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Steve's Journal 

January 30, 2012

Looking a lot more like winter up here. We have had another 6-8 inches of snow over the past 2 weeks. The skiing has vastly improved. We now have about a foot of snow in the woods, more at some of the cabins. Skiing is still good on the lakes.........still no slush.

This week is the beginning of Ely's Winter Festival.............we got lucky with the snow and we now have adequate snow for the snow carving competition. There is a lot going on besides the snow carving. There are dances, snowshoe, ski, beer triathlon, ice fishing contest, free sled dog rides, guided snowshoe trip to the Hegman Lake pictographs and the Art Walk (artists displaying their work in every store in Ely) If you get a chance, this would be a great weekend to drive up to Ely, it could be your only taste of winter?!

WINTER FEST SNOW CARVING

WINTER BASS FROM TRIANGLE LAKE

January 18, 2012

Finally getting some winter-like temperatures. Negative 10 this AM and possibly colder tomorrow. Still no negative 20's or 30's this year. We are still getting  very small amounts of snow, but snowshoeing is not an option yet. The lake skiing is still fabulous, but walking the portages is reccomended. Yesterday, my daughter Zoe and I took a 4 hour trip down the Kawishiwi River, no slush with excellent travel conditions. With such low water, we were able to ski on the edge of the rapids on shelf ice, we only had to use the portages twice. We really need snow or spring rains to get the water levels back to near normal. There is little or no soil moisture, and there has been smoke reported from the Pagami lake fire that started last summer.

Folks staying at Sundew last week were lucky enough to see 5 wolves out on the pond!  Other than the wolves, all we have seen is deer and the Pine Martens. The bird feeder have a few new arrivals, namely Pine Grosbeaks, Goldfinches and Red Polls.

Kawishiwi River ski

January 10, 2012

Wow,  weather is still freakishly warm, but that is about to change. Looks like we will be getting back to seasonal temperatures, and hopefully a few inches of new snow. We have been more fortunate than most, we at least have been able to ski. The lakes are the best..............trails are okay if they are not rocky.

Our guests have been traveling by ski, and sometime foot, to many places that would be hard to get to during a normal winter. With the small amount of snow on the lakes, travel is fast and easy. NO SLUSH!  There has been many sighting of wildlife also.............maybe the lack of deep snow has allowed the deer and wolves to move more freely and cover larger distances.

Pine Marten

Who's Home

Kawishiwi River Ski Jan. 5th

January 2012

What a winter so far! I haven't seen this in many years, I guess the planet it warming, which is quite eveident the farther north you go. Luckily for us, we have been able to ski and we have lots of ice up here. Automobiles and trucks have been on the ice since the 2nd week of December. The last time I checked the ice on Triangle Lake it was 14" thick. With the little amount of snow on the lakes the ice (no insulation) it does not take long for the ice to thicken up.

The skiing has been fantastic on the lakes with little or no slush. On some portages it is best to take you skis off and walk.

With the skiing being so good, it is easy to travel many miles easily.............we have had people up to Lake One and people all the way down to Gabbro lake for the day!

The folks staying at Sundew have been lucky to see wolves a number of times. One group saw five! Haven't see any around Triangle and Lark yet, but have seen tracks on numerous occasions.

The Bird feeders have been slow this winter, maybe some of the Northern birds have not come down yet because of the low snow cover up there or the warm temps, or they have not stayed here because of low supply of natural food.

We have been very busy despite minimal snow. We still have few openings this winter and a number of midweek openings, which have much lower rates.

Lark Lake Jan.5th

July 7, 2011

Well, summer is finally here!  It started July 1st,  June was unseasonably cold with many nights reaching into the 30's and 40's.  Good sleeping weather, but not too good for the tomatoes. We are now having great weather with adequate rain fall and temps reaching into the lower 80's.  The water is now swimable and quite refreshing.

The Triangle lake Loons have young now. We have seen one set of parent with 2 chicks and another with one. The Lark lake loons have also hatched, but I have not been there lately to see how they are doing..........lots of preditors around. The Osprey nest on Ojibway lake blew down during a storm, unfortunately the adults were on eggs. A good sigh is that I saw an adult carrying nest material 2 days later.

The blueberries are coming along nicely, but will be later this year due the cool weather during June. So far, it doesn't appear to be as good of crop as last year. Every location can be different though, so it pays to get out and check out new spots.

Ely has been hopping now that July is here!  If you get up here, you need to take in Tuesday Night Live!  It starts at 5 PM with our farmer's market and at 7 PM the music starts.  There is live music through out the city , but mosly on the main drag.  So bring your lawn chairs and come enjoy some of Ely's most talented musicians.

