The Best of Two Worlds

We traded in the lakes of the Boundary Waters for the Mediterranean, the pine trees for olive trees, the moose for camels and the rocks for ruins. We have returned from our adventure to Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Rome and Barcelona. It was wonderfully relaxing. We started out in Athens for 3 days visiting the Acropolis and soaking in the culture. Dave ate his share of lamb while I enjoyed the olives and the cheese! We then hopped on a cruise for 14 nights and were pampered by young people from all over the world. We enjoyed the Blue Mosque, The Spice Market, the Grand Bazaar and lots of local shops and treats in Istanbul. We bought a Turkish rug in Kusadasi, visited the local mosque there and enjoyed the local flavor. Egypt was incredible and the Pyramids of Giza were well worth the trip. We hopped on a boat on the Nile with the belly dancers and enjoyed the Turkish cuisine. Back in Rome we wandered through Vatican City in all its grandeur. Ending in Barcelona with the wonders of Gaudi, we stayed on for 3 more nights and drank Spanish wine and ate tapas. It was a grand time and now we are ready and recharged for 2008!

Deb and Dave

Can I help you?

This was the question posed to me by countless helpful people during my travels.

Yes, the jet lag and post-travel cold are subsiding and the reality of the holiday season is threatening to dissolve the afterglow of overseas travel. Greetings from the lovely and not-too-chilly Twin Cities, where I am taking care of the dog, cat and Seagull!

South Korea was amazing... Beautiful sights, completely addictive food and some of the nicest people I've ever encountered while traveling. Whether it was a glass of water, directions to the bus station or a shared smile at the top of a mountain I was treated with extraordinary kindness by everyone I met. One of the things I love most about travel is how I behave when I return. Everything looks fresh; road signs, laundry detergent and bus schedules all become fascinating for a brief time because it's amazing to understand every word on billboards and labels. And of course, I find myself on the lookout for the traveler in need--the wanderer at the bus stop, the group trying to take a picture in front of a local sight or the person trying to understand cough medicine at a drugstore.

So this holiday season, whether you've had the opportunity to travel near or far, keep an eye out for those you can lend a hand to...neighbor, stranger or traveler.

:)Shira

(As for the picture, no, it isn't Korea. It's the beach where I blissfully celebrated the end of another Seagull season.)

Shira is back to work!

Shira is back in the office at Seagull after taking a couple of trips to far away places. She is covering while Dave and I go on vacation. In addition, she gets to care for Lucky and Sadie as well as take care of your phone calls and emails. Of course I always have a small list for her as well.

We had a thin coat of ice and then a thaw in the bay. So, we still have open water although it won't last long. Cooler temperatures are predicted this weekend and soon the ice and snow will cover the lake and our winter wonderland will be here to stay for several months.

We hope you all have a great Thanksgiving Holiday with Family and Friends.

Deb

A Dusting of Snow

There was a light dusting of snow this morning on Seagull Lake and the pond next to our main store had this coating of early morning ice. Winter is on the way! Our seasons change so fast here in the Northwoods. The light snow has melted as the sun makes an appearance today.
Despite the warmer temperatures, I don't think it will be long before the white stuff stays on the ground.
Growing up on the Gunflint Trail as a kid, I have experienced a real change in weather patterns. I remember how the snow became so deep on the cabin roofs that we used to shovel them off about twice every winter. We had a small black lab named Peabody that would love to join us on the roofs to shovel. She climbed right up the ladder after us. While she couldn't handle a shovel too well, she sure kept up spirits to keep shovelling! After shoveling the roof, we would then jump into the snow and roll around with Peabody. It was great fun. In the past 10 years or more, we have not had enough winter snow to shovel the roofs. It would be nice for all the winter businesses to have some great white stuff again this winter.
Another great past time while growing up on the Trail was the winter ice fishing. We used to be able to take a snowmobile all the way into Tuscarora Lake off Round Lake to fish for lake trout through the ice. It was a beautiful ride through the portages and the fishing was fantastic. Times have changed with the preservation of the wilderness and snowmobiles are no longer allowed inside the Boundary Waters.

