Overnight the wind died down, and at last all the water was covered with a thin sheet of ice. Now we wait for more cold weather...and then snow!
Dec 31, 2011
December 28
Most of the lake froze over on the night of December 24th, then was buried in the first real snow of the season. One large hole in the ice remained. Strong south winds on the 26th made the hole bigger. Strong north winds on the 27th kept new ice from forming. This photo was taken on the morning of the 28th of December....mist rising from the waves on the open water as the north wind continues to blow.
Sep 21, 2011
Autumn 2011
Kukagami Environment Watch Autumn 2011
www.kewatch.blogspot.com
"Listen! the wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!" - Humbert Wolfe
Summer in Review
Another wonderful summer at Kukagami has come and gone! Lots of sun and hardly any rain. It doesn't get any better than this. Except it would have been nice to have some more rain....
Autumn Road Clean-up
The official fall road clean up will take place between October 1st and 10th. This allows two weekends so that it can fit into most folks' schedules and allow you to pick a sunny day. Sign up to clean a one or two km section of the road! To register for your section of the road, drop a line here at kewatch@gmail.com.
Volunteers are asked to keep a rough total of recyclables, and place these in the giant blue bin at the transfer depot. If your section of the road has too much junk for you to add to your weekly drop-off, let us know and we'll arrange for the city folks to come pick it up form the roadside.
Bring a friend – it's a fine way to spend a cool autumn day while at camp.
Second Annual Mushroom Walk, October 2nd
Have you ever wondered if you can eat any of those mushrooms that are popping up everywhere after the rains? We'll take a walk through the woods on the afternoon of October 2nd to see what's up, and what's good to eat. Meet at the trail head across from Sportsman's Lodge at 2 pm on Sunday for a mushroom talk and walk. Dress for the weather! And bring along any mushroom books you may have lying around the camp.
Keeping Beavers at bay...
Just when you thought the local beavers have moved on to another part of the lake, you will suddenly notice they have taken down five small trees in your yard. Yikes! There are lots of trees in the forest, why do they have to take the ones in the yard?
Last year we tried and tested a new way to keep our leafy trees from falling to the beaver's teeth. Sand paint! Beavers don't like the feel of sand in their mouths, so this method really works. Paint your birches with white paint, and toss hands-full of sand onto the paint while it is still wet. The sand will stick to the paint, and the beavers will (hopefully!) travel elsewhere to find fodder for the coming winter.
Cranberries!
With the long hot summer this year, bright red cranberries are abundant in boggy places around the lake and of course, around the edges of many swamps. Wild cranberries look just like the ones you buy in the store, but they are so much better tasting because they are so fresh!
Look for tiny trailing vines with half-inch long and skinny leaves. These will be turning from green to maroon as the days cool between now and Thanksgiving. The cranberries will be scattered along the intertwining vines. Most will be 90% red by now, and ready to pick.
Use them to make cranberry sauce by simmering the berries with just a touch of water and some sugar. A splash of lemon juice is optional.
Or, try something different his year....make a cranberry pie for Thanksgiving dinner! Just fill an unbaked pie crust with fresh raw cranberries, sprinkle with a cup of sugar and add a few dots of butter along with a half teaspoon of almond extract. Put a top crust on, them bake for 45 minutes at 325 F. Yum!
How Lucky We Are
Research continues to prove that people who spend time in nature are healthier than those who don't. Children really benefit from time outside, especially the unstructured time they spend here at the lake. Some studies have shown that children who are comfortable playing in nature are less likely to have attention deficit disorder. Read "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv for more details. And be sure to send the grandkids out to play next time they come to visit.
Website and Newsletter
The KEW newsletter is published quarterly, and sent by email to any interested person. The Website has random updates and is a great place to post stories and photos. Send these to us at kewatch@gmail.com and we'll get them online!
If you know anyone who would like to receive the KEW newsletter, send his or her e-mail address to kewatch@gmail.com. If you would like to be removed from the list, please reply to this address.
