8/13/05 – Bonnie Clay and her son, Jeremy, have been avid BWCA Wilderness canoeists for many years. This year, they brought Jeremy’s wife, Sarah, for her first trip. They traveled from Kawishiwi Lake to the beach site on Malberg Lake during a week of beautiful weather and good fishing back in July. Bonnie sent along some pictures for our enjoyment.

Sarah, Jeremy, and Bonnie Clay in the after trip (and after shower) glow.

Jeremy and Sarah give new meaning to the term “double portaging.”

Sarah in the well organized Clay family campsite on Malberg Lake.

8/12/05 – Families have enjoyed coming up to Sawbill for years. But it’s not often that we have a couple celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary and their 35th summer at Sawbill simultaneously. Tom and Nancy Gager celebrated this momentous occasion this past week in our campground. With a grandson on the way we can only hope for 35 more years. Congratulations guys!

Tom and Nancy pose in their celebratory T-shirts.

8/11/05 – After a quiet June and July the bears are back at Sawbill. Seeing wildlife is always fun and exciting but this time of year it’s especially important to remember to hang your food pack at least 12 feet from the ground and 6 feet from the nearest branch or tree.

Crew member Jasmine Hanson models a food pack recently destroyed by a bear.

8/10/05 – Though the fire continues to burn there is still no threat to Sawbill or its surrounding lakes. All paddling entry points in the BWCA remain open.

Here is the map of the fire we received from the Forest Service.

8/10/05 – We received an update from the Forest Service regarding the forest fire on Alpine/Seagull/Red Rock lakes. The fire has grown in size to 960 acres and is 5 percent contained. The fire is continuing to move to the northeast and it does not pose any danger to the Sawbill area.

8/9/05 – Here is a map detailing the upcoming fire ban in the BWCAW:

Campfires will be prohibited in the pink shaded region. Fires will still be permitted in the green shaded zone as well as in most areas outside the BWCA Wilderness.

8/9/05 – NEWS FLASH – The Forest Service has announced a total fire ban in the blowdown area within the BWCAW beginning on Friday, Aug. 12, 2005.
Camp stoves and grills will still be permitted. The “blowdown area” includes Sawbill Lake and all routes to the north and east of Sawbill. We will post a map of the restricted area as soon as we have one.
This burning ban does not affect Sawbill Lake Campground or most other areas outside the Boundary Waters.

8/8/05- According to Forest Service reports, there is a 650-acre forest fire burning in the Seagull/Alpine/Red Rock lakes area. This area is located northeast of Sawbill and the fire is currently traveling northeast. Sawbill is approximately 25 miles away from the southwest corner of the fire. The Forest Service has not closed any entry points or routes in the Sawbill area. No burning restrictions are in effect.
We do not believe that this fire poses any threat to Sawbill Lake or any of the surrounding lakes or routes.

The fire is burning northeast between Seagull, Alpine and Red Rock Lakes.

8/7/05 – Every once and a while the crew feels the need to leave the woods for a short time and head into the “city”. So one tradition is for the ladies of Sawbill to get gussied up and strut their stuff in the town of Grand Marais, MN. So on a balmy night in late July the ladies of Sawbill hit the town; eating and laughing at the local restaurant, the Angry Trout.

The lovely ladies of Sawbill, Lounging on the rooftop of the Gunflint Tavern.

8/6/05 – We had two customers who traveled a long way to visit us at Sawbill this weekend. Delor and Angela Da Silva rode all the way from Brazil to Sawbill. This is actually their second bike trip in North America. In 2003, they circumnavigated South America and North America, including a visit to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Delor commented that the 1400 miles of gravel on the Alaskan Highway was a challenge – not “good gravel” like the Sawbill Trail. The Da Silvas are headed back to Brazil where, in January, they are having the motorcycle shipped to Europe for a projected five year ride around Europe and Asia.

Delor and Angela Da Silva vow to return to Sawbill for a canoe trip once they complete their motorcycle world tour.