Andy Ahrendt and Andy Arndt

Today, Tuscarora guest Andy Arndt returned from a canoe trip. Andy and Andy were good sports about posing for a photo (see Andy A on the left, and Andy on the right). I thought that they’d have a chance to chat about the name thing---but really they talked about the fishing on Little Sag, the weather, Andy’s trip….

None of spontaneous chatter/questions I expected ….Did you ever mind being so close to the first one in the alphabetical seating chart? Do people mistake your name for Art? Do you get jokes about aren’t=are not? Did you mind that your first and last names start with A? What do you think about the initials AA? They never even compared middle names!

I believe they were just humoring me anyhow, but I’m sure it will be a different scene when Andy sends his mother Sue up for a visit….no kidding.

Making Memorial Weekend Memories

Splendid weekend for paddling and fishing........ added bonus--no bugs.











The Bowers family took the Snipe loop.....












Mike Mulligan gets a full soloshot, our goodwill gesture because he was cropped out of all of the Gunflint Green Up brochures, and we think he's one of the good guys anyhow.













Hearty travelers.



Joe and Dan spent the weekend in the boat....


Lucky us! Les and Pauline took an impromptu trip up from Iowa and ended up in Cabin 6. (Note their optimistic sunglasses to match their optimistic attitudes---and sure enough the sun came out Sunday afternoon in time for them to swim.)








Longtime favorite staff member, Grand Marais youth soccer coach, outfitting expert Noah brought his Grandma for the weekend. Gladys cleaned up on cribbage in the crew cabin---taking on any willing opponent----Noah pitched in and shared some outfitting wisdom with new staff members.
Wonderworkers Cass and Lindsay cleaned the trucks. It was a great weekend for just about anything!

Another Detour for Jim Colbert!

Jim Colbert from Iowa State wins the prize for canoe trip detours, 2 years in a row. Last year we set up a detour for him, and Jim Holz and their biology students. They put in on Poplar in May, because the Ham Lake fire kept them out of our neck of the woods. They camped on Omega---the fire was 12 miles away when they started out….and they wondered if it was still 12 miles away?????--but not---and they were escorted out through Brule Lake.



















This year, Jim and two students were good Samaritans as they escorted a camper in trouble all the way from Little Sag. Then they had some soup, stocked up on fresh cookies and Mountain Dew (in the Nalgene bottles, of course, model BWCA campers that they are) and headed right back. We hope that they are back on Little Sag right now! We really like these guys---and bet that they’ll sleep well tonight!!

Minnesota Bird Feeder

No bears at Tuscarora this spring---just Denali. My brother sent me an update from another spot in Minnesota...
Ever worry about squirrels getting into your bird feeder? Well, look at this.

Don't Worry About the Ice

We're having beautiful spring weather--the word is that ice is gone everywhere. With the exception of a sheet on Saganaga that is causing a few detours, but not stopping anyone. That pesky sheet should be gone any minute now. No worries!

Fishing Opener Pioneers Return

The first hearty groups returned yesterday and today---happy to have been the pioneers, all have had their fill of Lake Trout!

Highlights:

• A mother moose gave birth to twins on the shore of Rib Lake-
• Tuscarora was frozen to the edges on Friday so John Ewerts group floated/towlined their canoes along the shore (where they couldn't paddle) to the Little Sag portage. Tuscarora is all open now.
• Fishing was great in the Peter/Gabi/Gillis areas. John Ohman's group really enjoyed the views around Peter--their favorite part of the trip. He called it a mountain lake---and can't wait to come back and explore. The moose are plentiful, the scenery is so different. They loved that.
• On Friday Gillis was also an ice adventure to paddle---and they could only get through on the north side of the lake to the French Lake portage.
• A few sunburns, stories of a snowy Saturday morning, unanimously happy campers.

Purple Poplar Morning

The lake looked purple this morning--the bark on the poplar trees turns purplish before the leaves pop. It's going to be a day!
Yesterday we opened the shower house and the dining hall--the 2008 paddling season has begun.