Summer is winding down

Labor Day weekend is upon us and as intense as the summer was at times it is still somewhat surprising to realize that fall is coming and things are slowing down.  What a summer it has been.  We had a week straight of 90 degree weather, we had one day where we got 7 inches of rain, we had a windstorm that dropped 12 trees on the property(one hit the transport van), we redid the store, built a shower house, redid the bunkhouse, put a couple of new kitchens in, remodeled a couple of bathrooms, restored suite B back to rental status, built a new dock, installed new water lines, put a new roof on the shop, bought new 4 stroke motors for the boats and so much more.  Whew, no wonder we are tired. So many people have been asking us how the first summer went.  Such a simple question, but not a simple answer.  The only reasonable response I can come up with is that we learned so much.  The long days added up and we are tired.  But the satisfaction of doing what we love and meeting so many great people really feels good. 

One of the best parts of the summer was Tuesday nights.  Every Tuesday Harriett Boostrom Taus would come over to the lodge and tell stories about her parents(Charlie and Petra Boostrom) and about growing up in the Lodge.  It was amazing.  Harriett was born in 1928 and lived for 17 years in the lodge.  Her story telling ability is excellent and the stories bring so much life to the lodge. 

One of my favorite stories is about why her parents picked Clearwater Lake as the place to build the resort. Charlie found Clearwater Lake while living with the Indians and began to guide trips on Clearwater as early as 1912. In 1913 when he and Petra married he took her to Clearwater to see this lake, supposedly he told her that someday he wanted to own land there. Charlie and Petra were of the opinion that the view down the lake at the Palisades is the best view on the Gunflint Trail. Early in 1915 they were able to purchase a cabin on the lake and Clearwater Lake Lodge, the very first lodge on the Gunflint Trail, was officially started. Over the years he added a lodge, several cabins and outbuildings and we feel so privileged to have a small piece of history. One thing for sure, we are in agreement with Charlie and Petra that the view looking down the lake is the best on the Gunflint Trail!