Deer Park Lodge

Blueberry blossoms and Black Bears in the beautiful north woods.

We still have extremely dry conditions here in the Deer Park area. We have enjoyed a couple of light rains this past week, both under .25", but certainly better than nothing [forecast]. Plus, the cool nights have been good producers of dew. The blueberry plants are now in blossom and look good so far, giving hope for a great harvest later this summer.

But, extreme precaution with campfires is certainly advised!

Not much to report on the fishing front. Winds have been an issue for several days, thus not a lot of fishing has been taking place on the lakes in this area. We did have cabin guest catch a nice steelie this past weekend.  The whitefish off the pier in Grand Marais have been on and off. This fishery is extremely influenced by the winds. Last night we did pretty good, with some nice big fish caught. Be careful boating this weekend as the lakes are already low. 

Last night on the Deer Park Road we came upon a bear in the middle of the road.  As we approached, it seemed to be reluctant to cross the road.  With us only about 50 yards away it finally crossed the road and out of the ditch come a-running the smallest cub bear we have ever seen.

Now almost stopped, my neighbor says, "better watch out, there might be another one" and sure enough that little bugger just scooted across the road. Ma bear scurried up a tree and we watched for a few seconds as the two little cubs tried to figure out how to follow Mom. We didn't hang around very long as we didn't want to aggravate things. Also got a good look at a Great Horned Owl the other morning. 

Monica now has over 40 flats of flowers going in our greenhouse.  She will begin the transition into the ground after the Memorial Day weekend.  She worries a lot of about frost and again this morning it was below freezing.

  
We are booked solid for the weekend but have lots of openings the week of June 9-16. It's a great time to be here to enjoy the quiet before the summer season begins. Speaking of which, be sure to get out and do something fun. And support the small local businesses wherever you go. Check the availability calendar for details or give us a call - (906) 658-3341.

 

Be Safe and Have Fun,

Mike and Monica

Lodge life - from bulldozing sand to filleting Whitefish!

In our continued effort to make improvements around the resort we have taken on a big project to push the sand that has invaded the yard over the years back towards the lake. As you can tell by the picture we have a lot of sand to push back. The west winds have really been tough on us lately, with the sand blowing around almost as bad as the snow does. We are hoping we can level the yard out and push a bunch of this sand back. We will then bring in a bunch of topsoil and try to get some grass established to help prevent this from occurring again.  

The original hole and all the exposed sand was created by the original owners back in the early 60's. They tried to create a small private boat harbor so they could pull the boats off the main lake. This didn't last long, as the DNR insisted that the "harbor" be filled back in and closed off.  

As most of you know grass as had a difficult time taking hold and stopping this sand from blowing around. As the years have gone by the problem has gotten worse. It was time for some action. Hopefully, when you see it the yard will be much nicer with more grass.

This past weekends "trout opener" went pretty good. Business was good throughout the weekend -- thank you everyone! The reports off the river where as expected. Most of the fish caught were "drop backs" from what we heard. A neighbor had a beautiful and bright fresh female, still with skanes of eggs.

We are supposed to see some rain this week (forecast) and we suspect that will probably bring the remaining fish into the river. This would be good for the woods, as well. Our leaves still haven't pop out yet as we are still under 1" of rain for the year. We did hear two or three reports of folks doing alright on the brook trout, and the inland lakes produced pretty good numbers of trout.

We had good winds last week to stimulate some decent Whitefish catches off the pier in Grand Marais. With south winds hanging with us this week we probably won't make an effort in getting back to the pier. We all really prefer to fish the pier after some good west-northwest winds. This is one of the whitefish that Bill and I caught while fishing the pier the other day. A real dandy at 22" and probably weighing in over 3lbs. The pier should produce fish for us now until sometime in mid-July. Gotta love those fillet's.

So far we are bug-less - that will all change soon as the temps warm up this week, soake the time to do something fun outside. If you can come up, check our availability calendar, give us a call, and we'll reserve your place.



Enjoy your week,

Mike & Monica

Weather's been nice, but the steelies would dig some rain.

Even considering the surprise snow shower we had on Tuesday, we have been getting very seasonal weather for the past ten days or so. We sure got spoiled with beautiful spring temps in the upper 60's and 70's. The Poplar trees are just starting to show some leaves, as is the lilac bush. All other trees and foliage seem to be waiting for warmer temps and, more importantly, rain.

