Last week we went treasure hunting (well kinda)…
It was time to get all of those navigational hazards marked. We mark rock reefs that are not near shore or rocks that are in high traffic areas so you can avoid hitting them. These 5-gallon oil jugs are painted orange so you can see them from a distance.
We don’t pick them up each season since many survive the ice, but inevitably a few are lost so we check each spring and replace as needed. This spring marking day was particularly favorable for sighting conditions with bright sun and low wind. Not only could we clearly see the rocks to mark, but we found many of the old markers and most importantly, old anchors. Anchors are pricier than you might think so it was great to recover over a dozen!
The wide array of anchors had some history to them. There was the year of the coffee can anchors. The year of the broken boat anchors. The year of the scrap metal anchors. And the year we ran out of anchors and used rocks! There were even a couple anchors that I’m sure predated our tenure.
Now we are restocked for the next couple springs and you can navigate with confidence on Red Lake and Parker Lake!