Scenes to warm our winter-frozen hearts!

Bay in front of Douglas Creek. 

Douglas Creek pours into Trout Bay

Hugh Carlson's  freighting system loaded with dock segments. In the background is Frank Paishk's cabin.

It hit 25 C or about 75 F in the sun in Nolalu today

Brenda and Cork enjoy the sun and disappearing snowbanks

The top three photos of spring scenes at the west end of Red Lake were sent to me today by Enid Carlson who owns Viking Island Lodge along with her husband, Hugh.
They had made a freighting snowmobile trip out to Viking Island on Douglas Lake. The two scenes of open water were at the entrance to Douglas Creek at the end of Trout Bay, a familiar place to all Bow Narrows anglers. Despite the below-normal temperatures and late-spring snowfalls, the lake is melting there pretty much as-usual. Of course, this place has a lot of current and such areas are the very first to melt. Still, it is heartening and makes us still hopeful that we will be able to get into camp by the opening of fishing season, May 17.
There is current also in the narrows in front of Bow Narrows Camp and this fact has often let us start the season on time by flying from the Chukuni River in town, usually with Viking Outposts aircraft, and landing in the narrows, even when the main part of the lake is still frozen and impassable to our cabin cruiser. In fact, that is what we did last year.
The third photo shows one of the Carlson's snowmobiles and the boat they are pulling loaded with freight. In the background is what most people know as "The Trapper's Cabin" at the eastern entrance to West Narrows, about two miles from our camp. It was built by Frank Paishk, the Ojibwa man who trapped the west end of Red Lake and who died many years ago. Frank was also one of the guides at Viking Island Lodge.
You can see more about the Carlsons' trip at Enid's blog.
The bottom two photos were taken today at our home in Nolalu which is about 300 miles southeast of Red Lake and is only 30 miles from Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The thermometer was on the sunny side of the house but still, this is pretty impressive. The warm temperature and light wind are helping melt the two feet of snow that still remains in the bush here. There may only be eight inches of snow left in the fields.
Brenda took advantage of the sunny day to "suntan" while reading her book. Our 4.5-month chocolate Lab puppy, Cork, finds the remaining snow patches perfect for eating and cooling off his tummy after dashing wildly about in what must be his expression of spring fever.