Sundew cabin Orchids: Again, due to the cool June the Orchids are still in bloom at the Sunew Pond cabin. We have had many people, tourists and locals, come to see the many different kind of Orchids in the bog just in front of the cabin. One naturalist also spotted a very unusual dragonfly called a "black bog hunter."  I guess they are very unusual, especially this far North.

The Wolves seemed to have denned some where around the Glippi Road again this year. The people staying at Sundew have seen them on numerous occassion and are starting to hear them occassionally now that the pups are getting bigger. One of our guest surprised a wolf on the road as he was mountain biking. In his effort to run, the wolf dropped something, that something turned out to be  the head of a fawn!  Fawn predation is quite high during June, shortly after they are born. The main predator is the Black Bear, but wolves, coyotes and eagles also contribute to fawn predation.

May 31, 2011

Still Spring!  Summer still appears to be aways away. May has been very cool with some recent lows in the mid twenties; not the best gardening weather. We are hoping that the blueberries survived the hard frost! The cool weather has also kept the mosquitoes at bay, but once the water starts to warm we will no doubt have plenty to go around.

The trees are close to leafing out with Big toothed aspen and Black Ash are way behind as usual. The Marsh Marigolds are in bloom as well as the Trilliums, Anemone's and violets. We picked a bunch of Ostreich Fern last week and used them in soup, salads and stir fry; they are a very delicious wild food!

95% of the birds are back and are setting up territories and building nests. The Pheobe's are back under the eaves at the Triangle cabin and are now feeding their young. The American Bittern  (slew pumper) is back at Sundew Pond making its very unusual call through out the day.  The Loons are on nests at the Lark Lake cabin and so far, one pair on eggs at the west end of Triangle. No bear sign around the cabin, however I did notice one huge boulder turned over near the Sundew cabin.

Fishing was slow for the opener, but picked up later on in the week. The people staying at the Tringle cabin did very well on the Kawishiwi River. Mostly walleye's and Bass. The Bass are just starting to spawn on Ojibway lake and many fishermen are taking advantage of this annual event. Lot's of fun...........take a few to eat, but throw most of them back. When you hit the right day, the action is fast and furious. Most any bait will work, most people use a floating rapalla or a mepps spinner.

Marsh Marigold

The flower buds make great capers

April 15, 2011

Hello Everyone! We are updating from the road today, as we are about a week into our annual Spring roadtrip. Right now we are in Kentucky and will be making our way to North and South Carolina in search of some warmer weather. The azealeas and wisteria are blooming here while in Ely the crocuses are just starting to bloom and the daffodils are only a few inches out of the ground. The lakes are still frozen but on the south facing shores of the smaller ones the ice is starting to pull away. Warmer temperatures and rain have helped the snow out in the open to melt but there is still a little in the woods. Some more very welcome signs of spring include pussy willows and maple buds. Mrytle Warblers, Ruby Crowned Kinglets, Song Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Winter Wrens, Pheobes, Redwing Blackbirds, and Shoveler and Bufflehead ducks have also arrived. That's about all the news we have heard from the Northland, but we will keep you all posted on Log Cabin Hideaways happenings when we return from vacation and make the transition into sweet summertime.

March 29, 2011

Still winter here, but what a beautiful March we have had! Tons of blue skies and sun!  The temperatures have been running below normal by quite a bit, but it has allowed for fantastic travel conditions throught the wholw BWCAW.  The snow is crusted so thick that you can walk or ski anywhere without breaking through..........even in the bogs. If you come up be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen!  The reflection off the snow is incredible and you can get sunburn very fast.

We completed the annual firewood gathering last week. Both  the woodsheds at Triangle and Lark are full to the brim. Lots of wood for next winter and this summer saunas. We have the firewood for Sundew and Johnson bucked up, but not spit yet . We will start that in a week or two when the snow melts off the piles.  We also hauled in 12 propane tanks, a very easy job in the winter, but nearly impossible durinfg the ice free months. Each tank weighs approximately 170 pounds.

 The cold weather and snow has slowed the return of many of our summer/spring birds. The Bald Eagles are, of course, are on eggs, as well as the owls and Gray Jays.  We have been hearing owls on many evenings during the past 2 weeks. Lots of Barred Owls and Saw Whet Owls and even a Great Gray at the Sundew Cabin.  I haven't seen many waterfowl yet other than geese and Mallards, but swans have been reported on the Shagawa River just outside of Ely.

We still are making numerous trips across the lakes..........there is plenty of ice yet, in fact, people are still driving on most of the lakes.  Now that the snow is off the lakes, the crappies are starting to bite and the fishermen are coming out of the woodwork . I've never seen so many people, trucks and ATV's on Birch lake. I think many ice fisherman waited untill the deep snow and slush left the lakes. It looks like the ice out will be somewhere around the last week of April..........pretty average after last years record ice out around April 1.