Our records indicate that we are still below the 1" mark for precipitation for spring. Like much of the country, we are extremely dry, which certainly reflects on the river. Most everyone will tell you that the river is lower than they have ever seen it for this time of year.

Speaking of which, fish are still being caught but one needs to work for them, and/or be lucky. The last couple of days have been better than the past 10 in regards to fish being caught. Perhaps a good sign. I'd still bet there are fish sitting off the mouth waiting for water temps and depths to come up before they make the run upstream. Hopefully, that will happen before the Trout opener on Saturday the 28th.

It seems most of the birds, with the exception of the Warblers, have made it back to their summer grounds.  The Saw-whet owls have been singing regularly the last several nights. The other day while I was down on the river I had a Greater Yellowlegs fly up and land by me for a short period of time.  That's a bit unusual for us.  While walking the other morning we watched two adult eagles going through the mating ritual, or so that's what it appeared to us. They would fly up high and then free fall with locked talon's, making all sorts of noise in the process.

Our deer came back north looking good and healthy and also seem to be in pretty good numbers, always a welcomed sign. Oh, and our sunsets have been top notch the last few days.

Floors are waxed, yard is raked, new floor is put down in Cabin #8, picnic tables are getting a coat of stain or paint,and firewood is up. Thus, it's time to open the doors of the store.  We will maintain a regular schedule now with Wednesday's still being our day off.

Get out and do something fun this weekend. Relax and check it out. And, as always, check out our cabin availabilities and consider coming up to join us in the beautiful north woods.

 

Cheers,

Mike & Monica

Earliest Spring in 20 years!

You certainly need to see it and feel it to believe it. Like most of the country our warm weather is UNBELIEVABLE! The last few days have seen our snow accumulations melt down to almost nothing. Even the snow that piled up after sliding off the metal roofs is about all gone.

Woke up this morning to 50 degrees. Muskallonge Lake is looking awfully dark, as in it is about ready to break up mode. We are starting our 20th year here and have never seen a spring come so early or with so much warm associated with it. But we know we aren't alone. Sure hope spring rains come in this year (NOAA forecast).

We had a small group of buddies here last weekend, in addition some cabin guests, fishing the lake. Everyone caught fish. I think the big fish of the weekend was a pike of about 30". We cleaned up probably a good dozen Pike and probably, between us, a 100 Perch. Yes, our Perch seem to be making a good comeback. The majority still range between 5 and 7 1/2", but they are getting bigger each year.  Fishing on the lake will be nil now until the May 15th opener for Pike and Walleye.

As the spring warm weather has arrived, so have some of spring's returning birds. First for the year this past week we have seen or heard Robins, Blackbirds, Saw-Whet Owls, Geese, and Sandhill Cranes.  After cleaning our fish last week, we set the remains out on the ice for some cheap entertainment. It didn't take long before we had four mature eagles eating off our buffet table. Sure is nice having these beautiful birds up close and hanging around.

We tried to get down a couple of two tracks yesterday but decided to back out before we got in a position of having to walk out. Been there and done that! Looks like probably another week and things will open up. Agate hunters are already out and about. There are still some major ice bluffs sitting on shore but the waves have exposed the rocks between the water line and the bluffs. In some places there is a good 10-15 feet of rock exposed. Haven't seen anything real special for rocks yet.

Steelhead fishermen need to be thinking about heading up north earlier than normal this year. If this weather continues the fish will certainly be coming in early and the run could possibly be over with by the time trout season opens up the last Saturday of April. (DNR Weekly Fishing Report | 2012 Michigan DNR Fishing Guide - download PDF)

We have not yet decided to open the store earlier than usual (third week in April) but will make that decision sometime soon. However, we will be ready for cabin guests right away so if you are thinking about coming up for some agate hunting or steelhead fishing give us a call. We'll do what we can to accommodate you. Check the calendar for availabilities.

Enjoy the weather and think rain!!

Mike & Monica

UPDATE: Muskallonge Lake broke open late this morning. At least 3 weeks earlier then we have very seen it.  And we were running sleds and fishing all over it last weekend.

As soon as the water opened up a group of Mergansers showed up and are now actively doing their thing. What a year to remember!

 

Fresh snow - jump on the sled and go.

The weather man was right last weekend.  We got ourselves a good storm and ended up with anywhere between 10-16".  Sure made for nice riding.  This weekend riding should be good too.  However, we woke up to 40 degree temps and rain is in the forecast for this afternoon, with a chance of more snow going into the weekend.

