MINNESOTA RUFFED GROUSE & MOOSE HUNTING

The Gunflint Trail area and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in northeastern MN have again proven to be very productive for ruffed grouse and moose hunters in 2009.

TWO FOR TWO ON MN MOOSE HUNTING

Both Ben Hutton and Shayne Bender of Le Sueur, MN drew one of the coveted MN moose hunting permits in the lottery for 2009. Having been previous guests at Hungry Jack Lodge they naturally stayed in one of the lakeside rental cabins at our Gunflint Trail fishing and hunting resort for their once in a lifetime attempt at harvesting a Minnesota moose.

Because the areas that they drew their moose permits for were actually in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), they knew that they would need help in bringing out a moose if they were fortunate enough to bag a one. Both Ben and Shayne had a few of their friends accompanied them to help in “packing out”.

Ben Hutton and Shayne Bender each bagged a moose and filled their permits. They’re two happy hunters and we’re sure that they’ll be re-living, talking about and bragging about this moose hunting season for many years to come.

Pictured above are Ben Hutton and Shayne Bender with the friends that came along to help in packing out the moose meat and antlers from the Boundary Waters.

GROUSE HUNTING AT OUR NORTHERN MN RESORT

As is almost always the case, ruffed grouse hunters at our Gunflint Trail lakefront hunting and fishing resort are having an excellent year. Due to the high success rate that grouse hunters consistently experience in northeastern Minnesota, many of the fall guests at Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground return year after year to hunt ruffed grouse in the Gunflint Trail area of MN.

ABOUT HUNGRY JACK LODGE LAKEFRONT RESORT

Lakeside cabin, log cabin and cottage rentals are available during the summer, fall and winter seasons of the year at our Minnesota family resort. Our deluxe lakeside family resort cabins and log cabins accommodate from 2 to 20 people. Our Gunflint Trail lakeside resort welcomes any size group or family for summer, fall or winter vacations or get-away's.

For more information about Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground visit our Minnesota resort website at http://www.hungryjacklodge.com/ Online MN lakefront cabin rental reservations are available from the Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground website. Or, you can call us at (800) 388-1566. We will be glad to answer any questions you may have about our Gunflint Trail, Grand Marais, MN lakefront family resort.

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LAKEFRONT LOG LODGE ON THE GUNFLINT TRAIL IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA

When the new lodge at Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground is completed it will be the most up-to-date and probably most impressive resort lodge on the Gunflint Trail in northern MN.

The “Loggers Lounge” on the lower level of course has a fireplace and is considerably larger and less constricted than our old bar area. When it opens, the Loggers Lounge will have tap beer (6 taps) plus full liquor service. Multiple TV's, pool table & video games plus the latest in jukeboxes. Our bar will seat almost 3 times than of our old bar and there are multiple tables available for those who do not wish to sit at the bar.

The main level of our new lakeside lodge boasts a larger dining room, an outside dining porch for use during the summer months, a large casual sitting area with fireplace, a more efficient and less crowded office & check-in area and a new & better organized gift shop. Views looking east towards Hungry Jack Lake are truly spectacular from the two story cathedral ceiling main floor area.

Our kitchen, as before, is on the main level of the new lodge. The kitchen has the latest in food preparation equipment. With more efficient kitchen equipment and a larger dining area we will be able to accommodate more people and larger private lakefront banquets, weddings and gathering than we had in the past. Once our new lodge is open we will again be serving our all-you-can-eat, family style dinners, that had been a favorite with both guests and local Cook County MN residents.

The NEW main lakefront lodge building at our Gunflint Trail, Grand Marais, MN lakeside resort will open on December 26th, for the Gunflint Trail winter snowmobiling and MN ice fishing seasons.

Beginning December 1, 2009 the new lodge will be available for Business Christmas Parties, Banquets and Weddings ONLY.

For information about the availability of Hungry Jack Lodge for banquets, weddings and parties please call us at (218) 338-1566.