We are starting to gear up for Spring and Summer.  Reservations are coming in now, so if you are not flexible with your vacation time, now IS the time to give us a call or email.  Remember we have off season rates until June 18th and again starting on Sept. 17th.

If anyone reads this diatribe let me know sjlampman@frontiernet.net  

February 28, 20011

Cold and clear. We are having beautiful weather! We received about 6" of new powder snow last week which really improved the conditions on the lake and in the woods.  No more icy snow and you can really make time on the lakes whether you are classical or skate skiing.  The slush is gone and we are in late winter travel mode, fast and easy.

The days are getting quite long now, we easily have 12 hours of daylight and the sun is getting quite warm.  Was -30 Saturday, but by 11 AM it was sooo nice out.  You really need sunglasses and sunscreen if it is a sunny day this time of year.

Foxy Roxy is back looking for a hand out, and the Pine Martens have been sighted at all the cabins recently. I just noticed yesterday that the chickadees are singing their territorial song more frequently and the woodpeckers are starting to drum out their territories.  Spring is on the way!  Looks like we will have a great March, the kind we are all fond of up here in the Northwoods.  The long range forecast is for average to below average temperatures.........perfect!  This means we will have some great March skiing and travel.  It also will make it easy to get all the firewood out of the woods and to the respective cabins.   Anybody want to come up and lend a hand with firewood?   We will put you up at the cabins and have lots of fun! Will probably start the process around the 3rd week of  March.

February 22, 2011

We have not had any appreciable snow during the past 2 weeks, unlike our friends in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.  Looks like it will be a record snowfall winter.  The national XC ski  JR. Olympics are going to bre held at Theodore Wirth Park in a couple of weeks, so I imagine the organizers are feeling a bit of relief.  If you have a chance to get over there, you will see some amazing young skiers, many of which are from right here in the upper midwest.

Last week we went from negative 30 to +59 degrees in just a few days.  Folks were out in shorts and tenners and the water was running down the streets as if we had had a strong summer thunderstorm.  We lost about a foot of snow, but there is still plenty in the woods.......mid thigh!  We no longer have any slush on the lakes, in fact many lakes are just ice with crusted snow here and there.  If you head up North, be sure to bring some crampons or Yakstracks if you plan on crossing the lakes.........it is pretty hard to walk on the ice without some traction. Hopefully, we will get some more snow this week so we can go into March with some great lake skiing.  The ice is actually thicker than it was a week ago!   All the slush and water turned to ice as the temperatures dropped.  From what I can tell, we gained about 3 " of new ice.  The lakes are booming now that the insulation (snow) is gone. With every chance in temperature, from morning to night,  the ice starts to move and sounding out as it does. We will now start to see some big pressure ridges form,on the bigger lakes, as the lakes expand and contract with the temperature changes. 

Haven't seen the fox around lately, although have seen some tracks between Triangle and Lark lake cabins.  This is the time of year the canines go into estrus, so maybe food is not as enticing as it was a couple of weeks ago.  Somethings are more important than others?!  Still big flocks of Pine Grossbeaks and Red Polls fattening up themselves and the sunflower industry.  We have some returning Bald Eagles and Crows, but that is the only harbinger of Spring that I have seen...........other than the longer days and more powerful sun.  Friends of our have been watching a pair of Bald Eagles rebuild their nest over the past 2 weeks. Most of their nest was destroyed in a storm last summer. Do you supposre they came back early to get the job done? 

This past weekend, Presidents Day weekend, we had customers at Triangle lake and Lark lake that have been with us for 13 and 14 years respectively.  The Folks at the Sundew cabin have been with us going on 8 years. Many of our customers, especially winter guests, have been with us many, many years. We have one group that is going on 17 years!  We have watched their children grow up and parents get grey and old, much like ourselves. We are still waiting for the children to bring their children.  Hopefully, that will happen before we have passed Log Cabin Hideaways on to someone else!

We have had a cancellation at the Lark lake cabin for this next weekend.............give us a call, I'm sure we can work a deal out!  This is a great time to be up in the Northwoods, in fact, it is the best time to be up here.  The days are getting quite long, we still have navigable light till 6:30 PM and  dawn comes about 6:15 AM.  No matter how far it gets below zero, it is quite pleasant by mid day.  Travel is also vastly improved, no more slush!  Earlier in the winter it was hard to get more than a 4 - 5 mile ski in, now 15 - 20 is possible. If you come, be sure to bring your sunglasses and sunscreen. The sun is climbing hiher every day and the reflection is incredible.