Spring definitely seems to be in the air this week.  A rather amazing thing happened the other night while we were out on the ice fishing. I thought I heard a noise that I couldn't place, looked around but couldn't see anything, then 30 seconds later we hear it again.  This time much closer - we look up and
flying over top of us are six Trumpeter Swans, just a talking away to each other.  

Just above them was a mature Bald Eagle.  The eagles was spot lighted by the sunset as he circled  around us.  Very cool indeed. Not sure where the swans ended up.  Sure isn't much open water in this neck of the woods.

Have you noticed all the planets in the night sky?  Venus and Jupiter, in the southwest sky are very obvious. Mercury is very low in the western sky, Mars is just below the Moon and Saturn is very low in the eastern sky. [This Week's Sky at a Glance]

Enjoy these pictures taken after the storm, including Zeta working on her snow angels, and another beautiful sunset over a snow and ice covered Muskallonge Lake. We've got several guys coming up for a fishing weekend.  It will be the last for pike and walleye, as the season ends on the 15th.  Hopefully, next blog report will show one of us with some big fish.

Get outside and enjoy! And don't forget to check the calendar and spread the word.

Cheers,

Mike & Monica

Zeta doesn't check the forecast - just the snow.

Not much for change in the great white north of Michigan. We continue to pick up small bits of snow here and there but nothing significant. The weather man tells us we should get blasted today, but so far nothing.  How come a weather person can be so wrong in their forecast but yet the first thing we do the next day is to turn on the weather and see what we should expect? (Go ahead, check)

The snow has held up well to the snowmobile traffic and all expectations are that it will continue for a couple more weeks at the very least.  Now's the time to get a ride in if you plan on doing it. Check out Zeta - she doesn't check the forecast.  But, as you can see, she sure enjoys being outside in the snow.

The birds have been active at the feeders and now a couple of black squirrels are moving in. As you can see it appears that they have figured out how to maximize their visits to the feeder. One dropping seeds for the other. Haven't figured out yet if they take turns.

The grossbeaks are daily visitors now and we have seen as many as six pairs at the feeder.  Also we've been seeing a few Brown Creepers  in the yard. Our neighbor Patty tells us she had six Bald Eagles out in front of her place the other day, feeding on some fish scraps that were left out on the ice.

Do you have a bird feeder in your yard? Check out Project FeederWatch!

The spring and summer calendar is starting to fill up as we have taken several reservations in the past week or two. If you are hoping to spend some time with us this year, you better give us a call so we can fit you in. And don't forget to share the Deer Park Lodge opportunity with friends and family. They may want to come up and check it out - and who knows, they might want it to be theirs!

Enjoy your day and get outside for some fresh air.

Mike and Monica

Nice weather = get outside!

Another wonderful week of weather in Deer Park and the forecast is for much the same for the next 7 days. With the weather being so nice as most of you probably know it is difficult to keep the two of us inside. So we thought we'd pass along a couple of pictures to show you what we do with our free time this time of the year.

I don't hesitate to head out on the ice. I am usually not the type to spend much time in a shack, though. I prefer to sit on my snowmobile and be able to see and hear what is going on around me and the lake. On this particular night two Pileated Woodpeckers were being very vocal, talking with one another. We also had a coyote come out and see what was going on for a couple of minutes. With the weather being so nice, grabbing a buddy and going fishing is good stuff. 

I set two rods, got my Vexilar (fish finder) right next to me, got to have an auger for drilling holes, minnows (in a coffee can) and a cold pop and I am ready. All easily transportable via my snowmobile. This trip we caught six pike and released five of them in addition to a bunch of 5-7 inch Perch.

Plus, on this particular day we had company come out and join us. It's not often the lake conditions allow for two wheeled traffic but as you can see Monica made the best of it. And Zeta is always happy to tag along.

All is well in the north country.  Get outside and enjoy the day.

Mike & Monica

p.s. We're up to 115 on facebook! You can like Deer Park Lodge here.

p.p.s. We're beginning to generate some interest in the Deer Park Lodge and General Store opportunity, but it's not too late to tell your friends.

Watching the moon set and waiting for the "clipper".

Took this picture yesterday morning shortly after 7:00. The moon was just awesome, and coming in the yard in a big way.  Wish we had taken a picture the night before, because we had a nice sunset. It would of been cool to put the two together. We didn't get the colors in the sky that the sunset brings, but waking up to the "moonset" was something special.

The eagles have been around, the pine grosbeaks are active, red squirrels are chasing each other and there's been signs of foxes going through the yard regularly. Sure seems like signs of an early spring are already showing up. 

