1/9/07 – Every year we get several calls at this time of year from people who are worried about reserving permits for the upcoming season. The Forest Service sometimes gives the impression that the permits will all be gone soon. Actually, the vast majority of the permits are still available and there is no reason to panic. Reserving a permit allows you to enter the BWCA Wilderness on a given day at a certain entry point. The number of people, exit date, exit point, etc., can all be flexible. As soon as you know you entry date and entry point, go ahead and reserve a permit. You can reserve a permit online, or call toll free (after February 1st) at 1-877-550-6777. As always, if you have any questions, or want us to reserve your permit for you, drop us an email info@sawbill.com, or give us a call.
Here are a couple of more pictures from our New Year’s celebration, courtesy of Molly Breslin.

Clare, Nathan, and Adam plummet toward certain death on a plastic toboggan.

Davey inspects the hole that was cut in the ice for some very chilly swimming. Apparently, several people swam, but aren’t willing to share pictures! Brrr…. I can almost see Davey thinking, “No way in hell….”

1/2/07 – During the New Year’s holiday, we always welcome visits from current and former Sawbill crew members. We had a great turnout this year. Skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, snow games, saunas, food, drink, and even dancing are a few of the activities that go on nearly ’round the clock.
A hard rain on the morning of New Year’s Eve threatened to dampen the festivities, but it soon turned to snow and ended up covering every twig and branch with a coating of white, creating a wonderland that provided the perfect backdrop for the celebrations. – Bill

The Sawbill crew, past and present, toasts the arrival of 2007 from the frozen surface of Sawbill Lake.

After the toast, sparklers were broken out. This turned out to be mildly hazardous in the stiff wind that was blowing, but no injuries were recorded.

12/26/06 – Tim Norman from Tofte brought up his radio controlled airplane this morning and flew it in the calm air above Sawbill Lake. The electric powered airplane carries his digital camera aloft and Tim can snap pictures as he flies.

This picture is looking west from Sawbill Lake near the canoe landing. Sawbill Lake is in the foreground and Alton Lake is in the background. I think you can see a couple of winter campers (black dots) on Alton right in middle of the picture.

12/25/06 – The recent warm weather has converted the snow on the lakes into a firm enough crust for skate skiing. We have all been taking advantage of the good conditions to explore the nearby lakes. – Bill

Adam approaches at high speed near the wilderness boundary on Sawbill Lake. The length of the shadow is interesting because this picture was taken near noon.

Adam inspects some fresh wolf tracks on the Alton side of the Alton/Kelso portage.

I am soaking up some sun along the cliffs on Beth Lake near the portage to Ella Lake. If you look carefully, you can see me waving to the camera.

12/23/06 – Holiday greetings to all from Sawbill! This is the time of year when we spend less time in the office and more time playing outside. Clare Hansen is home from college and we took our new puppy, Phoebe, to help collect our Christmas tree. – Bill

Phoebe gives Clare some love as they search for a tree.

Phoebe explores the winter woods with curiousity and spirit.

12/12/06 – We’ve received many, many emails and cards offering sympathy for the untimely death of our dog Izzy. Many people shared the connection they made with Izzy, sometimes in only one meeting. It reminds us that our dogs really belong to the whole Sawbill family. Thank you to all.
While we can never replace Izzy, we have welcomed a new puppy to Sawbill. Like Izzy, she is an Avon Terrier from Willow Hill Kennels. Her name is Phoebe (we name all our dogs after nearby lakes) and she is a delightful addition. She is affectionate, friendly, and curious. Homer, our six year old Golden Retriever, gave us a very clear “oh no” look when we introduced her, but he’s been won over quickly.

Phoebe Fern Hansen

11/29/06 – The weather has been interesting here at Sawbill. Two days ago, it rained all day. Last night the temperature, as recorded at my house, went to zero degrees. When the temperature drops suddenly and lake ice starts forming quickly, the lakes emit huge groaning, booming, and cracking noises. These other-worldly sounds roll for miles across the landscape, intermingling until they sound like a dance of ancient giants. – Bill

11/27/06 – I am very sad to have to tell you that our little one year old terrier mutt, Izzy, was killed this morning by a fox trap set right along the Sawbill Trail less than a mile from our house. Cindy was out with the dogs for her morning walk, keeping the dogs close because she knew there were traps set all over the place. All the traps we’ve seen have been pine marten traps in trees. This was a ground set, so close to the road that the trapper could check it without getting out of his truck. There is no legal recourse against this extremely irresponsible behavior.
Everyone’s dog is special, but Izzy had certainly stolen all of our hearts. She was truly everything you want in a pet: loving, fearless, well behaved, self sufficient, and possessor of a hundred endearing quirks. She was just a year old. – Bill

Isabella Hansen 10/20/05 – 11/27/06. A great dog.

11/25/06 – Clare Hansen was back for a holiday visit from her busy life as a sophmore at the University of Montana in Missoula.

As usual, Clare charmed the Minnesota wildlife.
Lake skating, also known as “wild ice” was good again this morning after a cold, clear night last night. Sawbill Lake is completely frozen over except for a few open spots in the narrows and near shore. Alton Lake still has substantial areas of open water.

The freedom of the open ice, on a calm day, under a clear blue sky is indescribable.

Nordic Blades are detachable ice skate blades that fit any cross country ski boots or hiking boots. They are the cat’s meow for “wild ice” skating. You can put your boots on at home and just clip the blades on when you get to the ice. They are also great for portages. – Bill

11/22/06 – Hi, my name is Dave Freeman. I have worked at Sawbill off and on since 1994, and have met many of you during that time. I also run the non-profit organization Wilderness Classroom, which uses the Internet to teach students about some of the world’s wildest places.
This fall, Amy Voytilla and I spent seven weeks kayaking around Lake Superior with the goal of teaching students about the Great Lakes and the importance of freshwater conservation. We are hosting a party at the Grand Ole Creamery in St. Paul on November 29th at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. We will be sharing a few of the thousands of images and stories we gathered during our circumnavigation of the largest lake in the world, and hope to raise funds and support for our next project: a 3000 mile journey across South America.
The link below will take you to an Evite with more details about the party.
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/a_voytilla@yahoo.com/wildernessclassroom
For those of you who live near the Twin Cities, I hope you can join us–Sawbill folks always make for a good party. If you do not live in the area, I hope you will visit our website, www.wildernessclassroom.com, to learn more about our programming!
– Dave

Crew member Dave Freeman and Amy Voytilla paddling the last few feet of their 1100 mile circumnavigation of Lake Superior.