As a result of yesterday's rain the following email was received from, Donna Hart,  USFS  Gunflint Ranger District, Grand Marais, "Effective today, Friday May 14 at noon (12:00 p.m. ) the fire restrictions are liffed, Fires are allowed anywhere, anytime."

This means both inside and outside the BWCA campfires are now allowed.

Spring on the Gunflint Trail

 Spring arrived several weeks early this year. The ice went out the earliest on record. Our ski trail, the Banadad closed in March- this has never happened before. The spring bird migration is well under way - robins were seen by Guests at Poplar Creek Guesthouse way too early. Not sure what is going on but it is beautiful on the Gunflint. We will likely have an early green-up, the lakes are already open for canoeing and during April you do not even need to make overnight reservations for the Boundary Waters. This is great time for a visit – join us at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, at one of our cabins or for the  adventuresome stay at the Tall Pines Yurt. During this time Special Quiet Times rates apply.

Plant Trees along the Banadad Trails- Join Us at the Gunflint Green-Up - May 7th and 8th

Join other friends of the Gunflint Trail at the Trail's annual Green-Up for a weekend of tree planting and tree care. At Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B and cabins we plan to plant Red and White Pines seedlings in the Poplar Creek/Little Ollie area and along the Banadad Ski Trail. Please join us!

We provide tree-planting instruction, planting equipment and tree seedlings, two nights lodging with Barbara's famous breakfasts each morning. One day planting trees with a trail lunch. Also included during your stay, Ted will make a presentation on the area's "Fire history, and Reforestation." Rate for two nights is $89/person/plus taxes, double occupancy.

To register for the Green Up at Poplar Creek call 800-322-8327 or email  us at bct@boundarycountry.com.   

Additional Tree Planting Weekends

Unable to make the Green-Up weekend but still want to help reforest the area, no problem. Join these additional tree-planting weekends. Same deals as during Green-up To register for these weekends call 800-322-8327 or email  us at bct@boundarycountry.com

·        April 30 and May 1 - Rate for two night is $89/person/plus taxes, double occupancy

·        May 14 and May 15 - Rate for two nights is $89/person/plus taxes, double occupancy

Banadad Trail Association Contributes to Tree Plan

1. For the third year running the Banadad Ski Trail remains carbon neutral. The Banadad Trail Association is contributing $168 to offset the CO2 produced in the grooming and maintenance of the Banadad this past winter. This contribution will go towards the purchase of 372 red and white pine trees seedlings to plant along the Banadad during the first three weeks in May. 

Guests Encounter Lynx along the Banadad

Early this March guests staying at the Poplar Creek Retreat Cabin had quite an experience. The event is told in the following article from our local newspaper-

Cook County News herald- Faris and Bonnie Keeling of Duluth had an adventure many northlanders can only imagine—an encounter with a Canada lynx. The Keelings spent the weekend on the Banadad Trail where they said they enjoyed “blue sky, sunny days and clear, starry nights and skiing and snowshoeing.” However, the highlight of the trip was seeing the lynx.

Reached by phone on March 9, Bonnie Keeling said they spotted the animal far ahead on the trail and quickly leashed their German Shepherd Fernando. Barely “a dot,” the creature dashed into the woods, only to appear back on the trail a few minutes later within 10- 15 yards of the Keelings and their dog. “There it was, a Canada lynx— uncomfortably bigger than we thought they were. For several seconds it carefully examined us with a fierce, intense stare. Then it apparently decided we were harmless and uninteresting, neither predator nor prey—despite ‘Nando’s yipping and whining and straining at his leash, wanting to give chase. It casually turned its back on us, showing off its high haunches, its short, black-tipped tail, and its tufted ears in profile.”

Keeling said it continued leisurely traveling up the trail ahead of them for at least a quarter mile, occasionally stopping and staring back for a few moments, as they followed at a respectful distance.

Barbara’s Kitchen

Breakfast chef Barbara-This summer at the Bed and Breakfast, I will be serving some new entrees.  These were tested this past winter and came up winners. You might be served Ebelskievers filled with spiced apples or croissants filled with scrambled eggs into which boursin cheese has been stirred.  The fruit plate always amazes guests as they count the number of artfully arranged fruits.  Of course, I will continue with some favorites such as the stuffed French toast and puffed oven pancake. Do not forget there is always breakfast dessert.

Lesley continues on our staff. This past winter she put together and served quite a few Firepot dinners at the Tall Pines yurt. If there are four or more guests that want to order this special supper, just let us know a couple days beforehand.  We still do this at the yurt during the warm months too. Lesley also cleans the rooms and cabins and guests have commented on the cleanliness. We are so glad to have Lesley here!

Earliest Ice-Out Ever- Early Spring

The ice went out in Little Ollie Lake on April 2 followed by Poplar Lake on April 6. While we have not kept records for Little Ollie, we have been keeping records when the ice went-out in Poplar. Guest what? For Poplar this is earliest ice-out date we know off. Prior to this year the earliest the ice went out was on April 16 in 2005 and 2006. Between 1990 and 2000 the ice went out six times during May with the latest May 22. After the year 2000 the ice has gone out six times in April and only three time in May.

