Sunshine and Smiles

The month of June is ending up to be quite beautiful. The fish, the berries, and the weather. The month started out quite rainy and dreary. Which we enjoy in terms of moisture for our new trees, flowers, and berries!... However, our customer were coming off cold and wet... We made sure to have the coffee pots always running! But boy did all the rain change the scenery and berry crop. Since all of the rain, we've had nothing but beautiful sunny skies. Thanks to the combination of rain and sun I have been munching on ripe strawberries for about two weeks now and heard from a few customers that they were able to make a nice blueberry pancake breakfast atop the Seagull Palisades this morning.

Aside from the berries and weather, the fishing is starting to pick up. It seemed as though the fish were a bit confused with the crazy weather changes we've been having since March... I think they are getting straightened out now! Have received good reports on trail from a variety of lakes. I have been out on Seagull Lake a few times in the past week and have had some success. I caught the bass pictured to the left in about 6 feet of water on a slip bobber and leech and a nice 22' walleye last night fishing in about 20' of water with my bobber set at about 9'. Staffer, James, caught his nice 28' walleye pictured to the right on a plain jig with a leech about 12' down. All fish were caught and released for you pleasure of catching at a later point!

It's not too late to plan a trip! We're here 7-7 daily and are happy to help you!

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Katelyn

June Stories from the Trail



Moon, Loon, and Turtle
Photos Courtesy of Jeff Kudla
and the Marabouef Cabin

With the rain that we have had everything is green and beautiful! In fact, I just had my first strawberry of the season and am so excited for more! The water remains high for all of those heading to the falls as well as those heading for the creeks that are sometimes impassible. (Not this year!) But all that rain is old news... Today we are loving the sun and are enjoying a nice breeze.  These last two weeks have resulted in an abundance of stories from the trail. On June 4th we had a full moon. Everyone out on the lakes within the next few days had partially cloudy skies with a stunning view of moon illuminating the wilderness night views. If you've never been out paddling on a calm fully light night, it is an experience of a lifetime. Our next full moon is on July 3rd. Come join us for a Forth of July vacation and see it for yourself.

All of our animal friends have been out and visiting us this June! The loons cannot go unnoticed with their mating calls and are spectacular to fall asleep to at night. Nearly every paddler has watched the eagles peacefully soaring in the wind high above the trees. What a view it must be from up there! The closest we can get is a short hike to our favorite lookout points from the cliffs and Palisades on nearby lakes. If you are heading up later this summer, I suggest taking lunch on top of one of these spots. You can't beat it! All the painted turtles have also been poking their heads out, bathing in the warm sun...only if we could be out there every day joining them. We have a log floating in our bay that is always covered with a turtle family. It's our trick to get the staff smiling on their way to work. They are so cool to see each day! We were also treated with the visit from a Moose who walked by the Seagull Store a few days ago. You always forget how big they are until you get this close to them. The only thing that we have not had any reports of from our customers are the black bear. So far this year they have not had a presence in the campsites along our most popular routes. But that is one type of wildlife that we are happy are keeping to themselves!

The story of the week comes from the Irwin party returning from their trip in Quetico. Following an unfortunate wobble, a paddle drifted down a portion of  the Falls Chain not to be found. But that was not going to stop our friends! They crafted a piece of art out of dry wood, birch bark, and a small bendable branch. Despite the fact that it was built for performance, I find their hand built paddle worthy of being a wall hanger in a fancy lodge. They did not spare a single opportunity for perfection. The paddle even has a handle wrapped in cord for comfort. Wouldn't want to get any blisters now! We were all amazed. We only wish that we were that creative...

 For all those following our web cam...we know it is down right now. The replacement is on the way and is going to be constantly updating photos with even higher quality than our last web cam once it arrives. If you are completely distraught without your daily Seagull happenings or if you just think we are a cool crowd, come follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get your Gunflint Trail news fix...

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Thanks for reading about our highlights this month...we hope to see you all up here this summer!

Rain, rain...went away!

After many gloomy days of rain, we are finally getting the chance to enjoy the sunshine! But rain is more helpful than you might think! Water levels are nice and high, making for beautiful sights and sounds! Falls and rapids are sure moving faster than usual, adding to the already pristine scenery! Here is a picture of one of the waterfalls on the portage between Hanson and South Arm Knife Lakes! Sure breaks up the walk and can be a sight for sore eyes, especially when you're toting some heavy gear!    

Rain also helps out our flora and we are seeing lots of blooms!  Trees and flowers add and array of colors to the landscape!  We also have high hopes for our berry crop this year, already seeing the beginnings of buds on strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry bushes!  We can't wait until they are ready to pick and eat! 

It's been a great week in the BWCA, sure hoping this weather just keeps getting better!