Sep 10, 2011
Aug 10, 2011
Aerial Spray area north of Doon
There is an area of white pine that was logged a few years ago that is establishing naturally to white pine north of Doon Lake (map attached). It will be aerial chemical tended with Vision to knock back poplar competition.
Treatment is expected in the first week of September.
Treatment is expected in the first week of September.
Jun 6, 2011
Big Changes to Wolf Lake Forest Reserve!
The Ministry of Natural Resources is inviting public comment on changes to land use designations in the Wolf Lake and Matagamasi Lake Forest Reserve area. Click here * for the official announcement.
Briefly, MNR proposes to remove protection from the area immediately surrounding Wolf Lake and from the southern part of Matagamasi Lake. Logging will be prohibited around Wolf Lake, but will be allowed within the former 200 meters reserve of Matagamasi southern area. The existing Chiniguchi Waterway Park will be extended to include part of Chiniguchi Lake. Kukagami Lake Forest Reserve will not be affected at this time.
Contact Scott Dingwall at MNR....705-564-7876
History:
For the past 12 years the area around Wolf Lake has been protected from logging and other development as part of Ontario's Living Legacy. OLL was a 1999 initiative by the Mike Harris government to expand the protected areas to about 9% of Ontario lands and waters. The OLL process identified representative landscapes of all forest types and landforms.
The Wolf Lake Forest Reserve has a dual purpose of protecting the largest area of Old Growth Red Pine in Canada as well as recognizing the importance of the historic Chiniguchi River canoe route.
In 2005, parts of the Chiniguchi River were regulated as a Provincial Park. The Wolf Lake area stayed as a Forest Reserve because it could not be included in the park until the mining claims and leases expired.
To date they have not expired, partly because of Minister's direction to renew the claims, whether the required work was completed or not. The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry has been trying to get the Forest Reserve designation removed since 2002. A process of 'disentanglement' has been underway since 2005.
Repercussions:
Mining
Will continue to be allowed around Wolf Lake and southern part of Matagamasi. Will be prohibited around central and eastern portions of Chiniguchi Lake.
Logging
Will continue to be prohibited around Wolf Lake, but will be allowed around the southern part of Matagamasi. Will be prohibited around central and eastern portions of Chiniguchi Lake.
Recreation
There has been an increase of canoe tripping in the Chiniguchi area in recent years largely due to the publication of "Lost Canoe Routes of Ontario" by Kevin Callan. We can expect this trend to continue with the inclusion of our area in Kevin's latest book, "Top 50 Canoe Routes of Ontario".
As well, the Temagami area Parks started collecting overnight camping fees a few years ago. More people are coming to the Chiniguchi waterway because there are no fees.
Land Use Policies:
Provincial Park: Protected areas that prohibit logging, mining, new land sales, hydro development. New roads and trails are discouraged, but can be created with permission. Administered by Ontario Parks. Some maintenance of parking and campsites possible. Use can be managed though camping fees.
Conservation Reserve: (CR) Protected areas that prohibit logging, mining, new land sales, hydro development. New roads and trails are discouraged, but can be created with permission. Administered by MNR. No maintenance of parking or campsites, and no fees for camping.
Forest Reserve: Areas waiting to be protected as Parks or CRs, where mining claims exist or used to exist in 1999. Protected from everything as above, except mining.
Enhanced Management Area: (EMA) In the Chiniguchi area, the EMAs give recognition to the importance of wilderness recreation in the area. Logging operations may be set back a little further from shorelines than in General Use Areas, clearcutting is kept from view of waterways, and new roads and trails are discouraged, but can be created with permission. Mining activities are allowed.
General Use Areas: Recognized as available for development for mining, logging, etc. Consideration is given to special needs of shorelines, wildlife habitat, and recreation. New roads and trails can be created with permission.
Detailed information on Land Uses and Land Use Planning can be found at http://crownlanduseatlas.mnr.gov.on.ca/ .
Questions and comments can be directed to KEWatch@gmail.com. We will continue to distribute relevant information as it arises.
