Winter Update

While Scott Lake rests covered in snow and ice, for Scott Lake Lodge there is still lots on the go: we are securing new fly out destinations, ordering supplies, planning island-wide improvements and wrapping up construction work on the new Laker Lodge 2.0.

In short, we have been quite busy. With the help of our own ice pilots, the twin otter on skis landed on the unmarked snow of Scott Lake. Big January winds and cold made unloading the Otter a challenge but Paul Hamilton, Curt Woloshyn and yours truly, Jason Hamilton, who were there for a week, bundled up well and got a load of lumber off the plane. Going to a frozen lodge on the 60th parallel in mid-winter might sound fun, but it’s a pile of work. It goes something like this: unload plane and send it back for the second load of lumber; wade through snow and unboard cabin; attempt to start snowmobile but fail; tear snowmobile apart; attempt starting again and fail, again. Take a deep breath and light a fire to start the thawing of the cabin from -40 C (which coincidentally is exactly the same as -40 F) Now, what time does the sun set???

Unfortunately, its damn early this time of year; there is only around 5 hours of daylight in mid-January. Back to the snowmobile…success, finally; move gear up to the cabin. Now because the snow had covered the solar panel, there is no power. So, thaw small generator to heat up big generator, to get some juice. Wait 6 hours for power, internet, heat, dinner and a drink. That first day was hectic but after this it was time to work. The winter crew finished the electrical work and did the interior pine paneling for most of the lodge expansion. Shoveling roofs and clearing solar panels involved moving a few thousand pounds of snow but the 8000lbs of lumber provided the real tonnage. It’s how things get done though on the 60th parallel in winter. Overall, it was a good trip with considerable accomplishment. The lodge is really coming together. We think you will like it.

“Unfortunately, its damn early this time of year; there is only around 5 hours of daylight in mid-January.”

That first day was hectic but after this it was time to work. The winter crew finished the electrical work and did the interior pine paneling for most of the lodge expansion. Shoveling roofs and clearing solar panels involved moving a few thousand pounds of snow but the 8000 lbs of lumber provided the real tonnage. That’s how things get done though on the 60th parallel in winter. Overall, it was a good trip with considerable accomplishment. The lodge is really coming together. We think you will like it.

This event is much anticipated and does a great deal to cement relationships within the company, fosters team work and lets the group have a look into the other side of the guiding experience with some fishing. The destination this year was Tampa, FL. Strings were pulled by the owners and prime seats were secured for the NHL All Star game. Now that’s music to the ears of a bunch of Canadian fishing guides.

After a hockey overload and maybe a few beverages, the group hit the inshore waters of Tampa Bay to try their luck. A mixed bag of species bent rods, Pompano, Permit, Mackerel, Snapper, Cobia, Jacks were landed, lessons were learned, and the guide team concluded that it was a great way to officially kick off the 2018 season.