So....Matt and I decided to take a ride up to the lodge for the weekend, check on things, take some household and cabin furnishings and do some fall trout fishing. We left Oct 26, was a bit cool and ran into about 2-3" of snow at Waskesieu. The hiway was snowpacked and icy, we wondered what the North would be like. The closer we got to La Ronge, the snow tapered and North of La Ronge the snow was non-existent. We were in great spirits, and we pulled into the lodge at about 1815h....darkish, cool at -4....tree on generator house and downed powerline to fillet house. No biggie! I get in our house and locate the flashlight/batteries I had previously left out....too bad I didn't leave any firewood!!! Go get firewood and get a fire rolling in our tincan stove. Next is water...get a propane burner going on the porch, find a huge pot in 7-11 and collect 5 gallons of H20 from the lake to heat for washing and dishes. Matt got power on and we decide everything else can wait until morning and we concentrate on getting the cabin warm by plugging in an additional 2 heaters, making supper and having a beverage or 2.
Friday morning: BEAUTIFUL MORNING!!! Cool, but the water is flat....too bad we have a tailer load of shit to unpack....New (to us) hearth and stove installed in our cabin, new (to us) fold away couch in our cabin and a new couch put into the lodge! I unpacked all the barrels that held and kept clean, my 50 NEW PILLOWS and NEW SHEETS!!!! Not a speck of dust, water or mud on anything that was packed in a barrel...what a great idea, Matt is so smart! (Barrels found on KIJIJI...guy has 6 seacans worth)
1150h WE HIT THE WATER!!! Touques, mitts, winter coats, rainpants to deflect the wind....fairly cold, but tolerable. Headed to 5-mile Island, caught our trout limit (6) by 1230h, caught a couple pike but really too cold as the wind and waves picked up, so we headed back to the lodge. Finished unpacking trailer, started in on cutting the fallen tree and splitting into firewood, and by then it was getting dark, so beverage time!
Saturday morning: SNOW!!! Woke up to wind & 3" of the light fluffy stuff....overall the temp was okay, but the lake was so rough...there goes our pike hunt for today! Matt and I decided to just put the boat away as it didn't look like it was going to improve. Locked the Quonset, last look in the lodge and got some shirts and hats out, also grabbed the sask tourism hooks that Kevin dropped off with us. Locked and boarded the lodge again, so bittersweet.
We decide to take off on the side x side and go cut logs, no sense in going back home with an empty trailer...especially when my stove at home likes to run hot!! Sunday morning was coming fast and we decided to have everything done and ready to take off first thing.
Sunday morning: Up at 0500...gone and on the road by 0610. Snowing like crazy, -6 and dark...took us 4 hrs to get to La Ronge, only met 1 vehicle the entire way. Lunch in PA with our friends the Wallington's (confirmed and deposit rec'd for 2018).
The trip was awesome, we had such a great time although we both agree we were about 2 weeks too late. Next year we will go earlier and perhaps open up a cabin or 2 if there is an interest...Let me know if you want to go fishing in October :)
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