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Well, it was inevitable!

27 Nov

Gee, what is it you’re talking about Dave? Could it be that it’s the end of November and winter has finally arrived? Yup, you got me! However I must say that the onset of winter this year was a bit unexpected. Last Thursday the temperature was +10C and it was beautiful outside. By the next day the temperature has dropped to -6C and we had received 20cm of snow. That’s a bit of a 180 if I do say so myself! Buses were cancelled and so it was a rather quiet Friday at school with only a handful of kids in the building.

I must admit that the snow on the ground does add a little colour to what was becoming a rather blah landscape of browns and greys. Christmas (yes, the c word) is less than a month away so it was expected that some snow would fall-hence this week’s title. The forecast does call for the temps to rise back above 0 for the weekend, so we may lose some of the white stuff. I’m okay with all of it though, since at some point the boys and I can start going back up the mountain.

The end of November means that we are rapidly approaching the holiday season, and there are a scant three weeks left to go before the break. Perfect timing, as it’s starting to get to that “I need a rest” point to recharge the ole’ battery! Lots of things to do between now and then though, and I’m sure it will be very appreciated when we get there. Unfortunately due to my bout with the flu last week, I am very much behind in my marking and the next little while will be filled with the sound of shuffling papers.

This past weekend I tried to play catch up on missed projects from the previous week. My wife’s van received its winter tires, albeit a day and a pile of snow late. This weekend I’ll have to get up the outside lights, but thankfully my wife and the boys looked after the trees and decorations inside. Let’s hope those mild temps show up since it’s always a pain getting the lights hooked up when it’s freezing cold out.

It has once again been a very busy few days on the railway front, with my efforts again focussed on the Silver Mountain Historical Society. On Wednesday I had my planned meeting with Bonnie McNulty who is a regional advisor with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. There were no earth-shattering revelations, as Ms. McNulty is just an advisor who offers support and advice to people like me. However it was reassuring to know that our group is headed in the right direction and talking to the right people. Hopefully this will lead to some sort of historic designation for the railway and eventually the planned hiking trails that we are after.

A lot of my time has been taken up in planning the upcoming incorporation meeting on December 9th. I’m really glad there are people around me like Shelley Simon and Ellen McInnis who have been instrumental in getting everything organized and promoted. The agenda is nearing completion and I’ve started planning what the presentation will look like. It is still a week and a half away, but I know that time will quickly fly by. I’m pretty good right now, but I’m sure my anxiety level will go through the roof as the date gets closer. Try to stay calm!

On a related note, I happened to take a look at the Gunflint Lodge website today to see if they had anything about my February presentation. In October I was contacted by Sue Kerfoot to see if I was interested in doing a few talks about the railway for their winter programming. Of course I gladly accepted! So the lodge has created a weekend package around the talks, snowshoeing and skiing. Hopefully I can convince my wife to tag along; she can get a massage while I yap! I really enjoyed my last stay there and the accommodations and hospitality were great. You can check everything out on the Gunflint Lodge website (I’ll have to talk to them about the spelling of Leeblain though).

Gunflint Lodge, May 2011.

Gunflint Lodge cabin, May 2011.

Romantic cabin for one, May 2011.

Gunflint Lake, May 2011.

Anyway, time to wrap things up for now. More to say next week as usual. Until then…

 
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Posted by on November 27, 2012 in History, Miscellaneous, Research, Travel, Writing

 

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I had to open my big mouth didn’t I?

20 Nov

Remember last week how I wrote about being so sick I felt like crap? Yup, I had to say to say it and now karma has bitten me in the ass. I have not been this sick in a long, long time. I was actually starting to feel better as the week progressed, but then I got hammered on Saturday. My back was a bit sore all day (for no apparent reason); by the evening I was lying on the couch completely chilled to the bone. Sunday wasn’t too bad, but I woke up on Monday morning at 4 freezing once again. I went to work for the morning, but went home at lunch. My temperature was a lovely 103F!

Needless to say I am feeling marginally better today, but my head is still plugged up and I cannot breathe properly. Talk about the perfect storm of colds…head, chest and fever. I managed to get through the day at work with only a few shivers and sweats. Hopefully I’m feeling better by tomorrow as I’m out of the classroom for an e-Learning workshop.

So Sunday marked the one year anniversary of this blog; where has the time gone? It’s sort of interesting to look back and see what I had to say a year ago. It’s also amazing where this rant has taken me and the topics I’ve written about every week. I’m very thankful for the 4000+ views in the last year and the 49 people who’ve decided to follow me. We’ll see what the next year brings!

