Boot Lake Ice Off 2017

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Thursday morning was beautiful here at the resort, with the sun peaking over the trees and illuminating the resort with a warm orange glow. One of the photos shows a beaver out for one of his first paddles this season, and stretching his legs after being in cooped up in his lodge all winter. This early spring is wonderful, as it gives us an early jump on spring work and getting Cabin 19 finished up! It seemed like the ice went off the lake quickly this year, going from the normal light grey ice color, to a dark blue color just before it started breaking up early this past week. If your curious, our lake association has the history of freeze up and thaw dates.  Check it out here!

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Deer, Deer, and More Deer!

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Mary Kate and I (Ryan) went for a short evening drive yesterday as we both enjoying seeing deer. The field directly across from the resort must have been hosting a deer convention, as there were over 100! We have had a fair amount of snow up here this winter which makes the forage in the fields inaccessible. The deer are excited for spring, and to eat something other than the woody browse  they have been eating through the winter months. We, just like them are excited for the warmer weather and are anxiously awaiting getting outside and working on yard work and spring projects!

Mary Kate Ahrendt looking at deer
Deer near Half Moon Trail Resort - Park Rapids, MN

Deer near Half Moon Trail Resort on Boot Lake

 

 

 

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Dave Ahrendt’s Wood Carving Shop

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Recently, my brother, Nate, and I helped my dad build a small heated wood shop so he could start carving again. Prior to buying Half Moon Trail in 1995, he and my mom were artists, and made their living carving and painting bird sculptures. My sister, Kayla, has an interest in art, so Dad is doing a little teaching this semester and Kayla is getting a little hands on training from the pro. The photos below are just the “roughing out” stage, which usually starts with a chainsaw, like Kayla is using below.  I’ll post a few more pictures at a later date, showing the carvings when they actually look like something other than a piece of firewood 😉

Dave Ahrendt Carving wood with an angle grinder

Dave Ahrendt Wood Carving

Michaela Ahrendt carving with a chainsaw

Michaela Ahrendt carving wood with Dave Ahrendt

 

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Ski Date

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Liz’s parents were up this weekend and were kind enough to watch the kiddos while we took full advantage of the beautiful weather today and went skiing at Soaring Eagle Ski Trails, located north of Park Rapids about seven miles. The trails were beautiful and it was great to get outside without bundling up like a marshmallow to stay warm 😉 As with many of you, it’s been pretty chilly the last couple weeks with most days barely getting up to zero, so it felt pretty balmy when the thermometer read 20!
Liz Ahrendt Skiing at Soaring Eagle Ski Club

The owners of Half Moon Trail Resort, in Park Rapids, MN are out for a ski at Soaring Eagle Ski Club

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Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year! We’re getting pumped to see many of you this summer! Installing v-grove is how Nate and Ryan celebrated New Years Eve and day. Cabin 19 is coming along nicely and it’s at this stage, where all the rough-ins are pretty much completed, and the paneling is going up, that we can start to imagine all of it coming together…and we’re SO EXCITED with how it is turning out. One of our neighbors is doing most of the paneling work, but Ryan and Nate hopped on the crew this weekend as it was time to do the pitched ceilings, which required scaffolding and a few extra hands. Ryan measured, Nate cut, and Vern, our neighbor, set each board in place. One extra picture of the supervisor, Mary Kate, is included

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Sundog Over Boot Lake

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This morning was brisk, with the temps hovering around 10 below and the windchill about 30 below. I zipped outside for a few quick photos of this beautiful sundog before my fingers and camera lost the ability to function. The lake froze over this past Saturday, and with the last few days dipping down into the single digits, and nights well below zero, the lake already has 3-4 inches of ice out in front of the resort.

Sunrise with Sundog on Boot Lake, in Park Rapids, MN

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We’re not just dreaming of a white Christmas

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Like many of you, we’ve been wrapped in a winter white blanket of snow these last few days, just in time for Christmas!  We excitedly welcome the snow, as it means cozy fires, warm soup, a bit more family time, and breaking out our cross country skis!

The drifts of snow weren’t quite as impressive as some that made the news in North Dakota, but there’s something magical about fresh, untainted snow covering everything as far as we can see, and seeing the real life “flocked” Christmas trees all over the resort!

Two to three dozen trumpeter swans migrate through the area and visit Boot Lake every spring and late fall.  We enjoy watching them glide back and forth in the lake, sometimes stopping to feed right in our swim area!  They are particularly beautiful with the fluffy white backdrop!

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Taking the Docks Out

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Yesterday, Dave and Ryan pulled the docks out of the water.  This is generally one of the last things to do to get the resort ready for the winter.  They had the cutest audience, and Mary Kate even took her maiden voyage on the Bobcat!
 docks-out-2 docks-out-3 docks-out-4docks-out-1 docks-out-5docks-out-6

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Building Cabin 19

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We broke ground the day after Labor Day on our new, six bedroom, Cabin 19!  Here are some pictures to show the progress.   The windows will probably be installed this week, and maybe even the roof!  We’re hoping to get the exterior all buttoned up before any really cold weather heads our way.

building-19-3building-19-2building-19-7building-19-4 building-19-5 building-19-6 building-19-1

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Summer mornings

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There’s been a little taste of the approaching autumn weather with a few cooler mornings lately. We get excited, because fall is one of our favorite times of year as the trees burst into radiant colors around the lake, but we will soon miss these beautiful, warm summer mornings. We love looking out over the lake and seeing a thin blanket of fog over the glassy water and the warm sun rising across the lake. Here’s a couple pictures from last week that capture those mornings perfectly!
fog on lake paddleboarding
Photo credit: Emily Vennerstrom
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Resort Activities at Half Moon Trail

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Here’s a few quick photos that we took earlier this summer of Tuesday’s activity lineup. Marble Mountain is a game for younger kids, and gives the pint size participants a chance to win some dazzling new marbles. For the minnow races, we use two rain gutters side by side and race minnows from one end of the gutter to the other. It’s a unique, and often humorous activity for both kids and adults!

Marble Mountain kids activity at Half Moon Trail Resort in Park Rapids, MN

Two kids at Half Moon Trail Resort in Park Rapids, MN racing their minnows during Tuesdays minnow race activity

Guest at Half Moon Trail Resort in Park Rapids, MN, holding up a minnow during the resort minnow race activity

Two Kids at Half Moon Trail Resort in Park Rapids, MN participating in the Minnow Race Activity

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