The Bear and the SRAT at Northwind Lodge

Right in the middle of frying some Jasper Lake sunnies that my dad gave me, I looked out to find the insolent Cookie (who refused to come inside) barking her round, stubborn, Pekingese head off at a nice-sized bear who was wandering into my view from the brush. The bear grabbed a chokecherry tree in front of the main doors of Red Rock and began daintily eating away at the nice plump cherries, deftly and efficiently stripping them off their stems. If it weren't for the dog ratcheting up the anti-bear rhetoric, I would have simply let him eat peacefully. After all, I was right in the middle of wrapping up the last batch of crispy fillets, flame on, oil hot. Of course, Cookie wasn't about to back down from a 200 lb. bear who was simply being a bear and not bothering anybody. She became more bellicose and started to approach the pitch black invader with the indignant, chest-forward stance of Pekingese determination and bravado. This bear was going down.


"Sure. Isn't THAT special!", I'm thinking. Cookie, you just can't back off from the bear for just another two lousy minutes while my fish get done! As she approaches, he begins to move and so do I. I shut off the burner so I don't light the house on fire, and call for "back up", I did, To prevent Cookie from becoming the furred snack of an avowed wild omnivore, I tell Delilah to get the bear, and down the basement steps we barreled full blast. In those 3 seconds it took me to get to the walkout door, I told Delilah again to "get the bear!" and noted that Cookie actually managed to turn him up the drive way. His slow pace took off into a trot when a crazy little brown animal took off after him, snarling and barking with tail up rigid and back fur pointing to the sky. The bear must have thought, "Wow - that's a scary rabbit!" and "Since when do rabbits bark!!!!?" He bolted into the woods and both mini-defenders of Northwind Lodge wisely stopped at the road's edge, neither being crazy enough to fight the bear on his own turf.  

The bear a few minutes later, then appeared at my mom & dad's house. He was tall and well-proportioned. My mom called and I finished eating quickly (never can take my time-ever in the resort business) and brought the Scary Rabbit Attack Team (SRAT) with me. The bear was already gone in the 6 seconds it took me to cover that distance. Delilah nonetheless put on a show of speed, agility, and bear-scaring prowess as she smelled the air and ground that he walked on barking wildly. Cookie stood like a barrel-chested avenger and let out the occasional bark of righteous indignation. My dad then called them both into the house for bear-attacking treats and praise, but neither was all that interested. The adrenaline was running high and the bear was still out there...somewhere.
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I'm got ready to go out and boldly light the Wednesday evening campfire at the waterfall. Looked like it was going to rain but it didn't. Both dogs remained snoozing indoors in the afterglow of an exhausting evening defending all that is right and good for the sake of Northwind Lodge.

At the fire, I heard from Hank in Cabin 7 that after he and his wife ate dinner, he was sitting on the deck reading when he looked up from his book to notice a bear standing about two feet from him. The bear was close enough to reach out and pat on the head. Hank jumped up and yelled which made Hank's dog jump up and yell from inside the cabin in response. Hank's wife Eileen came running from the inside to see what was going on outside. With all that commotion, the bear took off to the ash trees at the back end of the cabin. Positioned like a big letter V, the bear stepped up into the crotch of the two large trees and posed briefly like a centerfold model in a men's magazine. I think he was startled by Hank's golden retriever or maybe, Hank. Then the bear got out of the V and faded into the brush, Hank finally caught his breath. He said he's never been that close to a bear before.

One of the guests from Cabin 6, Joseph, observed that same bear on the back deck of Cabin 8, over at Cabin 5 raiding their garbage can, and by Cabins 4 and 3. The bear was covering some ground this evening. Hopefully, the bear will go away on his own. Unfortunately, he's not looking like he's extremely bothered by people which can be a problem. Fortunately, we have the SRAT. I may have to release the hounds yet again, tonight. After driving a 9 hour, 460 mile round trip to Atikokan, Ontario to pick up two new Souris River Canoes, it's been a long day.
I'm going to bed. Hopefully, so will the bear.

Bears and Iowans Don't Mix

A few years back, I remodeled the kitchen for Cabin #8.  I basically ripped everything out and started from the inside, ground up.  Grandpa Frank had  all sorts of strange things happening under the floor as I understand this particular room was part of a generator shack years ago.   I tore out the old brick chimney that was held up by 50 year-old lumber that was sagging something fierce and making the roof leak at the flashings.  It used to serve the wood range and then the wood/gas kitchen combo range and then it just sat empty as the years morphed into modern amenities including various all gas ranges.  Way back in the early 80's we added a microwave and that was considered incredibly modern.  We were fascinated by them as well.  Heating up sandwiches and making soggy bread was so cool!   So, that kitchen saw a lot of different appliances come and go.  It really needed some updating.

