Camp Nebagamon

By Joe Crain

With the snow almost completely melted away with the exception of a few plow piles, with the lake ice free since April 24^th, and with the spring peepers singing in the ponds, I feel confident that I can declare that spring has finally arrived at camp. Though I make that declaration with a bit of trepidation, because today’s forecast calls for a high in the mid 30s and a rain snow mix with accumulation of an inch or more. And with temps not predicted to get out of the 40s all week, we probably won’t be enjoying much singing from the peepers again until the temps rise back into the upper 50s. I am confident though that the lake will remain ice free until the start of next winter and that the Wisconsin fishing opener this weekend, May 4^th, will see many bundled up fishermen out on the lake.

The ice came off the lake only a week or so later than average which was a big surprise to me. With the late season snows and ridiculous snow depths we had at the start of April, I thought for sure the fishing opener would see the lake still frozen over, as it has been on several occasions in the current decade. I was so confident that I submitted a date of May 8^th for Camp Nebagamon’s annual Ice Breaker contest, but alas no camp swag for me this year. I hope your submission to the contest was more accurate than mine! The copious amounts of late season snow we received did raise the lake level quite a bit but not nearly as high as the 2002 flood. The melt runoff has submerged about a quarter of Lorber Point and the lake is almost up to the Buddy (Herzog) Board. Near the Lumberjack Village and out on the range, the waterline is four or so feet past the shore berm, During the ’02 flood the lake level nearly covered Lorber Point and was almost to the steps of the LJ Village cabins.

With the snow gone and the temperatures back to a more comfortable, if not yet seasonable level, we Caretakers are able to get out of the shop, tackle some projects and start others around the grounds of camp. The staff residents in the Horvath House this season will appreciate Caretaker Andy’s efforts of this month. The upstairs bedrooms now are all separated with actual walls and doors! The space now has three distinct bedrooms instead of only one, and you no longer walk directly into a bedroom when you ascend the stairs from the first floor. The renovation will not only bring privacy to the occupants but will also add a bit of flexibility to the assignment of quarters as the building will no longer have to be single gender. Caretaker Jack came back from his winter layoff for another season in mid-April and has been hard at work in Cabin Elm trimming out the new windows that Andy installed last fall. For my part, I was able to get the windows I had pulled and rehabbed from Range cabins Apple, Birch, and Cedar  reinstalled. I have also spent several days cutting up and hauling off eight or so truckloads of tree limbs that had been brought down by the numerous heavy wet snows we had this winter. We will be under the gun a bit in the next few weeks due to the unusual need to split CNOC wood this spring. That chore was buried in ten inches of snow early last November when it usually happens. We need to get the grounds cleaned up with the leaf blowers as well, a chore that has been set back a few weeks due to the late arrival of spring. But have no fear — we will be ready for you all to arrive mid-June, a little out of breath perhaps, but ready none the less.

Hoping May will be more seasonable than March and April were, it’s Caretaker Joe At Camp.