The trip started out with me and 2 others going into camp
early to get ready for all the work that was to come. The other bunch of guys traveled from Ohio,
Indiana, Texas and Iowa. All of them
joined up in international falls and enjoyed an evening eating pizza and
drinking beer. From there they all
headed out to meet me and 45,000 pounds of cabin on a semi in the bush to
unload and start moving into Wine Lake.
Over the next Four days we worked in teams. We had one crew running logs and all the
other tools, doors, windows etc… into camp in non stop round trips. Each trip took at least an hour and a
half. They worked all day at this, many
times returning on their last trip well after dark.
The second team worked on putting up ice at
Wine Lake for the last time.
These guys
worked tirelessly at cutting and putting up 400 pound blocks of ice. They struggled this year due to the cold and had
many problems with the saws. Though most
of them were experienced they had to work through and overcome obstacles that
made the job move slowly. In the end
they tackled the job and worked very hard to make sure it still got done.
The third crew worked on building the
cabin. My brother, who studied how to
build the cabin and put in endless hours prior to arriving, led the team to
make sure the cabin was built properly and made sure the project went as well
as possible. These guys worked on
slippery ladders and logs through snowstorms and the brutal cold and still were
able to pull the project together. When
the other crews finished their jobs, all of the crew worked together to get as
much done on the cabin as was possible in the time that we had.
A few of the crew broke off early for a couple days to go
fish. They were able to bring back
enough walleyes and perch for us to have a great fish fry on Thursday
night. It was a great way to celebrate
all of our accomplishments.
I wish I could explain how truly difficult it was to do many
things in the cold, wind and snow, with
tools that did not want to work or broke because of the cold. Trying to work high on slippery ladders that
would not sit properly in the snow or at angles because of the hill. The end result however is an awesome cabin
that will be enjoyed for many years to come.
Though we worked from about 8am to dark everyday, the guys
certainly found time in the evening to unwind and relax. Lots of spirits were consumed and lots of
cards were played. Many times the
temperature in the lodge never got above 60 degrees but this crew just kept on
thriving through it all.
I will let the pictures tell the story, but just want to
thank the guys that worked to make this happen.
They are a great group of individuals that worked together to become an
incredible team. I am truly blessed to
call of these gentlemen my friend.
Thanks guys
