Happy Holidays from the Seagull Woods!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years! We hope this Holiday Season is joyful, comforting, relaxing and safe for all of you. And, we look forward to talking with you in the New Year as you begin plans for Northwoods vacations.

We are reserving Boundary Waters Permits now in the permit lottery for the summer. The lottery ends on January 15th. At that time, we begin the regular permit reservation system. Don't be alarmed, we can get you in this summer. We are reserving Quetico Permits now for the end of May entry dates.

New in 2010 we have added the LeTigre Kevlar Souris River canoes to our rental fleet. We have added the Quetico model in the 17' and 18.5' with a third seat. They are beautiful canoes with nylon webbed seats and very durable. We think you will like them.

We are hiring staff now for the summer season. We have some great returning staff with Katelyn from 2009 and big Chris from 2008. We have a couple others that are on the fence yet and have hired some great new ones. We think it will be a good year.

Dave and I are enjoying the fireplace and view in our new house on Seagull and just relaxing. We will spend some time searching for open water, mangroves with fish and alligators and warm weather in south Florida this winter. No matter where we are, we are always available by phone or email and want to talk with you about your vacation plans.

Our Best to Everyone in the New Year,

Deb & Dave

Winter Has Come to the Woods

The Seagull Bay is freezing over and the snow is here. We are enjoying fires in the fireplace and the peacefulness of the falling snow. There is open water beyond the narrows of the bay, but soon this too will be froze over.

Our off season has become more hectic than normal this year. My Mother passed away the end of October after a long struggle with cancer. We were fortunate to have spent 8 days together cruising the Sea of Cortez Oct 2-10. However, it is never easy to lose a mother and much sadness and transition comes with the loss. We are headed back to Phoenix again for a Memorial soon.

Our next focus real soon is getting the rates and brochures finalized for 2010. Don't hesitate to email or call with any questions.

Deb

November in the woods is great!

The warm weather and sunshine continues in the woods. We are loving it! Since I grew up on the Trail, I have had enough MN winters to last me a lifetime. The photo above was taken this morning looking from our deck out towards the narrows on Seagull. The ice is starting to form. It is a bluebird day today though.

Deb

A break from the Northwoods

Dave and I have been taking a little break and cruising with the family down in the Sea of Cortez. It has been a relaxing break from another great summer at Seagull. We have been fishing for dorado and marlin rather than walleyes and bass. It was an opportunity to spend some time with my Mom and Gene, sister Lin and niece Ella. We had great 80 degree weather and enjoyed some days off. We will be back in the office on Monday, October 12th. Dave hopes to get some work done on the new house yet, while I will move the office from the store to our house.
Deb

The Northwoods Night Sky

Saturday night was a beautiful starry clear night at Seagull. We awoke at 4 am to see the northern lights dancing in the night sky. They were incredible. Dave and I put on our robes and stood out on the deck for a long time and watched them. We haven't seen a display like that in years. It was a real show. Just imagine what happens while we are all sleeping!

We are closed for the 2009 paddling season. It is time to take a break and regenerate. Stay tuned for some website changes. Check out the following 2 new pages that Johnse has added. http://www.seagulloutfitters.com/seagull_lake_weather.htm and http://www.seagulloutfitters.com/bwca_family_trips.htm . I am fortunate to have him on staff in the off season assisting with web stuff. He and his wife Lauren recently had a baby boy. Stay tuned for more changes.

Deb

Indian Summer at Seagull

Today is September 13th and it feels like the middle of summer. We have had 75-85 degree days with lots of humidity. Some paddlers are happy while others are complaining of the hot weather. I am more of a 65 degree person and am ready for some fleece weather.

We are busy starting the close down process for 2009. Canoes are repaired and stored for winter, motors are checked and ready for 2010, boats are cleaned and turned over, the packing room is put to bed and the inventory begins. Most of our summer staff has left and we are down to 3 staffers, Dave and myself.

Life at Seagull slows down for us all and we are ready for a break. Stay tuned for more Seagull news as September moves along.

Deb

Seagull Oufitters Slows Down as the Fall Weather Comes Early

We have been working hard to get paddlers on and off the water. The weather this summer has made this a little more eventful than normal. Our August weather has felt like the end of September with high winds and cool nights. We are still holding out hope that we will get a few more warm days before the end of summer.

