Black's Cliff Resort's Birch Bark Blog

Had a lot going on in the last 24 hours.  Many of you have heard me talk about a book we are going to be in.  Some like Char Schmelzer have even been interviewed for the book about Wisconsin Resorts.  Over the past year the publisher of the book and author Neil Johnson pictured above and his photographer and writer have been stopping in getting pictures and history and story of the resort to write about in the book.  Neil made one of his final stops in for winter pictures and hung out in Birchwood a couple of days shooting around the area

Neil in a smart man, from Minnesota and knew better than to show up in Wisconsin wearing Viking clothing.  He thought this hat would make locals more relaxed around him to tell him their stories of vacationing in Wisconsin

His first book of Minnesota Resorts was a tribute to the tradition of resorting and the history of some great old family resorts in Minnesota.  A great read for anyone looking to explore some unique areas and places to stay.  His book is online at http://www.mnresortsbook.com/ if anyone is interested.  Resorts of Wisconsin will be out this spring with Black’s Cliff as one of the featured resorts of Wisconsin

In other news, the guys have decided it is time to clean out parts of the basement workshop.  Each day doing one shelf.  Today they turned up linoleum from the 30′s or 40′s anyone remember this color in the cabins…  Amazing what is down in that basement.

Steve’s Volkswagon Jetta has been groaning a bit this winter to start in the cold so Steve has borrowed Craig’s Exploder while he is in sunny Arizona.  I believe along with borrowing the Exploder he has also started to channel dad’s personality.  The longer he drives the car the more he eerily resembles someone in Arizona.  He left the driveway with a gleam in his eye and the resort check book….

He returned with carpet sticking out of the back and telling me he got a great deal on this chunk of carpet and to make the deal sweeter ordered an entire roll, enough to keep us carpeting the entire spring.  I hope everyone likes the color because it will be soon showing up in a cabin you stay in real soon.  First on the list is Red Pine’s Basement, Bear Den bedrooms downstairs, Kaubashine and Holiday Bedrooms to name a few that they are eyeing up.

Troy did what he always does when Craig comes back with a car full of something, helps to unload.  They were plotting last I heard where in the world to put the huge roll when it comes….  I started to hear rumblings about Craig’s warm garage for cutting it into moveable chunks.  Troy was just happy this chunk was a manageable weight heading into Red Pine with it

Little did I know they had already ripped up the old carpet before buying the new stuff and gettting my ok, that it was not rented for the next couple of weeks…  February 10th is the deadline for this little project when the Lodi X Country ski team arrives for the High School Championships

I do believe we have passed the point of putting it back the way it was before it got like it is…  hmmm did that make sense

Yep, time to get to work

It has been pointed out to me by someone in Arizona that I have not posted the completed bathroom pictures from Red Pine’s bathroom project before Christmas

The new sink and mirror in the downstairs.  Steve built the mirror frame himself

This bathroom is small and taking pictures in it is a challenge but you will get the picture

New shower

I picked up this bathroom rack made by a local artist at one of the craft fairs last summer.  It fit right in

There are shelves on the other side of the shower that were hard to get into the picture.  Much improved over the avacado green bathroom of the 70′s that was replaced

The upstairs bathroom also got a little TLC with new cupboard and sink, new rack just like the one downstairs also above the toilet.  Much better!

After all the beautiful new snow we got I decided to take a hike out on to the lake to the snowmobile trail.  Something is wrong with this picture…..

Yep that is chicken little racing ahead of me bounding out on to the lake without any coaxing.  I think this was about the time last year he decided the lake was not going to eat him

How to enjoy the new snow, insert your entire head down into the fluffy white stuff

As I stepped out on to the lake I realized this was not going to be an easy hike out.  The days of whizzing out to the middle on ice skates are long gone

Mack:  You are taking FOREVER!!

Since you are taking FOREVER, it is time for me to investigate what is under the snow..

Head First, there must be something down there…. it bings and bongs….  something is under my feet

Jeez you are slow, I think you should have fed me more of your Christmas cookies when I looked pitifully at you instead of eating them yourself and taking FOREVER to walk through the snow

Bright sun reflecting off the new snow

I see the trail…. is it alive… will it eat me and….  wow there is another side to the lake…..

