Trail Center re-opened ahead of schedule this week and already there have been some cars in the parking lot. Word travels fast on the Trail, especially when the word involves food or entertainment in December. Sarah will be open regular business hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner through the winter. She is (like many of us) anticipating a great season ahead.
Hungry Jack and Gunflint lodges will be back in the full-time swing after Christmas and Big Bear Lodge, previously known as Old Northwoods, is now offering pizzas in their dining room by reservation. It has been awhile since the doors were last opened for business and it will be nice to have another place to visit on the Gunflint Trail, especially one with an amazing dining room like the Big Bear.
Windigo Lodge hosting “year round fun” is also open for business full-time with a dining room, bar, and liquor store.
The Big Bear Lodge catered our first annual Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department Christmas party at the Schaap Community Center earlier this month, and the pizzas were great. I am not sure what was more impressive: the fact that there were enough people on the Trail in early December to actually host a Christmas party, or that we were able to call Big Bear and order pizzas as needed to feed the guests. That’s right, pizza delivered on the Gunflint Trail. What’s next…cell phones?
The Christmas party attendance was impressive (approx. 50-60 people) and the pizza was accompanied by a potluck of homemade desserts and appetizers to boot. True to Minnesotan tradition were homemade cookies and bars that seem to only appear during the holidays. Tables were full in the new community center and the party was a great success that will surely be done again next year. The two new community centers on the Gunflint Trail are such useful facilities. We are very fortunate to have them.
I was able to see the Birch Lake Christmas tree lit up in all of its glory while driving home last night, and it looks great. I guessed the tree to be 30 feet tall but it could actually be closer to 40 feet. Regardless, nothing says Christmas like a massive tree glowing from top to bottom in white lights that reflect off of the snowy backdrop.
Happy Holidays.
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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