Category: Life at Tuscarora Lodge

(All photos courtesy of Mark Jirsa)

Let’s just put it out here….geology is one of the last things I ever wanted to study in college. For a time Shelby was planning to grow up to be a geologist –so I tried. We bought The Rock Picker’s Guide to Lake Superior, and we’d attempt to identify the rocks—but I also brought some hammers and safety glasses for Daniel..and then we’d end up trying to find geodes and really just smashing up all the rocks we could. Or we’d pull out the glue and paint and take away sculptures…I’m sad to say, we were high impact amateur geologists. But let me tell you, we sure could chug.

This summer, Geologist Mark Jirsa brought University students to travel to Bingshick and study the rock formations —apparently it is a geologist’s dream out there. He chose that lake because he said there were rocks from 3 major time periods in history–and he was looking for some specific junction, revealed by the fires of years past. I was politely curious. But that guy has a passion for this stuff, and it’s fairly contagious. He identified some sort of junction this year on Bingshick–something that proved a theory that he’s had for 10 years–about rocks from different time periods (and maybe this photo illustrates that, and maybe it doesn’t—)… but now he has proof. Pretty soon, I was enthused right there with him–in part because it’s fun to see someone so zealous about his work, and in part because he kindled my interest—in rocks.

So, when he was giving a presentation last week–on the nearby Gunflint Narrows Road, we all arranged to go.

In May of 2007, the Ham Lake Fire foiled Mark’s geology field trip to Seagull Lake. The closest he was allowed to go that week was the Narrows Road. So he started exploring–and made an important discovery—evidence of a meteorite that hit the earth in Sudbury Canada. The event sent the earth into a nuclear winter—1.85 billion years ago.

We saw some braccia formations; layers rock that was broken and stirred up as a result of the shock waves. It seems there are several local fire places made of that stuff. These braccia formations were made from rock already here, but we also looked at ejecta—the lappilli formations made from rock ejected upon impact (apparently not part of the monster meteorite–which vaporized from all that energy)
The pea shaped lappilli were formed because the tremendous energy and material ejected into clouds—like hail stones are created during a thunderstorm…. “stone hail” was formed during that event, and some of them rained over the Gunflint Lake area. (Stefan came up with the term stone-hail–and we thought that was clever)

At any rate—it appears to be a significant geological discovery right here, and I’ve got to credit Mark for making that snippet in time, almost 2 billion years ago, come alive for me. And I’ll also admit, my hike yesterday was enriched by the curiosity about the rock formations I noticed. Hoping he’ll be back again, and if you have the chance to hear him, you might want to take it-even if you think you might not be interested!

We still have folks coming to take advantage of our September summer (I understand that it was warmer than July) but the stream of guests has narrowed to a trickle.

When we realized that steady Jen would be the only staff person left this month, we put out a call for reinforcements. I kept reassuring her that we would find her friends– and they came. Now they’ve gone, and on this cloudy thundering morning I’m reflecting on all they gave us this fall. My parents, Stefan, Lindsay, Andy, Mary, Anna—

First of all, they left very tangible evidence in their wake–clean tents, piles of laundered bedding and curtains, an ordered tidy canoe yard, folded sunned, dried packs and life jackets…..blueberry pies and banana bread, freshly painted floors, clean gutters, cleared trees–and I’m still finding evidence of Mary who can fold fitted sheets like I can’t.

But less tangible and maybe more significant would be the meals, with the spicy and lively conversation, the laughing, the evening Stefan told his star stories to all of us as we lay on the dock (he’s a guru), the DEEEP discussions with Anna as we were hiking, — just the overall positive infusion of energy.

My heart swells with gratitude for our constantly growing extended family, and as they leave here with cracked scrubbed hands–they also leave a little part of themselves with us. Even though we feel a tug of emptiness when they drive away, still we feel full from the echoes of their goodwill, and knowledge that sometime, they’ll be back.

Do you suppose the wolves we heard howling so close at 6am alarmed her? It seems like usually they wait for moose hunting season to take refuge in our yard.

She had such a Denali face, I wish I could have captured it—-

What a month….The sunny days are in the high 70’s…last night we paddled out on Seagull for a picnic l-6 of us plus Denali—Daniel even went swimming. It’s September, did I mention that?

There are pockets of blueberries that are better picking than ever. It’s strange—but we’ll take it!

On most of my drives and tows I get asked a lot of similar questions, such as “Where are you from?” and “How did you come to find a job like this?” With my answer of being from a small town in Southwest Iowa and I found the job on the Iowa State online Job Board I am asked another question. “So..you have been up here before right?” When I answer them saying that this is my first time ever in the Boundary Waters, I get a different reaction every time it seems. Sometimes I get a confused look and others they are more excited for me working here for the summer than they are excited to go out on their trip.
There was one drive that I remember specifically, I don’t quite recall their last name but it was a man and his wife that I had just picked up from Poplar, and was bringing them back to Tuscarora. When I was asked those three questions, the wife was so happy for me, she had a smile from ear to ear. She told me how much she loves going on these trips and being up here for a week, she couldn’t imagine how much fun it would be to live here for the summer.
It took that group for me to realize where I really am. I am in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, people from all over the United States come here to vacation and I have gotten the privilege to work here for the summer. I have made so many new friends and acquaintances that I wouldn’t have even dreamed of making. This area has some of the nicest and most polite individuals I have ever met. I had no idea that I would have this type of experience being here at Tuscarora. I tell people that I was just looking for something new and different when they ask why I chose to work here. That is exactly what I got.
I didn’t have much canoeing experience before coming to work at Tuscarora. But, when I leave here I will leave with more knowledge than most people gain in a lifetime. I can’t even fathom the idea of not coming back up here, not necessarily only to work, but just to enjoy the experience and the wilderness. There is hardly anything else like this in the world, and I wake up to it everyday. I consider myself a very lucky individual to have gotten this chance to help the Ahrendt family continue their tradition of running great Outfitter. I have had multiple groups tell me that would recommend Tuscarora to anyone, not only for the equipment, but also for their hospitality and kindness.
I will never forget this summer, there have been so many things happen to me that I don’t think it would be possible to forget it. I have new friends that I plan on staying in touch with and they have made an impact on me more than anything else has this summer. Everyone up here is awesome and I can’t even think about not staying in touch. With a number of returning staff members each year, it is hard to think that this isn’t a great place. No one would keep coming back to a place that they didn’t love. I will always keep my memories from Tuscarora, through pictures and stories. I look forward to coming back here in the years to come.

(click on the photo below in order to see Mike up on the top of the cliff—far right)

Sue’s Note: Staffer Mike sent in these reflections from Iowa the other day. Maybe you can appreciate what an honor it is for us to share our summers with these good young people.