If you know anyone who would like to receive the KEW newsletter, send his or her e-mail address to kewatch@gmail.com. If you would like to be removed from the list, please reply to this address.
* Go to www.ebr.gov.on.ca and search for Wolf Lake to see this link.
Adopt-a-Road Volunteer Picnic
The city of Sudbury is hosting a picnic for all Volunteers, and as Adopt-a-Road participants, we are invited!
It is on Saturday, June 11, 6:30 pm at Kin Park in Blezard Valle. A family-friendly evening! Here is a link to the the details: http://www.greatersudbury.ca/cms/index.cfm?app=div_leisureservices&lang=en&currID=9985
Let us know if you can go!
Thank you for your assistance...This year and in year's past.
KEW
May 4, 2011
Ice is Out!
This photo was taken at 3:30 this afternoon. This is the last of the ice on Kukagami for the spring of 2011. A new season has begun!
May 4 morning
A chunk of ice drifted to shore. About a kilometer away, you can see just a hint of the pale grey line of ice. It separates the forest from its reflection in the lake.
Maybe the ice will be gone today!
May 2, 2011
Area News Spring 2011
Kukagami Environment Watch Area News
http://www.kewatch.blogspot.com/ Spring 2011
The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between then is sometimes as great as a month. Henry Van Dyke
Ice Out!
Midmorning on May 1st the ice began to move! Strong south winds blew throughout the day, moving the ice up the lake. Masses of ice crystals piled up on docks and rocks. All the ice blew away from Klondike Bay...the big lake is going to take another few days. See lots more photos on the website...
Spring Road Clean-up
The official spring road clean up will take place between May 3rd and May 9th. Dedicate an hour to volunteer to clean a section of road in honour of Mom for Mother’s Day. To register for your section of the road, drop a line here at kewatch@gmail.com.
Bring a friend – it’s a fine way to spend a spring day while at camp.
****Please note! The City wants us to sort the roadside trash into separate bags of recyclables and garbage. We have clear bags for the recyclables, and black bags for the garbage. Please let us know if you need these supplies!****
****Also, the City does not want these taken to the transfer station. They will send a truck out to pick up the bags at roadside on May 10th. They want to keep track of how much and what kinds of litter is collected for their stats.****
Please leave your collection bags on the west side of the road.
Kukagami at the Movies!
Kukagami lake and area will be the focus of a feature movie during the month of June! One person is looking for accommodation for the month of June on the lake or along the Kukagami Road. Anyone who might want to rent out their camp should contact her directly: Her email address is jhacarlson@hotmail.com
Forests!
The Sudbury Forest Management Plan is available for public viewing. You can see the logging plans for all areas of Ontario. If you have a fast internet connection, you can find wonderful maps on this site.
KEW contacted Vermillion Forest Management to find out what's up in our area this year:
There are limited activities planned in the Kukagami Lake area.
There are harvest areas clustered north of Jackson Lake up to the west side of Ashigami Lake. These include several small patches of commercial thinning in red pine plantations that straddle both sides of Kukagami Lake Road. There is also a regular harvest block found along the south side of the old rail line, east of Kukagami Lake Road, but there are no definite plans for the harvest of these blocks.
Lastly, there is the public fuel wood area at the northwest end of Ashigami Lake. No activities are planned north of Ashigami Lake, except for Lakeland's fuel wood patch on the west side of Portage Bay.
Spring Cleaning at Camp
Keep the three R’s in mind while doing your spring-cleaning this year…Reduce - Reuse - Recycle. If you find you have clothes, books, toys, or other small goods, take them in as a donation to the Salvation Army thrift store, the Jarrett Centre, or Value Village. (all in the Flour Mill area)
If you have usable construction materials, donate them to the RE-Store, on Frood Road. Also, plan on shopping at the RE-Store for hardware, paint, sinks, lamps, and lots more. Proceeds go to the local Habitat for Humanity.
Water Watcher
Kukagami Lake is one of the cleanest lakes in the north. Spring fed, and far from industrial pollution, we are indeed lucky to live on its shores. Our water is so clean that many cottagers drink the water right from the lake, as they have for the past 50 years and longer. Is our water as clean as it was 50 years ago?
