Snow in Ely, Oct 12, 2012

Woke up to 2-3 inches of snow this morning. Luke, our dog, loves it. Snow will be gone by this afternoon with temps rising to the low 40s.
Saw a car with 2 canoes on a trailer speeding past our store on their way to the BWCA; snow flying, creating a white cloud. Have to give them credit for getting in one more "BWCA fix" before winter really settles in and the portages get longer.

Fishing report
Groups still fishing and catching big walleyes in deep water and working the humps. One group caught 3-4 27 inch walleyes on White Iron. Did "CPR on the fish"...that is catch, photograph and released them. Everyone was bundled up in the cold, but the smiles on their faces told a great story.  Great catch!

Superior National Forest Fire Report - Oct 3, 2012

Special Notifications:  The smoke in the air Wednesday came from fires in western Minnesota.Visit mnics.org for more information on the smoke and these fires.
Three fires were reported in this area yesterday on the western half of the Superior National Forest. Each one was caused by human activity. Conditions remain very dry—use caution with any activity that might spark a flame.

A fire patrol flight is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. this afternoon.

Current Fire Activity: 
Minister Lake Fire: discovered at 3:20 p.m. on 10/2/12. One Forest Service (FS) Beaver, one FS engine crew, and the Morse Fall Lake Fire Department responded. Structures were threatened but none were lost. This fire was controlled at one quarter acre at 4:40 p.m. yesterday. Wednesday, an engine crew will continue mop-up until the fire is declared out.  The cause is under investigation.
Big Lake Fire:discovered 10/2/12 on the edge of the Big Lake Resort. One FS Beaver and one FS engine responded. Structures were threatened but none were lost. The cause is under investigation.
Porcupine Fire: discovered at 2:30 p.m. 10/2/12; FS Beaver and FS engine responded. This half-acre fire was termed controlled at 7:30 p.m. The fire burned deep into the duff and was holding heat yesterday. Today, an engine crew will continue mop-up until the fire is declared out. The cause is under investigation.
Resources available:  Three FS engines, 17 people, and two Beavers on the West Zone of the Superior National Forest.

Water levels a bit low

Group returned today telling of low water levels on many lakes and rivers. Entered at Nina Moose (Portage River N/Moose River N) on Agnes, Iron, Crooked, south to Friday Bay, Nikim Gun, fourtown and exiting at Mudro. Four day trip, but one more day would have been better. Weather was beautiful. Crooked was smooth as glass with minimal wind.

Thanks for the update and choosing Spirit of the Wilderness for your outfitting needs.

USFS News Release, Sept 27, 2012; 1:50 pm

Forest Service Lifts Campfire Restrictions in BWCAW and Re-opens Areas in Knife Lake Area
Due to cooling temperatures and shorter days, the Forest Service is lifting restrictions that previously limited the hours for campfires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).  Wilderness visitors may now use campfires, charcoal, and wood-burning camp stoves at all hours of the day.

Knife Lake & Emerald Lake
Forest managers have also determined that it is safe to re-open the area inside the BWCAW along the Canadian border and around Knife Lake to public use.  Reconnaissance of the Emerald Lake/Ft. Frances #59 wildfire  indicated very little evidence of active fire behavior.  The area inside the BWCAW was closed earlier this month while the fire was actively burning on the Canadian side.  Fire crews will continue to monitor the fire area.

Dry, sunny weather is inviting visitors to the Forest to view fall colors and for early hunting season.  Forest managers ask that everyone continues to be extra careful with all open fires as conditions are still dry in the woods.

Campfire Restriction and Closures Lifted - Sept 27, 2012

Notice just received from the USFS:
The campfire restriction and the closures have been rescinded, effective 0700 on the 27^th of September.

Weekend BWCA Fires Reported - Sept 24, 2012

Three fires on the BWCA west zone reported this past weekend:

Jeanette Lake Fire: reported Saturday night on the north side of Jeanette Lake.

• This was an escaped campfire and it is now out.

Hegman Lake Fire: this is above the pictographs.

• Two people are working suppression.
• Human cause is suspected.

Angleworm Trail Fire: This was reported on Sunday.

• An illegal campfire was built on the trail.
• Monday a crew was dispatched to inspect.

The take home message is that campfires must still be completely doused.

The fire restrictions in the BWCAW are still in effect: fires only between 7 p.m. and midnight.

Hunters and other recreationists outside the BWCAW are asked to take extra precautions when building fires. The surface fuels may feel damp after a cold night, but the underlying duff is still very dry and fully capable of holding fire.

This week is expected to continue without much precipitation. As of Monday, the Knife Lake area closures remain in effect.

Scrapping the Windows Frost in Ely, Sept 23, 2012

We had our first window scrapping frost in Ely this morning. Low was 27 degrees. Surely there are no bugs.