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EXCELLENT GROUSE HUNTING IN MINNESOTA

Will the 2009 Minnesota Grouse Hunting season end up being a banner year in northeastern MN? All indications are that it well may be. Minnesota is often the nation's top ruffed grouse producing state. Average yearly statistics have 115,000 ruffed grouser hunters harvesting 545,000 ruffed grouse, the state's mostpopular game bird.

Results of the 2009 grouse drum counting survey, conducted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, indicated an increase of 44% in the NE portion of MN, compared to figures for the same area that were compiled in 2008. That being said, the MN grouse season, which opens on September 19th may very well end up being the best grouse hunting season in reecent years.

The Gunflint Trail and portions of the BWCAW in northeastern MN, where Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground is located has a long history of being one of the best grouse hunting areas in the United States. Small to medium sized Aspen trees, which are a favorite habitat for ruffed grouse, are in great quantity in NE Minnesota. The NE survey region of MN is the heaviest ruffed grouse populated area of MN and the Gunflint Trail and adjoining portions of the eastern BWCAW are prime areas within that NE region of Minnesota for ruffed grouse hunting.

Grouse hunting in Minnesota is open to residents and non-residents and requires a small game license. MN Small Game Hunting Licenses are available for purchase at Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground, as are fishing licenses for both MN residents and non-residents of Minnesota.

Being "mid-trail" on the Gunflint Trail, Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground is in what could probably be considered one of the best spots in northeastern MN (and the United States) to hunt ruffed grouse. During the fall Grouse Hunting season, cabin rental guests at our lakefront resort are almost without exception, treated to some of the best ruffed grouse hunting that they have ever experienced anywhere. Many of the ruffed grouse hunters that stay in our northern Minnesota rental cottages or log cabins have been coming to Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground repeatedly for years. In addition to our Gunflint Trail rental cabins and cottages, the full service campground at Hungry Jack Lodge in northeastern MN provides excellent services for Minnesota grouse hunters.

For more information about our Gunflint Trail, Grand Marais, MN hunting & fishing resort go to the Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground website at www.hungryjacklodge.com. There you will find information about our Gunflint Trail lakeside rental cabins, cabin rental rates and informastion about our full service Minnesota RV and tent campground. Photos, videos and photo slideshows of our facilites and activites are abundant on the Hungry Jack Lodge website so that you can see exactly what we have to offer families, fishermen and hunters. Why "take a chance" and end up at some place that ends up being much less than you expected or wanted.

Online MN lakefront cabin rental reservations are available from the Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground website. (Sorry - Campground reservations must be made by telephone.) Or, if you prefer to make your lakefront cabin rental reeservation by telephone you can do so by calling us at (800) 388-1566. We'll be glad to answer any question you may have and help you have the best ruffed grouse hunting trip that you've ever had.

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MINNESOTA BEAR HUNTING

MN Black Bear hunting season is set to open just a few days from now on September 1st. Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground is located in Bear Hunt Permit Area 31. Thought we are in Area 31, the eastern portion of Bear Hunt Permit Area 22 (BWCAW) is relatively close to our lakeside resort to the east, west and south.

Due to the fact that our location on the Gunflint Trail is in a very sparsely populated portion of Bear Hunt Permit Area 31, there is very little bear hunting pressure. This normally insures a higher success ratio for bear hunters than in the more southern portions of Bear Permit Area 31. Additionally, the vast majority of land in the northern portion of Bear Permit Area 31, where we are located, is mostly State and Federal property. That being the case, there is less of a problem with your ending up trespassing on private property.

In addition, Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground is very often used as a “base camp” by bear hunters who have permits for Bear Permit Area 22 (BWCAW). This is due to the fact that our Gunflint Trail location offers such easy access to the eastern portions of Permit Area 22. Because Area 22 is totally within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), no motorized vehicles are allowed in Bear Permit Area 22.

Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground is about a half a mile outside of Permit Area 22, making it an ideal place bear hunters with permits for Bear Hunt Permit Area 22 to stay in lakeside cabins or to camp out of their travel trailers or motor homes.

The campground at Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground offers electric and water hook-ups for RV’s and excellent tent camping too. We of course have a no charge, central shower house and washroom for campers. Plus, free campfire wood is always available for campers staying at our secluded lakeside campground on the Gunflint Trail.

For more information about our lakeside cabin rentals and our Gunflint Trail Campground please call us at (800) 388-1566. Or visit our website at http://www.hungryjacklodge.com/ for more information and rates. Online reservations can be made for our lakeside cottages and log cabin rentals at our website. Sorry, reservations for campsites are NOT available online and must be made by telephone (800) 388-1566.

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NORTHERN MN - GUNFLINT TRAIL LODGE NEARS COMPLETION

The new log Lodge at Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground on the Gunflint Trail is nearing completion and hopefully will be opening around the end of August. We’re down to the finishing touches on our northern Minnesota lodge, but it seems that there are still a million things that need to be completed before we open. We do not want to open the new log Lodge at Hungry Jack until such time as EVERYTHING is completed.

We’re down to finishing the hardwood floors, laying carpet, installing our beer tappers (yes – we will now have beer on tap) and a lot of new equipment set up. We would also like to have the finish of the exterior logs sealed and finish by the time we open.

Several people have commented that in their opinions the new log Lodge at our northern MN resort is on track for being the nicest lodge at any resort on the Gunflint Trail. In fact, some people have said that in their opinion the new log lodge will end up being the nicest structure not just on the Gunflint Trail but in all of Grand Marais and Cook County, Minnesota. We of course hope that they are right. We put a lot thought into what we wanted the new lodge to be like and of course countless hours back breaking work.

FISHING AT OUR GUNFLINT TRAIL FAMILY & FISHING RESORT
The weather at our northern MN resort has been somewhat cooler than usual for July which has made fishing better than normal. Most years, when temperatures are higher, the fish tend to be less active. But, because of our cooler weather fish have remained more aggressive than normal for July.

LAKESIDE CABIN RENTALS AT OUR MN VACATION RESORT
We still have some lakefront cottage and log cabins available for rent the last week of July and though out August. Take a look at our Deluxe Lakefront Cabin Rental page , and the various pages of our Premium Lakeside Cabins to find a cabin, log cabin or cottage that fits your needs.

Keep in mind that our Deer Executive Log Lodge is the largest resort rental cabin on the Gunflint Trail and can sleep up to 20 people. Deer log cabin is great for a family re-union, company retreat or other gathering of a large number of people in the north woods of MN.

Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground offers online cabin rental reservations from our website for all of our lakefront cabins and cottages. Online MN Lakefront Cabin Reservations. Visit the Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground website for more information about our unique Gunflint Trail, northern MN lakeside resort, located near Grand Marais, MN. Or, feel free to call us at 800-338-1566 for more information and for camping reservations.

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MINNESOTA TROPHY WALLEYE FISHING

TROPHY WALLEYE FROM HUNGRY JACK LAKE

As you can see below, Hungry Jack Lake continues to be the hotspot for fishing along the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota. Though smallmouth bass and walleye fishing on Hungry Jack Lake have consistently been very good from year to year, 2009 is proving to be an exceptionally good year for fishermen. A higher than normal amount of large and trophy class fish have been caught this year on Hungry Jack Lake, near the BWCAW on the Gunflint Trail.

Todd Peterson of Edina, MN, who owns a summer home on Hungry Jack Lake, caught a 30” walleye that weighed 10 pound on Hungry Jack Lake the evening of June 13th.

Todd was so proud of the trophy class walleye that he caught on our northern Minnesota lake that he brought it to our family fishing resort to show it off. Todd told us that he used a large sucker minnow and bobber to catch the monster walleye, but would not disclose the location on Hungry Jack Lake where he caught this beautiful walleye.

