindenhurst, Illinois, say hello to Rita Flood, Bill’s mother, who was not able to travel with them to Sawbill this year. They promise to bring home plenty of pictures to share. – Bill

Bill and Beverly after a relaxing paddle on a perfect June day.