On October 11, 2011 at Hungry Jack Lodge, the Gunflint Trail Association celebrated 75 years promoting Gunflint Trail businesses. Many lodge owners and outfitters past and present shared tales of their adventures through the years.
A veritable who’s who of historic Gunflint Trail lodges and outfitters reminisced over a bountiful and delicious dinner in the new Hungry Jack Lodge building on October 11, 2011. Owners past and present were celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Gunflint Trail Association, which according to Ted Young of Boundary Country Trekking is the second oldest tourism association in the state.
It’s been a successful 75 years, but not easy. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) legislation “wasn’t really friendly to us,” said Dave Tuttle, who with his wife Barb bought Bearskin Lodge in 1973, “but we made it through it.” He credited the Gunflint Trail Association for its role in keeping area businesses alive.
In fact, were it not for major efforts on behalf of Gunflint Trail businesses, said Trout Lake Lodge owner Nancy Waver, Trout Lake Lodge might have marked the terminus of the Gunflint Trail.
Gunflint Trail business owners went all the way to Washington, D.C. to lobby on behalf of the Trail. “I think every American should go to Washington,” said Lee Zopff, formerly of Clearwater Lodge, “when they have something they’re concerned about.”
Luana Brandt, owner of Nor’wester Lodge, was honored by the Gunflint Trail Association for many years of service to the organization.
Luana Brandt was surprised and a little embarrassed to be singled out and recognized for all her years of service to the Gunflint Trail Association. She received a plaque that read, “Presented to the Gunflint Trail Association to Luana Brandt, Nor’wester Lodge, in grateful appreciation and recognition of her service and leadership in the Gunflint Trail Association.”
Building an industry
Gunflint Lodge’s Bruce Kerfoot invited those present to retell some tales of their experiences. Many talked of their love for the Gunflint Trail. Dave said that one time when he was up here as a youngster, a friend pointed out to him disgustedly that he was so enthralled with fishing stories being told by the men that he didn’t even notice that a group of young girls was standing around watching him.
Years later, Dave told Ted Young he was going to start a Nordic trail system for which people would pay to cross-country ski. Ted Young recalled saying, “Are you crazy?” Little did Ted know how he would embrace Tuttle’s idea and become a champion of all kinds of trail uses on the Gunflint Trail and beyond.
John Schloot, who has vacationed at his family’s Gunflint Lake cabin all his life and bought the old Borderland Lodge two years ago, later called Moosehorn Lodge and now called Cross River Lodge, remembers the old telephone party lines where no conversation was safe from eavesdropping. “The party lines were hilarious!” he said, recalling one resorter who stole phone call reservations from other lodges.
Tim Austin, formerly of Rockwood Lodge, remembers Dave Clutter, who helped him around the lodge, coming back ashen-faced from Cabin 6, saying the guest, a woman, had just handed him her garbage outside the cabin – completely naked.
Ericka Blaschko of Hungry Jack Lodge, host of the evening’s dinner, told of entering a cabin to clean it but wondering what had happened to the guests who were staying there, because she had expected them to be inside. As she stood there seeing their things strewn about the cabin, a bat swooped right over her head. She ran into the bathroom to get away from the bat, shut the door behind her, and was attacked by a swarm of bees.
Bud Darling of Way of the Wilderness Outfitters, who arrived in 1976, talked about one of the major forest fires that swept through the Gunflint Trail. He sent his young niece to town with a car owned by a customer who was out on the trail. She accidentally went off the road with it, damaging the finish. The customer was an attorney, and Bud dreaded having to break the news to him. When he came back, Bud took $100 off the outfitting bill, which was the cost of the man’s insurance deductible.
A week later, Bud received a $100 check from the attorney, who lived in Chicago. He explained that he had planned to get his car repainted anyway.
Tom Caldwell, who bought into Loon Lake Lodge in 1984, told a story about his original business partner, Willard Johnson. Willard made the best Swedish rye bread, Tom said, and kept the lodge supplied. One morning, Tom walked into the lodge to find sugar and flour everywhere. “It was a war zone,” he said. There stood Willard in his underwear, taking a picture of bear scat in the middle of the room. “It was a polite bear,” said Willard. “It went out the same door it came in.”
Hardships
Gloria Johnson said she was proud to be Charlie Boostrom’s granddaughter. Boostrom built Clearwater Lodge. Gloria remembers him talking about walking to town for supplies. He said the hardest thing he ever carried back from town was the bed springs.
Barb Young recalled her and Ted skiing down Stairway Portage with Dave and Barb Tuttle on a 20-below-zero day when her son Joey was a baby. Dave remembered that day and said they thought Joey was going to freeze solid. They held him over a fire to warm up.
Phyllis Noyes, one-time owner of Chik Wauk Lodge, remembered Justine Kerfoot perpetually being up on the telephone pole fixing the line.
Dealing with problems in a remote area comes with the territory. Nancy Seaton remembers her first customers at Hungry Jack Outfitters in 1992. They showed up a day early, she and Dave’s van had a flat and no spare because another tire had just gone flat, and their battery blew up. Thanks to a run into town by her mom, Betty Hemstad, they were able to send their guests off on their canoe trip.
Cooperation
U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Dennis Neitzke has seen the Gunflint Trail community meet numerous huge challenges. “We’ve gone through blowdowns, we’ve gone through floods, we’ve gone through fires,” he said. “This group works so well together.
Dan Baumann recalled the first season his family owned Golden Eagle Lodge. It was 1976 and he was 15. Jocko Nelson of Clearwater Lodge stopped by and talked to him and his dad, John Baumann. They were pulling old junk out of their shop and sorting through it. Jocko told John that if he ever needed anything, he could just go over to his shop and take it without going and finding him to say they were taking something. He just wanted them to make sure to replace whatever they took.
“We’ve got a lot of history here,” said Dan. “It’s an amazing place to live.”
Barb Young agreed. “It’s a great life.”
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