Closed for the Season

I drove away from the lodge for my 6 month Indiana stay last Wednesday . The first time I have left for an extended time in the 6 years we have been there and it felt really odd to be leaving the lodge behind! I got very homesick as I was driving down the trail on the perfect fall day that was cool, crisp and sunny. Peggy and Mike left for Ohio the following day to their winter home.

I decided to take the scenic route through the UP of MI for the drive to Indiana. For two days of driving it was the most beautiful of fall colors in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. I avoided the express ways and drive down the country roads to enjoy the small towns and lake drive. Before reaching IN, I spent a few days in mid-Michigan at my brother's house and got to see my great nephew and neice.

Erik also left last week and after a vacation to family in CO, he is going to be spending the winter in Ely at White Wilderness guiding dog sled trips. Hopefully we will see him back at Clearwater in the spring.

Well folks, I will update the blog periodically as I get interesting information but I won't have any Minnesota or Gunflint Trail wildlife or snow pictures to add this winter. You can reach me at our regular phone numbers which are transferred to my cell or email as usual.

Countdown to Closing

It has been a colorful autumn on the Trail but all good things must end and our temperatures will be in the 20's on Friday night. To avoid freezing lines, we have now closed all the summer cabins. We wash all the bedding one final time and bag it up for the spring. We check everything out in the cabins and make what repairs we can and make lists for what we want to do in the spring. Mike drains the hot water heaters and all the water lines to the cabins, turns off the propane to the cabins and shuts down the electric. Once the cabins are closed, the lake water system is closed down and all the lines drained. We bag about 20 bales of straw in large trash bags and spread those around the resort to add insulation to the septic system just in case we don't get a good snow cover to keep those lines from freezing. The phots are of Mike working on closing cabin 1.

The lodge will be open through this weekend and then starting October 5th after our last guests check out, we are closed for the season. By the end of next week Mike and Peggy will be heading back to OH and Lynn to Indiana. Erik is going to visit family and friends and then will be working this winter as a dog sled guide at White Wilderness in Ely.