Secluded Gunflint Trail Lodging
BLOG
July 4, 2016
JULY 4TH 1999 – THE BLOWDOWN REMEMBERED
JULY 4-5, 1999 DERECHO through “The Boundary Waters to Canadian Derecho”
Gunflint Trail people remember that fateful time on or about noon Sunday July 4, 1999 when the area was hit by a massive storm- later to be became known as the BWCA Blowdown. Not as well understood, the Blowdown was actually a massive storm system that started in North Dakota raced thought Minnesota into the Boundary Waters and then traveling east across Canada and into New England and out into the Atlantic producing havoc along it entire route. For a look at this massive storm go to – NOAA- Derecho.
West Bearskin Lake – July 4, 1999
For many years the folks on West Bearskin Lake on July 4 each year would gather at one of their neighbor’s cabin’s for the annual firing of a homemade cannon at noon off his dock. On that fateful day of July 4, 1999 as the lake folks gathered for the annual firing of the canon, they noticed the sky was becoming very threatening. It was clear a storm was on the way. So, close to noon, the cannon was quickly fired. At the same time –the rain, lightening, thunder and the wind started knocking down trees all around them. The assembled folks quickly scattered for shelter.
Some on West Bearskin, so the story goes, to this day still blame the storm and the knocking down of all their trees on the firing of the cannon. There was a T-shirt showing the cannon knocking trees down. The t-shirt was designed and printed by lake resident Stephanie Boddy (sadly she passed away several years ago.) It is my understanding that since the Blowdown the West Bearskin 4th of July tradition of shooting off the cannon is no longer observed. Photo on of West Bearskin resident – Charlie Helbling
Tuscarora Outfitter’s Annual 4th of July Parade
I have been told that a few years as a spoof on Tuscarora’s new employees the new employees would be required to design and construct a Tuscarora Outfitter’s float. These new employees were told that the float was to be in the Gunflint Trail’s Annual 4th of July Parade. Many of the floats built by the new employees were quite elaborate in order to impress other participants that were expected to participate in the annual event. The event of course was bogus; Tuscarora would be the only participant in the so-called parade.
July 4, 1999 was no different- the new employees float was ready. The new employees took their seats on a hill along the supposed Gunflint Trail parade route. Then as in every other July 4th parade, the one and only float and for that matter the parade’s only participant was the Tuscarora float with the older employees riding on it. Just as the float was ready to pass in review -the storm hit with gale force winds, straight line rain, thunder lighting, trees falling in bunches. The parade participants and new employees assembled to watch the so-called parade, headed for cover. This Tuscarora 4th of July parade spoof has not been repeated since the year of the Blowdown.
Old Ceders on Young Island
Some Random Personal Thoughts Wrote Down Five Years After the July 4th Blowdown
Seventeen years ago around noon, July 4, 1999 the Gunflint was struck be a massive storm- the Blowdown. Five years later after reflecting on that event I wrote down the following random thoughts about the storm. These thoughts were not in any particular order, some are not even grammatically correct but these thoughts are what at the time just came to mind.
Remembrance
In this Blog post we at Poplar Creek are remembering and commemorating the “storm” that at the time seemed to consume us. Since then we have moved on. We do not control Mother Nature; we live with and like the new growth of trees that have emerged since the storm. We, as humans, are often renewed by events such as the blowdown of 1999.
Blog post by Ted Young, Boundary Country Trekking and http://www.poplarcreekbnb.com
JULY 4-5, 1999 DERECHO through “The Boundary Waters to Canadian Derecho”
Gunflint Trail people remember that fateful time on or about noon Sunday July 4, 1999 when the area was hit by a massive storm- later to be became known as the BWCA Blowdown. Not as well understood, the Blowdown was actually a massive storm system that started in North Dakota raced thought Minnesota into the Boundary Waters and then traveling east across Canada and into New England and out into the Atlantic producing havoc along it entire route. For a look at this massive storm go to – NOAA- Derecho.
West Bearskin Lake – July 4, 1999
For many years the folks on West Bearskin Lake on July 4 each year would gather at one of their neighbor’s cabin’s for the annual firing of a homemade cannon at noon off his dock. On that fateful day of July 4, 1999 as the lake folks gathered for the annual firing of the canon, they noticed the sky was becoming very threatening. It was clear a storm was on the way. So, close to noon, the cannon was quickly fired. At the same time –the rain, lightening, thunder and the wind started knocking down trees all around them. The assembled folks quickly scattered for shelter.
Some on West Bearskin, so the story goes, to this day still blame the storm and the knocking down of all their trees on the firing of the cannon. There was a T-shirt showing the cannon knocking trees down. The t-shirt was designed and printed by lake resident Stephanie Boddy (sadly she passed away several years ago.) It is my understanding that since the Blowdown the West Bearskin 4th of July tradition of shooting off the cannon is no longer observed. Photo on of West Bearskin resident – Charlie Helbling
Tuscarora Outfitter’s Annual 4th of July Parade
I have been told that a few years as a spoof on Tuscarora’s new employees the new employees would be required to design and construct a Tuscarora Outfitter’s float. These new employees were told that the float was to be in the Gunflint Trail’s Annual 4th of July Parade. Many of the floats built by the new employees were quite elaborate in order to impress other participants that were expected to participate in the annual event. The event of course was bogus; Tuscarora would be the only participant in the so-called parade.
July 4, 1999 was no different- the new employees float was ready. The new employees took their seats on a hill along the supposed Gunflint Trail parade route. Then as in every other July 4th parade, the one and only float and for that matter the parade’s only participant was the Tuscarora float with the older employees riding on it. Just as the float was ready to pass in review -the storm hit with gale force winds, straight line rain, thunder lighting, trees falling in bunches. The parade participants and new employees assembled to watch the so-called parade, headed for cover. This Tuscarora 4th of July parade spoof has not been repeated since the year of the Blowdown.
Old Ceders on Young Island
Some Random Personal Thoughts Wrote Down Five Years After the July 4th Blowdown
Seventeen years ago around noon, July 4, 1999 the Gunflint was struck be a massive storm- the Blowdown. Five years later after reflecting on that event I wrote down the following random thoughts about the storm. These thoughts were not in any particular order, some are not even grammatically correct but these thoughts are what at the time just came to mind.
Remembrance
In this Blog post we at Poplar Creek are remembering and commemorating the “storm” that at the time seemed to consume us. Since then we have moved on. We do not control Mother Nature; we live with and like the new growth of trees that have emerged since the storm. We, as humans, are often renewed by events such as the blowdown of 1999.
Blog post by Ted Young, Boundary Country Trekking and http://www.poplarcreekbnb.com