We have had numerous amount of customers come off of the Falls Chain, in Quetico Park, reporting great catches of walleye and bass in about 10-15 feet of water.

Here in the BWCA, the fishing has been a little more inconsistent, but our relentless fisherman have still pulled in some great catches.

The moose have gone hidden the past few weeks and the start of the bear hunting season is right around the corner.

The wildflowers and blueberries are still out in full force, but will be winding down shortly.

We hope everyone had a great summer!

Jake

August Brings Families Together At Seagull

As summer activities wind down before the start of another school year, we are beginning to see many families reunite at Seagull. August seems to draw many families for a nice relaxing get away together. It is a great time for reminiscing, teaching, and learning.

Through all the wind and the rain we've been having, smiles are still what we've been seeing when the trips sadly come to an end. The wise teach these young children that a garbage bag is just as beneficial when it comes to the week of rain that they had on their trip.












The adults may be giving the life lessons on these trips, but it looks to me as if the young ones are giving the lessons on how to catch the fish.

Hopefully the weather begins to cooperate for these families so they can enjoy their relaxing time together before the chaos of school begins once again.

Katelyn

Blueberries in Full Swing on The Gunflint Trail

The blueberries are ripe in the Northwoods. In the past week or so, we have had many of our customers come off their trips talking about picking lots of blueberries and even adding them to their morning pancakes.

With the recent fires of '06 and '07, comes alot of new nutrients to the soil. We have seen more blueberries than we have seen in awhile. They can be found on many south facing rocks and portage trails.

We have also had an unusual amount of rain the past few weeks. We hope to have a warmer and sunnier August.

The fishing has been consistent with the bass and walleyes moving to the humps and rock reefs.

Below is a picture of one of Seagull's young customers enjoying the BWCA with a little nap on a rock!

Jake

Gunflint Canoe Races

This past Wednesday the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department held its annual Canoe Races. It was a great event with an eating contest, food, auction, canoe raffle, and canoe races.

Our very own Katelyn Dold participated in the eating contest. She was able to eat 20 cream puffs in three minutes. She ended up finishing a distance second.

Overall, it was a fun event for the people of the trail to come together and raise money for a great group of people that help keep our trail safe from wildfires.

Jake

Cross Bay Lake Day Trip

The weather was great and it was my day off. I headed to Cross Bay Lake to take in the sights and sounds of this gorgeous lake. I was traveling in a Wenonah Kevlar Solo Prism and I packed a lunch for the day.

As I entered at the Cross Bay entry point, I was greeted by chattering otters that felt threatened that I was a little to close to their home. I made it past the two small portages and was on Ham Lake. I saw where the origin of the '07 fire began. It is amazing to see the two year growth on the trees and to see how resilient the woods really are. I mad my final portage into Cross Bay Lake and took a few photos of wildflowers that are pictured below. I stopped and had lunch at one of the campsites as I took in the view. As I paddled around Cross Bay, I was greeted by a large snapping turtle and a cow moose wadding the shore.

All and all it was a great day to be on the water, and Cross Bay Lake will go down as one of my most favorite, peaceful places to visit.

Jake

Flowers in Full Bloom Along the Trail

Flowers are starting to blossom along the portage trails and shorelines of the Boundary Waters. This past week we have seen high temps in the 80's with some high humidity.

The walleye bite has been really good. Our customers traveling into Quetico have had some great reports of large fish and large quanities. The topwater smallmouth bass bite has been excellent as well. We have had some customers catch them in the 22 to 23" class.

We still have cabins available for the 2009 season and we would love to have you come visit us. We are starting to update our website with cabin tours http://www.seagulloutfitters.com/cabins.htm. Please check them out!

Jake

Great Weather and Fishing Final Arrive to the BWCA

Summer has finally come to Seagull Lake. This past weekend was gorgeous with low winds, sun, and temperatures in the mid 70's. We are starting to see a lot of moose venturing out into ponds eating the vegetation and cooling off from the afternoon sun. We have a cow and two calves that have been regulars to Seagull Creek almost everyday.

The lake trout are starting to move deeper and the smallies are still in the shallows waiting to spawn. The temperature off Seagull dock was around 60 degrees earlier in the week. The walleyes are starting to pick up and some decent catches are coming in from our cabin customers, staff and outfitters.

*All fish were caught, pictured, and released.