After showing off his walleye, Todd released the fish at the main dock at our northern MN family fishing resort. Because the majority of people who fish on Hungry Jack Lake release most of the exception walleye, smallmouth bass and northern pike that they catch back into the lake, Hungry Jack Lake just keeps getting better and better. As each year goes by the number of trophy walleye and smallmouth bass caught on Hungry Jack Lake is increasing.

In as much as Todd won’t let you stay with him, in his Hungry Jack Lake summer home, we recommend that you rent one of the lakefront cabins, log cabins or cottages available at our family fishing resort on Hungry Jack Lake, if you want to experience some spectacular northern MN fishing.

GUNFLINT TRAIL AND BWCA RENTAL CABINS AND COTTAGES
Unlike many resorts on the Gunflint Trail, all of the rental cabins and cottages at our Minnesota lakeside family resort are actually on the lake. Each of the rental cabins at our fishing resort has its’ own private dock, deck, grill and much more. Our northern MN fishing resort also has a wooded 14 site lake access campground with water, electric hook-up and central shower house/washrooms.

Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground is just outside the eastern Boundary Waters Canoe Area, in an area that is a virtual patchwork of lakes. Access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCAW) requires only one very short portage from Hungry Jack Lake. Being adjacent to the BWCA allows guests at our northern Minnesota family resort to take easy fishing and canoeing day trips into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

To find out more about Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground on the Gunflint Trail, near Grand Marais Minnesota visit our website at www.hungryjacklodge.com. Lakefront cabin, log cabin and cottage rental online reservations can be made from the Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground website.

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FAMILY FISHING RESORT MONSTERS

You know how a lot of fast-food restaurants ask if you want to “super size” your order? Well, at Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground family fishing resort on the Gunflint Trail, in northern Minnesota we don’t bother to ask. We just super size your fish automatically without asking.

If you want to get in on some great MN north woods fishing it’s time to hang up your “Gone Fishing” sign and head to Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground for a family or fishing vacation. The MN fishing season opener week was cold but got off to a great start for those that braved the elements. Our weather has warmed since the opening week of fishing season and the fish are very aggressive. Almost everyone is doing great and bringing in some really nice sized fish.

The northern pike, walleye and small mouth bass in Hungry Jack Lake are all co-operating and giving everyone a memorable MN fishing vacation trip. In fact, Pat Kochendorfer from Richmond, WI had such good luck the first week of fishing season that he has come back. The first 3 photos in this blog posting are a few of the many fish that he and his party have caught during the past week. Pat has used leeches with a bobber to catch most of his fish.

Though Pat Kochendorfer and his fishing party do not use a fishing guide, Hungry Jack Lodge does have Gunflint Trail fishing guide service. Our experienced guide grew up in the area and can put you on the fish no matter what species you want to fish for in the Boundary Waters or Gunflint Trail area..

GUNFLINT TRAIL VACATION RESORT

Our northern MN family fishing resort has everything you need for an enjoyable vacation. Lakefront cabins, log cabins and cottage rentals plus a secluded campground with water and electric hook-up’s. Boats, motors and pontoon boats are available for rent during your vacation visit at our Gunflint Trail resort. In addition, we rent canoes so that you can easily go into the Boundary Water Canoe Area to fish or just spend a day sightseeing and paddling. Visit our website for more information about Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground. Online reservations are available from our website or feel free to call 1-800-338-1566 for more information or to make your reservation.

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MINNESOTA FISHING ON THE GUNFLINT TRAIL

A GREAT START TO THE MN FISHING SEASON
Fishing season at our northern Minnesota, Gunflint Trail fishing resort has gotten off to a really great start. As we had predicted, due to ice-out being a little later than normal on the Gunflint Trail this year fishing has been very productive, due to the fish being more aggressive than normal for this time of the year.

The Walleye and Northern's on Hungry Jack Lake have been very co-operative. Guests at our MN family fishing resort have had some very exciting fishing, as you can see from the photos shown below.

