The Fifth Season

The reemergence of leaves on the Gunflint Trail marks the end of the stagnant and seemingly endless fifth season in the north woods. It is my opinion that this fifth season only afflicts the northern most reaches of Minnesota. The weeks and sometimes months between the end of winter and the beginning of spring is the fifth season I am referring to. In more geographically blessed regions of the world four seasons reign. Other regions have two or three seasons and in some cases only one; HOT. This fifth season is a heart breaking, mental war of attrition that affects inhabitants of these northern climes. The passing of visible snow on the earth in most places is a sure sign that spring is right around the corner. This passing of snow on the Gunflint is a sure sign spring is still a few weeks away. Within those few weeks it is a battle of the seasons. Spring versus winter in a winner take all grudge match. Spring of course is undefeated, but rarely in a knock out in the early rounds. Gale force winds accompanied by horizontally blowing snow and 3 foot rollers on the lake in mid-May, painfully remind you that winter still has a few desperate tricks up its sleeve. In epic and record breaking fashion spring fights back with 80 degree temperatures and calm waters a few days later. Every time you think the wrath of winter has passed, it sneaks up when you are sleeping, in the form up sub-freezing temperatures and frozen water lines. At this point though you can rest assured that spring, with the help of summer and a few million motorists, will prevail. The days are quickly warmed by the sun and the last dying breaths of winter only come creeping in long after the sun sets, late in the night when we're fast asleep. Being witness to this annual feud of the seasons is something I always hated. These last few years I have come to enjoy watching the slow change, the battle. Always cheering for spring, even though I know it will eventually outlast winter. After the fight has ended and summer picks up where spring left off it is 3 months of glorious days and nights. It puts the fifth season in perspective and reminds you it was worth the wait; worth the fight. Finally we can forget about winter for a while, the season that dominates this part of the world, if not forget at least push it to a rarely visited closet in the mind. It sits in that closet until late one summer day you realize winter has been using the last three months to get back in shape for its annual bout with fall. And, we all know who wins that fight.