The unmistakable sound of ice being made rang loud this morning with a reverberating noise that echoed off of Birch Lake’s granite shoreline where I have been working. Finally the wind let up enough this week to start making ice on some of the larger lakes and it is getting me excited to put away the rifle and rev-up my ice auger.
Other than the ice it has been fairly quiet on the Gunflint Trail since few deer hunters are braving the weather and many of the lodges are closed until Christmas. There have been some heavy construction equipment and dump trucks hastily trying to finish as much work as possible before the freezing temperatures shut them down, which should be this week, but mostly it is just the handful of Trail locals left to enjoy the peaceful reprieve of summer past. As a fishing guide I was taught long ago not to bite the hand that feeds my family, however it is sure nice to slow down for awhile.
We are going to see ice much sooner than we are used to this year but that does not mean that it’s already safe to walk on. The general rule of thumb is 4 inches of solid ice for walking, 6 inches for snowmobiles or ATVs, and 12 inches for vehicles. Our local fire department trains for ice rescue but fortunately we have not had to use those skills, at least since I have been on the department, and with a little luck and common sense we may never have to.
A little snowfall each day has finally accumulated enough to require the snowplows to run on the gravel roads. I plowed a few of my accounts today since the wind has caused some minor drifting, but it seems like it could have waited a little longer. I say that, but it is easy to forget that not everyone drives a four-wheel drive truck, and cars are not able to travel through even a couple of inches of snow without potentially spinning out or getting stuck.
It is always better to err on the safe side, and it gave me a chance to get used to my new plow truck before testing it on a torrential snowfall like the poor “southerners” have been experiencing these past two weeks. The lake effect regions along Superior’s shorelines have been thrown into winter’s grasp this year with some places accumulating over 70 inches already. I could not even imagine what that much snow looks like, especially in November.
Luckily, we have been fortunate enough to dodge the worst of it…for now!
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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