
Two of the annual events that I've attended for a couple decades, the Wisconsin fishing opener and the annual Grouse Kill weekend (no grouse have been harmed or even inconvenienced at this event for years) have taken on a bit of a kayak flavor. Even though the first is in early May and the latter in early November we still paddle and work on our rolls. The main reason for this, even though the water is usually ice cream headache cold, is the close proximity of a nice hot sauna to the water. Within minutes a near frozen carcass is warm and comfy again.
I am a huge fan of wood fired saunas. The smell, the nature of the heat, the pumping of the water, and the ritual of building and stoking the fire make it a perfect way to enjoy a cool fall day. Two of my favorites are at Camp O, site of the above mentioned events, and at our hunting camp on Reefer Creek in northern Wisconsin.

We visited the Baptism River Inn near Tettagouche State Park on Minnesota's north shore and found a whimsical and efficient wood fired sauna. The VOR commented that the Grinch could have owned this structure. It had a stove that was fed from the outside and a hand pump inside the sauna house.


At the Traditional Gathering last weekend another wood fired gem was discovered. The Crow Wing Crest Lodge has an ancient sauna that looks positively neanderthal. The stove is covered with rocks and takes forever to get hot. Once its hot however, its stays that way for a long time. Once again this was a popular spot for pre and post rolling activities as well as warming up that wet, cold, damp neoprene before putting it back on for the days work. As with the other three saunas mentoined, this one is located right near the lake so one can leap into the cooling water between bouts of sweating.

See you tonight about 9pm.
ReplyDeleteSaunas are cool.... or rather HOT.... har har.... if you ever get the opportunity to paddle out to Thompson Island from Thunder Bay, they have one out there... and its quite a great community of boaters from Thunder Bay that use and maintain the facilities.... also, my neighbor has one, and a hot tub, too... he runs a guesthouse as well, and also offers spa/massage services.... www.sweetgrasscove.com if you ever might be interested. Saunas are a way of life in the north (as you know). Almost every one that I know in Ontario has one on their property. In fact, on my recent visit to Kama Bay on northern Lake Superior, I neglected to bring a swim suit, and when my hosts learned this, I said to them "Well, I didn't know you had a sauna!" to which they replied "Geez, Travis, of course we do... this is northern Ontario, you know!" (I didn't let my lack of swim suit stop me from enjoying a midnight sauna accompanied by a dip in the lake by the light of th August full moon, however..... ahhhhhh heaven!!!!!! I don't have my own sauna yet, but hope to soon.... and when I do you guys are always welcome to come visit and use it!
ReplyDeleteThose ridiculous electric hotel saunas aren't saunas -- they're moderately warm closets. As for paleolithic sauna stoves. . . you'll know you've found the real thing when it's made from a 55-gallon drum. Or, even better, it turns out to be a savu sauna and there's no stove at all, just the hearth in the middle of the floor and the smoke hole in the ceiling.
ReplyDeleteSavu sauna....you learn something everyday! I guess thats my new quest, to locate one of these units. Travis, our camp is near Oulu, WI and until recently Finnish was the primary language. If you don't have a sauna up there you're looked down on as some sort of confederate.
ReplyDeleteWorse than a Confederate. A FIP.
ReplyDelete