A historic trail near Chik Wauk Museum is open once again, thanks to a volunteer trail-clearing crew. Taking a break from their labor on May 30 for a photo are (L-R, front) Kathy Lande, Sally Valentini, Jesse Limanen, Rich Kujawa, Ben Karon, Jim Morrison, Greg Gecas. (L-R, back) Dick Gillespie, John Scott, Don Kufahl, Dan Fitzgerald, Greg Truex, Mike Mansson, Arden Byers, Mike Henderson, Grant Hopke, Nick Asay, Chris Steele, Mike Swenson. (Not pictured: Michael Valentini)
There’s a new attraction at the Chik Wauk Museum that is destined to be a hit for young and old – the Gneiss Lake Trail has been opened as far as the Blueberry Hill spur. A dedicated group of 20 volunteers completed the approximate onemile trail on May 30.
This historic trail extended east from the Chik Wauk Museum site for about three miles to the Granite River. It has been subjected to the 1974 Prayer Lake fire, the 1995 Sag Corridor fire, the 1999 blowdown and the 2007 Ham Lake fire. It was the 1999 blowdown that ultimately closed access to the trail.
Recently the Forest Service gave the OK to open the first third of the trail.
The highlight along the trail is the spur that takes you to the top of Blueberry Hill. It’s the vista from the summit that moves the spirit within. You can see well into Canada and Saganaga, west beyond Seagull Lake, southeast to the Gunflint Lake hills and much more. For the novice who doesn’t understand what makes up the lure of the Gunflint Trail, Blueberry Hill has the answer.
We did our best to follow the trail’s original footprint. Kyle Oberg, Jim Wiinanen and Kathy Lande were able to identify 14 blaze trees. A blaze tree is used to identify the trail with hatchet markings on both sides of the tree. These markings are decades old; the trees have been burned in the fires and some were felled by the blowdown. The terrain is rough in a few locations, but for the most part any sure-footed hiker can travel the trail without difficulty.
The project was a wonderful collaboration of the USFS crew at the Seagull Guard Station, workers from Seagull Outfitters and Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and local resident volunteers. Starting at 8 a.m. the group was divided into teams to cover three designated sections of the trail. By 11:30 we reached our ultimate reward, lunch on the top of Blueberry Hill provided by Subway.
The Chik Wauk Museum, the Gunflint Trail residents and our many visitors owe a debt of gratitude for the crew that completed the trail project. Each person who makes the voyage to Blueberry Hill will understand what those volunteers already know…it was worth it.
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