We still have about a foot of snow on the ground. Somehow this is holding up well to the snowmobile traffic, and those that are here are experiencing nice trails. Thursday night a small clipper system is expected to drop down and stimulate some lake effect snows, but that's about the extent of the snow forecasted for the next several days. Lets hope the wind swings out of the NW so the lake effect machine gets cranked up. We could use more snow. My concern at this point is the lack of run off in the spring to help fill up all the marshes, rivers and ponds. On the upside, sure has been easy on the snow removal efforts - leaves more time for icefishing, which is where I'm headed right now.

Don't forget, you might know someone who knows the next owner of this great place. Share this link with friends and family who like the woods, fishing, hunting, sledding, skiing, agate hunting, blue berry picking, birdwatching, boating, hiking (you get the idea) and might like a to get into a nice life-style business opportunity.

Don't forget to check availabilities and make your plans to come on up - summer is booking fast. And, thanks to the 10 new folks who like Deer Park Lodge on facebook! Nice to break 100.

Cheers,

Mike & Monica

 

You can't make this stuff up!

Finally! A Good Snow!

Over a foot of snow fell on the north country last weekend, much to the delight of snowmobilers and skiers. It was one of the first good lake effect snows we have gotten thus far this year. We went skiing through the woods yesterday and we couldn't have asked for much better conditions. [U.P. trail reports]

We talked with several snomobilers on Sunday and everyone had nothing but positive things to say. We are really starting to pile up a bit of snow. Still not to the point where one may feel comfortable riding off-trail very much, but we're getting there. You can see the improvement on the NOHRSC Interactive Snow Information site.

Now, in the "You Can't Make this Stuff Up" category -  Saturday afternoon we are sitting around not doing much, I'm down looking out the front door and out the corner of my eye I catch some movement heading south down the road. I quickly realize that we have a dog team, 14 dogs long, and musher coming down the road at a pretty good clip. Usually an odd occurrence, but we've seen it a couple times before when there's a lot of snow on the road.

Well, instead of going by the house and on down the road, the lead dogs decided to turn right into the yard and up the driveway. I sort of thought they'd follow the drive and head down to the lake. Not so - these dogs had another plan. Straight ahead they came running right next to the house as if across the yard and out to the lake they'd go. NOT!!  When the dogs got to the lakeside of the house, for whatever reason, the two lead dogs decided to jump up three feet and pull all the other dogs up onto our deck. The musher was finally able to get his brake set, just before he too was coming up on the deck.

These aren't the dogs. Who had time to grab a camera. But can you imagine this coming up your deck? Photo by AlaskaDude.

So imagine now we have 11 of the 14 dogs right up on our deck getting more and more tangled up with themselves and all the timbers we have on the deck. What a mess. Luckily, the dogs where very well behaved and the wife of the musher showed up with the dog trailer. One by one we disconnected the dogs and put them in the trailer. Nothing hurt but one mushers ego.

You may ask, "what was Zeta's reaction to this?" She was all excited about friends coming to visit.  Knowing her running around all these dogs was not something we wanted to deal, with we left her in the house. Two minutes later I'm outside and hearing her bark, I look in the house to see where she is, and discover her standing on the top of the dining room table taking this whole craziness in. All during another wonderful day at Deer Park Lodge. Zeta, seen above on her deck, in a calmer moment.

Now that we have good snow (and the dogs are off the deck) check out our calendar. We have several openings throughout the next couple of weeks, and it looks like it could be nice.  We'd love to have you staying with us.

Mother nature is still flirting with us.

This picture was taken from the bluff in front of the maintenance building up at the State Park. You can see the ice building up along the shore. The sun broke out just as I was getting there lighting up  Lake Superior. Just beautiful up here!

The weather continues to be very March like. Had rain two different times this week. The weather people keep saying we should see some pretty good lake effects snow during this next week, but it appears to us the winds will be out of the wrong direction. Sure hope we're wrong.

The measuring stick on the right is one several of the county has out to keep track of how much snow we have on the ground. So far snowmobile trails are holding their own and staying in pretty good shape. No backcountry riding happening but the trails and two tracks are good. Check trail condition reports.

NOAA Forecast: 50%-100% chance of snow tonight > Sunday!

NOHRSC Interactive Snow Information for the U.P.

And remember, you may know the right person to become the next owner of this wonderful place. Spread the word.

Enjoy your day!!

Mike & Monica