9/27/14 – Here is the latest edition of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio.

9/23/14 – We are having perfect Indian summer weather, with brilliant red maples and golden birch set against a background of evergreens and cedar. – Peter

The Honeymoon Trail has some of the best local fall colors.

This afternoon I hiked to the summit of Eagle Mountain (the highest point in Minnesota) for a breathtaking view.

9/21/14 – Last night our local band The Spruce Roots treated us to a homegrown concert at the Gunflint Tavern in Grand Marais. Good company, good music, good food, and good beer – what could be better? – Peter

Jim Elverhoy on the harmonica, our very own Bill Hansen on the dobro, former crewmember Eric Frost on the guitar, and the amazing Jessa Frost with the fiddle.

9/20/14 – Joe Daniels, Peace Corps member and former Sawbill crew member, sent us this picture rocking a classic Sawbill t-shirt at the rim of an active volcano in Nicaragua.

Joe Daniels relaxing on the edge of the abyss in his stylish Sawbill t-shirt.

9/18/14 – It is the end of the season, which means that it is time to phase out some of our older but still perfectly useful equipment. We now have a large assortment of lifejackets, packs, tents, and miscellaneous gear for sale at our online store.
As for used canoes, we know that many of you are anxiously waiting for our annual canoe sale. Don’t worry, we are hard at work prepping the sale canoes and will post them online in the coming weeks once they are ready! – Peter

Electric shears are handy for cutting out a new skid plate for one of the Wenonah Minnesota II sale canoes.

Here I am using a popsicle stick to saturate the skid plate with epoxy. All of those air pockets need to be worked out!

Once the skid plate is ready, I gently lay it in place to protect the stern of the canoe.

A gouge in the bow gets filled with kevlar paste. Any excess can be sanded off after it dries.

All done! Once these repairs have dried, we will recoat the hull with a fresh layer of epoxy and post it online for sale.

9/13/14 – Former Sawbill crew member, Beth Lynch, visited us a few weeks ago. She took a short canoe trip with some friends and had some great wildlife encounters. – Bill

Beth’s group was walking a portage when they heard wolves howling nearby. Beth knew that wolves sometimes use the portage trails for travel so they stepped off the trail and waited. They were rewarded by seeing this little guy trotting down the trail.

Moose.

Beth Lynch is comfortable in a canoe.

9/12/14 – We’ve been remiss in failing to introduce our newest Sawbill crew member. Brian Henry comes to us via a full career in the U.S. Forest Service. After retiring a few years ago, he terrorized the walleyes in area lakes before offering to help us out during our busy season. We threw him into the deep end of the pool on August 1st and he never looked back. His deep knowledge of the area and unflagging good cheer have been a welcome addition! Thanks Brian. – Bill

Brian Henry in a rare moment when he doesn’t have a smile on his face.

9/10/14 – Today is the unofficial first day of fall. A cold, steady rain fell all last night and the temperature was in the low 40s with a cold, gusty north wind and steel-grey overcast skies. It’s days like this that make the bluebird days so fine.
Not to worry though, the forecast for the next five days is sunny, calm and cool.
The fall colors are just beginning, but the light frost predicted for the next few nights will ignite a storm of leafy reds, oranges and yellows. It’s going to be a great year for color! – Bill

This is not the most enticing invitation to canoe country, but tomorrow promises blue skies and calm winds.

9/8/14 – Here are a few more pictures of the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association camping trip at the Sawbill Lake Campground last weekend. – Bill

Wood and canvas canoes on Sawbill Lake.

Canoe ballet, solo style.

A happy group of wooden canoe fans, led by Alex Comb of Stewart River Boatworks.

9/7/14 – This isn’t something you see every day in the Sawbill Lake Campground boat storage area.
The Minnesota Chapter of the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association is having a camping gathering here this weekend. It’s been a treat to see so many beautiful and functional wooden canoes gracing the waters of Sawbill Lake. – Bill

Six hand crafted wooden canoes at peaceful repose in the Sawbill boat storage area.