The Legend of Ollor Snevets Lives On

Many years ago I worked for one summer at Gunflint Northwood Outfitters. Near the end of the Gunflint Trail out of Grand Marais, the outfitters sat at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. (The "wilderness" designation didn't happen until several years later.) Janet Hanson owned and operated the outfitters.That summer, she hired an old, one-armed guy to put a foundation under a log cabin on the outfitter's property.

Ollor always worked alone. He didn't talk to anyone, other than Janet, that I ever saw. He spent a lot of time walking back and forth. He sat and stared at the cabin with a cup of coffee (I assume it was coffee). He  grumbled and mumbled. He got the job done.

Ollor, the old and one-armed guy, got the log cabin raised up. He got a foundation dug and laid up. He got the cabin set on the foundation. And, it was all good!

Ollor didn't give up. Ollor figured things out. Ollor got it done.

The wind storm this past July blew out the cover of our ShelterLogic Roundtop. It is a 12' by 20' by 10' high canvas-covered shelter. The wind ripped the cover down the middle. A replacement cover was ordered and arrived in September.

This morning, I put on my "Ollor Snevets" persona and installed the new cover - all . by . myself!! I may not be old. OK, I am old. I may not be one-armed. But, I'd like to think I'd honored the memory of Ollor Snevets.

It turned out pretty well! If I do say so my self.

It lives! It lives!

Looking pretty good!

Postscript:
"Ollor Snevets" is a rather unusual name. You may be wondering about its origin. The story - that long-ago summer at Gunflint Northwoods Outfitters - was that Ollor was really named Rollo Stevens. He changed his name because he was (allegedly) on the lam from his wife. And, now you know the rest of the story.