Anyway, the railway front has been very busy, mostly regarding the Silver Mountain Historical Society again. Last week I wrote about the launch of the society website, which went public on Friday. Personally, I feel it could be a bit better, but I guess it’s okay for now. Hopefully it will bring more publicity to our efforts and there’s always room for improvements in the future. Be sure to check it out! silvermountainhs.ca

On Saturday I “stopped by” the Silver Mountain Station to borrow some old photos so I could scan them (I say “stopped by” in jest as it is a 54km drive along twisty-turny Highway 588 to get there). I did grab the photos I was looking for, but I also had a chance to chat with proprietress and fellow society co-chair Shelley Simon. She was kind enough to give me a tour of the old station, especially the upstairs part which one does not normally see. The station has seen a few additions over the years, but it still retains much of its historic style.

After our walkabout, our conversation turned to the old station on North Lake. Shelley had some great photos of the original station from the 1970’s; it really made me wish I could have seen it.  It made me think of the replica station that was built on Addie Lake which I did have a chance to visit on many occasions. I kinda miss that building…it made me go digging through my old videos to find some footage that I had of it from 1997. Unfortunately it’s not a lot of footage, but I decided to post it to YouTube anyway.

North Lake Station, 1970’s.

North Lake Station, 1970’s.

North Lake Station, 1970’s.

North Lake Station, circa 1970’s.

Tomorrow I have my meeting with the Regional Advisor from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. I think I’m ready for this, but I have no idea where the discussion will take us and what will come of it. I am trying to be positive though, as any little thing will be a step in the right direction. I’ll report all the news next week.

Anyway, time to wrap things up as I’m still not 100%, but you know that already. Hopefully I’ll be back to snuff by next week. Until then…

 
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Posted by on November 20, 2012 in Hiking, Miscellaneous, Research, Writing

 

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Here we go again…

13 Nov

Yep, I am officially sick again. I feel like a big pile of poop! Who came up with that analogy by the way? Did someone do a scientific study comparing the feeling you have when you’re sick and fecal matter? Gee, too bad I wasn’t part of that! All kidding aside though, I do feel quite lousy, but I did suck it up and dragged my butt into work. Hopefully I get better soon as I hate this feeling.

Now one of the reasons I’m praying for a quick recovery is that I’m going to have to play a bit of football on Thursday. Since both the junior and senior teams are done for the season, it is time for our annual wrap-up. This means that we’ll be playing a little two-hand touch football and eating some pizza. It’s bad enough that I’m out of shape, but it will kill me when I’m less than one hundred percent. Let’s hope I don’t break anything important!

So this week I did have a bit more time to devote to railway matters, but certainly less than I hoped. I had wanted to at least get in a bit of writing on the Leeblain article, but things just didn’t pan out that way. Maybe this week?

On Saturday I took some time to tidy up my office and file a lot of information that had piled over the summer and fall. While I was at it, I decided to convert the last segments of old video that I had of my railway field work. This particular footage was shot in the summer of 1997, and was taken around Nolalu, Wolfe Siding and Mackies. I put the first video on YouTube on Sunday, and I hope to get the others up in the next few weeks.

The subject of this video is the area between Leeper (mile 31) and Nolalu (mile 34), which is one of the most unique from a historical perspective. It contains many telegraph poles and the remains of four bridges over the Whitefish River.  The most amazing of all is the third crossing, as it is the only bridge on the entire railway which has concrete abutments. Why this was done for this and this only bridge remains a mystery. I was last there in 2009 and I’m anxious to get back as soon as I can as I did not shoot any video on that hike; I’m sure much has changed it that time.

Rail bed, Leeper, August 2009.

Telegraph pole, Leeper, August 2009.

Telegraph pole, Leeper, August 2009.

Bridge remains, Leeper, August 2009.

Bridge remains, Leeper, July 2012.

Most of my railway time however was once again taken up by the Silver Mountain Historical Society. Our incorporation meeting is coming up in less than a month, and there’s a lot to do in that short period of time. I have a presentation to put together and there’s also the matter of recruiting as many members as possible.

In conversation with my fellow co-chair Shelley Simon (who’s also the proprietress of the Silver Mountain Station), we decided it was time to look into a website. I’ve registered the domain name and started work on the site. Web design unfortunately is not among the many skills in my repertoire, so I had to resort to using the provided web builder. It looks decent, but it could be a bit better (I am somewhat of a perfectionist though, which does colour my opinion). I want to unveil the site by the end of the week, and hopefully this will lead to some increased publicity for the society. Fingers are crossed!

Anyway, I’m kinda out of gas, so it’s time to wrap things up…more to say next week as usual. Until then…

 
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Posted by on November 13, 2012 in Hiking, Miscellaneous, Research, Writing

 

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My head hurts!

23 Oct

Yup, my brain is sore. Why you ask? Well, I’ve reached the proverbial end of October I’m burnt out from everything point. No matter how much sleep I get I feel like I constantly need a nap. It is the culmination of two months of sheer insanity and stress. Thank God things are beginning to wind down as I don’t think I can keep this up much longer…but then again I say that every year and I keep taking on too many things. Anyway, enjoy the literary feast as I recount the events of the past week.

