Wet as it's been in Minnesota, drought is in play just north of the border, in Ontario, and stretching into eastern Manitoba.
When I was on Lake of the Woods last week, the grass on islands where anglers typically have shore lunch was so dry it crackled beneath my feet.
In the sky to the north and east, smoke from distant forest fires could be seen. This was particularly true as we made our way back toward the Twin Cities, approaching International Falls from Kenora, Ontario.
Twin Cities angler and fishing electronics guru Bill Diedrich saw the fires for himself earlier in the summer, in late June, while visiting an area east of Caribou Provincial Park.
Diedrich's family, including his wife and daughters, sons-in-law and grandsons, spent five days staying at One Pine Lake, owned and operated by Nestor Falls Fly-In Outposts, an operation he highly recommends.
During the past three weeks, six of their outpost
cabins have been in danger with different fires. Customers were
evacuated or moved to another outpost when possible. In several cases,
back fires were set by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, with fire fighters
sometimes staying in the operation's cabins.
So far, Diedrich said, no cabins have been lost, "through shear luck and effort."
These images, Diedrich said, are from Larus Lake, which adjoins Caribou
Provincial Park.
