Winter activities are still on hold this week while we anxiously await the next snow storm that is expected to bring us five to seven inches—fingers crossed. Two inches a week has barely been enough snowfall to cover the ground, and we are not making any headway with trail conditions. Wet heavy snow is not great for trail building, and even worse for driving conditions.
The recent storms have all come from the southwest bringing warmer conditions, which ultimately equates to slush and ice. The Gunflint Trail has been wetter than usual from melting snow, and an occasional wintry mix that can make safe driving a challenge, especially for northern Minnesotans that are not used to it.
The county has been doing a good job of salting and sanding the Gunflint Trail, unfortunately the salty pavement has been attracting moose like a giant salt lick.
Icy roads coupled with large animals that are slow to react becomes a dangerous combination, especially at night when it is harder to see them. Moose tend to leave snow tracks on the road alerting their presence, they are fairly territorial in the winter months and any signage means they are likely nearby. There have been a few moose hit on the Gunflint Trail recently, and the damage to life and vehicle can be devastating, so please drive safe and look for signs of life.
My first two days of guided ice fishing have officially been cancelled due to thin ice conditions, and most of the bigger lakes still have some open water. The customer that had hopes of drilling holes this weekend is from Minneapolis and said he started worrying about our ice conditions when he noticed a few hard core anglers taking advantage of the open water on Lake Minnetonka. Boating in Minnesota in the middle of December seems extreme—even for hard core anglers.
Safe ice will happen soon enough and anyone who has read my columns in the past knows that I am not trying to win the “first on the ice” award each year. I have seen too many ice rescue training videos to ever risk being the victim.
Stay safe and give the moose a brake.
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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