So today was the parent meeting for the 2014 Europe trip and it was very well attended. We are cleared to start signing up kids! Although we are still 500 days away from departure, I’m getting pretty excited about the journey. It was great even to describe the trip to the students and parents in attendance. Yes I have visited some of these places before, but I really want to see them in more detail and experience all the new sights as well. I guess I’ll just have to be patient!

Thursday was conclusion of our 2012 SSSAA (Superior Secondary Schools Athletic Association) Junior football regular season as we have a bye this week. We went out on a winning note, defeating the Westgate Tigers 34 to 7, our first victory over them in 3 years. The boys played well after a shaky start. So we finished at a respectable 3 and 1, good enough for second place and a spot in the semi-finals on November 3rd. I am very proud of the team, especially since we had only 8 returners from last year’s squad and more than 50% of the team are Grade 9’s.

Anyway, it was a very hectic week on the railway front again. We are still pushing forward with the Silver Mountain Historical Society; I spent some time looking into the formation of not-for-profit organizations and I thought my head was going to explode. Wow, talk about a lot to digest at one time! It seems very scary on the surface, but I hope that with the collective effort of our group we will work through it.

I did receive a response last week to an email I sent to the regional advisor with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. It was very positive and supportive, and I hope to be able to set up a meeting the near future. This is just a small step, but I am confident it will lead to the preservation of sections of the railway.

On Sunday I had the opportunity to do what will probably be my last hike of the year. I decided that with the leaves down and the bush fairly dry, it would be a good to go back to Mackies on Whitefish Lake. I was last there in June and again in July, but I purposefully avoided the section to the west of where the station had been. I had hiked portions of the railway there back in 1994 and again in 1998, but I really wanted to go over it again.

2-6-0 Engine 108 pulls a mixed train, presumably at Mackies circa 1918.

Mackies Station was located near the northwestern end of Whitefish Lake, approximately 46 miles from Port Arthur (there are two nearby roads named Mile 46 and Mileage 46 respectively). I would start the day’s hike at an unnamed road (sometimes called Tower Mountain Road) which runs north and bi-sects the railway about 100 metres from Highway 588. Immediately west of the road lies the remains of an approximately 250 foot trestle which spanned a small valley, and was burned in a forest fire around 1923.

The fallen leaves made locating and photographing the eastern abutment of the trestle very easy. My biggest concern was going to be crossing the valley and how wet was the ground in that expanse. Thankfully it hasn’t rained a lot in a while (except for the steady rain that has fallen today), so while I to detour a bit, it wasn’t really too bad. As I made my way across, I came across the remains of some of the bridge pilings next to the path of the small creek that flows through the valley. Really neat to see these things, especially after they were driven into the ground 121 years ago.

Eastern abutment, Mackies Trestle, Octiber 2012.

The slope up to the western abutment is quite sheer, making the climb rather interesting. According to my GPS, the grade sits some 18 feet above the valley, but it sure felt a lot higher than that. Following the railway from that point was fairly easy, as it was grown in but the tall trees eliminated a lot of the difficult underbrush. Really interesting to see how the line was cut into the side of a small hill and how in many spots you could still see the indentations from the ties.

Western abutment, Mackies Trestle, October 2012.

Rail bed, west of Mackies, October 2012.

The area was littered with evidence of telegraph poles, but I only found one spot where there might have been the remains of the actual pole. From my experience hiking east of Mackies this summer, I knew exactly how to find them-circular patterns of rock located about 15 feet south of the grade. I recorded 11 locations, but I’m assuming the poles were all cut and destroyed (or salvaged) at some point.

Telegraph Pole base, west of Mackies, October 2012.

About 550 metres from the trestle is where I made my first significant find, albeit one that has little to do with the railway. I vividly remember this location from a 1998 visit, even videotaping what I found and being amazed to see something like this in such an obscure location. The object in question is an old truck belonging to the Northern Wood Preservers Company. It was probably abandoned in its current location back in the 70’s or 80’s, most likely when that company was logging in the area and the grade was more accessible. I wonder how long before it rusts out completely and turns into just a pile of metal.

Abandoned truck, west of Mackies, October 2012.

The grade continues southwesterly, and then westerly for 650 metres before you arrive at a small rock cut nested in one of the few really overgrown sections in the area. The cut is not high, maybe only 3 feet or so, but it gives an indication of things to come. From there the line alternates through some grown in and relatively clear sections for another 900 metres. At this point the grade opens up completely as the trail becomes part of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs network.

Rail bed, west of Mackies, October 2012.

Ties, west of Mackies, October 2012.

I only followed the railway for another 800 metres in a northwesterly direction as I had to get back home early that day. I was quite a beautiful walk as the grade ascends the slope alongside Sun Hill. With the leaves down and some of the trees harvested, it made for a gorgeous panorama of the surrounding area, especially the mesas of the Canadian Shield. It must have been something to see when the train was puffing through this area.

