Hotshot crews returned from Gotter today—blackened and proud. They held the line.
Fishook Island-Morningside—from Blankenberg’s Landing. (note: trees)
Category: Life at Tuscarora Lodge
Every drop of rain helps
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Thundershowers last night. ½ inch of rain mid-trail (Hungry Jack Outfitters is no longer in the evacuation area), they’re saying 1/10 inch of rain at Seagull Guard Station. The mist and humidity are helping containment efforts today. The number of lightening strikes was worrisome (I love thunderstorms, but woke up here in Grand Marais at 2am and thought “EVACUATE, EVACUATE! )I understand there is technology available to track each strike, so that aircraft can monitor strike-spots regularly in the next couple of days. This will be important for the entire forest up here. -
Things are cooling in the areas around Tuscarora. This morming they were busy with a flooded dining hall basement—we are mighty wet in our sprinkler-fed bubble. -
The fire is intense up on the east end of Saganaga—I understand that some structures have been lost on the Canadian side, and many are being evacuated/ and protected. These are the folks to worry about today. -
Today in Grand Marais we’re trying to look to the months ahead. The Forest Service is meeting and hopefully will open up permit reservations for June. Many areas remain untouched—so, we’re doing what we can. We do have an entire summer ahead of us, and right now almost all of the lakes are OK. We’re all for getting back into the woods, when the fire is contained. (Note, there may be extensive campsite damages on the Granite River route—this is my best guess). -
There are many levels of concern here—all important and valid. Folks anxious to return to protect their homes, cabins, businesses—. There are those equally eager to return to the places that have become a “home” to them—camps, resorts, lakes –to explore the areas, witness the damages. There are those who just want their BWCA vacation—they want to fry walleyes on an open fire. We’re all for that too—when it is safe. -
The crews are working diligently to protect the Loon Lake “finger” of the fire—extending south of the Gunflint Trail. This morning they were calling the Ham Lake fire 20% contained—which means that there is sufficient cooled burned areas and hose laid around 20% of the perimeter of the fire. -
Once again, the community is incredibly supportive—both near and far. My brother Mike arrived and has been staying up with Andy—providing relief and welcomed camaraderie that help keep the bounce in Andy’s step. My sister Lori also helped with the re-supply—and I realized last night the most important thing she has brought is a new set of ears so that the kids could re-tell their stories again. My parents still know what I need before I ask.. -
I’m a little nutty– I arrived at the clinic for Shelby’s Dr. appt and I realized that I hadn’t picked up Shelby from school yet. I’m thankful for patient people. Someone even stopped me today and offered to tie my shoe. -
This catch-up day in town will also help me to stop anthropomorphizing this fire. Isn’t it clever how it sends a draft ahead of it to further dry the fuels, so when the fire arrives it burns more brightly? Isn’t it evolutionary how it creates its own weather system—changing wind directions, sometimes drying up the rain before it hits the ground? Isn’t it evil how it seems to be hooking around and trying to come back on Tuscarora from the south and west again—our only weak flank? Isn’t uncanny that it can be beautiful and wicked at the same time? -
National structure protection teams spend a fair amount of tim
e sitting on the dock at Tuscarora, on the hill by Loon Lake Lodge, and the roofs of Gunflint Lodge—watching the horizon and waiting. I think it is disappointing not to be assigned to be part of the fire action. Here’s hoping that they don’t see any.
Rain?
I’m sitting in town and listening to the start of a thunderstorm. Andy says that it is also raining a smidgeon at Tuscarora. Wahoo! It just started—it would be nice if it lasted all night. Not sure what the forecast is, but at least it isn’t a scary windy fiery night.
They let me go back and forth to Tuscarora even with the road block because Andy is supporting the fire fighters
—who come and go, and use the bunkhouses and showers. Today it actually felt great to scrub down the shower house. It is a weird sort of”business as usual.”
On this windy day we worried about our Poplar Lake neighbors, but it appeared that the fire fighting teams made some amazing progress laying fire hose lines south of the Gunflint Trail in the swath to Rush Lake. Around 5pm we passed by some ground fires on the Trail near mid-trail.
(For accurate logistical details). http://www.blogger.com/www.inciweb.org
I’m anxious for people to drive up the Gunflint Trail, and see how beautiful it still is. All kinds of mixed feelings roll around as we grieve what has been lost and see the displaced people, attempt to keep in contact with those who want reassurance that their summer vacation plans will turn out….
we chose to live on the edge of the wilderness; it has been our privilege. And we understood that fire might be part of the deal.
Bottom lines: The Ham Lake fire still isn’t over. It has devastated special places. But when we drive over the hill towards Gunflint Lake, we still see the beautiful view to Magnetic Lake—the deep blue sky, the gorgeous waters, a landscape that will soon be sprouting green—it feels cleansing and hopeful.
Gunflint Lodge, Hestons Lodge, Gunflint Pines, Loon Lake Lodge, and the homes along the south shore of Gunflint Lake are fine.
The hottest burning spots (I’m told the flames were 80-100 feet high) were at the north end of the Granite River—Sag Falls, near the east end of Saganaga. The fire spotted north to Horseshoe Island (I hope those beautiful campsites are still intact), and the Canadians began to evacuate some of the nearby Saganaga Islands.
Shelby and Daniel stay in town. They’re great sports: it’s exciting to be around their friends and around family members. But when the action of the day is over, it can be hard to settle in. They miss Andy, they miss home, their beds, their belongings . They each have said; “I just want things to be normal again. When will things be normal?”
Wrapped up in this event must be a good life lesson for all of us trying to control things.
The moments of our days are good. We get to experience grace and generosity of the people around us first hand. We can either focus on the smoke that we smell, or the rain that is falling.
It is going to be OK.
A calm day.
The fire crossed the Gunflint trail by Loon Lake the other day.
Wilderness Canoe Base:
Dominion island— Foreground: Blue Waters staff cabin. Background: the chapel survives!
Morningside.
One week later, green shoots push up through the blackened ground.
Good news today
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Jim Colbert and Jim Holz and the Iowa State crew are fine—being routed out through Brule Lake.
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Andy and Tuscarora are fine.
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no new structures were lost on the Gunflint Trail yesterday/last night—as of 10am this morning.
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It is a calm cool day, with an easterly breeze.
