It is always interesting to see what Mother Nature has in store for the Gunflint Trail area in July, and lately we have become accustomed to experiencing three seasons in the same day. The humid sultry air is a reminder of the potential for dangerous storms to brew, especially when the temperature begins to rapidly drop. Last night there was a wild lightning storm that shook the house with gusty winds that were strong enough to bring some of the weaker trees down.
The wicked storm was producing a continuous display of lightning until 3 a.m. It is no surprise since traditionally July is the month to beware of when it comes to abrupt and sometimes violent weather changes, but enough about the weather… it’s blueberry time.
The berries started turning blue last week and are slowly coming into season. Much like many of us, the berries have been patiently waiting for the sun to shine. I am more of a blueberry eater than I am a blueberry picker. Fortunately my wife has the patience and willpower required to fill a bucket. When I pick berries they typically end up in my mouth rather than the bucket making me a non-contributor to the cause. It takes a lot of berries to make a pie.
Wild raspberries are going to be springing up soon and they have a shorter window for prime picking. As the berry season progresses the raspberries begin to over ripen on the vine and lend themselves victim to bugs. The early season berries taste better and are easier to rinse clean before eating. They have a fairly short shelf-life so I usually cook them into a jam or freeze them for shakes within a few days of being picked. We like to get as many wild berries as possible in the freezer, but they never seem to last as long as we would like. Wild blueberry pancakes with wild raspberry jam are hard to beat on a cold February morning.
The road construction appears to be winding up this week and the smooth black-top road is a welcome sight. It was difficult to keep the boat and equipment clean after driving through the dusty construction zone, but those days are behind us—until next year. I was told they are going to do another six-mile stretch in June of 2015 extending the new road to somewhere around the County Road 92 area. Hopefully that is correct because that section of highway is in bad shape. So long flaggers….See you next year.
Hawg report
July 18 . Cory Christianson 29 inch walleye (released) Northern Light Lake
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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