Hardly any ice, hardly any bugs, hardly any people. Ready for you.
And They’re Off!
The Iowa State University biology class is on their way! Biology 393: Biodiveristy of the Boreal Forest to be exact. Jim and Jim bring a group of 7 students every May on a week long trip in the Boundary Waters looking for things of biological interest with a side of adventure. Doesn’t that sound like a fun trip? They will be out looking for open water and things like Vulpicidia pinastri (Powdered Sunshine lichen), Polytrichum pilferum (Awned Hair Cap moss), Cladonia chlorophae (Mealy Pixie-cup lichen), and Umbilicaria muehlenbergii (Plated Rock tripe). After a hot French toast breakfast and lots of coffee, the class layered up and shoved off fighting a strong headwind for the Missing Link portage. First group off the Tuscarora beach this spring!
Round Lake is open!
Round Lake is open! Ok, ok, ok, you can’t technically leave from our beach yet if you care about your canoe. The wind switched last night pushing the remaining ice into our back bay. However, the far side of the lake is open which means you can paddle from the public access landing to both portages!
The first group left this morning heading for Brant. No one has been in to Missing Link or Tuscarora yet so the ice conditions that way are unknown. Typically Missing Link is open around the same time as Round. Tuscarora will be a few days later because it is such a large and deep lake.
We had one group this weekend staying on Larch Lake. They reported good luck with walleye and that Clove Lake went out on Sunday.
Ham Lake is now completely ice free. No one has paddle past Ham Lake yet, but typically when Ham is open, Cross Bay Lake is open. Long Island Lake is most likely still covered in ice as it is a large deep lake as well.
The forecast for this week is on the cold side. Highs in the lower 50’s. Lows in the upper 20’s. Mostly cloudy with on and off showers. Not great for melting ice but if the wind keeps up with all the rain squalls, ice conditions will improve quickly!
Time to catch some lake trout!!!
Public access launch on Round Lake
Tuscarora’s beach this morning
Looking toward the Missing Link portage from the public access dock
Cross River is Running!
Andy, Lucy and I dipped in our paddles for the first time this spring! The Cross Bay entry point dock is open and a little underwater. The Cross River is running fast and full. We passed by a beaver surveying the damage to his busted dam and an otter enjoying the fast moving fishing. The little lake with out a name before Ham Lake was hosting two loons who were too busy fishing to notice us. We scared up a flock of common mergansers and a pair of buffleheads. A broad winged hawk was soaring over head. We made it all the way past the first campsite on Ham Lake before we found the ice again. We hugged the shoreline as far as we could punting ice chunks out of the way before we reached an icy dead end. The portages still have a little snow in the shade but mostly they are covered in a nice layer of good old spring time mud. Round Lake is looking promising after last night’s rain. The opening by Cabin 2 is getting larger and usually has a pair of mallards paddling around in it (at least until Lucy comes zooming in barking her head off). The ice is pulling away from the shoreline and starting to get dark. A killdeer has shown up in the canoe yard today, the merlin pair have found their Tuscarora nesting spot and the ravens are making a noisy nest close by. Getting closer everyone!!! 
Round Lake from the public portage
Round Lake from the public portage
May Day or Mayday Mayday Mayday!
Happy May Day! It is the first of May, Tuscarora’s traditional “Start of Canoe Season” day. While we are open year round, today we are now officially open for summer. Some of you out there may be thinking more along the lines of “mayday mayday mayday!!!” when it comes time to think about your May or even early June canoe trip plans. Keep calm, and send warm thoughts our way. It has been a strange winter and a strange spring, so no one can know for sure when the ice will go out. Keep checking in. We will let you know when the ice goes!
Here are a few pictures from yesterday and today. It has been overcast and drizzling/raining on and off for a couple of days now. The Cross River that runs along Round Lake Road is open from the rapids all the way to the start of the first portage. I caught sight of an otter rafting along on an ice flow before slipping under the water. The migrating birds are singing like crazy in the mornings. Round Lake is showing some promising cracks along the shoreline. The outlet is running strong as well which has harbored a pair of common mergansers. Good signs!
Round Lake outlet by Cabin 2
Open water on the edges of Round Lake where the main dock will be
Beaver pond on Round Lake Road getting closer to being clear of ice
Cross River is running fast and full
Cross Bay entry point dock
Standing on the Cross Bay entry dock looking toward portage
