Saturday, May 28, 2011

New Cabin Improvements

We just finished upgrading two of the cabins. We put new kitchens in cabins 2 and 3, a new bathroom in cabin 3 and new furniture has been put in cabins 1 and 3. We also have new furniture that will soon be put in cabin 7 and 2. In addition we have put some new furniture in the one bedroom suite. Here is an example of one the new pieces of furniture. We now have some new log futons. Ady claims that this futon from Cabin 3 is very comfortable.
Here is the new bathroom for cabin 3. We rotated the shower 90 degrees, moved the toilet over away from the shower and moved the sink over to where the water heater used to be. Then we put in a new tile floor and a pocket door. In all the bathroom is about 2 feet bigger than it used to be.
And finally the new kitchen! We more than doubled the amount of cabinet space and think that the new cabinets look great in the cabin. We moved the sink over to this other wall and it really opens up the cabin by having the kitchen on the right side of the room.
We are very happy with how the new improvements look in the cabins and rooms. Anyone and everyone is welcome to stop in and take a look.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Today's Paddle

As new owners of Clearwater Lodge we feel that it is very important that we get out and learn as much as possible about the area and things to do as we can. Today I had an opportunity to do just that. Joseph(the extremely skilled carpenter who did the work on the new store and new kitchen cabinets in cabins 2 and 3) and I set out today to look at a few portages and campsites. The water was absolutely perfect this morning. This is what it looked like as we got started.
After paddling across Bearskin, portaging to Duncan and then paddling across Duncan Lake we headed to Rose Falls. The water levels are really high right now and the falls were really pretty. Sorry, the photos don't do the falls enough justice for their beauty.
Then we decided to hike part of the Border Route Trail and explored some of the nice overlooks of Rose Lake. It was very enjoyable and refreshing to sit up on the cliffs and just feel the breeze as we looked out over the expanse of forest and Rose Lake.
After we finished checking out the falls and the cliffs we paddled across Rose Lake to Long Portage. Long Portage is 460 rods to where the Daniel Spur connects. Fortunately the portage is very flat and fairly well maintained. We finished up paddling across Daniels Lake and back to Bearskin. Wonderful day and can't wait for the next excursion.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

First Timers

They say that there is always a first time. Well, as the new caretakers of Clearwater Lodge and Outfitters we have had many "firsts" in the last couple of days. Yesterday we had our first customers. Today was our first fishing opener. We had our first difficulty with getting a permit printed. We shuttled our first canoe group across Clearwater Lake this morning. Last night we had our first evening of chatting with new friends next to the hearth after they checked into their Bed and Breakfast rooms. Today we sold our first t-shirt. We had our first fishing report come back this afternoon (7 Lake Trout before lunch).

After years of dreaming about the day that we would be able to experience these "firsts" we are so excited to actually be experiencing them. Some of the new experiences are anticipated, and some are not. But just the opportunity to have them is wonderful. We are very excited for the 2011 season and for many more "firsts". We look forward to meeting every single person that comes to Clearwater and our first meeting with them and the future memories of the first time we met new friends.

They say that when you buy a business not to change anything the first year. While we are aware of this old adage, we have made some changes. First off, we have a new store. Here is a picture of the old store.



And here is the picture of the new store. After much discussion and debate we decided to jump right in and make what we felt was a fairly significant change. The new store is more than twice as big and will allow us to carry more items. We intend to add a small grocery section, an increased assortment of clothing, more camping gear, a fridge for drinks, and even a freezer for ice cream. If you want to see more pictures of the project, check us out on Facebook. The new Facebook page can be found if you search Clearwater Lodge and Outfitters and click the like button.