Among the fish that John Gulbranson caught during the first few days of fishing, while at our lakefront resort, were a couple of nice Walleye and a Northern (catch and release).

Ken Miller from Atlanta Georgia was fly fishing in his canoe
close to the shore on Hungry Jack Lake and landed this nice looking 24” Walleye. Then just a few minutes later he picked up a nice 32” Northern. (Caught and Released)

Pat Kochendorfer from Richmond, WI (a long time Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground customer) and his fishing buddy picked up 6 nice walleyes last night as well. The biggest one was about 24”. They were using leeches in an undisclosed location here on Hungry Jack Lake.

FAMILY VACATION RESORT LOG LODGE UPDATE
Work on the log lodge at our Gunflint Trail lakefront family vacation resort is progressing at a rapid rate. As each day goes by, our vision of having the the most modern, yet rustic, log lodge on the Gunflint Trail comes closer to reality. We feel than when the new main log lodge is completed at our Minnesota lakeside resort it will have the most attractive and best log lodge in northern MN. We are incorporating the latest, most modern features and amenities into our lakefront lodge and at the same time retaining a true north woods look and feel.

Because we do not want to open our new lakeside lodge until it totally and completely finished we have unfortunately had to push back the anticipated grand opening of the new main lodge until near the end of June. All of the services normally offered at Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground are of course available, except for the food, bar and game room, which will be available when our new log lodge opens.

GUNFLINT TRAIL LAKESIDE CABIN RENTALS
Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground on the Gunflint Trail near Grand Marais, Minnesota has it all.

Lakefront cabin, log cabin and cottage rentals on Hungry Jack Lake. Pontoon boats, fishing boat, motor and canoes for rent. Rustic and modern camping in our northern Minnesota lakefront campground. Gunflint Trail fishing Guide service. BWCAW hiking and canoe day trips. BWCAW fishing. Sauna. Sand swimming beach. Children's playground.

There's something for everyone at Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground family vacation and fishing resort, no matter what your age is or what you like to do.

For your convenience, our MN resort offers online reservations. Just visit the Hungry Jack Lodge website to book your family or fishing vacation with your credit card. Or, call us at (800) 338-1566 with any questions that you may have or to make your reservations.

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MINNESOTA WALLEYE FISHING

ICE OUT & BOATS IN FOR MN WALLEYE FISHING

The ice is totally out on Hungry Jack Lake. The fishing boats at our Minnesota family fishing resort are in the water and we expect a great begining to the opening of the MN walleye fishing season, which opened today May 9th.

We had been worried that ice would not be off of Hungry Jack Lake for the "opener" but weather on the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais, MN co-operated and we are good to go. Temperatures at our Gunflint Trail fishing resort are cool today with a high in the mid 40's expected. With the ice coming off of the lakes in the mid Gunflint Trail area of northern MN a little later than normal we expect that fishing will be great due to the fact that fish are normally very aggressive when ice-out first occurs.

We'll have to wait to see how the opening week of MN fishing goes, but at this point we expect fishing to be very exciting and good.


HUNGRY JACK'S NEW LOG LODGE CONSTRUCTION

Construction on the main log lodge building at our northern Minnesota resort is progressing at a good pace.

A neighbor of ours, from the other side of Hungry Jack Lake, sent us the photo shown on the left the other day. The photo shows a rainbow with its' bottom edge on the penninsula where the new lodge at our family fishing resort is being constructed. It's a little difficult to see, but just to the left of the rainbow base, nestled in the trees, you can see our new fishing resort lodge building.

Hopefully the rainbow will bring us luck in getting the new log lodge at our MN lakeside resort completed quickly. As work progresses on the new log lodge it becomes even more impressive than we had hoped for. When looking at the blueprints it was difficult to get a true idea of just how majestic and beautiful the log lodge would end up being.

