Black’s Cliff Resort’s Birch Bark Blog

Grab your cup of coffee and enjoy a few moments on Lower Kaubashine

How cold is it?  According to Craig, cold enough to pull out his McDonald’s hat from the 80’s.  We had our first killing frost last night and the woodstove got lit.  No furnace yet at the office, Troy’s goal is to avoid that until November 1st.  Thank god for woodstoves or we would be huddled under blankets

The cold has inspired tree cutting.  Craig has figured out a new system gauranteed to keep him from hitting things.  he uses a comalong to anchor and pull them.  So far about 100 dead trees have been taken out and nothing has been hit yet, notice I used the word yet.  There is a big pine by Restawhile that is going to be a major test of the new system

Trail to Eagles Nest showing color heading to peak.  This weekend and early next week should see the peak.  Nothing prettier than walking the trail with the new leaves and color

All the pictures today came compliments of Al, Roberta, Jimmy Cikowski and of course Fritz.  The best pics of their week Muskie Fishing on Lower Kaubashine in Kaubashine

They caught the loon in mid fall plumage loosing its bright colors and heading to the boring gray they were on the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico

Usually these guys have no problem boarding a few muskies during their week, but this year was slow.  The lake temps were 70 during the day and 63 at night.  They had a few roll next to the boat but were only able to board this 32 inch Muskie.  It got Jimmy on Hilltop’s Muskie board, so he was happy.  The warm weather this week definitly had the muskies lounging and not biting.  Cold temps this week should get them biting again

Hmm… any guesses as to their favorite fishing spot….  See you for Thankgiving and Ice Fishing this winter

Minocqua was a rocking and a beeping on Saturday.   It is always a unique experience to walk the streets of downtown Minocqua on Beef A Rama, you never know the sites you will see

This guy was one of the more interesting sites to see.  Funny thing, is he fit right in

There was a definite party going on in the streets

Barney Rubble and the rest of the Flintstone Crew

My main reason for coming to Beef A Rama, the carmel apples at Minocqua Fudge are the best I have ever had.  Crisp apple and gooy carmel

I am believe these guys have a group name and can be seen having coffee together everyday except for Beef A Rama.

I personally love the udders they have.  Udders brings up a topic of conversation that is one of Troy’s pet peaves about Beef A Rama….  Black and White cows are dairy cows not beef cows.  All of Beef A Rama is based around the classic black and white Holstein dairy cow.  Troy would like to point out to all, that in his vast experience working on dairy farms in his teens, when a dairy cow hit the end of life, it was sent to the processor who took it to mink farms for feed.  Dairy cows are not that great to eat.  Dairy Famers are not firing up the grills when Bessy kicks the bucket.  We were happy to see the Kemps, 30 foot tall dairy cow and calf were not at attendence for the first time this year along hwy 51.  Maybe next year they can find a cute Black Angus or Hereford to take the place of black and white and udders.

The beginning of the beef parade.  What starts out the beef parade…. cross dressing dairy cows with udders and oversized hotdogs….  followed by the firetrucks with sirens

Our favorite Hawaian beauties parading down the street

Unfortunately they had a little too much fun and the beef took a trip to the street in front of a few thousand people waiting to eat beef sandwiches.  5 second rule??

Where is the beef…. Not where is supposed to be….

Happy dog following the Hawian folks picking up the scraps

Can we have the Holestein conversation again….

Good Day was had by all

Mists on the lake this morning

spider web in the morning mist’

Water level in the swimming area down quite a bit.  Craig claims that he has only seen it this low once before

Sand showing at the edges by the pontoon boat

Frankie the rolling dog showed up at the resort rolling around the driveway.

Thanks to a pinched nerve, Frankie is the rolling dog and it does not slow her down at all

Fall color report.   The color is just starting and you can catch trees here and there with nice reds and yellows.  This one is down between Restaswhile and Wildflower

Other areas of the hill are still green

With 3 weeks of dry weather and a dry summer, the colors i think will be a little duller.  This maple sums up some of the color, leaves falling a little faster from some trees

Walkway to Muskie Inn

Color in Wildflower’s stairwell

Still a lot of green in the resort

After 3 weeks of no rain we finally had a sprinkle.  It was actually nice to see dark clouds this morning even if they did not produce much.  The stream down at Hilltop is barely moving and sand is starting to appear in a few boat slips.  Time for some rain!  Maybe by this weekend

Fall means one thing, the Northwoods rumbles for 3 days for a good cause.  Thousands and Thousands of Harleys gather from Tomahawk, north to raise money for MDA

Even Jacobi’s got in on the celebration

The Police were not to be left out and were cruising on Harley’s as well.  Hwy 51 had more cops patroling than I see any other time of the year

Back in August during the infamous Black’s Cliff vs. Hilltop tournament, I ran into Vince Ophus from Hilltop who told me he had caught our gang of loons on the lake in some pics.  Vince promised to send them to me by email to share and he just got them into my inbox this week.  So enjoy these pics from Vince for a month ago of the juvenille deliquent loons in their rebel posse invading the lake

Vince also included the great pic of the eagle he got and the sunset on Lower Kaubashine

Thanks Vince see you next August, bring your best game and whatever outfits you guys come up with in 2010