|
 Back >
A Cabin on the Lake
by Carolyn Corbett
Each Friday, from Memorial Day through the end of September,
Lori Paris throws whatever looks good from the refrigerator
in a cooler, John grabs the duffel bag, 8-year-old Danielle
buckles her seat belt, and by 6 p.m. they're headed
for their cabin on the lake. Thirty-five minutes later
the family is dockside at the Shores of Leech Lake Campground
and Marina. Their cabin on the lake is a sailboat.
No property taxes to pay, no lawn to mow, no windows
to wash, no shingles to repair. "When we get there,
we begin relaxing right away," Lori said. John
and Lori anchor out as much as possible, changing their
backyard with the hoist of a sail. Their liquid assets
include 640 miles of shoreline surrounded by low rolling
hills blanketed with pine, birch and maple trees.
Nestled deep in the Chippewa National Forest, Leech
Lake is the third largest lake within the borders of
Minnesota. Vast stretches of virgin shoreline are protected
from development, for they lie within the boundaries
of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. Except for the
eagles, mosquitoes, deer, bear, and fireflies who make
their home here, midweek sailors often have this 20-mile
wide, 23-mile long body of water to themselves. Northern
lights provide nighttime entertainment and the Cass
County Sheriff monitors VHF channel 16.
Members of the Shores of Leech Lake Yacht Club pay
no dues, embrace no bylaws and conduct one official
meeting per year ~ and that's primarily an excuse to
have a potluck. The organizational meeting for the 26th
annual Leech Lake Regatta had to be rescheduled this
past summer when people protested the Saturday morning
timetable. Saturdays are for sailing.
Most couples own small keelboats in the $8,000 to
$28,000 range. Some of these 20 to 30-foot floating
bungalows have homesteaded this harbor for more than
10 years.
When Harpo Dexter became the first commodore in 1984,
there were only eight sailboats at Shores. Today there
are nearly 50. In her 70s now, Harpo's widow Helen sails
a Westerly 24 with a golden retriever named Sam. Helen
singlehands these days; Sam's aboard, but he mostly
sunbathes. Rumor has it that no one on the lake handles
a boat better than Helen.
According to Helen, rapport among this group of sailors
is something special. "They were vitally important
to me when the time came to start being my own skipper,"
she said. "I couldn't have done it without them."
Experience levels vary among the close-knit sailors.
Kim and Brad Hayes are the proud young owners of their
first boat. Ronald Vroom has crossed the Atlantic. Ralph
Solhjem found Bellwether III in Boston and brought her
up the Erie Canal and through the Great Lakes to Duluth.
From there she was trailered 150 miles to Leech Lake.
Why Leech Lake? Lake Superior's sailing conditions
can be formidable the Leech is much closer to home.
Folks come for an afternoon or a weekend, sometimes
longer. Within a few hours of leaving the dock, they
arrive at their favorite anchorage to swim, read, fish,
and just raft up and socialize. Leech offers large expanses
of open water, exciting sailing, secure anchoring, excellent
water quality, and few navigational hazards. And then
there's Shores.
Dock space in Shores' protected harbor includes water,
electricity, pump-out facilities, and winter storage.
The price is $900 a year. When a horn sounds to alert
other traffic that a sailboat is entering the harbor,
ducks and paddleboats glide to the sides of the narrow
channel. Wood smoke wafts across the water as campfires
are stoked. The evening breeze echoes with the call
of loons and the twilight serenade of frogs. Not exactly
your typical cement-and-steel marina environment.
Sailors gather in Shores' lodge, where there's free
coffee until noon and folks run tabs for pizza, beer
and sandwiches. Lori Paris' daughter Danielle romps
with her friends at the beach or playground when she's
not sailing. "Many of us have raised our kids here,"
Mike Kelsey said.
Shores is a mom-and-pop operation. Mitch and Mara
Loomis moved "up north" from the Twin Cities
several years ago to take over the business Mitch's
parents had run for 18 years. Some regulars were concerned
that this young couple might be planning to rest on
their laurels. No one worries any more. Mitch and Mara
haven't got enough spare time to look up "laurels"
in the dictionary. From May 1 to October 15, their work
day runs from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. But
they don't forget their fair weather friends once Shores
closes for the season.
Last January more than 40 sailors battled icy roads
to attend a winter reunion that Mara organized to honor
two sailors who were turning 50. Among them were Ralph
and Carol Solhjem who waited at road blocks in Fargo,
slipping through when they opened temporarily.
Dock mates accustomed to sharing raft-ups, campfires
and pig roasts gathered during a weekend of unseasonably
cold temperatures. Outside the lodge lay waist-high
whiteness, frozen water and forlorn masts. Inside, camaraderie
and kinship warmed summer friends as they winterized
their systems.
Rural Minnesota sailors are a hearty bunch. Maybe
it has something to do with the short season. Some years
they start in snowmobile suits and end in snowmobile
suits. Mitch explained, "People want their boats
in as early as possible. If there's water on the lake,
these sailors are on the water." But there's a
catch.
Normal ice-out on the "big lake" usually
occurs around April 26. The ice in Shores' harbor typically
melts a week earlier. In the past, the boats had been
in the water, but had nowhere to go.
The Shores of Leech Lake Y.C. traditionally hires
a crane to arrive the first Saturday in May and again
on Columbus Day weekend. Every non-trailerable boat
that is going in or coming out of the water goes in
or comes out on those days. Of the 48 boats that call
Shores home, 32 require the lift.
Each couple helps launch several boats. With two sets
of straps for the crane, one boat is being prepared
as another is dropped in the water. After the crane
is sent on its way, these nautical neighbors stand the
rigs, toast the season, and head to town for dinner.
From crane-in to crane-out, Mark and Vicki DeSchane
often make the 40-minute drive from Park Rapids to go
for evening sails during the week. Mark has no interest
in owning a traditional cabin. Why would he? His prime
parcel of property encompasses more than 150 feet of
real estate. He's got a lake home with 360 degrees of
beach.
|