If you are concerned about the safety of drinking fresh lake water, there are a couple of options. The worst of these is to bring bottled water from the city. Most bottled water comes from a municipal tap somewhere. All of it comes in plastic bottles. There are health concerns with many of the plastics in our lives these days, to say nothing of the pollution from production, transportation and disposal of the plastics.
The best option for ensuring safe drinking water at the lake is to install a water filter. The simplest filters cost less than $300 and will provide pure, delicious water in a single tap you can use for drinking and cooking. For $1089, you can install a complete ultraviolet/filter system that will purify all the water for the entire house. Castle Plumbing and Heating has these systems set up with all the plumbing simplified and ready to install. It's easy!
Beavers?!?
Now that the ice is off the lake the beavers are back, and they are hungry! Are they cutting down the trees in your yard? There are a couple of ways you can discourage beavers from cutting down your favourite shade trees. The easiest is to pee on them. This is a way of marking your territory. And it gives the guys at your camp an excuse to do what they always do anyway. Who would want to chew on such a tree?
Failing that, the next best option is to paint the trees with sand. Use a latex paint, maybe clear or maybe try to match the colours of the tree. While the paint is wet, toss sand onto it. Beavers hate the texture of sand, and will leave the trees alone.
Stories from our Past by Debby MacKimmie
I don't have a place on Kukagami, but three of my Aunts &Uncles and two of my cousins do, as well as some life-long friends. In the summer of 1970 my mother died, leaving my father with three somewhat wild kids. After the funeral and some important "alone time"together, the three of us came to Kukagami to be with our family so my father could put our new life together.
We stayed with Auntie Betty (Royer) for a while and with Auntie Maria (Del Bosco) too and visited with Auntie Dorothy (Del Bosco). I'm not sure their camp was finished by that summer. To add to the somber time, my Uncle John's (Royer) mother also passed away shortly after we arrived. There were some very tear stained children at Kukagami that year.
Of course, my Uncles were in town at work during the week, so the women were left to mind their own children, as well as their wild nieces and nephew. We played and played all day long with our cousins and with the "Pella kids"too, leaving a trail of wet towels, life jackets and soggy shoes and laughter and screams echoing down the lake.
This was long before Hydro or telephones came to the lake. I can remember my Aunts cooking on their wood burning stoves and doing piles dishes by hand, with little help from us. Some of my cousins were still in diapers!
My siblings and I, our cousins and the Pellas recall that time fondly and with reverence and always refer to it as "that summer". There have been many other summers, family reunions, celebrations and the like, but the poignancy and the hard work of our Aunties and our camaraderie was special.
Anyway, one of my favourite things my Auntie Maria made for us was Cockeyed Cake. It is a well known recipe and the only place I have ever seen it is in Peg Bracken's "I Hate to Cook Book", but even she doesn't know who to credit. It is a perfect cake to make at the lake, as it is fast, simple and doesn't make a lot of dirty dishes. It is also good for bribing wild children to behave!
1 and 1/2 cups sifted flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cold water
Put your sifted flour back in the sifter, add to it the cocoa, soda, sugar, and salt and sift this into a greased square cake pan, about 9x9x2 inches. Make 3 holes in the dry mixture. Pour the oil into one, the vinegar into the next, and the vanilla in the last. Pour the cold water over it all. Beat with a spoon until nearly smooth and you can't see the flour. Bake at 350 F. for half an hour.
Website and Newsletter
The KEW newsletter is published quarterly, and sent by email to any interested person. The Website is updated randomly through the year – so check for new information and photos! Submit photos and news items to our email – listed below.
If you know anyone who would like to receive the KEW newsletter, send his or her e-mail address to kewatch@gmail.com. If you would like to be removed from the list, please reply to this address.
http://www.kewatch.blogspot.com/ Spring 2011
The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between then is sometimes as great as a month. Henry Van Dyke
Ice Out!