Cutting, Sun Hill, October 2012.

Embankment, Sun Hill, October 2012.

Cutting my journey short left me about 1.5km shy of my intended end point, which is the beginning of the Gravel Lakes section that I walked back in 2010. I decided that this area is easy to get back to and hike, so I would re-visit it next fall when the leaves were still up and take in the colours as well. Maybe I’ll even venture into the Gravel Lakes again and shoot some HD video of that area (I only recorded it on my still camera and I’m not impressed with the quality).

Anyway, I’ll wrap things up as it has been a long day and wet day. I spent the better part of an hour and a half today soaked and freezing on the football field. I’ve only just finally warmed up. More to say next week-until then…

 
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Posted by on October 23, 2012 in Hiking, Miscellaneous, Research, Travel, Writing

 

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Now what have I gotten myself into?

16 Oct

Hey Dave, what do you think about doing some more railway related stuff? You’ve got lots of spare time on your hands right? My response of course was “sure, bring it on!” Good Lord, I must be a losing my marbles! If my life wasn’t busy enough, I’ve obviously decided to take on more things to do. I’ll explain it all very shortly, but it leaves me feeling like the schlep that Bugs Bunny eloquently describes as a “maroon!”

As usual, it has been a very hectic, but productive week. The travel meeting for the 2014 Europe trip was very successful, with about 21 students in attendance. This was exactly the number we were looking for; hopefully most of them make it out to the parent meeting happening next week. That will give us a true indication of our numbers. The kids seem pretty excited and I can’t wait to “touch” history with them!

Football of course has been busy, with both teams in action. The boys played their second game of the year on Saturday and came away victorious again. It is really neat to watch these 5, 6 and 7 year olds in action, with all of their passion and energy. Yesterday our team practiced with the “big kids” (12 & 13 year olds) and they had a blast! Great to see the older players working with and mentoring the younger ones…what an awesome way to promote the game.

Last Thursday was the third game for our high school junior team and we made it two wins in a row with a convincing 30 to 7 decision over Churchill. Responding to the previous week’s lackluster performance, the defence put in a great effort. We had two picks, two forced fumbles, a few sacks and limited their offence to a handful of first downs. Hopefully we can maintain that momentum heading into this week’s game against Westgate, whom we haven’t beat in the last five meetings.

So anyway, I guess I should say some stuff about the railway shouldn’t I? Well, there has been a flurry of railway related news this past week. I did manage the post the video of the trip to the Paulson Mine to YouTube; it and several others have been getting some good exposure thanks in part to the folks at boreal.org and their video labs project. They post links to videos about and related to the Cook County area. In recent weeks the Paulson video, as well as the Gunflint Narrows videos have been featured.

Speaking of great exposure, I came across a great plug for the railway and my work today in the writings of Sue Prom. Sue, along with her husband, own Voyageur Canoe Outfitters at the end of the Gunflint Trail. I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Sue, but she has written about my railway research several times in her blog. I came across her latest mention this morning, describing a visit to the rock ovens of Leeblain (ironically enough the same day I was at the Paulson Mine). I certainly appreciate the free promotion and hopefully I can give her a tour of the railway that she is looking for someday!

The most interesting railway news however came on Sunday, and is the inspiration of the title. For many weeks I have been looking forward to celebrating the birthday of the last remaining significant building on the line. In 1907, Canadian Northern Railway (the then owners of line), decided to replace the 10 x 20 log freight shed at Silver Mountain with a more substantial structure. The project was announced in March of that year, and shortly thereafter a 25 x 50 station was in place. The pattern for this station would later be copied 40 miles to the west at North Lake.

North Lake Station, circa 1918.

So anyway, Sunday was the 105th birthday of the Silver Mountain Station, which is now a restaurant owned by local entrepreneur and friend Shelley Simon. Since moving here from southern Ontario several years ago, Shelley has worked tirelessly to promote the station and the area. There is a lot of history in that building and this was the second event hosted there in the last few months (remember the August “History Day”). It was supposed to start at 11:00am with brunch, but I almost missed it as I had to hustle from church that morning (Ethan had his first communion induction). Fortunately I was able to partake in the delicious spread Shelley put out and I even had a chance to sit and chat with Whitefish resident Helen Cooper whom I met this summer.

Silver Mountain Station, June 2012.

The ceremony began shortly after my arrival with a cake-cutting, as well as a plaque presentation by local Ontario MPP Bill Mauro. I did get a few minutes to speak to Mr. Mauro regarding the historic preservation on Gunflint Lake since he has been very helpful in our efforts. This brief conversation has led to some subsequent emails and additional assistance by Mr. Mauro. Hopefully this will lead to further understanding of the history of the area and what we are trying to protect.

Shelley Simon and Bill Mauro, October 2012.

