From the home page of Boreal Access. Here we go again…

..WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CST THIS MORNING…
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM THURSDAY TO MIDNIGHT CST THURSDAY NIGHT…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DULUTH HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM THURSDAY TO MIDNIGHT CST THURSDAY NIGHT. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CST THIS MORNING.

NORTHWEST WINDS OF 5 TO 10 MPH WILL COMBINE WITH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 15 TO 25 BELOW ZERO TO PRODUCE WIND CHILLS READINGS OF 25 TO 35 BELOW ZERO THROUGH EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS NORTHERN SAINT LOUIS…NORTHERN LAKE AND NORTHER COOK COUNTIES. IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS…BE SURE TO COVER ALL EXPOSED FLESH AS ANY EXPOSED FLESH CAN FREEZE IN 15 TO 25 MINUTES WITH WIND CHILL VALUES FROM 25 BELOW TO 35 BELOW. THIS MAY RESULT IN FROST BITE AND HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. ALSO REMEMBER THAT PETS ARE ALSO SUSCEPTIBLE TO COLD WIND CHILLS.

TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES ARE EXPECTED FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING ACROSS NORTHERN SAINT LOUIS AND NORTHERN LAKE AND COOK COUNTIES.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY…AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION. 

Don’t ask me what Mark and I were thinking when we decided we should have two teams run in the White Oak Classic sled dog race next week. Originally we had been thinking I would run the race and take what we would think to be our ten best, but after our long run last weekend decided the race should be more of a “shakedown” event for some of our non-race veteran dogs before the Beargrease. We really feel the need for the shakedown this year before the Beargrease as the organizers decided (after everyone had signed up for the race) to add an additional 50+ miles to the race. With the race being one of the toughest courses, on both dogs and mushers, it makes it hard even for those of us that have a musher with winters off to get the proper training on the dogs so early in the season. Oh well, I will keep the rest of my opinions on this to myself as everyone who runs the race has to run the same course I guess. Anyway, I was talking about the White Oak Race…

On Monday morning on our way through Grand Marais on our way to Duluth, we put our entries for the race in the mail. After we got halfway down Highway 61, we thought to ourselves “what are we going to do for handlers?” as Rob and Mel will have to stay back and take care of and run the others that don’t go to the race. We usually have handlers lined up before we sign up for a race, but this year we put the sled before the dog (and handlers). Wally’s BL.A.C.Klub ‘”grandparents”, Mark and Lisa Luttinen said earlier this year that they’d love to come help as they have family in Deer River, so we did have some help lined up but with two teams running…

I put out an e-mail to our webmaster extraoirdinaire (sp?) Tone and he’s in. Tone helped us in the Beargrease last year and we must not have scared him too much with that adventure so thanks Tone…we’ll pick you up in Duluth on the way through. We might also have Bob and/or Shari Baker of Gunflint Pines come with us. I was talking with Shari yesterday making plans to travel up The Trail for a New Year’s Eve party at their place tonight and mentioned if they were interested in coming. With owning a resort, Shari isn’t sure she can make it, but said she’d “let” Bob come along (thanks Shari…if you can sneak away, we’d love to have you too). Thanks everyone, we appreciate the last minute commitment! We might see our Mush For a Cure co-founders, Mike and Sue Prom of Voyageur tonight at the party, so don’t be surprised if we ask you guys if you’d like to see what a race is all about!

Have a safe New Year’s Eve everyone. If you plan on going out, have a designated driver. See you all next year!

Daylight Watch: Tomorrow will be 59 seconds longer than today!!!

Mark and I had a long day yesterday making the trip to Duluth for his Grandma’s funeral. Thank you to everyone who have sent condolences. Grandma had 95 years here on earth and after losing Mark’s grandpa ten years ago, she’s reunited with him again.

After the service we had people asking us tons of questions about living in “the bush”. After four years we don’t think too much about our lifestyle, to us it’s just a way of life but to others it’s either “your crazy” or “wow, that’s hard work”.

On the long drive home, I thought about how we have the good fortune to live in a time where our way of life is a choice, while for Grandma Black, who was born in 1913, it was “just life” living without indoor plumbing and all the comforts that we all take for granted today. Grandma lived through the Depression and was as frugal as anyone who had. I remember one time I was helping her clean up after dinner and was scolded for throwing away tinfoil that had been used to cover a dish and wasn’t dirty…”that can be used again” I was told. I admit I still sometimes throw away tin foil that can be used again, but each time I do, I think of Grandma Black scolding me and feel guilty.

Growing up, Mark spent a lot of time in the summer at Grandma and Grandpa’s cabin on Sand Lake near Moose Lake. In the early years it was a cabin, with no indoor plumbing and gas lights (sound familiar?). After Grandpa retired, he had a goal of making the cabin a year-round home and Mark remembers watching and helping Grandpa Black dig out a basement for it…by hand. Grandpa would use a pick, shovel and wheelbarrow. I don’t have to wonder where Mark gets his work ethic from! 

Grandma Black you are going to be missed, but we know you are in a better place spending time with Grandpa, your son Bob and grandson Chris. We’ll keep working hard down here and save a place for us when it’s our turn. We can only hope we will be down here as long as you! 

Margaret Marion Black, 95, longtime resident of West Duluth and Sand Lake (Moose Lake), passed away peacefully Dec. 24, 2008 in Diamond Willow in Proctor, Minn.

She was born October 29, 1913 in Munger Township to Ole and Gertrude Corser.

Margaret was a graduate of Proctor High School. On May 29, 1937 she married Thomas A. Black in the former Holy Apostles Episcopal Church of West Duluth. They were very active members of Holy Apostles, where their children were brought up, until it closed and combined to form Trinity Episcopal Church of Hermantown.

