Paradise: Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge

Aikens Lake.  Truly, an absolutely wonderful place.  I was blessed with the opportunity to work at Aikens this past summer.  On May 26th, 2012, with my belongings all packed up for the next 3 months, Elliot Rhodes and his parents picked me up.  Off to Bissett, Manitoba, a 3 hour drive from Winnipeg.  From there, we would be taking a 15 minute float-plane ride to the beautiful Aikens Lake.

From the Aikens Lake Website:

"Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge sits amongst a beautiful birch stand along a sandy beach on the northeast shore of Aikens Lake since 1948. Located near the inlet to the Gammon River in the Atikaki Wilderness Provincial Park in Manitoba, Canada, world class trophy fishing is a cast away. Aikens Lake ranks among the top walleye destinations in North America."

(To see this video in full screen, visit Aikens Facebook Page HERE )

Work

My job position was Dockhand.  I completed an almost endless list of tasks from docking the planes and bringing guests their luggage, re-filling gas, diesel and propane, doing garbage, recycling and compost runs, ensuring all the fireplaces had an adequate supply of wood, including the large wood-burning behemoth that gives the entire camp hot water.  Now, if I told you that I was up for work at 6:45am every single day for 52 days in a row, what would you think?   Most would think that I hated my life, was getting sick of work, or something along those lines.  Not so.  Every single day included something a little different.  Whether it was a different fishing adventure on my afternoons off (I worked a split-shift - 7:00am - 12:00pm, off from 12 - 4, then worked 4:00pm - 8:00pm), or a wild night at Big Molly's (the fully licensed bar on camp), each day was a little different than the last. 

Fishing

As their promo suggests, Aikens has some unbelievable fishing.  Although I did not catch any Trophies in my first summer, many guests left home very happy with some MONSTER trophy walleye or northern pike.

The Staff

The Aikens staff, for many, is what makes the experience.  We are mostly all in our early twenties and basically have the same outlook on life: We love the outdoors, we love community, we love to work and play hard and we love Aikens!  This translates into a great atmosphere for guests.  If the staff is happy, the guests are too!  The great group of people that comprise the Aikens staff are some of the nicest people I've ever met in my life and I look forward to developing these relationships both at Aikens, and in 'the real world'.

The Fun Stuff

As mentioned, the staff at Aikens loves to have fun.  To keep things fresh, we designated every Sunday as 'Sunday Funday'.  This resulted in theme-parties such as the Neon Rod Locker Rave, Toga Party or bigger events such as the 16th Annual Aikens Olympics and the Staff Fishing Derby which was held on Canada Day.  Each of these events were a blast and I will cherish the memories forever.

 

                                                  

The Scenery



It's not uncommon to see some of the most beautiful sunsets, starry-nights and ample wildlife at Aikens.  It's a treat to witness a live turtle birth or see bald eagle's swooping down to grab a fish that didn't quite make it (two of which I witnessed this summer). 

In all, Aikens Lake is an experience like none other.  Many people indeed describe Aikes as such, not a place, but an experience.  I urge you, if ever you have the opportunity, to check this place out for yourself.  You will not be disappointed.  I can't wait to get back up there after the winter season.  Similar to the following photo... Sometimes you need to just... Jump in!

 You can follow Aikens on Twitter: @aikenslake