I hope everyone had as much fun on Independence Day as my family did in Grand Marais, the “Coolest Small Town in America.” It was so cool that I purchased a pair of jeans at Ben Franklin to keep warm on the beach and judging by the long line of customers clutching sweatshirts and jeans, I was not the only one ill prepared for the chilly evening.
After all these years it is still easy to forget how much different the temperature can actually be from the Gunflint Trail to Grand Marais. We live only 40 miles away and yet we have much hotter summers and colder winters than our neighbors by the Big Lake. I look at the Ely forecast to get a more accurate guess of what the weather is going to do up here, and usually they are fairly close to being correct— usually!
Our children are at a fun age (3 and 4 years old) and I am having a blast rediscovering my childhood every day with them. They both woke up bright eyed and cheery on the morning of the Fourth asking immediately to see fireworks rather than demanding their usual blueberry pancakes. They were a little disappointed to hear that fireworks would have to wait until dark, so I diverted their attention with pancakes instead.
There are a few private firework shows on the Gunflint Trail but nothing like the awesome display that Grand Marais provides overlooking Lake Superior; plus we saw a parade, ate cotton candy, and danced to the Splinter Tones. Actually, the kids danced with Rachelle while I watched from the sidelines since I have been accused on more than one occasion of having two left feet and no rhythm.
The summertime weather has really taken hold this week on the Gunflint Trail with less rain and more sunshine to enjoy. There was an intense evening thunderstorm that shook the house earlier this week, but it passed as quickly as it arrived with sunny blue skies to follow. I felt sorry for anyone camping through that storm. Violent rain and lightning are never fun to endure while sitting in a tent, especially after witnessing Mother Nature’s fury during the “Blowdown Storm” on the Fourth of July in 1999.
I am not able to get to Grand Marais very often in the summer, so it was great to see the community having fun in the sun on the Fourth of July in the coolest city around. Thanks, Grand Marais. We‘ll talk fishing next week!
Hawg report
(released)
. Cory Christianson
July 4
28-inch walleye
Lake Saganaga
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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