Fall colors light up Ely area

A floatplane ride Monday morning was a great way to take in the totality of the fall colors in the Ely area.
Stan Skelton taxied away from the dock on Shagawa Lake and banked to the right as he cranked up the engine. Moments later the floats lifted off the water and we were with the birds.
The morning sun lit up the fall colors with bright yellows and oranges leading the way. Our plentiful evergreens provided the perfect contrast to the view from above.
Just being in Ely this time of year is a blessing. The bugs are gone, the temperatures are just right and Mother Nature is putting on her annual autumn show. Plus, the fishing has been red hot as of late, an added bonus to be sure.
Sure enough by the end of the week, snow was in the forecast but not enough to worry about it. More of a reminder that fall will fly by fast so we better get out and enjoy it.
As we came up from the Bear Head area, the colors changed to a mute gray. A lack of color defined the area where the Foss Lake controlled burn became a man-made forest fire. Yet the vegetation is already starting to return in the form of green shoots coming up through the ashes.
Just as it is from the shore or on the water, Burntside Lake is beautiful from the air. The many islands give the lake a wondering sense of how glacial movements left behind such a natural sight for us to enjoy.
An hour after we lifted off the water, the pontoons touched back down on Shagawa Lake. A delightful ride coming to an end all too soon.
“But this probably doesn’t compare to your time as a pilot in Canada or Alaska does it,” Stan was asked.
“I can be flying for two weeks straight in Canada and when I come home the first thing I do is go for a flight around Ely. There’s just nowhere else like it, anywhere.”
Whether you’re taking in the beauty here from the air, through your windshield or behind a dog, while walking through the woods with a shotgun, be sure to enjoy the best time of the year in Ely, Minnesota.