The group during their last day on the lake.

Northern lights reflect off the last of the Sawbill Lake ice a few nights ago. © Hansen International Productions

Ben's mission is to help BWCAW visitors of every kind in moving from soreness and limited movement into relaxation and freedom of motion, so that they can travel and camp at their fullest comfort and ability.

Ben will be here from 8 am until 4 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. His rates will be $1/minute for a 5 to 60 minute massage. He will also offer group rate discounts.

Ben will welcome walk-in clients or you can reserve a time for a massage by contacting Ben directly at Portages End Massage, 218-226-8418 or PortagesEnd@gmail.com.

Sunset on Sawbill Lake as seen through a lacy ice remnant. Photo by Luke Opel.

Sawbill crew member and unemployed Ice Measurement Technician, Leif Gilsvik, triumphantly holds the envelope full of cash that he won by correctly guessing this year's ice-out date. He plans to buy a new home for his mother and some liquid refreshments for his fellow crew members.

Panorama of Sawbill Lake from the canoe landing featuring the black ice.

An undistorted shot looking west from the landing.

Roy, Deputy of Outfitter Security, inspects the dwindling ice looking south from the Sawbill Lake canoe landing.

Looking north on Sawbill Lake at 10 AM.

Sawbill Lake from the canoe landing at 10 AM this morning. Photo by Carl Hansen, © Hansen International Productions

Baker Lake is open, but as of yesterday afternoon Peterson (the first lake north of Baker) was still iced in. We got the Peterson report from our first canoe rental customers of the season.

Brother and sister, Dan and Sonja Burseth are the first Sawbill canoe rental customers of the 2013 season. Sonja works at the Lincoln Park R.E.I. store in Chicago.

Kawishiwi Lake is fully open as viewed from the canoe landing. I just issued the first permit of the year to a solo paddler heading in at Kawiwishi. It is pretty safe to assume that Square and Kawasachong Lakes, north of Kawishiwi, are open too. Polly Lake usually is a couple of days later than Kawishiwi. - Bill

Crew member Luke Opel holds up a chunk of honeycombed ice. Photo by Carl Hansen, © Hansen International Productions

Crew member Joe Daniels holds up a stick with last night's skim ice still attached. Photo by Carl Hansen, © Hansen International Productions

This was the scene this morning. Snow on the ground and the glacier in front of the store building. All the new snow melted quickly (although the glacier will probably last until June). Today is cool, but sunny and windy

Baker Lake opened up yesterday, but we don't know if the lakes north of Baker (Peterson, Kelly and Jack) are open. A warmer forecast after the weekend should do the trick for most of the lakes near Sawbill. - Bill

I've been getting a lot of questions about possibly paddling around the edges of the lake. As you can see, that is not yet possible.

Sawbill Lake is getting darker, even on a cold, cloudy and blustery day like today.

Here is the latest edition of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio.

Here is note from Sawbill Poet Laureate, Ed Dallas, who lives in north central Minnesota:

Bill,

Just to let you folks know there is light at the end of the tunnel as the ice on our little lake went out yesterday and I will be canoeing this afternoon careful to not be run over by all the ducks and loons. Now if by chance Sawbill Lake still has plenty of "hard water" to make the opener a little difficult then this haiku might be newsletter material.

opening fishing
the old dare devil skips
across the bay

Have a good one,

Ed