Join us as we head north on the annual winter haul and make sure to leave a comment below if you enjoy the video! Make sure to scroll down and checkout the slideshow of pictures taken on the trip!

Day 1 - We depart Saskatoon and hit the road loaded with all our gear and new floating docks for the main lodge. After 11 hours of driving we pull into Point's North, roughly 30 miles away from Hatchet. To wrap up the day, we load up the sled and sleigh. The following morning we will head down the winter road to the south end of Hatchet Lake.

Day 2 - Another early start with the long day ahead, we leave Point's North headed for the winter road. Only about 18 miles as the turbo otter flies - this stretch of trail takes roughly 3.5 hours to traverse with the truck and trailer. The path winds and curves through muskeg and bush, and over rocks and bush. Just when you think you have been driving this bumpy trail all day, you see the lake come into view.. And to think, back in the 70's George Fleming cross country skied his way from Hatchet to flag this trail that would become the winter road. 

We arrive at the south end of the lake and unload the snowmobile from the truck and load up all the gear we can fit before hitting the ice en-route to the lodge. The truck must remain at the south end as the road across the lake has not yet been pushed. As we make our way across the frozen ice and snow we make frequent stops to drill a hole through the ice and measure the depth of the ice. This is to ensure the ice is plenty thick for the plow and fuel trucks to cross the next day. Fortunately, we find strong, thick ice the entire way to the lodge, roughly 7 miles. We arrive at the island to find it nicely buried in snow from the long winter. To wrap up day 2, we shovel out the winter cabin and haul fire wood from a snow covered pile outside to get a fire going to warm up and dry off our clothes and gear.

Day 3 - We wake up to a cold cabin after letting the fire go out through the night, we quickly grab some kindling and get another fire burning. After a quick breakfast, we gear up and get ready for a long day of hauling fuel and other supplies. We head back across the lake to meet the crew from Point's North. The plow starts his path across the ice, just wide enough for the trucks to follow behind. After a couple of hours on the ice, we arrive back at the lodge and begin pumping off the trucks and unloading the floating docks and hardware as well as a quad we had shipped out last fall for service. The day goes smoothly and all the fuel is distributed to the proper places. The floating docks are stacked on the new dock for hopefully an easy install come spring time when the ice melts. To close the day, we drive the truck and trailer back to the south end of the lake behind the fuel trucks. This is done in case the road across the lake were to blow closed from the wind.

Day 4 - Brings early morning fog followed by a snowstorm and wind from the east. Sure enough over the course of the day, the plowed road blows in. The morning is spent wrapping up a few small jobs and checking on things around camp. In the afternoon, we head out on the snowmobile for some sledding and fishing. Tough weather conditions make for a short stint of fishing but we manage to jig up a couple lake trout before heading back to the cabin to get out of the snow and wind. We prefer fishing in the boat anyways!

Day 5 - We get moving early with the long travel day ahead. We pack up the gear and remaining groceries and load the sled and sleigh. Back across the lake to where we left the truck and trailer. A quick 40 minutes and we arrive at the trail head to the winter road. After loading the sled and sleigh on to the truck we venture down the winter road. After a long 3.5 hours on the now slightly snow covered trail we hit the gravel road and head south. 11 hours plus a pit stop in La Ronge for a burger and fries we pull into the drive way in Saskatoon just after midnight! 

The winter haul is complete and the countdown to summer at Hatchet begins!

I hope you enjoy the video and the slideshow below.

Here is a short video highlighting our recent trip to the lodge completing our annual winter haul! Please leave us a comment if you enjoy the video!

- Clay from Hatchet

We are proud and excited to announce our new hotel partnership in Downtown Saskatoon! We at HLL always strive to offer our guests the absolute best when they plan a trip with us and by partnering with the Delta Hotels by Marriott Saskatoon Downtown we feel we are enhancing your HLL experience!

Having just undergone an extensive floor by floor remodel, the hotel looks better than ever and is ready to accommodate our cherished guests! With their newly designed modern rooms, brand new and well equipped fitness center and the renovated pool complete with a new waterslide and hot tub you are in good hands when you stay in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Being that it is a Marriott Hotel, the property also offers a Delta Pantry. Marriott Bonvoy™ Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador Elite Members can visit The Delta Pantry for a convenient, healthy, on-the-go continental breakfast, premium snacks and beverages. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Make sure to ask the hotel staff upon your arrival for details regarding the Delta Pantry!

Lastly, for those who have stayed with us at Hatchet Lake in the past, you know we pride ourselves on our staff and customer service. Making this switch we are confident that our new Hotel Partner will carry this torch and be a strong ambassador for Hatchet Lake Lodge! 

See the gallery below for a look at our new Hotel Partner!

- Clay from Hatchet

Catching your first fish is a special moment but catching it on your very first drop is just a bonus that comes with fishing at Hatchet Lake Lodge! What an incredible evening out on the water with catching Rayna's first fish! 

