Camp Van Vac

April 2012.  Here's more about "spring of 2012 is headed for the weather history books." Ice-out on Burntside Lake was on March 28, the earliest date on Nancy's official certified record of ice-outs.

Joel Kettler caught this lovely lake trout near Cabin 26 on fishing opener. It's become a tradition for Joel and Victoria to show us how it's done every spring at Camp Van Vac.

Pat Conzemius caught a lovely walleye at Camp. His sister Kate Conzemius and her friend Derek Van De Velde had another kind of Camp Van Vac adventure. Here's her letter to Nancy:

Hello Nancy!

I did not get a chance to see you this year up at the lake, Derek and I were only there visiting for a couple days. I am sure you hear this all the time, but traveling up to CVV every year is like coming home. I have had so many of my favorite childhood memories at CVV, over the last thirty plus years my family has been visiting.

This year had even more special meaning for me. My whole family, all 11 adults, seven kids, and three dogs had gathered on June 30th at Cabin 25 for dinner. We enjoyed sitting near the lakeside sharing food, jokes and lots of laughter. After dinner, everyone piled onto a couple boats and set off on a sunset cruise. My boyfriend of four years, Derek, had caught a huge walleye fishing with my brother Pat earlier in the day. He said he "had the fever" and wanted to go fishing instead of going on the boat with the others.

Pat let us borrow his boat and we anchored off the Point at CVV, near the buoys. It was probably about 8 or so so the sun was sinking closer to the treeline across the lake. I was busy complaining about needing to change my set up to a jig and leech, so Derek started fixing my line while I cast a while. I told him to put something bright and shiny on, as it was getting late in the day and the water would be pretty dark. It was taking him forever, and he kept digging in his pocket and acting funny.

Finally, he asked me to grab a leech out of the bucket. When I turned around, there tied to my line, was not a jig as I requested, but a beautiful sparkling ring. With leech in hand, and Derek on his knee, we got engaged! My brother John came over in his boat asking if I caught any fish. I said nope, but got a keeper instead! The others came over and we had a little celebration on the pontoon, complete with "Welcome to the Jungle" played for Derek. The sunset was just as beautiful as ever that evening! I am so grateful to have such a special place to visit every year with the family, and even more grateful that we are beginning the next phase of our lives together while at Camp Van Vac. Thank you for all the energy you put into maintaining and creating a place for such amazing memories to be made.

See you next year!
Kate Conzemius

Wow -- Congratulations, Kate and Derek!

Our long-time guest Bryan Stropes caught this beautiful northern, and would have let it go, but couldn't revive it. Click twice to see the larger versions of this mighty fish.  Brian tells about his 2011 adventure:

Shelly and I were doing laundry in town. While the clothes were drying, I said, "Let's check out that bait store across the street." They had Super Shad Raps for a dollar or two less than usual. They had the perch color that I like so I bought one.

When we got back to Camp Van Vac, we decided to go fishing. We headed out to the mouth of the North Arm where I had a big one hooked the day before and it got away. On the way there I saw and remembered this spot where there is shallow water with very deep water close by, so in a split second decision, I cut the boat hard at full speed, did a U turn as I slowed down and cast out for trolling. Shelly cast out too. Within a minute I had the monster on my line! It fought hard for a long time and we didn't see it for a while. Lots of drag was peeling off my reel.

Shelly told me, "You've never looked as sexy as you do right now." I thought that was funny.

It was something when we did see the fish fighting in the water. It was so big! Towards the end, in a final attempt to get away, it did the alligator death roll. My line was wrapped around the fish! Gill plates can cut the line! I worked my rod to unwrap the line. With a few tries I was able to grab it by the gill and drag the fish in the boat. I came back full speed to Camp Van Vac where I tried to revive the fish to turn it loose after the picture taking. It wasn't going to come back to life. It was too far gone.