February 2, 2011

Still snowing!  71 inches so far with little or no melting!  So it is really piling up in the woods.  At this rate, we could break a snowfall record, which is probably around 100 inches.  It is so deep that all the boulders, stumps and windfalls are invisible and the surface of the snow is smooth and flat.  The cold seems to be hanging on also, 25 below this AM, but we are going to get a little break this weekend with temps approaching +30.

No wolf sightings this week, but still have the pine martens around and the red fox.  I would guess food is getting hard to come by with such a deep snow cover.........hard to catch a vole when it is snug and warm beneath 3 feet of snow!   I would think the deer and wolves are having more difficulty getting food, too.  The deer are pretty much sticking to the trails they have packed down in their yards and I'm sure the wolves are using the same trails. The deer can bound through the deep snow, much easier than the wolves can, so the deer may have the advantage for now.  Later in the winter, when the snow crusts over, the advantage goes to the wolves. The wolves can stay on or near the top of the snow, but the deer break through, allowing the wolves to get the upper hand or leg?!

Our guests are having a great time with all this snow.........snowshoeing is king this year. Some folks are breaking trail first with snowshoes and then going back and skiing in tracks. Works great!  This past week, we had the folks from MINNESOTA  BOUND  doing a film segment on our cabins and winter fishing.  We also had a writer from CABIN LIFE up to do a story. Both will be out next Fall, just before winter. We will keep you posted.

 January 26, 2011

Still snowing!  We keep getting snow, not large amounts at any one time, but 1" - 3" on a regular basis. It has been cold, too!

Melea and Ramon saw minus 39 degrees 2X during their stay at the Triangle lake cabin!  Now that is getting pretty cold. The new wood stove at the cabin kept it nice and toasty.  It is a new 118 Jotul.  It is a larger stove than before and is able to keep the cabin at a more even temperature.

Ramon and Melea caught some nice fish while they were there. One walleye was 24 " and a Northern Pike at 36".  Fishing was on the slow side, but they caught enough for some nice meals.  I know the fishing would have been real slow if I had been there, because I wouldn't stand out there when it is below zero and windy.  I'm waiting for a picture of that big Northern Pike; when it arrives, I will post it here.

The group at the Lark Lake cabin also saw some very cold temperatures. They had 6 people in that small cabin, so they probably didn't need the wood burning stove. Even with temperatures as cold as they were, everybody got outside for some fresh air and excercise.  It is amazing how warm you can stay once you strap on a pair of snowshoes.   If it is 40 below, you will be unzipping after 10 minutes of breaking trail.  One thing you shouldn't do when it is that cold is go swimming. George took a short swim on Beaver Creek!   He was snowshoeing south of the cabin and was not sure if he was on the creek or not (deep snow) when all of a sudden he heard water gurgling, and then water came to the surface and down he went.  It wasn't deep, mid chest, but it was indeed cold.  He got back to the cabin as fast as he could and got into some warm clothes.

Ramon and Melea, at the Triangle lake cabin, saw the wolves in the full moonlight last Wednesday.    We put an old carcass out on the edge of the lake, hoping something might come by for a snack.   A fox found it first, then a pine marten and eventually the wolves.  When something dies in the wild, everyone gets to eat.  The wolves have been around the Triangle lake area during the last week. I think there were 2 different packs, one from the North and one from the South. Both packs stayed on opposite ends of the lake, seemingly not wanting to tresspass on the other packs territory...........lot's of scent posting on everything.

The birds are still in large numbers around the feeders. I was hoping they might head south with the cold weather, my feeding bill has sky rocketed with higher cost of sunflower seeds, $25/50#.    We have never seen the prices that high, must be a big demand somewhere. Last week, Northern Shrikes started showing up at all our feeders. They are a bird from up North that are about the same size and color of a Gray Jay, but they are equipped with the neccessary tools to catch other birds to eat. They are not a raptor, but do feed on other birds and mice.

The snow is still clinging to all the trees, it is so beautiful and it is going to last a while yet. No thaws are in the forecast.  If you can get away, you should really venture North to Ely.  The next 2 weeks are a great time to be here.  Our Winter Fest starts next week and promises much FUN.  We still have the first 2 weekends of Feb. open at the Sundew cabin. You can drive to this cabin, which will allow you to take part in the Winter Fest activities. You need to see the snow sculptures!  Give us a call, before it is too late.  We can give you a super, last minute price.  Especially if you bring a big group.