Silver Mountain Station plaque presentation, October 2012.

On that note, a group of us stayed behind and agreed to launch what will become the “Silver Mountain Historical Society.” The stated purpose of this merry band is to preserve the history of the station, as well as to try to promote and preserve the railway. One of our first tasks, once we get rolling, is to work with the government to protect the railway in the North-Gunflint Lake corridor, and all the historic sites in that area such as Leeblain. This is going to be a huge task, not including getting the society off the ground. I volunteered to serve as interim co-chair with Shelley; hopefully more people step forward to help as I don’t think I can handle everything on my plate, hence the title of today’s post. It is exciting to be part of something like this, but when I started researching how to start a not for profit organization, it made my head hurt. Way too many legal and procedural hoops to jump through.

Speaking at Silver Mountain, October 2012.

Anyway, I guess I should wrap this up. I’m sure I’ll have more news to report on next week. Until then…

 
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Posted by on October 16, 2012 in Hiking, Miscellaneous, Research, Travel, Writing

 

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The Colours of Fall

02 Oct

Well, in case you are not aware, it is fall. Yes, that season where we celebrate the death of summer and the impending arrival of winter. Yup, I just said that. Fall always seems to be a bit of a catch 22; the beautiful colours versus the falling temperatures. Or I should say the rollercoaster temperatures. Gotta love how it can be a gorgeous 20C one day and 4C with flurries the next. However, I must say that I wish I had more time to enjoy it.

Northwood Maple, September 2012.

Unfortunately the insanity that is my life right now has not changed much since last week. Between work, family, football, football and everything else, I am burnt! At least I am feeling a bit better than last week, but I’m sure the next cold will roll around just as I kick this one. I guess I can look forward to the upcoming long weekend…some relaxation, hiking and turkey. Yes, for those of you who are not aware, Canadian Thanksgiving is this Monday. I guess when most people think Thanksgiving, they obviously think of the American holiday, but we Canadians do celebrate it too. October is a bit more fitting for us, since November is kinda crappy around here.

Autumn Spire Maple, September 2012.

So last week we played our first meaningful football game of the season. We came up a bit short, losing to our crosstown rivals St. Ignatius 32-17. However, we are pretty happy with the outing, since many of our kids have never played before. Ya, there were a lot of mistakes, but we’re only going to get better as they learn the game; it seems as if we’ve made huge strides from last week. Next up is Hammarskjold and this is going to be an interesting one as they have yet to play a game and we did not have any tape on them. Thursday night lights here we come!

Speaking of football, the boys play their first game on Saturday. We finally divided the kids into teams last week, so they are now members of the Argos. Getting beyond the fundamentals and drills is a bit of relief, both to the coaches and players. It is neat to see their enthusiasm and energy, although the lack of concentration and absence of short term memory is enough to make one drink. They are hilarious to watch when they play though.

Now once again I did not have a lot of railway time this past week, but Sunday cometh! Yes, I am pretty excited for the upcoming visit to Minnesota and the Paulson Mine. Hopefully the weather cooperates as this is going to be the one shot I have for this year. I’ve been tinkering around with the maps again and I can’t wait to do some investigating. I don’t want to get my hopes up as I might be disappointed, but I guess the thrill of the chase can be intoxicating. Yes, I know I’m saying that about a 120 year old railway, but to each his own right?

Paulson Mine, August 2010.

If anything this weekend, maybe I’ll be catch some fall colours. I rarely get to indulge in my love of photography; I’m mostly limited to shots of the railway and the occasional nice pic when the opportunity presents itself. I remember the old days when I could get out and spend hours taking pictures. Unfortunately there is only so much time to go around these days and most of my free time goes to the railway. I tried to get a fix by wandering around my backyard last weekend! Well with any luck, I’ll get a chance to do both on Sunday.

Poplars, September 2012.

Anyway, it’s time to go. I didn’t get much sleep last night so my bed is calling. I’ll definitely have a lot to say next week. Until then…

 
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Posted by on October 2, 2012 in Hiking, Miscellaneous, Research, Travel, Writing

 

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Sick as a dog!

25 Sep

So, who the heck came up with that expression? According to our friends at Google, it could be traced to one of two things. First, it might have been used to emphasize the severity of the illness…don’t really see that but whatever. Another explanation is that since dogs eat anything and everything, they often get sick. Having cleaned up dog puke on more than one occasion, I could definitely relate to that. Anyway, whatever the meaning, that is my current state of health. I could feel it coming on last week, probably due to the fact that I’m pretty run down and tired. Colds suck!

Despite my illness and complete lack of energy, I dragged my sorry butt to school today as I could not afford a day off. Yes, I am total control freak and cannot contain the urge to teach my classes myself. However, that was not my motivation on this occasion; if you immediately thought football, you got the correct answer. We play our first game against our sister school St. Ignatius on Thursday and there is still a ton of preparation to be done. I figured that our kids leave it on the field every day, so as the head coach, I need to set the example. Kinda ironic that football (both high school and tyke) is probably the reason why I’m exhausted and sick.

