Today marks the one year anniversary of a violent F-3 tornado that ripped through a resort in Langlade County.

But on this anniversary of the severe storms that destroyed Bear Paw Resort in White Lake, the business’ owners are happy to say they are open once again.

People were indeed in great spirits, after months of cleaning up the wreckage caused by last year’s several-hundred yard wide tornado.

Today, Bear Paw looks nothing like it did one year ago.

Last year there was debris all over the resort, and now, there’s two completely new buildings, two roofs replaced, and a completely restructured bar and restaurant.

The owners say it hasn’t been an easy road to get to this point though, with reconstruction taking place during an especially brutal winter.

But through all of the hard work and strife, owners saw that a disaster like this can have a bright side as well.

Jamee Peters, co-owner of the Bear Paw, says, “When I reflect on the hard work that has happened here, the fantastic community that surrounded us and helped us get back on our feet, the rebuilding stage, the new friends, connecting with old friends... In a weird sort of way, it’s been an honor to have had the experience.”

Staff have even kept their sense of humor about the situation.

When pressed with the dilemma of what to do with bent and broken kayaks strewn across the property, the resort’s owners created an homage to the twister known as the kayak tree.

The tree is illuminated at night, and the owners tell me they hope it will become something of a symbol for the resort.

To celebrate the re-opening, tons of events were planned for the day, including a kayak river trip, a mountain bike ride through the path of the twister, and a live band.