Opening Weekend

Despite the fact that the fishing opener was actually one week ago, today is our opening day.  A little thing like lack of open water really can screw things up!  Of course, all that changed when the winds and the weather came into our favor the last two days.  Ice-free lake, docks into the water, boats rolling off of trailers down at the landing.  And today----fishermen finally out on Gunflint Lake.​

When I first moved up here, twenty-seven years ago, the big question leading up to the fishing opener was always, "Are you ready yet?"  My answer varied, depending on where I was at in my work stages.  Over time, the simplest answer turned out to be like a phrase from Hide 'n' Seek:  Ready or not, here it comes!  And so, here we are, open and ready for business.​

Too soon for flowers.​

I love the anticipation and hopeful feeling that comes at this time of the year.  Like choosing seeds to plant in a garden or going through the tackle box to assess the best lure to try, it ​all brings on the feeling of the possibilities that lie ahead. We've made it through the winter, and now we are excited to leap into all that summer can bring. 

Paul at work.​

Live Blogging: Ice Out

1:21 p.m.

Docks are going in, ice is going out.  Hope to make a quick ride down to the East End to see what's left, if anything.  More soon, with photos!​

Main dock in the water.  First boat in: It's our good friend Swede!​

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Next up, the beach dock.​

​Beach dock in...let summer begin!

Piling It On

Time for another slideshow.  The ice is piling up on our beach and point, thanks to strong northwest winds.  While it isn't anything like Mille Lacs, it is still quite something to see.  Here are some photos taken just a half-hour ago.

Ice Out Continues

The ice is not out yet, but progress is being made.  Today, the mass was once again black by mid-afternoon.  Color is one thing we watch closely when it comes to ice.  Grey means that it is decaying, and black usually means that it is honey-combing underneath. On Saturday, with the strong northwest wind, some of the ice pushed up on the beach, and we could see the honeycombs.  When it piles up like this, the ice breaks into little shards that make a tinkling sound.  Very fun to see and hear.  ​

Of course, lack of open water meant that the fishing opener was a non-starter.  It isn't often that this happens. While it doesn't make us happy, we know that there isn't much we can do about it.  We just keep going about our chores, watching and waiting. This has been such an unusual spring, if I can even call it that.  Will this be one of those years that we actually skip spring and go right to summer?  With temps predicted near seventy this week, it certainly seems like a possibility.  Still, I haven't put away my long-sleeve shirts yet, just in case.  (I did stow the winter mukluks.  The snow squalls that we saw on Saturday were typical for the opening weekend, so I still feel safe with those put away.)  ​

The docks are perched on the shoreline, in anticipation.  Once that magical moment arrives, we will have a flurry of activity, rolling them in, placing the ramps, and starting the process of putting our boats onto their ramps and into the water.  ​Hopefully, we will have time for a quick jaunt out on to the lake.  That first boat ride of the season is exciting--a moment to explore how everything fared over the long winter.  The water looks like it will be at a usual level--nothing too high or extraordinary, but decent for getting into Little Gunflint and Little North.  I imagine that Bridal Falls is running well, as the little creek up the road from us continues to pour down the hill. 

​If you are headed up the North Shore in the coming days, be sure to catch a glimpse of the Beaver River in Beaver Bay, and the Cross River in Schroeder.  Both of these waterfalls have been spectacular in recent days, as the snowmelt rushes down to fill up Lake Superior. 

Spring fever is definitely running high up here. I hope that we can soon replace that with fishing fever!​