My wife is the director of our local library and she just texted me about a book they just got in called "Gunflint Falling". Sounds like it's stories of those that were in the BW and survived the July 4, 1999 blowdown storm. I believe it's from the same author of "Gunflint Burning" which for me was kind of "technical" to read so I'm hoping this is a little different. Looks interesting though.

Agree with you regarding "Gunflint Burning" being very technical. Tough to read (at least for me). I have an open mind and would definitely be willing to give "Gunflint Falling" a read.

I actually enjoyed "Gunflint Burning". And right after reading it, I was dining with friends at the Poplar Haus and a few of the main people in the book were at the table next to me. I have to admit I was a little bit star struck, as silly as it might sound.

Looking forward to "Gunflint Falling" for sure.

OneMatch: "I actually enjoyed "Gunflint Burning". And right after reading it, I was dining with friends at the Poplar Haus and a few of the main people in the book were at the table next to me. I have to admit I was a little bit star struck, as silly as it might sound.

Looking forward to "Gunflint Falling" for sure."

Did they overhear you talking about the book? Just wondering how you knew they were main people in the book. Hopefully you bought them a beer. lol

Looking forward to reading Gunflint Falling.

I really liked Gunflint Burning....Especially the stories he retold of the people involved in the stories about the fire. If I remember correctly Mocha and her friend Bonnie were in the book as helping evacuate some people out of Ham through the back door hiking trail or something along those lines? The Tumblehome Podcast also did an episode or 2 about the book and I really enjoyed that as well.

I also really enjoyed Lost in the Wild by Cary Griffith

Gunflint Falling

I see Amazon also has it?

Gunflint review

Interesting, I worked with Pete Leschak alot on wildfires and of course worked with alot of peope involved in the Ham Lake fire that were mentioned in the book Gunflint Burning.

I went to a lecture "meet and greet" and book signing featuring Mr. Griffith last Thursday in St. Paul. He explained that Gunflint Falling was really born from Gunflint Burning…and how the blowdown created the conditions for the fire several years later. He interviewed many people who were inside the BWCA during the blowdown but, due to space, he could not include the story of everyone he interviewed.

Also speaking at the event was the local Friends of the Boundary Waters representative. His name escapes me as did his comments.

Though I purchased the book I have not read it yet. I am looking forward to it. Interestingly, the bookstore did not have any copies of Gunflint Burning, which is too bad because I would have purchased it also.

Mike

I've read Lost In the Wild , also by Griffith which follows two BWCA trippers who became lost. I thought it was a great read and pace, and there were some good details on where these two young fellas made mistakes, made good moves to survive, and the teams who worked together to find them. I'll be reading his new one too!

LindenTree: "Interesting, I worked with Pete Leschak alot on wildfires and of course worked with alot of peope involved in the Ham Lake fire that were mentioned in the book Gunflint Burning."

Linden, was that the book I sent you? If I remember you passed it on to Ben? One of the burn bosses was Mike Fralicks. I believe he was off the Sierra NF. His dad and I were The two Captains at the Raymond Cal Fire Station back in the early 80s. It is a small world!!

Read Gunflint Burning last year on our BWCA trip. Great read while enjoying a back break in the hammock. 3 others in the group read the book on our trip and a 4th took it home. Made for good conversation in the evenings. We are very conscious and veteran trippers of 25+ years but it served as a grim reminder to be diligent. Ordered Gunflint Falling form Amazon and will bring on this year's trip.

MHS67: "

LindenTree: "Interesting, I worked with Pete Leschak alot on wildfires and of course worked with alot of peope involved in the Ham Lake fire that were mentioned in the book Gunflint Burning."

Linden, was that the book I sent you? If I remember you passed it on to Ben? One of the burn bosses was Mike Fralicks. I believe he was off the Sierra NF. His dad and I were The two Captains at the Raymond Cal Fire Station back in the early 80s. It is a small world!!"

Yes, it was the book you sent me, I had forgotten about that. I did pass it on to Ben after I read it.

The cool kids will be in Grand Marais this Friday evening. :-)

Oh how cool!

LindenTree: "Interesting, I worked with Pete Leschak alot on wildfires and of course worked with alot of peope involved in the Ham Lake fire that were mentioned in the book Gunflint Burning."

Makes it much more interesting to read.

Just finished Gunflint Falling, pretty good. Technical, like Funflint Burning was, but well written and it tells the stories of 5-6 different groups.

Tony

Friends of the Boundary Waters has a virtual session with the author on 2/15. Sign up here:
Gunflift Falling Blowdown author Gary Griffith

Register even if you can't tune in live, they will send you a recorded link afterwards.

