Land-wise, Minnesota is a very interesting state. The distance from the southern part to the northern part by land and staying in Minnesota is, while going straight north, about 500 miles. This would be going by land from the Iowa border to the Canadian border. There is a sudden awakening when you find out Minnesota has land in Canada beyond the east-west Canadian border. In other words, you would have to go through Canada to get to the northern-most point of Minnesota. This jut of land is referred to as the Northwest Angle (with slang, it is also called “The Chimney.” The dimensions are roughly 50 miles wide, including the Part of Lake of the Woods in Minnesota.
This jut of land has caused all kinds of situations. For example:
• Students attended a grade school on the angle, one teacher in a one-room school house. The high school students are bussed to the area school in Warroad, Minnesota, with a required passport.
• During the summer, some of the mail is delivered by boat.
• When going to and coming from, one requires a passport in traveling by land.
• In fishing, you must fish where you bought a license, a U.S. fishing license for use on the U.S. side of Lake of the Woods. A Canadian fishing license is needed if you fish Lake of the Woods in Canada. When ice fishing, you can see areas on Lake of the Woods with no fish houses even as with your GPS you are not sure where the U.S. and Canadian border is. There is no problem when there isn’t any ice as you see the yellow line in the water dividing the U.S. and Canada.
• The corona virus has really created a problem as the border is closed to Canadians wanting to come into the angle and U.S. citizens can’t cross over to Canada. In other words, no border crossing between Canada and the U.S.
• The angler residents are very dependent on the U.S. citizens for their livelihood, especially those dependent on ice fishing-related income. The only way to get anglers in the winter time is by ice. You’ve heard of “Ice Road Truckers.” Now there is a new term, “Ice Road Fishermen.”
The angle resort owners have pooled their thinking and are building and maintaining a 40-mile ice road running across Lake of the Woods from just north of Warroad, at Springsteel Resort, across Lake of the Woods staying on U.S. ice, then through a forest onto the ice road and into the angle.
The cost of the road will be about $1,500 per mile split between the resorts involved. The cost per vehicle will be about $125 with no wheel-house towing allowed. Each resort is responsible for setting their fees while using their resort.
• The road is expected to be open early January until sometime in March.
Information can be found on the Northwest Angle Guest Ice Road’s Facebook page @nwwaiceroad.
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in New York. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.