Last week’s scrimmage went well, actually better than we anticipated considering that 75% of our guys have never played a snap of football. There were lots of mistakes, which we knew would happen, but they are eager and enthusiastic. We are very thin at some positions, so we have a lot of guys backing up all over the place. I was blown away today when one of my linebackers, who learned the guard position yesterday, told me he’d play anywhere I put him. Love it! One of the big reasons why I do this…probably going to make that kid a team captain.

My classes are still going well, though I can’t believe it’s almost the end of September. One month down! Tomorrow I’m submitting our proposal for the 2014 history trip…fingers crossed! We selected the “Canada’s Battlefields” tour, which would take us to the Netherlands, Belgium and France over 10 days. It will be nice to see some new places like Amsterdam and the Scheldt, and re-visit places like Ypres, Vimy and Juno Beach. Another visit would allow me to see more of these sites than I could during the Vimy trip. It’s a waiting game now.

Cloth Hall, Ypres, Belgium, April 2012.

So all this insanity has once again left little time for me to do any railway related work. I did spend some time penning my response to MLA’s Mauro and Gravelle regarding the development on Gunflint Lake, which I hope to send out tomorrow. Hopefully it leads to greater protection for the rare historic treasures in that area.

Now the visit to the Paulson Mine is still on my mind, so I did play around with maps again, trying to formulate a plan of attack. I really hope that the hunches that I’ve come up with pan out. Locating the grade along the second switchback west of the mine has been a huge source of frustration and head scratching. I guess I’ll find out soon enough. With any luck I’ll have some good footage to add to the YouTube channel, which has seen some great additions over the last few weeks.

Paulson Mine from the Kekekabic Trail, June 2012.

Anyway, my brain is pretty much mush right now, so it’s probably time to wrap things up. More football and railway updates next week. Until then…

 
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Posted by on September 25, 2012 in Hiking, Miscellaneous, Research, Travel, Writing

 

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Cry havoc, and let slip…the Dawgs and Bandits?

18 Sep

Yes, sometimes I even surprise myself with my cleverness. Literary genius? Definitely not. Obviously this week’s title is a play on the famous phrase from William Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar. The big question remains however, is where does the other part come from? Well, you’ll just have to keep reading!

It has been yet another busy week, and my exhaustion has not dissipated; rather, I can say that it has become magnified. Is it Christmas break yet? I would certainly not wish away the fall for the respite that the holidays offer, but things are a tad bit crazy right now. Between work and football, I feel like I can’t stop my head from spinning.

My classes have certainly been going well and I am definitely back into the swing of things. It is almost like I never left. It sometimes amazes me how after 14 years in the classroom things have become second nature to me. It is also weird that I don’t think of myself as veteran, experienced teacher, but I am. Young at heart? I think a lot of it has to do with the passion I have for teaching and for history. I hope some of it rubs off!

Now speaking of history, work is progressing on the planned 2014 excursion to Europe. Last week I had an interest meeting which attracted 12-13 kids; I’m sure there were many who did not know about it despite my multiple announcements. The plan is to travel with our sister school St. Ignatius and hopefully we have enough kids to fill a bus. We haven’t yet decided on an itinerary, but that will be taken care of this week. Probably France, Belgium and the Netherlands…sounds like an awesome adventure!

Stone of remembrance, Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Cintheaux, France.

So, what are these dawgs and bandits you speak of Dave? I’ve used it in the title, so it must be something of significance. Well, it is actually. Since 1999 I have coached high school football, and for the past 10 years of that time I have been the head coach of our school’s junior team (JV for any American readers). I currently coach the linebacking corps, as well as serving as the defensive coordinator. In our 3-5-4 defensive scheme (3 down linemen, 5 linebackers and 4 defensive backs), the outside linebackers are called dawgs and the left/right inside ‘backers are called bandits. Linebackers are the heart of this blitzing defence, thus the need to unleash them! We play our first scrimmage on Thursday, so we’ll see how things pan out.

I’m currently getting a double dose of coaching, as I’m taking on a pretty substantial role with the boys Tyke football program. They were direly short of coaches, so I volunteered my services and experience to teach these 5, 6 and 7 year olds. It is certainly a challenge! We have not set any teams yet, so it is mainly just fundamentals for now. Introducing offensive and defensive schemes to them should be quite the interesting endeavour.

Needless to say that with all of these things going on, that any railway work has been put on the back-burner. I’m just too tired to concentrate on such things as writing. I’m hoping to get back to my Leeblain article at some point in the future. Leeblain however is on my mind. Even though I’m very busy with other things, I’m still working on the historic preservation at the site of this ghost town. I’ll probably have more news to report in the next few weeks.

