Cavity Lake Fire Tours

     Many of you have heard of fire sales but this is a fire tour.  Not just a Cavity Lake Fire Tour but a tour of the different fires that have occurred over the years at the end of the Gunflint Trail.  It is really awesome to be able to see the different stages the forest is in.  At the end of the Gunflint Trail you can paddle or use a boat and motor on Saganaga to see where the Roy Lake Fire burned in 1976 and the Sag Lake Corridor Fire in 1995.  On Seagull Lake you can see where the prescribed burns were done in 2002 and 2003 on Three Mile Island,  and near Arc and Meditation Lake.  You can also see where the Alpine Lake Fire burned in 2005 and now you can see the recent effects of the Cavity Lake Fire. 

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     Since travel on Seagull Lake has opened there have been mixed reports; some people find it worse than what they thought, some find it better, and everyone finds it extremely interesting.  Forest Fire is an amazing natural event that acts in unpredictable ways.  One spot can be burned down to bare rock like it had been vaporized while another spot wasn’t touched at all.  I was shown a photo of the beginning of the Alpine Lake Portage and I thought it was from before the fire.  I was told it could have been because of the lower elevation at the portage or perhaps the rock ledge protected it, but it hadn’t burned at all.  There are signs of green already appearing in the newly burned areas of the Cavity Lake Fire and signs of other life including grasshoppers and frogs.  Fire is a natural occurrence in a wilderness area and to be able to see such a diverse area is a fascinating opportunity that doesn’t come around very often.  So, grab your paddle, give us a call, and we’ll set you up for a once in a lifetime Fire Tour at the end of the Gunflint Trail.

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