5/28/05 – Sawbill crew members are arriving almost daily now! Pat Nash, who has gained notoriety over the past two summers for his dynamite Maverick Chili (the only “soup” I’ve ever eaten containing over 90 percent meat), busted onto the scene two days ago. Pat just wrapped up his fourth year at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Sonya Hansen returned to Sawbill yesterday after her sophomore year at Grinnell College in Iowa. She got right down to business–immediately taking our golden retrievers Homer and Sunnie for a walk through the campground. Sonya and Pat, welcome to Sawbill.

Price gun in hand, Pat Nash relaxes as he works, works as he relaxes.

Sonya Hansen returned yesterday to two very excited golden retrievers.

5/27/05 – It has been a romantic week at Sawbill. Frank and Mary Alice beamed with pride as their granddaughter Marie Ljosenvoor (leh-YO-shen-vore) and new husband Eric concluded their BWCA honeymoon. Marie and Eric were married in Alexandria on May 20. Congratulations!
Newlywed couple Trinke and James Bishop arrived at Sawbill today after a week-long honeymoon in the BWCA. They were married on Ham Lake a week ago–one year to the day after they got engaged on Gillis Lake. With a makeshift “Just Married” sign scrawled with red lipstick on the back of a precious Sawbill map, they headed happily down the Sawbill Trail, but promised to come again next year.

5/27/05 – Jean Krohn from New Jersey sent these pictures from her canoe trip a couple of weeks ago. A good time was had by all, in spite of daily sleet, snow and high winds.

Jean Krohn admires a nice lake trout she caught from shore on an area lake.

Jean also reported a beaver that swam back and forth in front of the campsite, apparently upset about being interrupted in the cutting of this tree. It is amazing that a beaver can create wood chips as big as any axe.

5/25/2005 – Sawbill Canoe Outfitters is proud to offer guided canoe trips starting this summer! For most visitors to the BWCAW, the joy of self-reliance is an important part of coming here. But for the right group, a guided canoe trip has its advantages. Dave Freeman (pictured right), a well known wilderness adventurer and Sawbill’s head guide, has a keen understanding of the plants, animals, geography and history of the Boundary Waters. Some of the trips already planned for the summer include the "Father Daughter Canoe Trip," "Howling With the Wolves," and the "Voyageur Route." Please check out our Guided Canoe Trips section for more information.

5/18/05 – Jo Winkler-Bley and Bob Winkler sent this photo of their celebration of Bob’s Friday the 13th birthday on Cherokee Lake.

Check out the wool hat, wool gloves and the angle of the flames on the candles!

5/17/05 – Jasmine Hanson, our second crew member for this season, arrived yesterday and immediately took up her broom for her favorite job: sweeping the porch. We’re so glad to have her back!

Also, congratulations to John Feldman (second from left), who today celebrated thirty years of canoe trips at Sawbill. Hope to see your sixtieth anniversary! -Molly.

Freshly showered and beaming after their trip are Tim Karas, John Feldman, Gary Haeny, Ken Steffke, and Dennis LaCasse.

5/15/05 – This has been a classic Minnesota fishing opener. Friday morning, is was 31.5 degrees, pouring down rain with a 25 mph east wind. The rain was freezing so the canoes were covered with a layer of ice. The white pines turned white in their tops and started to droop as the ice slowly built up. Saturday was rainy, windy and cold all day. A driving snow squall greeted us this morning with the high winds continuing, now from the northwest. I haven’t heard of anyone even attempting to fish, much less catching anything. All this on top of more than 4″ of rain this week has made for a very soggy wilderness. This is good for the fire danger and the emerging plantlife. All the returning parties have been exhilarated but glad to be back to central heat and warm showers. – Bill

Yes, those are snow flakes coming down on the 15th of May.

5/7/05 – A beautiful, warm evening lured Molly, visiting crew member Pat Nash, and I out for an evening paddle. We paddled past the pair of loons that make south Sawbill Lake their home, saw three bufflehead ducks in Alton pond, also a sharp-shinned hawk, turkey vulture, and bald eagle. – Bill

This pair of loons live within sight of the Sawbill Lake canoe landing.

Molly watches some of the abundant bird life.

Pat listens to the beautiful music of crystal clear Alton Creek.

4/30/05 –

Mike Hoover, Larry Smith, Rick Hoover, all of Berrien Springs, Michigan, and Rich Howland, of South Bend, Indiana, returned today from a ten day canoe trip. In the 49 years that we have been here, this is the first ten day canoe trip, that we can remember, that began and ended in April. Although the weather was cold and snowy, these four gentlemen greatly enjoyed their trip. They have taken a canoe trip right after the ice goes out for many years and are not put off by cold weather (note snowbank behind them).

In another first today, Wayne Eslyn, of Watertown, Wisconsin, whipped out his cell phone and called his wife to come from Tofte to pick him up after his three day solo trip. Cell phone service is new to Sawbill with the construction of a new tower in the Lutsen area. Reception is fairly reliable right here at Sawbill, but probably not reliable in the wilderness to the north of us. – Bill

4/26/05 – I awoke this morning to a sight that made me think I was still dreaming–the trees outside my window were strangely white. I blinked again, and this time I realized that the light snow that had been falling last night was still in full swing, and it was no longer melting on impact. Ah, April in Minnesota! -Molly.

Even our vehicles don’t know what season it is…