I did spend some time working on some railway related stuff on Saturday. I’m still planning to head to Minnesota to visit the Paulson Mine in a few weeks. In preparation for that trip, I decided to do a bit of research. Despite several explorations, particularly this spring, I have been unable to clearly determine the exact route the railway took near the mine. My attempts this spring were frustrated by the new forest growth, so I’m hoping that with the dropped foliage I will be more successful.

To aid in my quest, I pulled out a historic map that was included in U.S. Grant’s geological survey of the area. Using the data on the map, I tried to plot some likely locations for the railway. For now I am optimistic as to what I’ll find. They say success is built on failure, and I’ve failed a lot in this regard. Maybe my luck will change this time…I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

Paulson Mine area, Minnesota.

Anyway, I better get rolling. As usual, there will be more to say next week. Until then…

 
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Posted by on September 18, 2012 in Hiking, Miscellaneous, Research, Travel, Writing

 

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Man I’m beat!

11 Sep

That pretty much sums it up. I am dead tired! Now you’re probably wondering how I could be in this state since school only started a week ago. Well, I guess it’s like the proverbial 0 to 60. A week and a half ago I was relaxing at home and now I’m putting in 11 hours days. Yesterday I was so exhausted I had no energy to even write this blog…I guess it will be a Tuesday night affair for the foreseeable future.

So the explanation behind my current physical and mental state is simple-I’m doing a heck of a lot of stuff. Tuesday I was back at work, and Wednesday was the first day of classes. By Thursday we were holding our first football practice and Saturday was the boy’s initial Tyke football practice. I try to put everything I have into what I do, and I guess it takes a lot out of me. Yesterday I went from the classroom to the football field, and then another football practice; hence my lack of energy to write. I’m hoping that my body adjusts to this new schedule soon; otherwise it’s going to be a long few months.

Anyway, enough about my sad sob story. It has been a good return to work, and I’m certainly (trying) to get into the swing of things. My classes are good, and I’m looking forward to working with this group of students for the next five months. Likewise it has been a good start to the football season, though I am concerned about the less than stellar player numbers. We have not had a numbers issue in quite a while so it is a bit baffling as to why we are suddenly faced with this issue. There are some students planning on coming out over the next few days so I hope things turn around. We play our first scrimmage next week so there is a lot to do in a very short period of time.

I’ve also jumped into some other extra-curricular planning. Based on the success of this spring’s Vimy Ridge trip, we’ve decided to plan a return to Europe for 2014. That year will be the 70th anniversary of D-Day, so I would be nice to see Normandy to commemorate that event. We’re having a meeting tomorrow, so I hope there will be enough interest to get the wheels turning. There’s no decision yet as to where exactly we will go, but definitely Juno Beach and Dieppe are at the top of the list.

German bunker, Nan White Sector, Juno Beach.

Needless to say all of this has left me with little time (or energy) to devote to the railway. I was hoping to get more work done on my article on Leeblain, but other than looking a few things over, I didn’t write anything new. I did get a little research done, as requires much less mental effort than writing. What I turned up was quite amazing. I found a document about Fort William in 1893. It spoke about the optimism surrounding the railway soon after its construction, particularly with the impending shipment of iron ore. Most importantly, it contained a map showing the route of the line and its initial stations. Very neat to see!

Railway Map, 1893.

Railway Map, 1893.

Now this work stuff has really cut into my “me” time, so I really won’t be able to get to hike the railway anytime soon. Besides, I do need to catch up on some projects around this house. I am planning my next hike though, and I hope it will be productive. I’ve been asked by fellow railway historian Elinor Barr to take her to the Paulson Mine. It has been several years since I visited the site, so it will be nice to get back. While I’m there I can shoot some new video for the YouTube Channel! I’d also like to try again to locate some traces of the second switchback on the railway near the mine. If you remember, my efforts were thwarted back in June, so I’m hoping that with the leaves down I will be more successful.

Anyway, I know this is a bit short of my usual babble, but I need to go to bed. I’m beat! So, until next week…

 
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Posted by on September 11, 2012 in Hiking, Miscellaneous, Research, Travel, Writing

 

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But I don’t wanna go back!

03 Sep

No this is not the end of summer, please don’t send me plea from my children; it’s actually mine. It’s quite unfortunately that summer is already over…didn’t it just start? It is amazing how quickly time flies. I’ll probably be saying the same thing in 10 months when it is June. The only solace I take is that I have yet to hear that annoying back to school Staples commercial. No, it’s not the most wonderful time of the year; if you don’t want you kids any longer, why do you think I do?

Anyway, tomorrow I go back to work. At least I get to be eased back with a PD Day tomorrow. However, I know that day two will be hell, as I’m never tired on the first day, but rather the second. Going back to work is inevitable, but you know where I’d rather be!

Beach at Leeblain, August 2012.

