Rain and More on the Gunflint Trail

   

<%image(20070608-earlrushingwatersm.jpg|200|267|Earl Falls Rushing Water)%>

  It seems like Mother Nature is trying to beg forgiveness for the Ham Lake Fire.  She has been providing us with the much needed rain to bring our lake levels back up and close to normal for this time of year.  Since the first of June the Gunflint Trail has received anywhere from 4-7 inches of rain in places. 

      At Voyager we received a thorough drenching of rain along with some pea sized hail on Wednesday night.  We were happy to see the water running everywhere; down the roads, into the river and filling the lakes.  It continued to rain off and on throughout the day on Thursday and we were content with that too.     

<%image(20070605-earfalls6.jpg|200|267|Earl Falls before big rain)%>

 Then after noon on Thursday we started to hear rumors of a late afternoon storm.  The storm was to possibly bring high winds up to 70 mph, hail and of course more rain.  It came to my mind that maybe we needed to have a talk with Mother Nature. 

     Around 5:30pm the sky turned very dark,  the high winds began to roar and we lost electricity.  The wind drove the rain straight into the side of the building and trees bent over, reminiscent to the blowdown of 1999.  After 10-15 minutes of pounding rain and wind, the thrust of the storm had passed and only a slight wind and drizzle continued. 

     We used to have an official weather station at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters.  Twice a day we would check it for high and low temperatures, rain and more.  I wish we still had the weather station because the weather varies so much along the Gunflint Trail. 

     Our best guess is yesterday’s storm brought over an inch of rain and winds close to 50 miles per hour.(The Seagull Guard Station, about 7 miles from here, recorded 36 mph winds.)  The wind lifted shingles off of our roof and blew down many trees on Sag Lake Trail and the end of the Gunflint Trail.  Don and Michael Valentini cut 18 trees off of the road from our place to Seagull Lake Road, about a 3 mile distance.  Our road was nearly washed out by a rushing river that carved away the gravel down the hill to the public landing. 

     We thought Mother Nature was done with her show but she continued to give us another half of an inch of rain after midnight.  The forest is wet, the fire danger is low and this morning the sun is shining.  Another day begins on the Gunflint Trail.