Editor: Living remotely has always had its challenges, but some were up for whatever obstacles and challenges were presented to them. A remarkable woman in every way, Dina Madsen was one of those people. Here is one example of her toughness and tenacity as told by Ade Toftey in the 1950s.
She left her three small children at the cabin with her husband.
She went by dog team down Saganaga Lake from the Canadian side to the Jock Richardson place. There she planned to get a ride by snowmobile across the lake.
The snowmobile was out of order.
Snowmobile Gives Her Lift
She started to hike on snowshoes across the frozen lake. She walked three miles in the subzero cold.
A snowmobile happened by, picked her up and gave her a ride. They were winter fishermen using the propeller driven sled to push them along.
George Plummer met her with a car and gave her a two mile ride to Russell Blankenburg’s lodge, only to find that the Gunflint trail—all 56 miles of it to Grand Marais—was blocked by heavy snow.
She stayed all night with the Blankenburgs.
She Rides Snowplows
The next morning Blankenburg took her as far as Loon Lake, where they met the county snowplow crews and they continued on to Grand Marais.
There she boarded a Duluth bound bus for a 110-mile trip. Duluth had been her home until she married the Canadian guide and moved into the wilderness cabin 65 miles northwest of Grand Marais.
At Duluth she stopped with friends before entering a hospital.
She is Mrs. Art Madsen.
Her baby is expected in about a week.
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