January 17, 2011

Since my last update, it really hasn't stopped snowing!   We seem to get and inch or two every other day...........in the past few days another 8+ inches.  There is now about 28" on the ground!   So far it has been a fairly average January as temperatures go.   We have had a lot of sub zero weather, but nothing real cold.   It was - 30  yesterday morning, I guess that is approaching cold.   Five years ago, on this date, it was -45,  now that is getting cold!

The lakes still have some slush on top, but it has improved over the last week.  This week, conditions should continue to improve as the high temperatures are  going to struggle to reach  zero.   If this snow and cold continue into February, the deer herd could be severely stressed and wolf packs will be smiling.   Deep snow limits the deer from getting to new food throughout the rest of the winter.  Add the cold, then malnutrition is a factor, especially for the fawns born last Spring.  What we really need is a February thaw, and no doubt we will get one.  The wolves are having to work hard, too.   The snow is deep in the woods and they need to travel single file and take turns breaking trail.   I think they prefer to travel around their territory using the lakes and rivers where the snow is not as deep.  I know they like to use snowmobile and snowshoe trails to get around too, but eventually they need to get into the woods to find food.

The Pine Martens continue to entertain our guests on a weekly basis.  No sightings of Fishers yet, but there has been a Canada Lynx hunting in the black spruce bog between Triangle cabin and Lark lake.   No sightings yet.........very lucky to see one.  About 6 years ago a man saw one, at the Triangle lake cabin, while he was in the outhouse!  His friends didn't beleive him, but there were tracks all around the sauna building.

Fishing has been surprisingly good for mid -January.   Some nice walleyes have been caught right on Triangle lake, one 45" Northern Pike,too!   That's a big one!   If you come to fish, bring an extension for your ice auger.   The ice is approaching 25" on some lakes.

We are pretty booked up for the rest of January, but we still have a couple openings at Sundew in February and we had a cancellation at Lark for February 11 - 14.   So come on up and enjoy a winter wonderland,  it is incredible!  Winter Fest starts Feb 3, lots of fun winter events:  ice fishing contest, dog sledding, mukluk ball, snow carving and lots of wine and beer tasting.

Hope to see you in ELY!

January 4, 2011

Happy New Year!  Wow, we received another 10 plus inches of snow from two storms back to back.  Many places in Minnesota and Wisconsin received rain, but we got snow. The first storm brought heavy wet snow that clung to the trees and understory...........absolutely beautiful!

The heavy snow also added a huge amount of weight to the lake ice causing lots of water to well up on the the ice surface. So now we have lots of slush just under a layer of snow. The snow is a good insulator, so it takes a long time for the slush to freeze, even at the sub zero temps we are now experiencing.  The slush can make it very difficult to transport people and gear to the cabins without getting stuck.  To solve that problem, we pack the trails with a snowmobile so they will freeze solid.  We then mark the trail with fir boughs every 100 feet or so.  This way, we always know where the trail is.  So if it snows more or we need to travel at night, we are always on the trail.  If you happen to get off the trail pulling a heavy load, there is a good chance you will get stuck.

So needless to say, skiing and snowshoing on the lakes is not very good right now. It is suppose to stay cold for the rest of the month, so I'm hoping the lake conditions improve daily. Fortunately, we have lots of woodland trails to ski and snowshoe on until the conditions do improve.

Lots of birds this year!  We have both the Pine Grosbeaks and Red Polls at the feeders now, along with all our resident birds.  We are really going through the bird seed.  There are sometimes 25 - 30 Grosbeaks at, or around, the feeder at any given time.  We also have the Pine Martens back, the guests at Triangle cabin saw 3 at one time.  We have enticed them with suet and a few beaver carcasses.

The wolves have been around quite a bit during the past 10 days. They must be finding enough deer to keep them fed.  They came through a couple of days ago following my packed trail all the way from the Ojibway public access.  I guess they do not want to get their feet in the slush either. The wolves also decided to pull my fir boughs out that were marking the trail and then, of course, pee on them.   I couldn't tell how many are in the pack this year, but I would guess at least 5.

We had a very busy Holiday season.  All the cabins were full!   All of our guests were returning winter guests. One group was on their 18th year!  Their 3 year old is now a junior at the University of Chicago!   Time does fly!

Looking at our winter calendar, we still have a few openings in Jan at the Sundew and White Iron cabins. February has some openings at Triangle, Sundew, Johnson and White Iron.

Winter is winter this year, so come north, where the snow is white and enjoy!

Sundew Cabin

December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas! Wow you folks in the Twin Cities have more snow than we do! What gives? We can never get too much snow here in Ely, we love it.  We have about 14 - 16 inches on the ground, more than enough for skiing and snowshoeing. Our snow stays white all winter too! The lakes have between 2 and 4 inches of snow on them making travel fast and easy. There is some slush, but not much for this early in the winter. There is now between 8 - 12 inches of ice on the lakes and travel is safe most everywhere except for the small, narrow creeks that flow through the bogs. Best to stay off to the side during early winter.