Working at the Sag Property

Dave is busy adjusting the Sag Docks as the water levels fluctuate and securing them for winter. He is always in the background at Seagull making sure that all mechanical things are working smoothly. Note the water over the top of the ramp going to the Sag Docks. Dave is busy working on some upgrades for Big Sag Cabin---stay tuned.

In the meantime, Sadie is enjoying a "dog's life" at Seagull. She is enjoying the view and relaxing on the rocks on the Sag Property.

It was a cool 19 degrees at Seagull this morning but is turning into a lovely day. Deb is working on the rates for 2008 and getting geared up for the Mediterranean. Life is good at Seagull.

Sunshine in the Woods!

It was a blue sky day on Seagull today. It was one of those rare late fall moments when you know you should be outside enjoying the day since this won't last. Sadie and I went for a walk in the cool, crisp afternoon. The woods are beautiful with the changing colors of the underbrush. The moss is so alive with all the moisture and everything is full of life despite the falling leaves. These days won't last as we had a dusting of snow this morning.

New in 2008 are some Boundary Waters Permit Reservation Fees Increases.

The BWCAW Permit Fee Increase was approved and will take affect in 2008.

The Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC) has approved fee increases for BWCAW permits. This is good news for our wilderness program because it means additional operating dollars through the Recreation Enhancement Act (formerly Fee Demo) monies returned to the Forest.

Just to make things clear, what this means is that for the next (2008) season, fees will be as follows:
Adult per trip fee: $16.00
Youth per trip fee: $8.00
Adult Seasonal Fee Card: $64.00
Youth Seasonal Fee Card: $32.00
Golden Age/Access $32.00

The Boundary Waters Permit Reservation Lottery will start December 1, 2007. You can read all about it at the new Permit Reservation site at www.recreation.gov .

An October Day at Seagull

As you see from the current photo, we continue to get more rain. Notice where you would normally put in your boat or canoe on the dock and how high the water is. We are thankful that fall levels are very high, yet we are also ready for a break in the weather to finish some
fall chores.

A loyal Seagull Customer, Steve Volkening just returned from his canoe trip south down the Granite River from Saganaga to Gunflint. Here is Steve's report:

"I had quite a paddle on the Granite... It was my fourth solo on that route, but it was brand new because of the high water and the burn. I remember a beautiful hill near Cross Bay that used to be solid gold with aspen leaves against the blue sky. Now , its just charred trunks. The portage at Horse Tail Rapids was three feet under water at the base of a steep ledge. I had to bushwhack through on the opposite side, and it took 1 1/2 hours instead of the normal five minutes. Navigation wasn't a no-brainer, but actually a challenge. Parts of the route reminded me of a southern cypress swamp, with trees with 3 feet of their trunk submerged. I stuck the paddle in to measure the waterline, and it really was 3-3 1/2 feet. I saw Black- Backed, Pileated, Downey,Flicker, and Three-toed woodpeckers. First trip that I didn't see any loon."

Steve was our last paddler of the year! His story entitled "Back Again to Hunter's Island" is in the Fall Issue of the Boundary Waters Journal. Check it out!

Addition of the Seagull Blog

New for the 2008 season, Seagull will be providing frequent updates via our new blog page. Throughout the offseason, we will post on a weekly basis with information and thoughts from the Gunflint. As the season draws closer and as we have more information to share, we will post on a more frequent basis to keep all of you interested paddlers busy as you count the days until your next visit.

Be sure to return on a frequent basis to stay tuned to the happenings at Seagull and the BWCA/Quetico.

Thanks for your patronage.

Seagull Outfitters

It is still raining!

We are continuing to get more rain. It seems as though the faucet won't turn off. The ground is saturated and the lake levels are rising. Let's hope it soon turns to white stuff for all the winter businesses. You can see the lake level rising on the Seagull dock photo at right.