In our experience as lifetime operators of a family resort in Minnesota, I would be lying if I didn't say we've all seen our share of ridiculously dumb things.  Like last summer, a bunch of guys took a relatively new Weber (they ain't cheap no more) Kettle and built a very large wood fire in it, destroying the moving parts and most likely shortening its life span by several seasons. 

We have fire places that are available to all of our guests in two spots at the resort.  One is by the waterfall, the other by the beach.  We're thinking of adding a few more, but frankly, the judgement used by about 10% of our guests makes me a little nervous.  This isn't our first rodeo with ridiculous fires and no exit strategy by the fire-operator.  

We witnessed  guests who thought nothing to haul their personal, oily, half-empty, outboard gas can into the cabin and set it down on the carpeting. Nothing says potential  "boom" like lighting up a cigarette in a cabin next to your own half empty gas can.  Do they do that at HOME?  The lawn tracker needs an oil change - park it in the living room so they can watch TV while they work?

And, then there are those who have fish to clean.  We have a fish cleaning house.  It's nothing fancy but it does the job.  Curt keeps it clean and there is newspaper and fillet boards to use.  Lay out some newspaper, fillet your fish, roll up the entrails and place them in the garbage.  Go to the docks, do a quick preliminary wash of one's fillets in the lake and head back to the cabin.  90% of our guests have been doing this forever.   The other 10% however, simply must go into their cabin and clean their fish.  We don't approve, but they don't always seem to care.  What is really annoying is the cutting up of our counter tops.  Cabin 8's old counter top was sliced and diced to death.

When it came time to put in a new counter top, I decided to go with something a lot more durable since using the cutting board (RIGHT THERE on the counter top) doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to some folks.  I built a concrete counter.   I found a book, used a bunch of different things for pouring concrete along with a red coloring and did something really new.  It worked out pretty slick and it is built like an unusually, durable, red counter top.  Many of our new guests will come after checking in to ask what that counter is made of because it is different.  And, to round out it's use, it also had knife marks in it after the very second party checked out of Cabin 8 with the newly remodeled kitchen.  I'm hoping they used their own knife for that, because that counter is a true edge-remover.  I put charcoal gray slate tile as the backsplash and now the counter looks like the rock for which our lake was named:  Jasper.  Jasper is a red rock.  Red Rock is a store in the wilderness on Jasper Lake right next to Northwind Lodge.  So many dots to connect, but it finally should all make sense.

Along with the nuclear counter top, I added a back door to Cabin 8.  It never had one and it was now time.  Due to weather/temp constraints that constantly cause us trouble here in the north country, the project experienced delays.  Plus, there where the unknowns like building a concrete counter top and dealing with the varied floor with concrete footings and various other surprises.  Annette, my wife, was getting really nervous and cracking the whip on me.  Guests were due in a few days and the #8 kitchen had that "freshly bombed look".  Needless to say, the pressure was on and it still takes time for curing glue, drying varnish, and a lot of cabinet work all while they needed me at the store for various other issues as well.  So, I literally did a lot of running back and forth from Cabin 8 to the store. My neighbor came and helped out as well.

I installed the new outer door with the window and screen and tested it.  When I pulled it shut, it clicked.  When I pushed on it, it  held.  What more could one want?   I wrapped up my work on the cabin and used the Bobcat to haul away a sea of tools that we put on a flatbed truck and hid out of sight to be covered with a big tarp.  The housekeepers went in, and the party arrived about 3 hours later to stay the week.  Annette was furious with me for cutting it so close - as if I had any control over that - but she got over it.  The cabin rented all summer with our perennial guests enjoying the new kitchen.

The next year, we had a family from Iowa in Cabin 8.  On a Tuesday morning, while by herself -everybody was out fishing on Wood Lake for the day- the mom of the family was outside when a large bear casually walked by her.  She came over to the store to tell me.  She said, Joe.  I just saw a bear."

I said, "Oh.  Was it a big bear?"

"Yes, about 3 feet tall at the shoulder" she said.

"Did he get your garbage can?" I asked.

