10/10/06 – Two large fires burned north of Brule Lake last month. The Forest Service declared them contained a couple of weeks ago and reopened the area for travel. Yesterday crew member Eric Frost and I took a day paddle up to see the effects of the Famine Lake Fire. The way we chose was to enter the BWCAW at Brule Lake and paddle up through the Cones (South, Middle, and North Cone Lakes) to Davis Lake. The most recent map we had, from September 17, showed that the far west end of Davis Lake had been touched by the fire. As we paddled and portaged north with Frosty’s dog, River, riding patiently in the middle of the empty canoe, we began to see some smoke coming from the direction we were heading. Smoke can be hard to place, however, and it seemed fairly distant, so we continued on our planned route.
When we arrived on Davis Lake, we turned west to see quite a bit of smoke down near the north shoreline, far from any portages. It turned out that the high winds that had blown all day on Sunday had kicked up the fire in a few areas; now, though, the wind was almost completely calm–so we headed over to check it out. The result was a fantastic photoshoot which shows how quickly a few small pockets of fire can consume dry forest.



These shots were taken in the same spot on Davis Lake over the course of about an hour.
Later, we took some photos at a western campsite on Davis that had burned completely and is now closed to use so that we will be able to return over the next few years to an easily recognizable site to compare the systemic changes in the forest. Should be some good blueberries there in a couple of years! –Molly

10/8/06 – October is usually known for its cold mornings and brisk days. This year has been against the norm. Today the high is 68. This past week has been wonderful. Highs in the 50s and 60s with bright sunny days, has made this October beautiful. The parking lot is proof of this gorgeous weather. Here is a cool picture from the barrier-free fishing pier taken by crew member Ruthie Hansen:

-Carl G.

10/6/06 – A canoe left in the yard last night with a life jacket on the front seat was covered with frost this morning. By 10 am though, it was sunny, warm and breezy. It is still very colorful, but the leaves are falling like snowflakes with each gust of wind.

The usual expression is “frost on the pumpkin” but here in canoe country it’s “frost on the life vest.”

10/3/06 – The arrival of October is a sure sign that summer is over. However, Mother Nature seems to follow her own schedule as it was 70 degrees and sunny yesterday. We all enjoyed one of summer’s last hurrahs. There have been many moose sightings on the trail in the past few days and in that spirit I’m including a photo of a cow moose spotted on the Kawishiwi River this past July by Sawbill customer Paul Fixell. -Corey

Moose seen on Kawishiwi River by Paul Fixell.

9/30/06 – The Wales family has been exploring the area around Sawbill by canoe for many, many years. Donald and Helen Wales introduced their children to wilderness canoeing beginning in the ’50s, staging large scale trips out of the Sawbill Lake campground. They have a particular tradition of exploring remote and less visited lakes. Don passed away in 1991 and Helen lives in Phoenix now. The fourth generation of Wales are now carrying on the tradition.

(l-r) “Dani” Becker, girlfriend of Joel Wales; Zachary Moreno, oldest child of Pamela Wales-Moreno and great grandson of Donald and Helen Wales; Greg Wales; Connie Wales (who honeymooned with Greg on Ada Lake in 1969); Joel Wales, Greg and Connie’s 6th child; Moriah Wales, Greg and Connie’s 7th child.

9/28/06 – I’m sure everyone is getting a little tired of photos of colorful leaves, but since they are starting to fall from the trees at an alarming rate I figured I would include them in one last entry. The weather is beginning to cool off and every now and then I catch a scent of winter in the air. It’s not time to put away the canoes just yet, though. -Corey

Fallen leaves along a nearby trail.

The colorful forest floor.

Just another ho-hum sunset on Sawbill Lake!

9/24/2006 – The signs of Autumn are all here: The air has taken on the distinctively crisp feeling of Fall. Some brightly-colored leaves cling tenuously to their branches, others crunch underfoot. The fireplace in the Sawbill store roars merrily. The yearly Sawbill used-equipment sale is underway. The pace of life has become at once leisurely and frenetic– There are fewer paddlers but also fewer days left until Winter sets in.

The view from the Sawbill canoe landing. Brightly colored leaves stand out against a background of blue water and evergreens.

The maples have reached their fiery peak and begun to shed their leaves.

Autumn’s oranges and yellows abound.
-Ruthie

9/23/03 – Former Sawbill crewmembers Steve Surbaugh and John “OB” Oberholtzer took their eldest children out on their first overnight canoe trip a few weeks back. Steve’s son, Will, and OB’s daughter, Hazel, enjoyed their stay on Alton lake. The kids expressed some concerns about bears after seeing the bear in the permit video–they didn’t end up seeing any bears, although Hazel attests to hearing one in the middle of the night. Steve sent along these adorable photos from their excursion.

OB, Will, Hazel and Steve pose at the Sawbill landing as they prepare to begin their trip. Will and Hazel were both equipped with small paddles so they could help the canoe surge through the sparkling water of Sawbill lake.

Proud papa, OB, looks proudly on as the kids enjoy their first overnight BWCA experience.

Will Surbaugh snarfs down some spaghetti fireside. “Camping is fun!”
-Ruthie

9/21/06 – Today I’d like to take a moment to mention the current Wilderness Classroom project run by Sawbill crewmembers Dave Freeman and Eric Frost along with Amy Voytilla. On September 1st, Dave and Amy paddled away from Grand Marais in two kayaks. They are circumnavigating Lake Superior while teaching elementary students about the importance of clean water through frequent updates to their website via satellite phone. Visit the Superior Waters website for daily updates, podcasts, and videos.

Amy explores a dramatic cliff along the Lake Superior shoreline.

Amy inspects one of the ancient and mysterious “pukaskwa pits” in Ontario’s Pukaskwa Provincial Park.

Dave and Amy kayaking on Lake Superior.
-Corey

9/20/06 Life at the end of the trail is slowing down a bit. There have been fewer people canoeing this week, but we have been visited by a few hunters and a number of fall foliage enthusiasts. The weather has cooled off as well, but today has been a clear, blue sky autumn day. -Corey

Crewmember Carl Geving took this picture on a recent trip down some nearby forest service roads.

This is a photo of a canoe bought by Sawbill customer Harvey Diehl’s father in 1951. This photo was taken on a recent trip to Flame Lake. The canoe has been to Sawbill many times over the years and has even been paddled all the way to Hudson Bay!