I read Gunflint Falling as soon as I could get my hands on it (I pre-ordered it) (Thrifty Books was cheaper than Amazon btw). I posted about it in the books section of bwca.com. It's much the same format as Gunflint Burning. Of course, the subject matter is captivating. There's a lot of redundancy. I personally liked Lost in the Wild better than the latter two.
I find books like this instructive - as we continue to try to up our game in terms of wilderness preparedness. Having spent a month in the BW just several weeks after the blowdown, I remain in awe that there were no fatalities, and in awe of the work that was done to make the portages passable and [most of] the campsites useable.

MidwestMan: "

OneMatch: "I actually enjoyed "Gunflint Burning". And right after reading it, I was dining with friends at the Poplar Haus and a few of the main people in the book was at the table next to me. I have to admit I was a little bit star struck, as silly as it might sound.



Looking forward to "Gunflint Falling" for sure."

Did they overhear you talking about the book? Just wondering how you knew they were main people in the book. Hopefully you bought them a beer lol."

I kind of doubt it. And to confess, I was having dinner with Andy & Sue Ahrendt who not only owned Tuscarora Outfitters at the time of the fire but also outfitted the man who started the Ham Lake fire. At the time, I had just finished the book and was asking them some questions about it and they pointed out some of the other folks at another table.

OgimaaBines: "I've read Lost In the Wild , also by Griffith which follows two BWCA trippers who became lost. I thought it was a great read and pace, and there were some good details on where these two young fellas made mistakes, made good moves to survive, and the teams who worked together to find them. I'll be reading his new one too!"

Ogi, that was a great read. But I found myself distracted by each chapter going back and forth between the two and wound up skipping every other chapter, then going back and reading the others so I got a consistent story line.

OneMatch: "

OgimaaBines: "I've read Lost In the Wild , also by Griffith which follows two BWCA trippers who became lost. I thought it was a great read and pace, and there were some good details on where these two young fellas made mistakes, made good moves to survive, and the teams who worked together to find them. I'll be reading his new one too!"

Ogi, that was a great read. But I found myself distracted by each chapter going back and forth between the two and wound up skipping every other chapter, then going back and reading the others so I got a consistent story line."

That is the format of Gunflint Falling, but with a half dozen plus characters vs 2. Lots of hopping back/forth between tales.

Another book about the July 4, 1999 Storm is "Our Wounded Wilderness". By the storm survivors and the storm clean-up crews. The author is Jim Cordes and was published in 2000. There are 53 stories about the storm and the clean-up.
Lynda and I ended our canoe trip on July 2 and were visiting friends in Minneapolis when the storm hit.

Neil

PS It contains many pictures.

I am reading Gunflint Burning now, and it is really a good read. I paddled by campsite of the the origin of the Ham Lake fire the year of the fire or the next year, and it was a solemn moment to realize what had happened there in the recent past.

Interestingly, I also paddled from the south end of Cherokee to the Cross Bay EP during the Pagami fire in September of 2011. Kind of a chilling deja vu paddling by the origin point for another fire a few years earlier. Drove to Grand Marais down the Gunflint Trail during the Pagami fire and stayed at the Aspen Lodge in Grand Marais. There were a bunch of USFS brass looking at maps in the lobby talking about strategy and plans for the fire.

I've posted this photo from my campsite before on Cherokee of the view of the Pagami fire.



Tom

Interesting but I gotta say, I’m a bit disappointed. The fatal flaws of this genre are of full display in this book. I find it plodding and ridiculously repetitive, to the point where I want to slam down the book in protest. Books like this where the local author feels the need to print the comments of everyone for community’s sake or for the sake of inclusion end up weighing down the tale.

It is a rare book like Into Thin Air that recounts an incident in an entertaining way. That usually takes a talented author who owes nothing to anyone in partnership with first rate editing. This author is a chronicler and an explainer, not a storyteller.

Interesting but I gotta say, I’m a bit disappointed. The fatal flaws of this genre are of full display in this book. I find it plodding and ridiculously repetitive, to the point where I want to slam down the book in protest. Books like this where the local author feels the need to print the comments of everyone for community’s sake or for the sake of inclusion end up weighing down the tale.

It is a rare book like Into Thin Air that recounts an incident in an entertaining way. That usually takes a talented author who owes nothing to anyone in partnership with first rate editing. This author is a chronicler and an explainer, not a storyteller.

Just a counterpoint to Gunflint Burning, I suggest reading Burned. https://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/articles/burned