I don’t know why I am writing this, but I guess I can only look back at it, laugh and make it “one for the books”.
My two friends and I ventured to explore Rainy Lake on ice for once this past weekend. The warm weather improved conditions statewide, and we needed some new scenery. We wanted a new adventure and get away from the crowds, and we got it. I love Rainy Lake and I don’t make trips up there as much as I like anymore.
I arrived early, alone, Thursday late afternoon hoping to wet a line and catch some fish. I never did wet a line as I had difficulties throughout the evening getting set-up for a long weekend. Just before I wanted to fish, I attempted to light the heater and it was inoperable. Hours of troubleshooting, I learned that Menards in International Falls was my new best friend. 
The weather turned for the worst, and the winds really blew hard with a new front. I had no heat, I was alone and the wind was crazy. I can say I panicked a little.
The rest of the trip, in a nutshell, consisted of:
-Installing a new direct vent heater.
-Finding my snowmobile completely covered with snow, under the snowmobile cover.
-Lost the snowmobile key after finding the snow infested machine. No clue where that key went. (My Mercury boat motor key was in the truck, and worked to save major headaches! lol)
-Buddy fell in the drink when we ventured into a place we shouldn’t have navigated w/ snowmobiles. He caught himself, and wet from the waist down. Thanks to the Otter Lodge he dried out nicely.
-Door blew off the fishhouse in another wind event.
-On the way home, my diesel truck loaded with snowmobile in the bed and wheelhouse in tow blew a front driver’s side tire and almost had a head-on collision on Hwy 71. The scariest thing I’ve experienced. (Thanks to the driver of the Chevy truck who swerved to avoid a collision just in time…I had no steering control at 55mph 
)
-Friend’s trailer blew a trailer tire, but they had all the tools ready to go for a quick change after my truck’s ordeal.
As the old commercial goes:
1. New Buddy heater to give temporary heat for one night- $55
2. New Direct Vent heater to stay warmer, and tools to install- $400
3. New truck tires as I don’t trust the tires on it now – $950
Going on a fishing trip with friends, we managed to have a great time and joke constantly about all our “issues”….PRICELESS! The jokes and memories will prevail.
The fishing report: pretty tough. Found plenty of jumbo perch, small walleyes/saugers and a couple pike. If you really want to catch fish, call a guide like Granrud. That lake is overwhelming big and full of mind-boggling structure! The scenery and solitude….out of this world.
Happy to be home and safe! 
Sounds like everything that could have went wrong certainly did. I am happy to hear everyone is safe and sound. How Scary!! I bet you were darn happy to get into your driveway and take a nice soft seat on the couch!! 
What a bad luck trip. 
You’ve paid in quite a bit to karma, so you should be good for a few years now!
