Little could we have know that after a late ice out last season and a full court press to get camp up and running, that just one short year later we would be going through the same fire drill. For some reason however, this year seemed just that much more difficult.
We were fortunate to get some east winds overnight on Sunday that shifted the ice off the near shore of the big lake allowing us a clear path to transport guests for the first time over the water and into camp to kick off the 2014 season early Monday morning. By end of the day Tuesday the ice was completely gone. I have posted a few pictures on our Facebook page of the flight in and as time permits will post more from opening week and the high adventure to get to camp and get it open.
We were very fortunate to have only minor damage around camp after such a brutal winter. The stove pipe cap on Cabin 1 blew off, the downspouts on cabins 1 & 2 were down and the gutter on the front of Cabin 3 was down. The beavers took a tree down on the deck of Cabin 1 breaking the deck railing, and took another tree down on a section of floating dock down on the lower lawn where they are stored for the winter, fortunately no damage there.
The real news as we progress into spring here is the high water levels. I can’t remember a time during the ten years we have owned the camp that the water has been this high, and certainly never close to this level at the start of camp. If you are coming up in the next few weeks, be sure to arrive at the landing with your rubber boots or similar footwear on (or at least handy) as the permanent portion of the roadside dock is about flush with the water level.
I will try to get another blog done again soon to update everyone on the opening week of fishing, but if I don’t then certainly I will get a report on the website.