The heavy snow weighing down tree limbs has been a nuisance for many people visiting the Gunflint Trail this season. The network of already tight trails throughout the wilderness are nearly impassable in many areas, affecting everyone from anglers to skiers who use these trails during the winter months.
I have cleared a few portages leading to my favorite winter trout lakes, but this does not compare to the 300 labor hours needed from Ted Young, of Boundary Country Trekking, and his crew to clear a 12-mile portion of the Banadad Ski Trail.
Currently open for skiing are the eastern 12 miles of the Banadad, the three-mile Lace Lake trail, and the Knapp and Tall Pines trails at an expense of $6,700, which includes labor and snowmobile repairs. Approximately 50 of the 300 hours of labor were donated by volunteers.
Clearing trails is hard work on a normal year, but the added difficulty of hardened snow clinging to rubbery branches is truly a nightmare scenario. Many of these trails will have to be cleared again during the summer months when more time can be spent on detailing them, but they are in good shape for now.
Big lake fishing is in full swing with safe ice reports on both Saganaga and Gunflint lakes. Seven to 10 inches of ice were commonly found, which is enough to ride snow machines on, but still too thin for vehicles. We might not see any of the bigger icehouses out this year if the conditions don’t change soon, I could sure use the extra space in our driveway where mine has been parked since December.
The few days I have spent staring at my depth-finder this season were exactly that, not much action and very little life showing on the machine. I took my family to Leo Lake last weekend to try and catch dinner. Even though rainbow trout are not my favorite to eat, Leo is easy to access and usually produces—usually. No complaints from me, the weather was beautiful and we had a blast playing with our kids on the lake, despite no fish. As for dinner, I would rather eat a Reuben from Hungry Jack than a rainbow trout anyway.
Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218- 388-0315. You can also visit Cory’s website at Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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