Margaret worked a variety of jobs at the Willows, Glass Block downtown, Boyce Drug Store, and Litton Industries, but she was best at being a homemaker, mom and grandmother.

After Tom’s retirement in 1976, they spent many winters traveling to the Weslaco, and Mission area in Texas, Florida and the southwest. Summers were spent at their Lake Home on Sand Lake until moving there and living full time for 9 years.

She is preceded in death by her husband Tom in 1998; son Robert J. in 1999; grandson Christopher T. in 1993; her parents; two brothers and five sisters.

Margaret is survived by son Thomas (Diane) of Duluth; daughter Judy (Jay) Anderson of Hermantown and Sarasota; daughter-in-law Shelley Black of Duluth; six grandchildren Mark (Mary), Bryan (Jennifer), Sherry Anderson, Candy Murray, Justin (Andrea), Nathan; 13 great-grandchildren Tony, Spencer, Evan, Avery, Jacob, Joshua, Brittnee, Katie, Marrissa, Kylie, Keegan, Gabrielle, Kyler; sister-in-law Edna Corser of Hermantown; many nieces and nephews; extended family and friends.

Daylight Watch: Tomorrow will be 52 seconds longer than today!!!

We had a beautiful day to give Matt from Eden Prairie an Off The Beaten Path dogsled ride yesterday. The temperature was in the mid-20′s, the sun was shining and the winds were calm. Can’t ask for any better than that. I have to apologize to Matt that I never asked his last name! His son-in-law Carl made all the arrangements so I didn’t even think about it until I started to write this! Carl, if you’re reading this send it along with some photos to share. I was unable to take pictures of the hook-up as I was running a team behind the guys myself. Since the Varsity Team had the day off, Mark and Matt ran a 14-dog string of the JV crew, while I ran the remaining guys. They had only been on one run in the last week, so I thought “why not”. Again since Mark was giving a ride, it was not a good day to have Mel try for the first time solo. Once out on the trail, it also wouldn’t have been a great day as the trail was a lot faster than Saturday.

Matt said he had a great time and we enjoyed his company. Matt is 70-something who still runs his own towing company in the metro area. According to his son-in-law Carl, not only does he run the company, he still crawls under cars below zero to “hook them up”. When Mark dropped Matt back off at his truck he was heading to his off-the-grid and off-the-plowed-road cabin on McFarland Lake for a couple of days of downtime. Matt the offer stands, feel free to stop on over next summer when you can drive in. Although driving here from McFarland Lake is just as much of an adventure as your dogsled ride was today…and a lot bumpier!

Yesterday morning when we went outside to give the dog’s their dry food the thermometer read 32 degrees. Today it’s 20. While it is only 12 degrees less, it feels a lot colder out this morning.

After deciding the trail conditions weren’t conducive having Mel run a team on her own yesterday, Mark and I took out the Varsity Team for a long run. We hitched up a 10 and 7-dog team in the 39 degree temperature. It was a little warm for the dogs but it was great for the mushers. We ran the team around our 30-mile loop stopping a lot along the way to let the dogs roll in and bite snow. We came back to the yard to water dogs, check feet and grab a PB&J (thanks Mel) to throw in the sled for a second run around the loop. It was still in the mid-30′s when we took off around 3:15 and the trail was soft and punchy. Halfway through the run as it started to get dark, the dogs picked it up and we cruised along nicely. We thought our second time around would be slower with the punchy trail, but when we pulled into the yard the times were nearly identical. Everyone did great! So much so that Mark and I are both going to enter the White Oak Classic 10-dog race in two weeks. More info to come.

It’s time to get chores done as Mark has to pick up client Matt at 10:00 at the trailhead. Have a great day everyone!

Daylight Watch: Tomorrow will be 42 seconds longer than today!!!

Another weather advisory this morning on Boreal Access:

Short Term Forecast – Northern Lake, Northern Cook Superior NF NW (Minnesota)
…PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE THIS MORNING…
PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL OCCUR FROM THE BORDERLAND EAST TO THE ARROWHEAD…AND ALONG THE IRON RANGE UNTIL 8 AM. VISIBILITIES MAY BE OCCASIONALLY REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE MILE AT TIMES IN AREAS OF FOG. ROADS ARE SLIPPERY…USE CAUTION WHILE TRAVELING.

While the temperature outside is a mild 32 degrees, the precipitation that has been falling since yesterday has been rain. Fortunately it has mainly been a slow drizzle, but it is making the snow “crunchy”. If the temps stay above freezing, it won’t be too bad, but if it cools off like predicted, the yard and trails will turn into a sheet of ice. The only saving grace is that the forecast is also calling for the precipitation to continue, thankfully in the form of light snow. We will keep our fingers crossed that the forecasters are right.

Yesterday I mentioned there were BL.A.C.Klub adoptions given as Christmas presents, we also had some folks recieve Off The Beaten Path sled dog rides for Christmas too. One of them we were scheduled to give on Monday and we need to thank the Polding family for rescheduling the ride for tomorrow as Mark’s grandma’s funeral is Monday afternoon so we will be traveling to Duluth on Monday morning. Hopefully the roads will be better by then.

Meredith McDowell, Wally’s BL.A.C.Klub “mom” also recieved a OTBP drive your own team adventure as a Christmas present from her parents Mark and Lisa Luttinen. What Lisa didn’t know is that Mark was giving her the same thing! Lisa and Meredith will be visiting us in February for their fun. Wally can’t wait to see Meredith again and we’ll be sure to have him in her team when she drives a sled the first time.

I guess it’s time to get out and do chores. We are going to take the dogs out today as Mark’s knee is feeling “100% better”. With the 3-4″ of snow that fell on Thursday night, the fateful rock in the burn should be covered up now, let’s hope so!

Daylight Watch: Tomorrow will be 37 seconds longer than today!!!