Well we are finally home again!! About 2 pm this afternoon our little caravan of trailers went made our way from the Grand Marias Municipal Recreation Park up the Gunflint Trail. I waited in town to pick up the kids after school. The first question they asked was - do we have to go home right now? They really enjoyed our little camping experience. So we played with friends for awhile then ate Sven & Ole's pizzas and made our way home.
As we traveled up the trail it was a little strange. At first you wouldn't know anything had happened at all. There was a little less traffic and more firetrucks. Further up the trail by the iron lake area there is about a 1.5 mile stretch where the fire did cross the road. It's amazing how green and alive the woods can be then suddenly black and charred. The only other signifigant sign was the view across the lake as you decend down the last hill prior to turning off the Gunflint trail onto County Road 50 (S. Gunflint Lk). The Canadian shoreline is black as far as the eye can see. The resort property is all in tact, and untouched.
I have yet to see the fires effects further up the Gunflint Trail as the Road is still closed from the Cross River up. It's scary to think of what some others will go back to when the are allowed to visit their property. I guess all we can do is be thankful that this did not happen in July or August when the chance of injury to people not just structures would have been much greater.
We still can't thank you all enough for your thoughts, prayers, calls and e-mails. You all have been on our minds too. Tomorrow will be a busy day setting up office once again, but we hope to be back to business as usual by Friday. I will sleep much better tonight, count my blessings, and start over tomorrow.
Thankfully - Shari