Nancy and Shelly suggested that I have it mounted. I thought it was a good idea. The taxidermist gave me two giant fillets and we ate them at the pot luck on the dock. Shelly brought the first tray of fish onto the dock on time. I finished frying the rest of the fish. Ten minutes later when I walked on the dock with the rest of the fish, everybody cheered! I felt so good. I didn't want to overcook the fish trying to cook it all the way through. The fillets were so thick. It turned out just right, not overcooked or undercooked. I thought a fish that size might be a little gamey or fishy but it wasn't! It was very good. There were 40 people at the pot luck and I think everybody had at least one piece of fish. There were only 2 pieces left over.

This fish was a gift from God.

Coming soon at Camp: cool fall weather, misty mornings, terrific fishing, the trees in blazing color, discounted fall rates, and no bugs!

Photo taken by Barb and Marc Farley in early September 2005.

Loon, sunrise, Burntside Lake. Will Jakobitz caught it all in his photo. To see more of his Burntside photos, click here. (Photo Copyright © 2010 by William K. Jakobitz, all rights reserved.)

This has been the Summer of Brer Fox at Camp. The population of adult foxes seemed high, and two young kits were also seen nearby. Guests enjoyed meeting the animals almost every week. They were quite habituated to being fed by neighbors, and we encouraged campers to not feed them. Still, the foxes strolled by regularly to check out the possibilities.

These photos are thanks to Beth Kirkegaard, whose other photos you can see here.

Is it ice-fishing time, or is it time to just look in amazement at our beautiful snow?

The first potluck of the summer on the dock at Camp in early July.

The ice is going to go out on out on May 12 this year. Trust me. This is a May 2008 photo of the actual event. Magic. Photo by Mike Bramson.

After we gave them a tow to Crab Lake portage, Memorial Day weekend found Joel Hendershot and his crew in the Boundary Waters. They enjoyed a serene view from their campsite at 5:45 A.M. And here they are celebrating the find of a moose antler. Photos by Joe Hendershot.

Ely's Klown Band is made up of the secret elite. Band members never reveal their identities, but they are a big hit in the July 4th Parade. Photo by Barb Berglund.

Camp's beach garden is in full bloom in July and August. You'll find it bordered by the old stone oil house, the steps to the sauna and joyous folks swimming and splashing in the lake.

Tom Eisenstadt caught 14 young ones following Mama Merganzer on Burntside one July morning this year.

Minnesota's snowfall and temps were global-warming mild through December, but here's the beautiful five-inch snowfall we received on New Year's Eve. George McCrea took the picture on January 1, 2007.

With our early spring weather, the ice left Burntside early early this year. Lis and George McCrea reported that it had disappeared by Saturday night, April 15.

Eagles and loons are already returning to the lakes of northern Minnesota, ready to start fishing. Last August's loon count on Burntside found 31 adults and 12 chicks in residence, down from 2004's numbers of 55 adults and 7 chicks. Photo courtesy of Thomas Eisenstadt

A memorial for Buell Tubbs will be held on the dock at Camp Van Vac at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, July 31. Friends and family are invited to come and share memories of Buell and his more than 50 years on the lake.

Above: On the Point, Lee and Lydia Krebs enjoyed a bench the Krebs family donated in honor of Buell. On it, a plaque reads:
 

We said that Buell would "bluster the skies," and look what happened right after his memorial: lightning, wind, rain, and dark, dark clouds.

A memorial for long-time resort owner Buell Tubbs was celebrated on the dock at Camp Van Vac on July 31, 2006. Friends and family shared songs and memories of Buell and his more than 50 years on the lake.

We're starting to open Camp with the glorious days of summer in mind. Contact us to get your first-choice cabin and dates!

Thanks to the about 50 emergency responders who put out the fire on Burntside's Ripple Island which started on Sunday, July 23, 2005! Crews from Ely and Morse/Fall Lake Fire Departments and the US Forest Service, Kawishiwi and Chippewa districts, worked on the ground. Two DNR tanker planes, CL215's, flew from Hibbing and dropped 1,400-gallon loads of water on the fire. Crew in DNR (Cessna 310) and USFS (De Havilland Beaver) planes directed traffic from above. A tent platform on Ripple Island was destroyed, but its cabins were saved. The fire burned deep, and crews were still working the following Tuesday and Wednesday to contain flare-ups.

In the photo above, campers watch the fire from shore. Responders encourage boaters to stay away from the action near the fire.