Slight difference in our 2 trails out to the middle of the lake

Oh I have heard rumors of the other side of the lake….  Sasquatch that like to eat golden retrievers… or is that the land of bacon, all the bacon you can eat

The trail… continuing endlessly in all directions..

Had enough, we made it to the trail and I am not sure if the otherside is the land of Sasquatch or Bacon.  Time to head back to the woodstove, please step on it and move faster please!  Time to go home

I smell bacon coming from my own Home Sweet Home

Shoreline in fresh snow

Just as we headed up the steps an happy snowmobiler crossed the lake enjoying the great conditions

Stay tuned tomorrow:  What are the guys up to next?

3 pm Freedom from School and time to head down the trail!!  YIPEE

I have written many times about the kids snowmobiling to school at our local elementary.  Today there were about 20 sleds in front of the school and at 3 pm they were running out of school with their helmets on.  I was going to snap a picture of that but Ben and Grant were to embarrassed that their mom would be considered a stalker snapping pictures of their friends from the car window, so I refrained.  We headed to the gas station from school and low and behold 2 of Ben’s friends pulled in behind us on their sleds and I asked if I could take their picture and got a thumbs up.  The above picture is Ben’s buddy Michael happy as a lark to be let loose from school and just looking for a quick fill up before racing his cousin down the trail

You thought I was joking about the backpacks being worn from school on the snowmobile.  I am sure Michael is racing straight home to work on Math:)

Instead they had mom and dad’s credit card and were doing a quick fill up with his cousin Adam.  I remember these 2 on the first day of kindergarden many years ago….  now they are using credit cards and heading down the trail at moc 10..  where does the time go

Have fun boys and stay safe! and get that math done!!!

In other news…

Olga was happily helping me put Kaubashine’s kitchen back together.  She is a fan of the new shelves!

And the news gets better, after 2 conference road losses, Lakeland beat Merrill on the road last night.  Now on to Prentice on Saturday for a non conference game.  Old cool gym and home town ref’s could be interesting…

I snapped this picture of Mike and Jean staying in Holiday out enjoying their snow shoes in the thick snow that came down.  They are trying to become professional snowshoers before their friends Deb and Ben come up later in the week who are serious at snowshoeing.  Mike and Jean you are making many folks jealous in that picture having fun in the snow including me, as I had to go clean a cabin as soon as they went swooshing away, with Jean telling Mike they needed to go to town to find a coat for her that matched her neon orange snow shoes.  Mike just laughed…  I know what was on his mind, Minocqua Pizza Company not neon orange jackets

That is all you get today  as I have a pile of 50 deposit checks staring at me for summer.  If you are on the list of folks that have not contacted me to tell me you will send your deposit in later, please get ahold of me and and let me know your plans, deposits were due January 20th and I will start my phone calls as soon as I get through this pile of deposits.  Why you ask is January 20th the due date?  It is elementary Dear Watson, the first 1/2 of Wisconsin property taxes is due January 31st and that is a bill you don’t want to pay at a resort:)

Many folks who visit the resort know me and Troy, Steve and Craig… but have you met this character our silent partner, Katie.  Katie prefers to stay home in the off season and practice her fashion walk for the New York runway.  You are more apt to meet her on a warm Saturday in the summer cleaning cabins or at the beach with her kids when they come over in the summer.  She has an aversion to snow and cold as you can see from this ensemble and her son Conner does not like it when mom leaves the house in the winter to pick him up at school in this ensemble.

So if you ever wonder who that mysterious 3rd partner at the resort is, you have now met her and know that there is a reason we don’t let her show up at the resort the other 3 seasons, in her Elmer Fud hat and pajama pants

The true test if you are a partner at the resort is, can you drive the red boat… and she passes that test with flying colors… and can clean a bathroom lickety split and make a swinging bed with hospital corners almost as fast as I can.  We will keep her!