Video by Xsight Cinemas.

If you enjoyed this video please leave us a comment below!

Merry Christmas!

-Clay from Hatchet

If you’ve ever been to HLL you have definitely heard about the infamous “season start-up”. Each year, we kick off our summer at the lodge by getting the entire place up and running again and every year we are faced with different obstacles. This past season, we arrived on May 25th and the entire lake was nearly frozen solid. Solid enough to walk across while dragging a 16’ aluminum boat loaded with all of our gear and groceries. Once in camp we fire up the generator and turn the power on. Our next move is to get water to the main lodge and cabins. This can be tricky when the lake is frozen but we were able to manage. After the water is up and running we ensure our septic service is working properly. Whilst completing these main tasks we are always surveying the camp and making sure there was no damage caused over the winter from the high snow loads or wildlife. Finally, we have ongoing freight hauls going on constantly as we bring in groceries, dry goods, building supplies, gear and different items we require throughout the season. As you can imagine it is an extremely busy time and must be completed for our first guest’s arrival!

Please watch the video above for a look into the 2022 Season Start-up! It was a huge amount of hard work but at the same time it was a lot of fun and wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible team!

Thank you for watching and we hope you enjoy!

Clay from Hatchet

Each year a team from HLL heads up to the lodge in order to complete the winter supply haul. When the ice is hard and thick we transport all of the fuel and supplies we will need for the upcoming season to the lodge. Using snowmobiles and an ice auger we check the thickness of the ice to ensure it is safe to cross with the heavy truck loads. Once the ice has been checked, a bulldozer pushes open the winter road to the shoreline of Hatchet. Over the course of the winter, this road fills with snow nearly 5' high in places. Once at the lake edge, two loaders push a road across the frozen lake to the lodge. When the road has been made and is well cleared, the fuel and supply trucks come to unload.

Please watch the video above for a look into the days spent on the 2022 winter supply haul!

​- Clay Busby

Who Is Global Rescue?
Travel Protection
Hatchet Lake Lodge partners with Global Rescue to offer the world’s leading travel protection services.  Medical and security emergencies happen. When they do, we rely on Global Rescue to provide our clients with medical, security, travel risk and crisis response services. Without a membership, an emergency evacuation could cost over $100,000. More than one million members trust Global Rescue to get them home safely when the unexpected happens.  We highly recommend our clients enroll with Global Rescue:
https://partner.globalrescue.com/hatchetlakelodge/index.html
 
IMG Signature Travel InsuranceSM
IMG Signature travel insurance is the perfect add-on to a Global Rescue membership, providing coverage against a variety of unforeseen expenses while you’re traveling, giving you the added comfort of knowing the value of your trip is protected in case you need it.
https://ss.globalrescue.com/#/travelinsurance/step1?rp=hatchetlakelodge

Sample FAQs
Q: What happens if I’m injured or have an emergency requiring evacuation?
A: Every situation is different when medical and security emergencies happen. To ensure you’re protected when things don’t go as planned, we highly recommend our clients enroll with Global Rescue. https://ss.globalrescue.com/#/signup/step1?rp=hatchetlakelodge

Q: What is included in the Global Rescue medical membership?
A: The Global Rescue medical membership includes 24/7/365 advisory services with medical professionals, field rescue from the point of illness or injury and medical evacuation to the member’s hospital of choice.

Q:  Are there any limitations on my activities with a Global Rescue medical membership?
A:  No.  Global Rescue does not put limitations on activities.

Q: What is included in the Global Rescue security membership?
A:  The Global Rescue security membership includes 24/7/365 advisory services and security evacuation  from events like unpredicted natural disasters, terrorist attacks and civil unrest— all supported by a team of intelligence specialists and military special operations veterans.
 
Hatchet Lake Lodge is a Global Rescue Safe Travel Partner
Hatchet Lake Lodge is committed to excellence in every aspect of your trip experience, especially when it comes to safety.
That’s why we are a Global Rescue Safe Travel Partner.
Global Rescue is an industry leader, providing medical and security advisory and evacuation services to travelers around the world. Global Rescue offers field rescue from the point of your injury or illness. With operations centers staffed 24/7/365 by experienced personnel, when you call Global Rescue you speak to a real person on the first call to get you the help you need.
Purchase a Global Rescue membership for your next adventure and travel with peace of mind. Single trip, annual and family options are available – just ask us to learn more.
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Click the video to hear from GM and owner of HLL, Harvey Kroll and his outlook for the 2022 season.

With record high water at Hatchet Lake the crew had to build a new dock. The previous dock which has been in use for roughly 15 years  is partially under water and due to the ice melt this year is in rough shape. The new dock was built in the same place as the original T-Dock from years ago. Making it much closer to the main lodge and guest cabins. 

​Watch the video above to see how we did it and the progress along the way. Stay tuned for more updates from the 2021 season of updates and renovations.

- Clay Busby