With the great weather and fishing, comes the black flies and mosquitoes. They are relatively mild yet, but as the summer moves along they will be getting worse.

Jake

Regional Forest Service Supervisor Makes Landing at Seagull

On Thursday, June 4th, the Regional Forest Supervisor made special landing on Seagull Lake. The purpose of the trip was to check out the site and location of the new Chik-Wauk Museum. The museum will display information and pictures of the people of the Gunflint Trail. Along with the educational experience, there will be nature walks and bird watching opportunities. Chik-Wauk means "Jack of the Pines" in Ojibwe.

Above, is the picture of plane flying into the bay and landing at the Seagull Outfitters' dock.

Seagull Outfitters would love to help accommodate and arrange lake landings for our customers that are traveling from a long distance away. Please email us for more information seagull@seagulloutfitters.com .

The lake trout are continuing to bite good and the smallmouth reports are getting better as the water warms up.

Blustery Day on Seagull Lake

It was a blustery and cold day on Seagull Lake today. We reached a high of 43 degrees today! There was on and off rain. We are hoping for some warmer and more consistent weather patterns. Below is a picture of a Seagull taking an afternoon break from the rain on the dock.

The lake trout fishing reports have been very good. The smallmouth bass are starting to move into the shallows. The water is still fairly cold at around 54 degrees taken off the Seagull dock, yesterday. With all the rain we have been receiving, the water levels are little bit above average. Below is a picture of the Burns party, with a nice stringer of lakers during their stay at one of our Seagull Lake Cabins.

Jake

Canoe the Heart of the Continent -- Centennial Canoe Voyage

This summer marks the centennial aniversary of Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, and the centennial of the Superior National Forest in Minnesota. To commerate this long standing partnership the Hearty of the Continent will be organizing an 350+ mile expedition beginning in Atikokan, Ontario and finishing at Fort Williams in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

In a addition to celebrating the hard work by so many, they will be carrying educational message of "Leave No Trace Behind" to the canoers they meet along the way. The goal of the trip is to bring together new and existing partners to strengthen the relationship and bring continued benefits to these public lands.

For more information on the Heart of the Continent Partnership visit http://www.heartofthecontinent.org/ .

Jake

Fishing and Weather Starting to Heat Up

The weather is finally starting to cooperate here at Seagull. We reached a high of 75 degrees on Wednesday and signs of spring are growing as each day passes.

The fishing is starting to pick up! Lake trout are bitting in about 20-30 feet of water trolling with sutton spoons tipped with minnows, and rapalas. Walleyes are bitting in about 6-15 feet of water on lindy rigs and a minnow using a slower presentation.

We have spotted good number of moose and bear patrolling the woods and lake side bays and it won't be long until we will be seeing their young.

We are starting to get arrivals of more and more birds to the BWCA. We have seen many ducks, and loons and it won't be long until the flowers are starting to blossom as the weather gets better.

Jake

Fishing Opener at Seagull

It is fishing opener at Seagull! The ice is out and spring is on its way.

We have cabin customers on Seagull catching lake trout shallow and the walleyes are biting good too. Bryan from Minneapolis returned from a camping trip on Seagull Lake a couple days ago and sent us his photos of a giant smallmouth and some nice lake trout below.

Bryan's lake trout was about 22" and his smallmouth was about 18"! He was using mepps spinners tipped with minnows.

The blog will be updated more frequently as the season gets on its way! Half of our staff is here, and the rest will be here in the next couple weeks! Stay tuned for updates! We are very excited about the upcoming season and can't wait for it to get on its way!

The ice is rapidly melting in our Seagull Bay today. These photos were taken this afternoon. Notice the water rising where the dock meets the cribbing. For those that have been to Seagull, notice the boat ramp is nearing covered with water. Our Seagull Bay ice out contest will soon be over! Sadie is posing in the photo above taken with the ice in the background. Notice the honeycombed and dark ice. It won't be long folks!

Deb

It's a Sunny Day at Seagull!

The ice out contest continues! Below is a photo taken facing south from our dock and you will notice we have ice close to the dock and beyond. The next photo faces north and will you notice no ice. I like the north photo as it looks like spring and fishing are right around the corner. I will continue to update photos every couple of days as the melt continues. More ducks are arriving daily. Most of all, we are really enjoying the warmer temperatures after a long cold winter up north. Dave, Sam and Drew are remodelling the store offices today. Deb

A 50 degree day in the woods and life is good. The sun is shining and we have a bit of open water in the narrows. There are a few ducks that are hanging out in the open water waiting for the thaw.