However don’t think for a minute that she does not manage to embarrass her son Conner even without the Elmer Fud Hat

Love Ya Katie

We were only supposed to get 1 inch over night and 2 or 3 today…  We have way surpassed that.  It was a white knuckle drive down the unplowed Lower Kaubashine this morning on the way to school and coffee, we met the plow on the way.  Grant helped me out snapping a couple of pictures while I kept both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road

Highway 51 as seen through the camera lens by Grant with the windshield wiper getting in the way.  It was a slow crawl down 51 with steady snow coming down

One the way back I shot a snowmobilers dream, the Bearskin Trail thick with snow and no tracks to be seen.  I know the local kids were out as there were 10 sleds at the elementary school so I am not sure how the trail appeared trackless but it was for now.  I am sure it will not last long.  Many schools in the area called off but not MHLT or LUHS if in doubt jump on your sled with a back pack and get your butt to school.  Those poor kids who did sled to school have to look out the window in math class to see all this great snow coming down on their parked sled just outside the window.  TORTURE!

No Grant to help take this picture but no cars around so I figured it was safe.  20 seconds later after I put the camera away I ran into the plow on its return trip down the other side of Lower Kaubashine.  Get out of the way of the Plow!  I always give them as wide a berth as possible on Lower Kaubashine

The Kemp family snowed into Birchwood.  They are supposed ot leave today..  I don’t think they are going to be in any hurry to head out the driveway

I took a picture yesterday of the bird bath and you can compare this one to see what came down

The bear also looking like it is hibernating under all that snow.  Before I knew all this snow was coming down this morning laying in bed I was thinking of the maple trees and what supplies we need to pick up for Maple syruping and if I could talk Troy into a woodstove evaporator or building a sugar shack this spring…..  spring seemed closer before I looked out the window this morning…  No more thoughts about Maple syruping for awhile yet

Looking up at the loaded pines

I then went on a search for the bird house I always take a picture of…. only a corner was sticking out

Yep spring is a long way off for now.  However we had to buy our first jar of maple syrup from John at Minocqua Hardware for 13.00 last week.  Our supply has finally worn out and John brings syrup from his parents in Merrill that he sells.  Winter is ok for now but at 13.00 a jar I am starting to think about the smell of cooking maple syrup over a fire and the sound of drip drip drip…

I have been a bad blogger the last couple of days.  Once again Basketball and swimming interfering with pictures and uploads.  Swimming was the highlight as 2 people in our house are with in 2 and 3 seconds of a state time in the 50 free and are working on whittling away more time in their favorite stroke the breast stroke, 50, 100 and 200.  Basketball was a mixed bag with an awesome JV win over Rhinelander but Varsity lost their game with Rhinelander.  The entire town of Rhinelander was in the stands for the dedication of their new field house and I guess the gods of basketball thought it was in bad taste to have them loose their home opener in the newly dedicated gym…. it still would have been nice to pull out a win.  One to Merrill this next week in BB and Conference swimming in Tomahawk

How much snow do we have.  This is the depth, it is not huge but plenty and fresh enough to have snowmobilers and skiers both happy, and ice fishermen do have drifts to work through to get to their holes.  Another 3 inches is projected tonight and tomorrow.  Talking with folks on the ski trails they are in awesome shape and snowmobilers have reported good conditions, they would always like to see a foot of powder but they have been happy, corners getting a bit icey

The top of the bird bath gives a good idea as well as to the depth.  Some years both the bear and bird bath are completely covered, but we are happy with what we have and more on the way

Snow was not slowing the blonde tornado down

Kaubashine update.  I took this picture Thursday afternoon.  Cupboards coming togehter

Loving the new easy to clean cupboard bottoms!!

Troy installing a new facet in the bathroom, Craig was out of town so we splurged on a nice facet set vs. his “Good Deal” facets that he has stock piled for the next 50 years out in the shed.  Shhh… maybe he won’t notice

Sunday morning, cupboard doors back on and things coming together.  Tuesday is D day for someone coming in to rent.  They guys have Monday to clean up their mess.  Hey Donna it is looking much better!

