Category: Life at Tuscarora Lodge

My eyes popped open before 5am this morning, and Denali and I set out to paddle into the moon-set.

It was so incredibly lovely it made my heart feel like it was cracking open.

I can’t imagine there was anyplace on earth more beautiful than this spot. How is it that we were lucky enough to witness it?

Denali was so alert and still, it made me wonder if she could also appreciate the the beautiful scene, or was she just really looking for something to eat or chase like she usually does?I wish I could have recorded the loons calls, surely they could appreciate the way their own songs echoed.

I can’t express how grateful I am for the honor of witnessing this morning.

When the sun came up my heart spilled over. I know it rises every day, but it still made me cry.

We have to appreciate them. They scrub the place until it is unreasonably clean. The carry canoes, they cook, they tow. They came here to take care of people, and they’re really good at it. By this time in the summer, they are the heart of Tuscarora. It makes me a little misty to think of them, and the uniqueness that they each bring to peoples’ experiences here..

Even if Haley didn’t really come from a primitive log cabin in Michigan, she fits the profile. She’s as spunky as the lost boys from Never Never Land. And sometimes she carries a hatchet on her belt. Can’t you just tell how likable she is?

Megan worked for most of May and June. She was the creator of the orange popsicles in this photo….which were actually frozen old oranges. We liked her energy and creativity, and we missed her when she left even if it meant that our sliced cheese staff food orders dropped by 50%.

Little Ben took to Carl—and so have we. Carl knows a lot of things about a lot of political science , and he also can hustle around the canoe yard and get it all done. We give him an A.

Shelby has had one great summer, and sometimes she even finds time to work at Tuscarora.

Here’s Juan (on the left)……., a great guy and a worthy fisherman. The fact that I sent him to Clearwater landing instead of Duncan didn’t phase him one bit on the phone just now.. It’s fun to have him here–he loves the woods so much, he spends all his spare time in a boat—-and I don’t think anybody can touch him in the fishing contest of the summer.

You might think Daniel looks disappointed because the rules of the fishing contest say that he will have to open his tackle box for the winner to choose a lure. Actually though, I think Dan simply knows that, although he reached 6 feet this summer, his mother who brought him into this world, could still take him out if she wanted to.

Maggie is the Tuscarora veteran, and is as competent at transporting canoes, as giving fishing advice, as cleaning cabins. We love it that she chose to come back this year….some day she is going to be a big cheese at the DNR, just you watch.

Allie got to pick out the Upper Lakes Ice cream flavor, because it’s already time for her to go. She was the latest to arrive this summer, but she caught on quickly, and she tends to run wherever she needs to go. If we’re lucky, I think you might get to see Allie here next year. She is upbeat, and never gets caught in any dramarama.

Andrew isn’t coming to dinner for the next couple of weeks: he’s busy harvesting blueberries and fish. He’s staying on for the winter at Tuscarora. I sort of admire his Sam Gribley (My Side of the Mountain) approach. He’s a quiet guy who spent the first couple months working in a cowboy hat. And he has the best story for “what’s the hardest thing, physically, that you’ve ever done.” Ask him.

Well, we definitely could hand the business over to Rachel and her many talents. She politely keeps her accounting ideas in her head, but we know they could be bubbling forth. Her photo of Abbie from last fall appeared in the Chicago Tribune AND the Milwaukee journal. This year she manages all the food we eat–and holds it all together splendidly.

You can’t imagine how funny Anne is. Everybody has learned to perk their ears in her direction…when she says things like “Anne likes it when Sue talks in the 3rd person.” It makes me chuckle a little just thinking about her. Also, she’s a movie expert, and she knows everything there is to know about the constitution…and the presidents…and….I don’t think she even needs to sing any songs to let us in on that.

Aren’t we lucky Jamie came back for another summer with us?—last time she worked here was in 2007. The guests who just left kept complementing Jamie on her food packing and canoe lifting skills–telling her that she just put her masters degree to good use. Jamie just laughs it off–one of her biggest skills is her ability to shrug off the size of a task, and just tackle anything with competence and good humor.