MN LAKEFRONT FAMILY VACATION RESORT

We still have openings at our Minnesota lakefront family vacation resort but our lakeside log cabin rentals are filling up fast. Dates are filling in quickly, especially for the months of July and August. If you are planning a family or fishing vacation in the Gunflint Trail & BWCAW area we suggest that you make your reservations early to insure that a lakeside log cabin or cottage rental is available for your vacation dates.

Don't forget about our northern MN campground. If you and your family like to camp our campground is great and offers full hook-ups. Our wooded campsites make a great "base camp" for canoeing day trips into the BWCAW.

Online reservations for our MN resort can be made from the Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground website. If you have questions about our Gunflint Trail lakeside resort or prefer to make your over the telephone, give as a call at (800) 338-1566.

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Minnesota Fishing Seasons – Gunflint Trail

Minnesota walleye, lake trout, stream trout in lakes, sauger and northern pike seasons open on May 9th this year.

Usually the opening date for Minnesota walleye fishing is busy at our northern MN fishing resort, located on the Gunflint Trail in northern MN. Walleye fishing on Hungry Jack Lake and the adjacent lakes both inside and outside of the BWCAW is normally very productive as fishermen take advantage of the ravenous appetites that walleye and other fish have after a long winter under the ice.

Though the opening date for walleye season in MN will officially open on 5/9/09, people who normally fish for walleye on Hungry Jack Lake and other lakes in the Gunflint Trail area during the week of the walleye opener MAY be greeted with ice and be delayed until ice is off of the lake. We are anticipating that the ice will be out either this weekend or early next week. (Between 5/9 and 5/14) That is the best that we can guess.

Earlier than normal severe cold produced ice that was thicker than usual. In addition, we had higher than normal snow fall amounts in the Gunflint Trail & eastern BWCAW areas of northern Minnesota during the 2008/2009 winter season. The eastern BWCA and Gunflint Trail areas also received some fairly heavy snows in late winter and early spring which further insulated the ice and has slowed the thawing of lake ice. As a result of “ice out” being later normal in northern Minnesota’s Gunflint Trail and eastern BWCA regions, fishing for walleye during the week of the MN opener at our Gunflint Trail fishing resort can possibly be delayed by a week.

Fishermen who look forward to coming to our northern MN fishing resort for the walleye “opener” are no doubt disappointed by the possible delay, but there is an upside to the late thaw and ice out. In years past we have found that when the ice comes off of Hungry Jack Lake late, walleye and other fish are even more hungry and aggressive than when ice is out earlier. Though lake ice thawing will possibly be delayed by a week, when the ice does come out we feel that fishing at our Gunflint Trail fishing resort will be even more exciting and productive than normal.

MN LARGEMOUTH BASS & SMALLMOUTH BASS FISHING
The MN Smallmouth Bass & Largemouth Bass fishing seasons opens on May 23rd, 2009.

Hungry Jack Lake is a Minnesota DNR managed smallmouth bass trophy lake. Guests of our MN family fishing resort will generally catch smallmouth bass that are larger than what is normally caught in similar northern Minnesota, Gunflint Trail and eastern BWCAW lakes.

If you combine the fact that Hungry Jack Lake is a managed smallmouth bass trophy lake and the fact that the ice will be out late this year, your best bet for exciting MN smallmouth bass fishing is Hungry Jack Lodge fishing resort on the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota.

MN FISHING RESORT LAKSIDE CABINS
It's not too late to make reservations for opening week of the Minnesota fishing season. Hungry Jack Lodge fishing resort in northern Minnesota has lakeside cabins available for rent during the opening weeks of the MN fishing seasons. Each of our lakefront cabins and cottages has its’ own dock. MN fishing licenses plus boat and motor rentals are, of course, available at Hungry Jack Lodge fishing resort on the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota.

For more information about our family fishing resort visit the Hungry Jack Lodge & Campground website. Lakefront cabin reservations are available online from our website. Or, if you prefer you can call our fishing resort to make your lakeside cabin reservations at 1-800-338-1566.

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