If you go outdoors and close your eyes, your nose will tell you that spring is here. With your eyes open, you might see snow, but your nose can smell that earthy wet smell that is spring and seems to speak of flowers and growth and warm sun. That wonderful aroma is actually the chemical “geosmin” made by bacteria and released in wet conditions.
It is a scent almost everyone likes, and one which we can detect in the air at the extremely low concentration of five parts per trillion. Long ago, our ancestors’ ability to smell geosmin could have been the difference between life and death as the scent could lead to water sources, but now, it just makes us think spring.
If the wet earth smell doesn’t convince you of spring, you can use eyes and ears to witness animals as they begin their spring behavior. Chickadees are singing their spring “dee-dee” song, and squirrels in love are chasing each other around trees. Hawk Ridge in Duluth has seen large numbers of eagles on the move, gulls are reappearing, and peregrine falcons should be showing up soon to set up housekeeping.
Trees have their own spring “behavior.” Nights below freezing and days above freezing means the sap is running in sugar maples and it is maple syrup time. People collect the flowing sap in buckets, bags, or pipelines, then boil it down.
To make one gallon of syrup, you need to boil down 40 gallons of sap. People aren’t the only ones who make maple syrup. Red squirrels will actually bite into maple trees and let the sap run. They return later after the sun has evaporated off the water and drink the syrup they created.
Spring behavior at the Forest Service includes increased activity in the fire shop. With most of the ground covered in a couple feet of snow, fire might not be on your mind, but our fire people are planning prescribed burns for the spring season. We’ve also made some people available to help with fires in the southern U.S. as their fire season has already begun.
If your spring behavior is to head out into the woods, you’ll find that although there’s still plenty of snow, the warm temperatures have softened the roads. Spring weight limits in both Cook and Lake counties went into effect this week, so large log hauling trucks won’t be out for a while.
While your vehicle may be lighter, you still should be on the watch for soft patches and muddy areas that could bog you down. If you find any washouts or major problem areas, let the county know if it is a county road, or let the Forest Service know if it is a forest road. We post up-to-date road conditions on our website, so it is worth checking before you head out.
The temperatures that have softened the roads have also thinned our ice. Ice houses should have already been removed from area lakes, but if you still plan to go ice fishing, you should be prepared for self-rescue in case the ice breaks. Bring ice picks to pull yourself out, and learn how to climb out of a break.
The best method is to try to float horizontally, and combine swimming with pulling using the ice picks to pull yourself horizontally onto the ice. Don’t stand up; roll away from the hole so you continue to spread your weight over as large an area as possible. Pack extra clothing in your car to replace cold wet clothing, and bring a towel.
Many of our ski and snowmobile trails are still usable due to the large amount of snow we had, so go ahead and take advantage of this last chance to play in the snow. Use a little extra precaution on hills though – icy conditions may result in high speeds and difficulty steering, plus there could be snow-free spots on south facing slopes that can bring skiers to an abrupt halt.
Cabin owners may be anxious to check on cabins or do some spring cleaning, but we’d like to remind people that you have to have a permit to plow an unplowed Forest Service road. Please stop by the Tofte or Gunflint Ranger Station before you plow anywhere.
And finally, take a deep breath of spring air, put aside your worries of flooded basements, and enjoy the changing seasons and your national forest.
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