Midmorning on May 1st the ice began to move! Strong south winds blew throughout the day, moving the ice up the lake. Masses of ice crystals piled up on docks and rocks. All the ice blew away from Klondike Bay...the big lake is going to take another few days. See lots more photos on the website...
Spring Road Clean-up
The official spring road clean up will take place between May 3rd and May 9th. Dedicate an hour to volunteer to clean a section of road in honour of Mom for Mother’s Day. To register for your section of the road, drop a line here at kewatch@gmail.com.
Bring a friend – it’s a fine way to spend a spring day while at camp.
****Please note! The City wants us to sort the roadside trash into separate bags of recyclables and garbage. We have clear bags for the recyclables, and black bags for the garbage. Please let us know if you need these supplies!****
****Also, the City does not want these taken to the transfer station. They will send a truck out to pick up the bags at roadside on May 10th. They want to keep track of how much and what kinds of litter is collected for their stats.****
Please leave your collection bags on the west side of the road.
Kukagami at the Movies!
Kukagami lake and area will be the focus of a feature movie during the month of June! One person is looking for accommodation for the month of June on the lake or along the Kukagami Road. Anyone who might want to rent out their camp should contact her directly: Her email address is jhacarlson@hotmail.com
Forests!
The Sudbury Forest Management Plan is available for public viewing. You can see the logging plans for all areas of Ontario. If you have a fast internet connection, you can find wonderful maps on this site.
KEW contacted Vermillion Forest Management to find out what's up in our area this year:
There are limited activities planned in the Kukagami Lake area.
There are harvest areas clustered north of Jackson Lake up to the west side of Ashigami Lake. These include several small patches of commercial thinning in red pine plantations that straddle both sides of Kukagami Lake Road. There is also a regular harvest block found along the south side of the old rail line, east of Kukagami Lake Road, but there are no definite plans for the harvest of these blocks.
Lastly, there is the public fuel wood area at the northwest end of Ashigami Lake. No activities are planned north of Ashigami Lake, except for Lakeland's fuel wood patch on the west side of Portage Bay.
Spring Cleaning at Camp
Keep the three R’s in mind while doing your spring-cleaning this year…Reduce - Reuse - Recycle. If you find you have clothes, books, toys, or other small goods, take them in as a donation to the Salvation Army thrift store, the Jarrett Centre, or Value Village. (all in the Flour Mill area)
If you have usable construction materials, donate them to the RE-Store, on Frood Road. Also, plan on shopping at the RE-Store for hardware, paint, sinks, lamps, and lots more. Proceeds go to the local Habitat for Humanity.
Water Watcher
Kukagami Lake is one of the cleanest lakes in the north. Spring fed, and far from industrial pollution, we are indeed lucky to live on its shores. Our water is so clean that many cottagers drink the water right from the lake, as they have for the past 50 years and longer. Is our water as clean as it was 50 years ago?
If you are concerned about the safety of drinking fresh lake water, there are a couple of options. The worst of these is to bring bottled water from the city. Most bottled water comes from a municipal tap somewhere. All of it comes in plastic bottles. There are health concerns with many of the plastics in our lives these days, to say nothing of the pollution from production, transportation and disposal of the plastics.
The best option for ensuring safe drinking water at the lake is to install a water filter. The simplest filters cost less than $300 and will provide pure, delicious water in a single tap you can use for drinking and cooking. For $1089, you can install a complete ultraviolet/filter system that will purify all the water for the entire house. Castle Plumbing and Heating has these systems set up with all the plumbing simplified and ready to install. It's easy!
Beavers?!?
Now that the ice is off the lake the beavers are back, and they are hungry! Are they cutting down the trees in your yard? There are a couple of ways you can discourage beavers from cutting down your favourite shade trees. The easiest is to pee on them. This is a way of marking your territory. And it gives the guys at your camp an excuse to do what they always do anyway. Who would want to chew on such a tree?
Failing that, the next best option is to paint the trees with sand. Use a latex paint, maybe clear or maybe try to match the colours of the tree. While the paint is wet, toss sand onto it. Beavers hate the texture of sand, and will leave the trees alone.