The weather has been great here. If it continues it should be an early green up and that means we will likely be planting our garden in May instead of our usual time of mid June. Spring on the Gunflint Trail is a beautiful season - Very quiet, no mosquitoes, hike, mountain bike, animal viewing and bird watching or just relax.

 Spring Quiet Season Special Rates at Boundary Country- March 29 through May 13, 2010

Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B - all rooms about 20% off-

·        Dorothy's Room $95/night with breakfast for two

·        Ollie's Room $120/night with breakfast for two.

·        Barbara's Suite $105 without breakfast. $125 with breakfast for two.

Little Ollie Lake Cabin - Great Savings

• Regular Rate weekday $150- Special Rate $99/night
• Regular Rate weekend $175/ night- Special Rate $125/night
• Regular Weekly Rate $999/week- Special Rate-$750

Also Checkout our new last minute Specials for even more savings!

The ice covered alder brush and small trees clogging the Banadad Ski Trail from last months storm, and that forced the closing of the trail, has finally been removed. The Banadad is once again open.  The re-opening of the trail took nine-four hours of hard-wet-cold hand labor by trail crews.  

Groomers have now finished packing the fresh snow and the re-setting of tracks begins today, February 11. It is expected that the track setting of the Banadad will be completed by tomorrow.

According to trail maintenance manager, Ted Young, “the brush that clogged the trail from this storm was by far and away the worst I have ever seen in my twenty-seven years of working on the Banadad. The crews that helped re-open the trails did a great job!  Young continued, “I wish to give a special thanks to Jim Morison, Peter Spink, Pete Harris, John and Barbara Bottagar who volunteered their time along with paid trail workers, Jim Raml, Mike and Matt Hendrickson.  And thanks to other members of the Banadad Trail Assocation who, contributed moral support, including support from as far

The on-line vacation guide, "Midwest Weekends" published by Beth Gauper, most recent edition, had a great article about the Banadad Yurts. The article, "from Yurt to B&B on the Gunflint -In a snowy Minnesota wilderness, guests get the best of two worlds," was written by Gauper and was about a recent ski trip she took on the Gunflint. 

Photo by "Midwest Weekends," Torsten Müller.

First snow of the season! Over the last two days the mid-Gunflint Trail area has registered about three and one-half inches of snow. More is predicted through Monday. But don't break-out your skis just yet. The trails still need more work; the swamps and ponds along the trails are not frozen and it is quite likely we will have some more warm weather before we finally settle into our winter season sometime around mid November.

After four or five of non-stop days of rain and wind gust up to 40 miles per hour, yesterday it did not rain and the wind finally stopped blowing. At Boundary Country we had one dripping wet canoe party return one day early. One of the men on the trip’s raincoat tore apart. Needless to say he was soaked. Otherwise several other of our parties are still out on their BWCA canoe trips. Today and for the next several days the forecast calls for sunny weather. This should give everyone a chance to dry-out.

Yesterday, at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B the temperature hit 80 degrees for the first time this year. Today it looks like we are in for another warm day. Then it is expect to cool down a bit. Still the nights are cool; never getting above the mid 60s.

However nothing like the weather we are reading about to the south of us.

May 9- one inch of snow covered the ground this morning along the mid-Gunflint Trail area and the snow continued to fall until about 10:00 am. By late afternoon the fresh snow was gone.

On the other hand, Poplar Lake did see its fishing opener, even though most in the area were saying Poplar and other mid  size lakes in the area would still be ice covered for the opener.  The ice actually went-out  yesterday, the day before the opener. 

Here around Little Ollie Lake, as a follow-up to last week's Gunflint Green Up,  several  neighbors were out  planting more trees.  Most planted on their own property.  Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, this year,  planted white pines on the trail to the Tall Pines Yurt.  While walking along the Little Ollie Road it was clear that most of the white pines and spruce planted last year along the road had  survived the winter and appeared to be doing fine.

While much of the Banadad Ski Trail still has plenty of snow there are signs that spring is arriving. The ice went out on Little Ollie Lake yesterday. Poplar and other mid size lakes are still covered with ice.It is doubtful whether the ice in these lakes will go out before the fishing opener on May 9th.  In the woods and on north facing slopes snow remains- in some places up to a foot deep. However, about a week ago the season’s first loon was spotted flying over Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B.

In the mid-Gunflint Area from the “Pines” to about Gunflint Lake winter still lingers on in the shady spot and in the woods where continues snow  from one to two feet remain. Along the Banadad Ski Trail the ski conditions are still great with bare spots only in sunny open areas. Once you get much past the South Gunflint Lake Road where the Ham Lake Fire took place conditions change drastically. Here must of the snow is gone- must likely due to the lack of shad in this area’s burned over forest. Also, as it usually happens, the upper Gunflint area again this winter received a bit less snow then the mid Gunflint, which may have helped it to melt faster. .