The cabins are all ready for our winter guests. Plenty of firewood, bird seed in the feeder and carcasses hung with care. Our first guests arrive on the 26th and after that we are really busy. If you would like spend some time with us here at Log Cabin Hideaways, we still have some openings the 2nd weekend in Jan.and a few openings the first part of Feb. It looks to be a real winter with lots of snow ..........so don't fight it just come up and play in it. The winter sky is incredible away from the city and with a new moon approaching, a great time to see the Aurora Borealis.

The Pine Grossbeaks arrived the same day I put the feed out, the chickadees seemed to be thrilled to have a whole pile of food before them, especially with the temperatures being sub zero. Have not seen any Pine Siskins or Red Polls yet, but they are in the area. The wolves were on the lake last week and even annointed the stair railings at the Triangle lake cabin. They continued on to Lark lake and did the same at the sauna. The Otters appeared to have a party over on Lark lake, there were tracks and slides everywhere. They were apparently hunting , they worked every inch of shoreline and were in and out of Beaver Creek all the way down to the Kawishiwi river.

See you soon!  Seasons Greetings to all our past guests! We have had a wonderful 20 years with you!

Getting water for coffee at minus 22 F

                                                                           Fuel Tank Triangle Lake Cabin      

 Triangle Cabin at Sunset

   December 12, 2010

Greetings!   ICE IS NOW SAFE!   The ice was not thickening very fast with all the snow we have received, but with the recent cold weather we are making ice fast.  Some lakes now have over 6" of ice and with last night's temps (-20) and tonight's forecast of -30 we will be in fine shape.  We have lots of snow!  We have had about 28" since TG and it has settled down to about 12" to 16". I have only been on a couple of lakes recently, but found no slush and about 3" of snow, so skiing is pretty good.  I know there are slush pockets out there, but this cold weather will help change that in a hurry.

We will be heading out to Triangle and Lark lakes this week to ready the cabins and trails for our holiday guests. We still have some openings up to December 25th and some openings after the New Year.  We have been getting quite a few calls and reservations for this winter season, so if you are contemplating a winter get away North,  please call soon!

Trail to Lark Lake Cabin

                                                            November 30, 2010

Greetings! Wow, winter came on fast during the past 10 days! Most of the lakes have frozen, but are not safe for travel at the moment. We have had about 20" of snow in the past 2 weeks ! What little ice that is on the lakes is slushy and dangerously thin. The forcast for the next week is for some sub zero weather at night and day time highs in the single digits to low teens. That is what we need to firm the lakes up............should be good sledding by next weekend.

The xc skiing and snowshoeing is fantastic for this early in the season! Hidden Valley xc ski area and Giants Ridge are both open and report excellent snow coverage. Last weeks warm temps missed us, so we are sitting pretty. You folks in the Cities should come up and enjoy our winter wonderland.............it's incredible right now! You also can do your Holiday shopping right here in Ely without traffic or lines at the check out. The clerks are friendly and SO laid back. We have some incredible shops and some good beer too! 

Log Cabin Hideaways  has some super low rates before Christmas. We can only get to the Johnson lake cabin and the Sundew cabin this time of year, but if you can make it to Ely, we will show you a good time!

Triangle Lake one day before freeze up

Beginning of winter on Ojibway Lake

                                                                    October 27, 2010

Snowing! It is a nice sight to see, but we are not getting much accumulation like some areas in MN.  Wow!  Quite a massive storm.  We set a record for the lowest barometric reading ever!  Very similar to the storm that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald.  Let's hope it is the beginning of a snowy, cold winter,

Snow Buntings arrived last Wed. I wish they would stay here all winter, they are so neat, especially when they fly...........all that flashing white, almost hypnotizing.  Saw young loons gathering on Ojibway lake on Friday.......about 8 of them.  I would expect that they will be on their way to the Gulf soon!  Also noticed Bohemian Waxwings feeding on the crab apple trees in town.  A large group of them stay  and feed on the fruit trees all winter.  Our guests who were up last week got to see a bull moose swimming across the lake and got some great pictures of a Fisher hanging out by the compost pile.  Don't get to see Fishers very often.

Still doing some work out at Triangle.  We got the sauna/bunkhouse sanded and 2 coats of stain on it before the temps got too cold.  We are also building a new outhouse on top of the hill.  We will have two  that we will alternate from year to year. Hopefully, we  will  not have to move them for a long time,  giving that most of the waste will compost during the year that one is not used. Trail work is next and will receive the most attention over the next couple of weeks. It is nice to get all the windfalls and brush removed before the snow is here ot stay.

