Genesis

This was our first view of the property at Loveless Lake.

A moldy runabout with a fern growing in the motor well, and a moss-covered pontoon with a rotted out deck. Both boats were strewn with beer cans and bottles.

We later learned that the boats started sinking, and one of the year-round residents pulled them out of the lake and dropped them by the side of the road. Years ago. The boat registration sticker on the pontoon: 2001.

Chris and I hacked our way down the hill, over toppled trees and brush so thick that there was no sign of the cabin until we were practically on top of it.

The real estate description didn’t lie: “Do not enter cabin. Unsafe. There is a tree on the house. Sold as is.”

Yes, it was a dump. Two lawnmowers, a snowmobile carcass, tires and barrels were just the most obvious pieces of left-over junk.  Nothing about the structure likely could be salvaged.

But, what a nice little lake, we thought. Pretty clean, too. We could see the bottom, even though it was late July.

We were on our way to visit friends on the South Shore of Lake Superior. We spent most of the trip thinking about what it would take to clean the property up, and how much I'd be willing to pay for it.