My schedule is not too bad to begin the year; two Grade 10 Canadian Histories (Academic and Pre-AP) and a Grade 12 World History. I know I’m dreading it right now, but give me a day and I’ll be right back into the swing of things…it’s like riding a bike. My love and enthusiasm for teaching will come flooding back. I can’t believe that I will be entering my 16th year in the classroom…damn I’m getting old!

September also brings with it the start of football. We’ve already held our usual pre-season meeting and I’m certainly looking forward to getting out on the field. It is always a bit of a crap-shoot when it comes to the composition of the team; we do have a core of returnees, but we don’t know who will be coming up from Grade 8 and who did not play last year in Grade 9. I guess we’ll get an indication at Wednesday’s lunch meeting.

The last few weeks have been a very good and a great way to wrap up the vacation. I spent a good part of it in the states with the family (and unfortunately a technical glitch with my laptop prevented my usual blog post last week). I know the boys really enjoyed the time in Duluth and Minneapolis and so did I. I spent lots of time hanging out with Ethan and Noah, and in some cases, trying to keep my lunch down. The boys love the rides at the amusement parks and the propensity is for the ones that make me want to puke. Case in the point, the Splat-o-Sphere at Nickelodeon Universe; I spent this particular whirl with my eyes closed lest I blow chunks in front of a bunch of kids. Maybe I’ll get better with time!

Sunset in Bloomington, August 2012.

Upon my return, I made plans for one final summer hike on the railway. I had been itching to get back to Leeblain since my last visit in early August. This trip would be different though, as I was planning to take the boys with me on the long drive to Gunflint Lake. The 146km journey is certainly very interesting, and I forgot how brutal the last 30k was.

When we arrived, we met up with fellow researcher Harold Alanen. As an amateur archeologist, Harold has spent a lot of time around Leeblain looking for Native/Voyager artifacts. We were joined near the railway siding by a few Minnesota friends, John and Joel. John was my host on my Minnesota trip and it was good to see him.

After getting myself (and the boys) ready, we headed north 130m towards the northern rock oven. As we arrived, I happened to glance into the bush just before the oven. I immediately recognized the flat slabs of rock that make up the ovens. Calling everyone over, I charged into the deadfall to identify the “mystery” fourth rock oven. I say mystery because Harold had previously indicated that there might be another oven in the area. However, when he failed to locate it on a previous trip, I was a bit disappointed. I cannot believe that I had never seen this oven before, especially since the brush was thinner before the 2007 fire. Needless to say I am ecstatic over this great discovery.

Rock oven, Leeblain, August 2012.

From there we moved to the ovens closer to the town and eventually said goodbye to John and Joel. Then it was time to go to work. One of my main goals for the day was to locate the 1100 foot spur that branched off somewhere near the ovens. The spur was probably removed after Canadian Northern took over in 1899 as it is not shown on the 1911 map. Google Earth told me that the gravel pit across from Leeblain looked very angular and the distance from the end of the pit to the grade was nearly 1100 feet.

Our first search took us along the eastern side of the pit, where it became obvious that there were no traces of a rail line. As Harold fetched his metal detector, I had a hunch that maybe the spur was in the pit (throwing the gravel into cars beside you would be easier than throwing it uphill). In the northern (drier) end, I noticed a slight mound running down the middle of the pit. Harold arrived on scene with the detector and we immediately began to find spikes, bolts and other bits of metal.

Leeblain Spur, August 2012.

The southern part of the pit is flooded, so our only recourse was to move farther north toward the main line. It was clear that the grade here had been disturbed by the logging following the 1999 blowdown, but the general outline of the spur could be made out. We continued to find items, including piles of spikes and even what appeared to be part of a handwheel. I even found some pieces of coal! It was a very productive day and I’m hoping that Harold and I can team up again to locate more items in the area.

Leeblain Spur items, August 2012.

The boys wanted to spend some time on the beach, so that gave me some time to shoot some video of the “mystery” oven. I then chilled out while Ethan and Noah played for a bit; I wish I could have stayed a lot longer…and so did the boys! The drive home would take 2.5 hours, so we had to get rolling early. We were actually making good time until it happened.

As we neared the intersection of the Gunflint Road and Highway 588, it noticed a slight vibration in my truck. I just assumed that my boat rack was loose from the rough road. The vibration got worse and I suspected something was up; it was at the same time that Ethan shouted, “there’s black stuff flying up from the tire!” My driver-side rear tire was a smoking, shredded mess. I lost 40 minutes putting the share on, but Harold happened to drive by and gave me a hand. I’m now on the hunt for some replacement tires; thankfully I have no hikes planned for the immediate future.

Blown tire, August 2012.

Anyway, I better rolling since I need to be up early. As usual I’ll have new stuff to report next week. Until then…

 
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Posted by on September 3, 2012 in Hiking, Miscellaneous, Research, Travel, Writing

 

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