If you are considering a winter getaway with us, now is the time to make reservations. The holiday weekends are booking very fast.  If you can get away mid week, we have some good deals for you...........give us an email!

Good Day!

                                                                     October 19, 2010

Wow, you should have been here the past  2 weeks! Sun, Sun, Sun, beautiful sunny days with cool to mild temperatures with fairly calm days. Great paddling weather, but not great fishing weather. The morning lows are getting down there now , we have seen some mid 20's and are starting to see a little ice on the ponds and shoreline of shallow bays. Won't be long before we are breaking ice to get to the cabins.

The adult loons are gone, but I'm still seeing the juveniles on Ojibway and Triangle lakes. There are still migrating birds moving through the area, but certainly the migration has slowed in the past 10 days. Still groups of robins and Harris sparrows and of course the juncos are still working their way South. The Wolves have been around the Lark lake and Triangle lake cabins recently. Lots of scat and howling........lots of high pitched squeals signifying some new pups in the pack. The gray jays are again following me around the woods looking for a hand out. If you feed them at this time of year, they will not let you out of their sight. I have had them follow me to my deer stand and actually sit on the barrel of my rifle.

Thanks to all our guests this summer and this Fall. We had a very busy September and October and there are even some groups coming up in November. The Triangle and Lark lake cabins will not be available in November because of weak ice, but the Sundew cabin is accessable via a logging road and has openings up until Christmas. So if you can get away, give us a call and we can give you a super deal during our quiet season...............and it is quiet.

                                                                          October 5, 2010

That about does it for the Fall colors! Wow! The colors came on fast this year and were brilliant.  Lots of red this year, maybe adequate moisture makes a difference. Unfortunately the Fall colors don't last long in the Northwoods. There are a few yellow aspen and birch and some red sumac and viburnums. Now that most of the leaves have fallen, the beauty is on the forest floor. It is an incredible mosaic that is short lived..........a great time to get out hiking.

The juncos arrived last thursday and there have been flocks and flocks of robins coming through. Saw swans on Pea Soup lake on friday! We are starting to see more swans and they are now nesting in the Ely area. A Striking bird. The white tail deer are starting to move more........their diet is changing back to browse, grasses and they especially like our carrot tops and swiss chard. The moose are in rut and some guests at our Lark lake cabin heard the cows calling as well as wolves.howling. The wolves have been on our hiking trails the past week, every trail intersection has scrape marks and scent posts at them. No bear signs or sightings yet, but it won't be long. A male bear has been hibernating in the area of Triangle lake most every year now.

September was on the cool side, a bit below average. We even saw some upper 20's. October started out cold, but we are having a little Indian Summer now with highs in the upper 60's. The temps are allowing us to get some staining and painting done, even some cement work.

Thank you all for helping us have a great September! We were really busy and continue to get reservations into October. We are also starting to get winter reservations, so if your winter plans take you to Ely give us a call. The holiday weekends are booking fast!

                                                                            September 12, 2010

   Hello again! i guess I have been negligent in getting out a weekly journal. Maybe it is because I really don't care much for summer, especially this summer with all its HEAT!  I did, however, enjoy a bountiful garden with lots of peppers, sweet and calliente. We usually can't get peppers to finish here without a greenhouse or cloche.

Our first frost came right on schedule this year, the first week of September. The frost surprised everyone seeing that the temps had been above normal for the last few month.  They were even above normal the few days before the frost came. Anyway, we have had 4 frosts since the first week and temperatures have been running 10 - 15 degrees below normal. Whatever normal is now-a-days. We did have the longest ice free season last year than we have (maybe) ever had. The ice was off most lakes by the last few days of March (1 month early) and we didn't have ice until the 3rd week of November.

The cool weather has brought the autumn colors on big time. Much of the understory has changed, especially the dogwoods and sumac. The maples are turning red and the tamarack are showing some yellow. The birches and aspen are yellowing where they are growing in shallow soils. The last flowers, goldenrod, asters and turtleheads are in bloom, but waning fast.

The hummingbirds are no longer at the feeder, so I suppose they are on their way to Central America.  We have been seeing lots of migrating hawks, flickers and various shorebirds.  Our guests are starting to hear the wolves more often now that the pups are able to move with the pack.

Water levels are low considering all the rain we have been getting.  We had very little snow last winter, so we started out with a big deficit. It has been difficult getting to the portage between Ojibway and Triangle lakes, but it was noticeably easier last weekend after a substantial rainfall.

