On Wednesday, we watched the shoreline of Round Lake (our little jewel) burn from the landing to the Brant Lake portage. Helicopters (like giant mosquitoes) sucked up the water from Round Lake to dump on hotspots.

We scurried around prepping canoes and camping food for crews that plan to go in to Brant Lake this morning at 8am. Katie, our newest staff member arrived to help Mike and Jake, and begin her summer adventure! Worker bees from Grand Marais–Judie Johnson and Lynn Swanson received check point clearance for Fire Business and came to our food packing party. Jane and Sheldon Fewer (my parents) continue to be stabilizing forces.

Dave and Nancy Seaton down on Hungry Jack Lake have stepped up their busy outfitting weekend to help us accommodate for our fishing opener guests. There isn’t any smoke around the mid trail area—and on Saturday the season opens for lake trout and walleye fishing.

Wednesday evening we watched a successful back burn—planes ignited a fire line from Larch Lake toward Magnetic Lake—and the north side of Gunflint Lake. This was an awesomely beautiful sight. We’re hopeful that it burned the fuels on that line—so that when the wind shifts today—out of the north west, hopefully the fire will burn back onto itself and stall on the north side of Gunflint Lake. As I drove down the trail to spend the night with the kids in Grand Marais (they still have school, piano lessons, tennis practice in town…) I saw a moose watching the flames. She stood still—apparently not afraid of the fire, but she spooked when she heard me roll down the window—so I couldn’t get a photo of her.

Shelby and Daniel’s friends and cousins will be glad to know that although the fire burned all the way around the back house, only sparks touched their trampoline.