10/03/2026
Hi everyone!
Well, it has been an absolutely fantastic summer here at the lodge. 2026 marked our first season in 10 years without a major disruption or shutdown—no fires, floods, or lockdowns—and we couldn't be more grateful.
The ultimate highlight of our summer was Seanna and Wesley’s wedding. It miraculously went off without a single hitch and was truly magical. We are so happy to officially gain a great son-in-law!
Our spectacular new chef, Jason, wowed guests with incredible meals, assisted by Barb keeping everything spotless. Both loved the vibe here at camp and have promised to return next year! With Debra keeping us all on track, we also stayed incredibly busy improving the camp for everyone. She works tirelessly to ensure every single detail behind the scenes is taken care of, and quite frankly, we’d be completely lost without her hard work and dedication.
Thanks to our excellent staff, we got a massive amount of work done in addition to daily operations:
🔨 The New Lodge & Cabin Expansion:
Hayden built the new lodge floor in time to use for the wedding and then got the walls and roof framed by the end of September. All while he and Gabriel performed and managed the day-to-day camp operations. This is a testament not only to his work smarts but also to the improvements he’s made to streamline the operation and maintain the equipment. I.e., fix things right. I still can’t believe he had the patience to put over 2,000 structural screws in the rafters, beams, and strapping, plus 4,000 nails and 2,000 screws in the metal roof! Way ahead of where I was at his age. We intend to have the lodge kitchen operational next summer. This will allow us to convert the current kitchen back into guest Cabin 7 (as it was before the 2018 fire) and replace lost staff housing so Cabin 4 will be available again. Bottom line: we will have Cabins 4 and 7 open for guests for the first time in a long time!
🛠️ More Camp Upgrades:
* Property: A beautiful new hand-carved log sign, a new deck connecting the storage cabin and the kitchen, a bathroom renovation in Cabin 3, a new storage tent for the fleet, and a brand-new bunkie cabin for Seanna and Wesley.
* Docks & Walkways: Hayden patched up our personal-use and work boat docks, and we replaced the walkway square right by Cabin 6.
* Tech & Comfort: We extended our Wi-Fi network so it now reliably reaches every single cabin.
* Boats & Equipment: Hayden and Gabriel completely restored a bunch of our boat floors. We added a few new boats and motors—including a new 90 HP on the river boat—and upgraded all our large Pro-Vs with new spot-lock trolling motors! (Note: Spot-lock is guaranteed if there are up to 3 people per boat). We even added a few new toys like Sea-Doos to the lineup! Quick question for our fishermen: Should we look into offering Mega Live imaging on our setups next year? Let me know in the comments if that's something you want to see!
We are always looking to make camp better for you. Are there any other specific improvements or additions you would love to see around the lodge for your next trip? Drop your ideas below!
Best of all? The rocks behaved themselves this year—nobody took out a lower unit, and we had very few damaged props!
🎣 Incredible Fishing Reports:
The fishing this season was absolutely phenomenal. Some of our early guests struggled a bit at first with the second-latest ice out in 80 years, which naturally caused the fish to hold up in completely different locations than the exact same date in previous years. However, our guests adapted beautifully and figured them out! Many commented that they caught significantly more fish this summer than in years past, and in more different locations than ever. By the time July rolled around, that late ice out wasn't even noticeable, and the water kept everyone incredibly busy!
🌲 Unbelievable Wildlife Encounters:
The wilderness rides on the river and lake were just as exciting as the fishing. Throughout July and August, we saw lots of bears even several with two cubs and regular sightings of moose right in the river. We even crossed paths with caribou, and of course, we fed the majestic bald eagles right by the boat!
🏥 A Quick Personal Note:
Aside from my usual health issues, I had the pleasure of an infection throughout my body that almost reached my brain this summer. If you noticed I was even more sluggish in late June and July, that was the reason. It took two bouts of different heavy antibiotics to get that under control. Then I hit with rosacea that puffed up my hands and face, and it keeps my face a deep red even now. By August, my eyes got so painful I could barely function, so I spent a lot of time with doctors during the second half of the summer. Hayden, Gabriel, and the rest of the crew did a truly remarkable job stepping up to run the day-to-day operations and keep camp running seamlessly while I was down, and I couldn't be prouder of them. I'm still handling all the marketing and backend computer work myself, but with very limited energy right now.
📆 Looking Ahead to 2027 & Bookings:
I’ve been working hard on our outreach and have already booked a lot of new groups for 2027. Many of our returning guests have already confirmed their dates—thank you! If you haven't locked yours in yet, please do so soon so you aren't disappointed.
To secure your slot, please email me first to confirm your dates, and then you can send your deposits of $500 per person by cheque, or call 807-335-0204 to process via credit card. Knowing our returning numbers early helps me plan how much of a marketing push to implement without wasting resources.
Keep an eye out—I'll be putting together a video of our favorite summer memories to share with you all soon!
In the meantime, what were your favorite highlights from your trip this summer? Drop your photos and memories in the comments below! 👇 let me know your exact Facebook name. Please tag your fishing partners in your comments and hit share so all your friends can see what we've been up to at AK!