Our business picked up a lot since the record slow May and June. July was nothing to write home about, but by the end of July we really got busy and maybe will have one of our busiest Septembers ever.  We still have a few vacancies the last week of the month.  October has vacancies at Lark during the first week (peak color) and at Triangle cabin after the 2nd week. Sundew cabin has lots of vacancies in October, so give us a call so we can give you a last minute deal.

June 24, 2010

Greetings! i guess it has been more than a week since I last updated this page. Time goes by too fast these days and the days seem to run together.

Well, after a very warm dry Spring we are having a normal June with temps about average, 60's & 70's, with a fair amount of rain. The lakes are still quite low, around late Fall levels, but the fire danger is now low. We did have a few lightening fires in the BWCAW, some were put out and other were allowed to burn. All in all very few acres were burned. The dry Spring has, so far, made for a bug free summer. There were not any black flies to speak of and the mosquioes have not been a problem to date.

Berry season outlook. If we keep getting rain off and on we are going to have a bumper crop of all the wild berries. The wild raspberries are really loaded, the blueberries look fantastic and we may even get Juneberries in June this year! All the local berry pickers are psyched up and ready to start putting food up for the winter.

The Loons are on their nests at Lark lake and Triangle lake. We should start seeing the loonlings around the 4th of July. The eaglets are quite large now and you can see the adults out fishing everyday. I assume the Osprey are starting to hatch also, but I have not noticed the adults bringing fish back to the nest yet.

If you are into orchids, now is the time to be here. Most all of our orchids are in bloom or will be this week. The state flower, the Showey Lady Slipper, is in bloom and if you have never seen it you should make plans to see it. Call your local DNR (MN) and ask where you might be able to find this flower. They are incredible.

Tuesday Night Live. Every Tuesday night there is free music in downtown Ely. Some of the groups are quite good and draw lots of people. All you need to do is show up and maybe bring your own chairs. Most of the music starts around 6 PM, if you are in town earlier head down to the Farmers Market in the Park. They have fresh vegetables, pastries, crafts and a large assortment of road kills. It is canning season up North!

Our business started out quite slow, but has picked up considerably. We still have some openings, but the cabins are booking up fast for the remainder of the Summer. Aug and Sept. are booked solid at the Triangle lake cabin. We still have some openings in July, give Steve a call and see what kind of bargin he can come up with.

We have decided to sell the Triangle and Lark lake properties. This may take awhile, but when we do, we will not close the deal until the end of the season, be it summer or winter. So if you have made reservations, and the cabin sells, we will honor your reservation and have a party the day of your departure. Beer or Wine?

May, 2010

Spring certainly did come early this year!   We have had open water for over a month now.   I can remember in 1992, we could not get across the lakes untill May 5.   Our first customers had to paddle down the N. Kawishiwi river from Lake One and then portage to Triangle lake.   Ojibway and Tringle were still frozen.   Once they made the portage to Triangle lake, they still had to break ice to get to the cabin.   Once there, they had a wonderful stay and were able to watch the ice go out.

Most all the summer resident birds are back.  We haven't seen any Hummers yet or some of the warblers.  Once more insects emerge, we will no doubt have the warblers arrive in mass.  I've seen Bald Eagles and Osprey on nests and assume the eaglets have hatched out of their eggs.  The forest ground cover is starting to green up. The large leaf asters are about 2 " high, the trilliums are up, but not flowering yet. The violets and anemones are in bloom as well as the marsh marigolds and wild clematis.  The wild fruit tress are in bloom, blueberries too!   Let's hope there are lots of berries agsin this year.   Liz makes sure we have enough to eat some most every day of the year.   We have been looking for ostrich fern fiddleheads, but have yet to find any up.  They are wonderful steamed or stir fried.

The fishing opener is this weekend, a little late this year.   I think the DNR moved the opener so it would not coincide with Mothers Day.   It should be a pretty good opener, the fish are long done spawing and will be hungry after all that work.   The weather actually looks fantastic, with sunny skies and temps around  65.

It is still very dry in NE Minnesota and the fire restrictions are still on. We have had about 1/2 of rain/snow in the last 2 weeks and very little or nothing before that. We need rain badly, but without lightening. The concern now, besides lightening, is the fact that there will be thousands of people heading into the woods this weekend with the opener.

We still have a number of openings in June and some in July.   Think about joining us for a few days or longer.  We know the present economy is making people think twice about  vacation time, but think about it and give us a call.  We will work with you to make your stay affordable.

We have recently decided to sell the Triangle lake cabin and its surrounding 80 A.   We have yet to decide on a price until we talk to an appraiser.   We may decide to try and sell Triangle lake and Lark as one package. We will keep you posted.

                                                                   March 1, 2010