"No, he just walked by and went in the woods and disappeared!"

I said, "Oh."

Then, she looked at me as though I needed to say more.  So I said, "Well, cool.  You got to see a wild bear."

After looking around the store, she proceeded out the door and back to Cabin 8.

The next night was "Campfire Night" at Northwind Lodge.  That's where the lodge guests gather to watch their little kids get sticky with marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers at the fire I build next to the waterfall.  I tell stories and many bulls are shot among our guests.   It's usually a fun evening with a high turnout of lodge guests every Wednesday night.

While everybody was shooting bulls this Wednesday,evening, through all the voices I heard the lady from Iowa telling another cabin guest that she "saw a bear yesterday, and when she told Joe about it - he didn't get excited or even upset."  She sounded a little miffed.

I was tempted to interject the fact that my whole family grew up with bears and whenever one just kindly passes through the yard, we're good with that.  Apparently, my nonchalant attitude was not the right response.  I just kept quiet.  Everybody was fine.  Bear was gone.

Thursday passed by and at 8 AM sharp on Friday morning, the Iowans where at the store wanting to check out.  I said, "Really? Today's supposed to be a really nice day and you are scheduled to check out tomorrow. "

They said they understood, but needed to get home to get caught up on chores before Monday comes around.  They gave me the key, said goodbye and drove out the yard.

On Saturday, I was heading down to the beach and noticed the one year old door that I installed on Cabin 8.   The screen on the door was pulled down brutally from the top and kind of wrinkled up like an accordion's bellows.  The first thing through my brain is is "What the....!"

I go up to look at it and upon closer observation, I saw that it was one, sharp pointy thing that ran down the middle of the upper glass, hooked the top of the screen and collapsed the rectangular aluminum tubing that makes the screen frame.  It was nearly torn in two.  A mere mortal, would not be able to do that without a screwdriver or something.   For some strange reason, I pushed hard on the door.  It swung open right into the kitchen.  Note that I pushed hard on the door, but never touched the knob.

Here's what I figured  happened.  That bear came back and stood on the back deck and wandered up next to the door to look into the kitchen.  After all, that nice lady from Iowa was there.  The bear took his paw and dragged down the glass, perhaps to say "Hi" but most likely to test that clear thing that was blocking him from entering the kitchen.  With the strength of ten men in the blink of an eye, he destroyed that window screen. In his test, the door that had been held closed for over a year just by the magnetic draft seals and not the door latch popped right open.  I suspect that there may have been Iowans cooking at the time of his door test.  When they witnessed a large bear - the same bear that Joe "wasn't even concerned about" - push their door open in the great northwoods on Jasper Lake, well, let's just say that a sleepless night most likely ensued.  That would also explain how they were all ready to go at 8 AM and didn't spend a lot of time at check out.  They were outta here!

I checked the door latch.  It was off about an 3/32 of an inch.  The seal magnets made a nice clean click every time it closed.  I fixed it in about 2 minutes with a Dremel drill.  The bear is going to have to really push hard from now on.

The Iowans never came back.  All I can sheepishly say is "Ooooops!"

Whaddya gonna do!

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Bear in a Prius

Just when we see the season winding down a touch in September, of course, we have to have a young bear come to Northwind Lodge in search of food.   Momma bear kicked him to the curb as he was the size of a large dog with a big head.  It was time for him to leave.  He was cute,  but unfortunately not very afraid of people.

While the bear haranguing the Cabin #2 garbage can,   I attacked him with a rock to try to get him to associate people with a painful experience.  The rock missed it's mark.  He  ran around the corner and almost instantly came back.  I zinged some more rocks but he's still not going too far from me. He slowly sauntered off into the brush.  So, we picked up all the garbage and got it out of there.  Later that day, he came back and rolled around a few empty garbage cans and then destroyed a few choke cherry trees scattered about the yard.  Bears do like their choke cherries.

A yoga-teacher friend of my wife Annette was staying with us in the TreeTopHaus  at the lodge for a few days.  Elayna is from Toronto and a very pleasant, empathic woman.  She’s  who you want around if you get a boo-boo or if you need a hand with something -  a kind and very helpful woman. 