I am grateful for the way that they take care of the Tuscarora guests–but the part that they weren’t hired for, and the most amazing thing I think, is the way that they take care of us.

Cheers to the Tuscarora Summer Staff 2011.

It’s kind of quiet for a few hours-turnover in cabins today, all the paddlers are out on the water.

We’re all push overs for the little guys around here. They run around and eventually squirm their way into our hearts.

Ben spent the day in the outfitting yard yesterday. He insisted on 5 photos because he is 5 years old. After awhile, “helping” included spraying John and Carl with the hose, as they were moving the canoes around. At one point John said…”Uh oh, Ben, I think you might be busted.” His mom appeared out of nowhere, -to make sure he was truly helping. His lower lip only came out for 2 minutes, until he was happily invited back to the scrubbing.

Also–little chocolate Laramie was the new member of the Levin crew. Honestly, Could they be any cuter?

Linda and her friends finished the Kekekabic Trail today. They came back all sweaty and dirty and beat up.

The trail runs about 41 miles from Snowbank Road to the Gunflint Trail–just about 1/2 mile from us. I don’t know the Ely end, but as you get close to us, it dips down to campsites on Gabimichigami, Howard, Bingshick and Agamok. It’s a great hiking/running trail for us around here—it’s well cared for and maintained by the USFS and the Kek Trail Club.
I know more people tend to traverse the entire trail in the spring and the fall.
It’s a rough trail–and when I asked them if they had fun, they just laughed at me. No they said, they’d never call it fun. This time of year it was sort of hot, the trail was grown over, and they met obstacles everywhere.
For Andy and me, was actually a refreshingly amusing trip report. We have had just gorgeous weather for the last month or so. Sweatshirts in the morning and evening, swimming in the afternoon, fish and sun. Everybody is usually so pleased with this little slice of nirvana.

Check them out though—they’re still glowing from the escapade. I’m sure they’ll not repeat this experience—-ever……..but it was an adventure–and adventures are the stuff of life. I had a little touch of envy as they laughed with each other….and I had to take their photo before I let them “get the hell out of here.”
They were definitely proud that they kicked the Kekekabic!

Recently, Sheridan, Sheldon, and Ben Frank traveled through the Frost River–to Little Sag, and Tuscarora.

We’ve had good water levels so far this summer for the Frost River (out of Frost Lake, just south and west of Long Island Lake–flowing toward Little Saganaga).
Even so, it’s a challenging route. Sometimes, water levels in July and August can turn the challenging route into …..a seriously challenging route. Our friend DaveO once called the Frost River the best kept secret of the BWCA. What I’m trying to say, is one person’s “best kept secret” can be another person’s sheer hell.
The Franks however, had a great time. Can you tell that they were enjoying the weather we’ve been having?….50’s at night 70’s during the day (perfect, if you ask me)—Thanks to Sheridan for sharing her photos here–she obviously has a photographer’s eye.
They saw some baby beavers learning to swim–the lily pads here are about the size of small tortillas–just to give you some perspective on the little guys in the photos below. The way Sheridan described the chattering I guess I love those babies from here.

You know, in the BWCAW you’re supposed to stash your fish guts well away from the lake. In the Quetico people are allowed to leave the leftovers on the shore rocks, for the seagulls and eagles to pick clean. It sounds like a good clean sustainable plan, until the eagles start counting on it. Early this summer in Quetico, John Hooley’s group had some eagles following them around, waiting to feed their young in a nest nearby. The Hooleys are pretty successful on Kawnipi, and the eagles decided not to wait for the entrails–they just started snatching the fish right from the line. I don’t know what kind of test line it takes to hold back an eagle from flying away with a fish—but I believe as they were trying to reel in the walleye and the eagle at the same time, they may have just redefined the term “birding”.
The eagles always won. I hope the lures didn’t hurt them, but I think it’s another good reason to stash fish guts well away from the shoreline, campsites and portages….

I try really hard to appreciate the moths around here. They are at their loveliest when they clump together around the scat. Mmmmm. Sometimes the contrasts are what a person learns to value in this life.

It’s a fabulous time of year .