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With the additional
daylight hours, the forest starts to come to life. Even at this stage
of winter, some migrating birds begin to return to the area while
others stop by on their long trip to the far north. Ravens and crows
have begun mating rituals-behavior often exhibited through stunning
aerobatic displays or play upon the surface of frozen lakes.
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Another one of Minnesota's well known inhabitants visitors frequently see at the International Wolf Center begins to grow more active with the lengthening days. This individual was seen near the Kawishiwi Triangle and was quite interested in observing our car for some time.
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The lengthening days
didn't come without some consequence, though. Much like the warm up we
experienced in January, the thaw and subsequent rain that followed in
February took a major toll on our snowpack. With nearly an inch of
rain falling throughout several days of temperatures in the mid 50's,
the snow accumulation on the lakes melted, leaving us with several
inches of standing water. Thankfully this wet and sloppy condition
only was temporary, as the water eventually drained through cracks in
the buoyant ice.
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Just
as Elyites were donning flip flops and zinc oxide lotion, winter
returned with a subtle nudge to remind us we're not out of the woods
yet. Temperatures dropped to the single digits or lower, some new snow
fell, and the lakes hardened to a point where traveling about in a
vehicle of any size brought about no question of safety. Fishing holes
that offered access only by snowmobile because of deep snow could now
be reached by car or large truck.
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With the warm weather
and longer days, we took the opportunity to enjoy the friendly skies
over Minnesota. Enjoying the vastness of our lakes and forests from
the air is stunning, but much more so with a good companion and
attentive co-pilot.
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Recent
trips to the twin ports of Duluth and Superior for some recurrent
training have allowed us to witness the effects of the freezing and
thawing upon our country's largest fresh water port and the
surrounding river systems. The warm weather brought on tremendous
amounts of melt water, causing rivers such as the St. Louis and Black
Rivers to rise by several feet. Subsequent cold weather froze the
river surfaces, and as the water levels declined, the rivers were left
with hollow shells that have slowly broken apart in large flakes.
The Duluth Harbor sports
a fresh coat of ice following the February thaw-fresh snow blown by
strong a east wind leaves patterns akin to M.C. Escher's tessellations
on the ice. The St. Louis River flows into the harbor at the top of
the photo. |
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With
the lengthening days we have started to turn our thoughts towards the
upcoming resort season. If you've not contacted us about your Summer
2017 getaway, it's never too late to arrange that week or weekend in
the great north woods. From all of us here at Custom Cabin Rentals, we
hope you enjoy the rest of the winter, and we look forward to seeing
you in the warmer and more sunlit months ahead. |