I stepped out of Red Rock Wilderness Store here at the lodge, for some reason and looked towards the resort.  Some of our lodge guests were walking away towards the resort.  It was a couple with a two little kids who had just come in for something in the store.  Coming towards me but about 100 yards out yet, was Elayna.  I marveled at Elayna as she stopped to chat with the young family.  I couldn’t hear her, but she warmly shook hands with the parents, laughed, chatted, and bent down to shake hands with both of the little kids and then proceeded to hug them both.   It was something to see.  I was bit envious because I just don’t have “warm & cuddly” in me but I was happy to know someone who did.  Elayna is a natural.

She calmly waved goodbye to the family and then began an exponentially-faster walk towards me with a look of deep concern on her face.  It was like she just witnessed a murder  and the murderer saw her face.  It was utter trepidation and almost panic!  I was confused.

When she got closer, she quietly and urgently said, “There’s a bear!”

I asked where and she said, “There’s a bear in a car and he’s eating all of their food!!!!!!!”

“What!???” I said.  I just got done watching Elayna doing a casual, calm introduction of herself to a young family of Northwind Lodge guests.  She just got through hugging somebody’s children as if they were her very own.  “What the hell is she talking about!”, I was now wondering.

“You gotta go, Joe!  There’s a bear in a car!”  she breathed desperately to me noticing that I was getting mixed signals to say the least.  The "bear" part was not jiving with the rest of what I just witnessed.

OH!  Now it registered with me!  There's a bear causing problems with a car!   She told me the general direction and I took off like a bat out of hell down the road towards Cabin #6.  

That bear had come back to the resort again.   Elayna was coming across the footbridge that crosses Jasper Creek and walking up the path when she noted that a wild bear jumped into the back seat of a Toyota Prius which had its doors left open.   In the car, he was proceeding to have a field day with bags of candy and possibly Timmy the Hermit Crab.  (Somebody brought along a pet.)  Mind you, this is not something that one sees in downtown Toronto very often, so Elayna was a little rattled.  The bear even opened Timmy's little hermit crab box but hadn't made it to sample the fresh seafood - yet.  This was an observation that Elayna reported quietly with great excitement in her whisper that there was a bear in somebody's car eating their food!!!!!!  Sure enough when I arrived, there he was in the backseat rootin' around in the assorted colorful junk owned by two little girls.  Candy wrappers and a potato chip bag were strewn about outside the car.  It was a veritable cornucopia of fun – for little girls and obviously, bears.  They must think along the same lines.

From the back of the car parked by Cabin 6 (with two doors and the rear hatch open), I yelled in a gruff voice, "HEY!".    The bear looked at me through the open rear hatch door, paused and then turned  to escape by  bashing his thick bear skull on the un-opened driver-side backseat door to get out.  He was a bear, so no, he couldn’t just take the easy, big open door in front of him and leave.  He was going to go out Rambo-style and take the glass of the closed door with him.  For fear of him running around the car in tight circles and shredding everything in sight with his claws , I stepped back and peeked around the corner of a storage shed while I kept quiet to watch and wait if the dummy would come out sensibly.  Then, while under no threat of attack, he quickly went out the way he came in - through the open door.   I chased after him, hot on his heels screaming and yelling awful things.  Bears have to learn that humans are frightful creatures.  This bear was a slow learner.  I think his mom held him back a grade.

He ran down past Cabin 3, took a right turn, and headed down the trail towards the beach and right into Eli Preble who was staying with his dad in Cabin #3.  He surprised the heck out of Eli, who stepped off the path to the side and the bear shot past him.  So now, Eli was rattled as well.  Then, he noiselessly disappeared into the brush as only bears can do.  They just slip away.  But for the candy wrappers and the whites of Eli's eyes, you'd never even know he was there.
 

Maybe this bear only has a penchant for hybrids.  Early the next morning the lady in Cabin #6 who owned the Prius heard a noise by the car and looked out.  There on the roof of her car was that same bear walking around, trying to figure out how to open up the large battery-powered tin can with the food in it.  Then, while she watched, he slid down the windshield like a kid on a slide in the park and proceeded to grab a windshield wiper and yank on it like it was the lever that opened the safe.  At this point, she finally decided that it was less cute that the bear was destroying her car, so she opened the cabin door, took a step out on the deck and yelled at the bear.  The bear slid off the car and high-tailed it out of there. 

Dang bear scratched and dented her car because they don’t build ‘em like they used to, apparently.   She thought it was neat and a souvenir of their stay at Northwind Lodge in Ely, Minnesota. 

Errr….OK, then!  Chalk one up for entertainment at Northwind Lodge!

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