Last week gave us a long awaited taste of warmer days to come. This week we are getting a few more inches of snow. It was too bad the snow did not hit before the weekend. There were quite a few snowmobiles sneaking in one last ride up the Trail and I am sure there would have been quite a few more with the new snow.
The snow actually accumulated enough to have to plow the driveway, but it will not be here for long. Warmer temperatures and rain are predicted for the rest of the week and I think that will be the end of our snow.
This time of year when you get heavy snowfall, it is extremely difficult to plow. I learned my lesson two years ago when we were blessed with that heavy dumping in late April. I got my plow truck stuck in the driveway twice. The first time I put a small dent in the passenger door after being sucked into the shoulder of the road. Before the veins in my head even had a chance to retract, I did the exact same thing to the driver’s door on the opposite side of the road. The matching dents have been my constant reminder that heavy snow on top of muddy driveways is not very easy to push. Luckily, this year I have kept the truck between the shoulders. So far.
April is a very quiet month up here and most of our friends are taking vacations. Our daughter, Sophia, is still too young to do much traveling so we will be staying put for the longest month of the year. November can be a real drag too, but at least you know that summer is a long way away. April is a constant tease, and every time I consider cleaning up the summer toys we get some more weather moving in.
It does not help that I bought a new guide boat last fall and have had to look at it buried in the snow this winter. If you have ever fished with me in my previous boat, you know how excited I am to have a new ride. The old Lund was sure a lucky one, but it has seen some tough years on Saganaga and it is time to get rid of it before it becomes a total loss.
My Lund Rebel started out as Mike Berg’s guide boat for a few years and then former guide, Dave Shay, took over the helm for a few more years before I got over a decade of use out of it. Nothing can withstand the number of days that boat has endured for the past 19 years. Every spring I would have to replace multiple rivets and pay someone to weld the new cracks. The bottom looks like a robotic version of Frankenstein with its multiple stitches.
Even after all of the yearly repairs, it would still have some leaks. The bilge pump was pretty much on all day long. By the way, it is for sale if anyone is interested.
Saganaga Lake will test any vessel, but the trailers do just as much damage. Especially on the Gunflint Trail. I thought strapping the boat down tight would help, but I know someone who does and he had one of the rollers on his trailer bust a hole right through the bottom of the boat. There is very little forgiveness when your boat is so tight to the rollers on the trailer. Bunk trailers are more protective, but you have to basically drive your vehicle into the lake in order to launch the boat. Rollers are more convenient but are much harder on your boat. I think the best thing to do is to strap your boat down lightly so there is a little give when bouncing along the road.
Summer guiding is already looking pretty good this year and usually people are just now starting to call. I do not know if the economy is bouncing back, but it is nice to have so many people interested in vacationing up here this summer. The Trail could sure use a busy summer for everyone.
Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218-388-0315.
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