Warmer Weather Ahead

Winter is over! Just two weeks ago the temperature didn't get above 0 during the day and we were hibernating.  When we ventured outdoors it was only for a couple of hours and it was usually to open the driveway down to our winter lakeside rental apartment. We had seldom heard any snowmobiles and ice the fishermen where using shelters.

This morning the lake in front of our house is covered with snowmobile tracks. The daytime temperature is already in the upper twenties. People are sitting on 5 gallon buckets to ice fish instead of hauling out their ice houses. 

We're baby sitting our neighbor's dog,Charlie,  so that they could snowmobile into Canada for the day.  Charlie and I took a walk down to the Lodge area and saw that the aluminum canoes are starting to pop out of the snow. This is first sign of spring -- kind of like daffodils popping out of the snow further south.

The best thing about this time of the year is that our personal  activity levels shoot up. I need to drop about 20 pounds and Lin needs to .... loose a little. The warmer weather lets us both get outdoors more. Lin starts taking walks and I can do some outdoors work around the Lodge. OK, I also get the fish for Lake Trout until March 31st.

We may still get some winter like weather. However, waiting inside for a day or two for things to improve is better than facing months of winter weather.

                             

Boundary Waters Moose

Last week the DNR announced that the total estimated Minnesota Moose population was less than 2,800 animals.  The DNR decided to close bull moose hunting in 2013 in response to the steep population decline that occurred in 2012.

After years of research trying to determine why the moose population is declining the cause is still unknown. Climate warming, predators, parasites, hunting and habitat change are all possible sited factors. 

People Watching at Rockwood Lodge


For those of us living along the Gunflint Trail the declining moose population comes as no surprise. Lin and I have gone from seeing a moose on almost every trip into towm to only accasionally spotting a moose! Last year is was a rare event for us to see a moose mom with a calf. While our guests still report seeing moose, the reports are concentrated in smaller areas within the BWCAW.

It is hard for us to imagine living in the North Country without having moose nearby. After years of living here, we are just as thrilled to come across a moose in the wild as our guests. Steps in reducing all of the possible factors that might be influencing the declining moose population need to be taken along with additional research being conducted by the DNR. .