Wolves on the Lake
November 3, 1999

Soon after we arrived at the cabin on a short trip to haul in gasoline and components for our solar energy system, Dennis saw something moving on the lake. It was below zero in the cabin, so the binoculars and scope fogged up as we tried to use them, but not before we determined that four wolves were running across the lake.

Excitedly, we took the snowmachines down the trail to where we thought they might be heading. We stopped and waited, crouching in the bushes. Soon we saw a big black wolf on a pond below us, running full out through the deep snow in our direction. He disappeared for awhile in a draw, then topped a ridge only 50 yards away, still running straight towards us. He finally saw us and stopped short, staring at us for a LONG minute before turning and running another direction. Our adrenaline was pumping!

The next night a big wolf sat on the lake staring at the cabin, where we had propane lamps burning in the twilight. It must have been an unusual sight for him out there.

We were inside the cabin a few nights later when we heard a mournful howl from quite close by. We took chairs out to the porch to watch the northern lights, set to the music of wolves.