Brrrr! The temperatures have not been above zero for a few days now and it is downright cold out there. In the 10 minutes it took me to fill the outdoor boiler with firewood my exposed cheeks started to burn. I am talking about the cheeks on my face of course.
Neither of our two vehicles wanted to start Monday morning. Rachelle’s car went a little crazy when I turned the ignition. The horn sent out a blast while the door locks began clicking. We took it as a sign to stay home. It was sort of comforting to be stranded at home with the family. We played games and watched Elmo on Sesame Street. It was great.
A few days of snowfall earlier in the week added up to around six inches and the added insulation came just in time before this Arctic cold snap. A deep freeze of this magnitude without any snow on the ground would have tested a lot of septic systems and water lines on the Gunflint Trail. The slightest problem can cause either of these systems to fail when overnight temperatures are this cold. We have had a couple of calls already to fix frozen waterlines and so far there have not been any major repairs.
Turning the faucet on to find that you do not have running water in your house is a pretty miserable feeling. Rachelle and I roughed it on the Trail for three years without any indoor plumbing and now I could not imagine going one day without running water. We took our honeymoon in Lutsen so that we could experience the Northwoods with indoor plumbing for the first time. It was much nicer than returning to the camper trailer after the wedding.
Lake water systems are very popular up here and they are vulnerable to the elements at best. Many variables can cause these systems to fail. The worst is when we have to chainsaw a trench through the ice to retrieve and repair the pump. It is hard work but we have gotten pretty good at it.
Bar oil is not necessary since the churning water will keep the bar lubricated. As soon as the chain stops moving it will want to freeze to the bar. I keep a little propane torch nearby to thaw out the iced over bar and chain. You can substitute environmentally friendly vegetable oil for bar oil if you are nervous about overheating the bar.
The things we need to know in order to live and survive in Northern Minnesota never cease to amaze me.
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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