8/27/06 – As summer grows closer and closer to an end, the weather has not been informed of the change. The weather has been beautiful. By day, the sun has supplied us with warmth and by night the stars have aided our sleep with their comforting glow. These chilly nights also provide us with the perfect opportunity for the age old tradition of the campfire. Campers and the crew have indeed taken advantage of these last beautiful days of Summer. -Johnny

This little bat was found clinging to one of the buildings on campus.

This large pine beetle lounged on a Sawbill canoe in the yard. The beetle’s antena were at least 4 inches wide!

8/25/06 – We received this charming email and attached photos today:
To the staff @ Sawbill Canoe Outfitters:
My boyfriend, Tim Petricek, who’s camped several times per year at Sawbill
for 30+ years, recently took me on my very first (ever!) camping trip from
July 13-18, 2006.
Although I had no previous “outdoors” experience and had only been on a
canoe once in my life before visiting the BWCA region w/Tim, I’ve become a
major fan of the Sawbill experience! I loved tent-camping under the stars,
paddling & fishing on Sawbill & Lichen lakes, taking shelter during severe
weather, driving thru acres & acres of untouched wilderness land, and seeing
a wide variety of animals and birds for the first time, up close!
The 3 attached photos depict what turned out to be one of the biggest
highlights of our trip–driving up to a marshy clearing about 7 mi. from
Sawbill and spotting a mother moose and her baby, feeding on vegetation!
Tim & I took several photos of the moose, as well as photos of us standing
in front of them. Until that moment, I’d never seen a moose before…but
their beauty & serenity captivated me!
I loved the trip so much that I dreaded going home on the last day…and I
can’t wait to come back very soon!
Thanks again for helping to provide a life-altering experience!
Jenny Pekulik
Oak Creek, WI

8/20/06 – While the lakes in the BWCA are world-renowned for canoeing, there are several day hikes in our region that are definitely worth checking out while you’re here. Today crew members Carl Geving and Matt Hartmann hiked to the top of Carlton peak. Other great hikes in our area include Britton Peak and Eagle Mountain. Eagle Mountain is actually the highest point in Minnesota reaching its peak at 2,301 feet.

Matt relaxes while taking in the beauty of Lake Superior.

Carl cozies up to a mossy boulder.

8/18/06 – Fishing seems to be picking up some as the summer draws to a close. Aaron Parkinson, a third generation Sawbillian, proudly displayed this large bass outside our store one evening last week. Just one of many big fish caught out of Sawbill this summer.

Great catch Aaron

8/18/06 – Ed and Chelsea Dancek arrived today along with uncle David Monos. The trio gladly posed for a picture to commemorate Chelsea’s first BWCA trip (Ed has been coming for 12 years). We expect to see six-year-old Aubri up here next summer.

Chelsea’s doing great mom!

8/15/06 – Another beautiful day rolled by as the summer draws nearer to completion. Carl boarded his flight to Norway this morning at 7 a.m. and is expected to arrive in chilly Hamar in about a day.

The last glimpse of Carl as he left for Norway.

This picture commemorates the union of former crewmembers Jeff Green & Laura Smith, just the latest Sawbill romance that resulted in marriage. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Greensmith

The warm sun drew this little Garter snake out of his home and into the store, this snake was under one foot long.

8/15/06 – The fire ban will be lifted starting Thursday, August 17th. Fires will be allowed at any time within the BWCA Wilderness in the fire grates provided at the campsites.
The Cavity Lake Fire, the largest in modern history in Northeastern Minnesota, is all but out. The Forest Service is officially calling it 95% contained, but we don’t even smell a hint of smoke from it any more. The hard, soaking rain that we had two days ago certainly helped and it raised the stream levels a little bit too. – Bill

8/14/06 – Today marked the beginning of an exciting new adventure in the life of our youngest crewmember and Hansen family member Carl. Carl has left Sawbill to spend a year of high school abroad in Hamar, Norway. It was an emotional moment as Carl said his goodbyes but we all take comfort in the knowledge that Carl’s charming personality and winning attitude will contribute to an excellent school year in Norway, even if does not know the language! In other news the Sawbill area received some much needed rain yesterday and has only sunny skies in the forcast- Johnny

A picture of Carl from this last winter, Carl will get plenty of winter this year in Norway.

A map of Norway, note close proximity to Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea.

The Norwegian Flag. Red, White, and Blue are all present on this flag!

8/10/06 – Today was another beautiful day in August. The bugs were virtually nonexistent, the temperature was exceedingly pleasant, and everything else fell perfectly into place. The day also brought excitement in the form of a fish. – Johnny

This 21 lb. 45” Northern Pike was caught on an undisclosed lake in the BWCA Wilderness by fisherman Jonah. The crew has affectionately referred to this beautiful monster as “Jonah’s Whale.”

Another shot of the amazing fish.

A sunset over Sawbill Lake (not the pole that caught “Jonah’s Whale”).

8/10/06 – As of today, the route to Little Saganaga Lake through Mora Lake has been reopened. This was the only route that is commonly used by Sawbill canoeists that was closed due to the Cavity Lake fire. The fire is now 95% contained and is not expected to cause any further trouble. Below is the official notification about open and closed routes from the Forest Service:
Open Lakes/canoe routes:
The following lakes/routes are open for paddling & overnight camping. Not all campsites on these lakes are open. Closed sites will be posted as a closed campsite. There is no camping on Jap and Jasper.
– Alpine to Jasper (no camping), Jasper to Kingfisher, Kingfisher to Ogishkemuncie.
– Flying, Fay, Bingshick, Glee, Elusion, and Glossy.
– J A Paulson (JAP) is open for paddling through, both campsites are closed.
– Crooked, Tarry, Mora, Little Sag, Rattle, Gabimichigami, Agamok, Mueller and Ogishkemuncie.
Closed Lakes:
The following lakes are closed for the remainder of the season:
– Fern, French, Powell, West Fern, Peter, Virgin, Howard, Elm and Warclub.
Kekekabic Trail: The Kek Trail is currently closed due to the Level 2 Fire Restriction. When the restriction is lifted, the Kekekabic Trail will be closed for the remainder of the season from the Gunflint Trail traveling west to Strup Lake (near Kekekabic Lake).