The question of the day is "when will the ice be out?"

A tough question as none of us can predict the weather. I hear it should be warming this weekend so that could be good. We need a little rain to go along with it.

We have finally moved all of our belongings out of the old house and into the new house on the hill. What a project that has become. Thankfully we have a returning staffer Sam that is here helping us. We put boxes and goodies into piles and Sam delivers it to its respective spot...the new house, trash or recycling! I have about 10 more boxes to go through and feel pretty well unpacked.

Next comes getting the store ready for customers. Our first customers arrive on May 7th with a couple more parties coming in on May 8th. We will have 5 staff on at that time to give Dave and I much assistance.

We will continue to post new photos frequently as spring arrives on Seagull Lake and the end of the Gunflint Trail!

Deb

Happy Spring!

We have had a pleasant streak of warmer than normal temperatures lately. It has really begun to feel like springtime in the woods. The snow is melting and the birds are singing. We are singing so to speak as well as we enjoy the above average temperatures. We now think the below zero days are gone for this winter and our spring plans are foremost on our minds.

We will be moving into our new house on Seagull next week and start getting it organized before summer staff start arriving the end of April. It is an exciting time.

With the onset of warmer weather, there has been a boost in phone calls and reservations for this summer.

We have some used Kevlar Canoes for sale for anyone that may be interested. They will all be out of storage by early May.

Seagull Canoe Outfitters is now on facebook. Check us out and start your own discussions there. More to come in the social networking area....we are fortunate to have hired a young man Jake that will be assisting with all this in May.

Watch the ice and snow melt on Seagull via the webcam on the home page. Soon we will be all fishing and paddling!

Deb

The Gunflint Trail Winter

Winter is still in full swing here in the Northwoods. We have lots of snow and we seem to get more each day as noticed in the photos.

Winter enthusiasts will enjoy the beauty, peace and solitude of our Northwoods winters. Please visit the Gunflint Trail Winter Celebration at http://www.wintertracks.com/ from February 26-March 1, 2009 to see what winter is really like on the Gunflint Trail.

Deb

Winter Birds at Seagull

We have some happy birds at Seagull Outfitters in the winter. Some days we have as many as 100 birds at a time at the feeders. My cat Lucky likes to watch them from the office window. His ears go low and he thinks he is going to pounce on them through the window. He hasn't made it yet as he is an indoor winter cat. He keeps trying though.

Office work is keeping me busy. We are hiring summer staff too and have some great applicants. Reservations are coming in good and we are thankful for that.

Dave and his son Duane will be laying all the flooring in our new house real soon. Dave is getting ready for that as well as installing the new water filtration system.

That is life in the woods today!

Deb

2008 Annual Photo Contest Winner

Congratulations to John Robinson for being chosen as the winner of our inaugural annual photo contest. John (AKA plexmidwest, as he is known on the seagull message board) was the winner of the month of April 2008 photo contest which automatically entered him into the end of the year contest for the grand prize of $100 gift certificate toward outfitting in 2009.

John's photo features 14 year old Dan catching a nice smallmouth bass on his first trip ever to the Boundary Waters. The smile on Dan's face is something that we all can relate to as we remember back to our first fish in the Boundary Waters/Quetico. What a special moment that is/was, and this photo sums up the joy and emotion that no words can express.

Thank you all who entered photos in 2008, we enjoy and appreciate your involvement on the message board. Although the contest for 2008 has concluded, 2009 monthly contests have already begun with the theme, "Waterfalls and Rapids" for January.

Remember, if you're selected as a monthly winner during the year, your winning photo is automatically entered into the end of year contest for the grand prize. Visit the discussion board for how to enter.

Congratulations again John.

Debbie, Tom and Johnse

Winter in the Northwoods

View from the business looking towards Maraboeuf Cabin

Ogish Cabin on Seagull
Maraboeuf Cabin on Seagull

View from the dock out the Seagull Bay and Narrows

Sadie walking to the store!

It is - 32F as I write this tonight....the moon is rising over the treetops and one hears the crunch of the snow on this cold winter night. It is the dead of winter in the canoe country. The photos were taken yesterday around Seagull to show you all what a real winter looks like!

Deb