Mid-thirties are not temperatures we are used to seeing in the middle of February unless there is a minus sign in front of it. The occasionally sunny days are nice enough to melt the sidewalks, yet windy enough to not enjoy spending extended periods of time out there.
The wind has not bothered the little forest critters like the squirrels and chipmunks that are out enjoying an unexpected break in the cold weather. They are chattering to one another from tree limb to limb as I pass by in my plow truck, unaware or even concerned about my presence as they go about their business.
Rachelle has been feeding the birds off of our back deck at the lodge and getting a lot of activity – chickadee, grosbeak, and even some jays have been sharing the sunflower seeds and leftover bread crumbs, especially on the sunny days. I am sure they will leave a mess of black sunflower shells to clean up, and unlike our Gunflint Trail home, we will not be able to simply let them decay – a small price to pay for winter entertainment.
The snow has been falling, a few inches at a time, and our snowmobile trails have survived the first half of the winter season. I do not get to ride or fish this week, since we are a little short-handed in the kitchen, but the snow is not going anywhere and, there is always next week to spend some time outside.
State and local groomers have been keeping the snowmobile trails in great shape, and they have a nice base to work with. The wind has not been a deterrent for many of the riders we have seen in the lodge, and midweek has been a great time to ride since there are fewer people in the area to compete with.
It is already mid-winter and time to get outside and enjoy the outdoors before it is over. We wait such a long time in this county for the “right conditions” to enjoy any of the outdoor activities, and there are a limited number of weeks remaining. I have a pretty good excuse for not being able to get out as much as I would like, do you?
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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