Stories from our Past by Debby MacKimmie
I don't have a place on Kukagami, but three of my Aunts &Uncles and two of my cousins do, as well as some life-long friends. In the summer of 1970 my mother died, leaving my father with three somewhat wild kids. After the funeral and some important "alone time"together, the three of us came to Kukagami to be with our family so my father could put our new life together.
We stayed with Auntie Betty (Royer) for a while and with Auntie Maria (Del Bosco) too and visited with Auntie Dorothy (Del Bosco). I'm not sure their camp was finished by that summer. To add to the somber time, my Uncle John's (Royer) mother also passed away shortly after we arrived. There were some very tear stained children at Kukagami that year.
Of course, my Uncles were in town at work during the week, so the women were left to mind their own children, as well as their wild nieces and nephew. We played and played all day long with our cousins and with the "Pella kids"too, leaving a trail of wet towels, life jackets and soggy shoes and laughter and screams echoing down the lake.
This was long before Hydro or telephones came to the lake. I can remember my Aunts cooking on their wood burning stoves and doing piles dishes by hand, with little help from us. Some of my cousins were still in diapers!
My siblings and I, our cousins and the Pellas recall that time fondly and with reverence and always refer to it as "that summer". There have been many other summers, family reunions, celebrations and the like, but the poignancy and the hard work of our Aunties and our camaraderie was special.
Anyway, one of my favourite things my Auntie Maria made for us was Cockeyed Cake. It is a well known recipe and the only place I have ever seen it is in Peg Bracken's "I Hate to Cook Book", but even she doesn't know who to credit. It is a perfect cake to make at the lake, as it is fast, simple and doesn't make a lot of dirty dishes. It is also good for bribing wild children to behave!
1 and 1/2 cups sifted flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cold water
Put your sifted flour back in the sifter, add to it the cocoa, soda, sugar, and salt and sift this into a greased square cake pan, about 9x9x2 inches. Make 3 holes in the dry mixture. Pour the oil into one, the vinegar into the next, and the vanilla in the last. Pour the cold water over it all. Beat with a spoon until nearly smooth and you can't see the flour. Bake at 350 F. for half an hour.
Website and Newsletter
The KEW newsletter is published quarterly, and sent by email to any interested person. The Website is updated randomly through the year – so check for new information and photos! Submit photos and news items to our email – listed below.
If you know anyone who would like to receive the KEW newsletter, send his or her e-mail address to kewatch@gmail.com. If you would like to be removed from the list, please reply to this address.
May 2, 2011
Yahoo! Strong winds on May first moved the ice! On the morning of May second, pans of ice float amidst reflections in the water.
April 30, 2011
Just enough water around the dock and shore to launch the Kayak! This ice was soft enough to paddle right through to the far shore.
Apr 6, 2011
Bicycling Anyone?
Every few years the lake conditions in April are just right for biking...and this year is it! Cold nights and warm days make for hard ice that is rough enough for good traction. For a couple of hours each morning the bicycling is great! AND there are no hills! Just be sure you aren't too far from home in the late morning when the ice surface starts to soften. You don't want to pedal through an inch of slush.
Mar 27, 2011
everything about lake ice
Kukagami Environment Watch March 27, 2011
Ice!
If you ever spend time at the lake in April, you will be entranced with the amazing transformation as the ice gives way to water.
Last year it this time, the ice was nearly gone from the lake. The spring of 2011 is just the opposite. In these last days of March, the ice continues to get thicker with each frigid night. Soon though, the ice will begin to melt.
Here is an amazing website that has everything you ever wanted to know about ice forming and melting...and more! Have a look at Lake Ice from a Recreational Perspective.
Website and Newsletter.
The Website is updated randomly through the year – so check for new information and photos! Submit photos and news items to our email – listed below.
If you know anyone who would like to receive the KEW newsletter, send his or her e-mail address to kewatch@gmail.com. If you would like to be removed from the list, please reply to this address.
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