Steve splurged as well on a few outlet and light covers….  shhh maybe Craig will not notice these as well and if you see him make sure you tell him you like them

75% off at Menards…. I think that will be our story..  Could not pass a deal like that up and the stock pile is good for a another few years

How do you know the snowmobile trail conditions are in good shape?   The local kids are out.  This is the parking area by our local k -8 school with snowmobiles parked in front of it.  If you were 12 – 15 and had a choice of a big yellow school bus or snowmobiling to school it is not a hard choice.  They are the envy of everyother kid sitting on a cold school bus this morning.  It is always fun to see at 3 pm when school gets out the kids running to their sleds with back packs on, you can feel the excitement they have being free and ready to head down the trail.

Light snow came down last night and it is dang cold!  High of 2 today and going down to -20 degrees without windchill figured in, tonight.  BURRRR  Temps rebounding for the weekend though so if you have the itch to come up it should be a nice weekend to enjoy either ski or snowmobile trails

My finger freezing to the camera shutter button, why did I go down the beach steps….

Not sure this picture captures the cold but believe me it is cold

Juxtaposition, the steps from the raft in the cold snow.

Are you done?  I am freezing my unmentionables off

Good Golly Miss Molly it is cold out.  It was – 7 this morning and I have no idea with the wind chill what it was.  I know they are saying – 10 tonight with a -20 windchill.  Of course I had no gas in my gas tank this morning and had to stop to fill up and freeze my tail off.  By the weekend temps are supposed to rebound into the upper 20′s and maybe flirt with the 30′s.

Today though is a 2 woodstove day.  Time to fire both of them up

I made sure the boys had plenty of wood up on the deck for the next 2 days.  With 2 woodstoves we will probably go through this in a couple of days

Never fear more wood is always around the corner, the good stuff Troy saves for our house, the oak.  Lesson number 1 on staying on  Troy’s good side, never steal his dry winter oak he hides away from the woodshed to burn in your firepit especially when it is 80 degrees.  Once in awhile someone grabs some of his wood and I do not hear the end of it…. BACK AWAY FROM THE OAK!

Stopping into Kaubashine the chaos of the guys has hit

New counter going in that is not made from particle board!

Gonna be a busy Monday next week getting everything back in place for Kaubashine to be rented on Tuesday

We had some beautiful fresh snow come down last night.  About an inch with a little more coming later today.  Makes everything white and fresh

Before the snow came down I saw the truck backed up to Kaubashine…  What were the guys up to.  I was shutting down cabins, pulling linens, turning off water heaters, turning down the heat and the truck was backed up to Kaubashine…..   The following set of pictures are dedicated to Donna Pyfer as she gets one of her wishes granted

They had the counter off in the kitchen already and hammer and power drill in action.  Word had spread that Kaubashine would not be needed this weekend and they should have time to get a project done.  I kindly reminded them I just booked the cabin for a week from Tuesday….  They replyed no problem, no worries….  who is worried…. they have just torn apart half of the kitchen and I see the chop saw is on the back of the truck

The reason for the hammers.  Craig got a great deal on these cabinets when he remodeled Kaubashine about 12 years ago.  The great deal came with shelves made out of particle board.  Who in their right mind makes kitchen shelves of of particle board that warps when it gets wet.  Of course under the kitchen drain would be a place that would get wet and low and behold the shelf had come apart last July when Donna Pyfer pointed it out to me.  Middle of July is not the time a major kitchen project can be solved so with some time on their hands, and a desire to escape the wood shed for a few days, the guys thought it was time to fix the shelves.  I hope to be happy with the results by next Tuesday when the Erickson crew arrives on Tuesday… I am sure it will get done on time….

Think the crew coming next Tuesday would notice a counter and fridge in front of their fireplace?  They are snowmobiling I am sure they would not notice

Steve’s hound dog, Olja is just happy he has found a warm place to work this week.  With temps in the single digits for highs mid week, Olja is loving a nice warm rug to lay on as opposed to being out by the woodshed cutting wood.  I am sure she will keep an eye on what is going on and make sure they meet their deadline

Those in Holiday will know Holiday’s sink cabinet is in the same shape and it is next on the list to be worked on in March or April hopefully