North Country Hiking Trail

[CampYJewel]

Just wondering if anyone has hiked this trail?  I went last fall with a friend and we parked just north of Hackensack and hiked in 5+ miles spent the night and hiked out in the morning.  It was a great time.  We are looking to do it again this summer and I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions.

Thanks, Jewel

[thunderpout]

Hey Jewel... the North Country trail literally goes right through our deer camp, thats north of Nevis in the Paul Bunyan St. Forest.  I  use it alot when grouse hunting up there.  Met some of the college students working on it over the last couple years... cool people!  Im not sure if it is connected to the Walker stretch yet, but the "trail makers" were workin that way... There's a website for it with info on its developement...not sure where I found it, but it may have been thru the DNR site or possibly Superior Natl. Forest site.  I'll see if I can find it again. 

[CampYJewel]

Thanks Thunder!!!  I found the website last night and ordered a map for that area.  The trail was so nice!!!  I had no idea we even had a trail that close.  I may just have to check that part out and spy on your hunting camp.   but not durring hunting of course!!

www.northcountrytrail.org

Jewel

[thunderpout]

Yeah thats the site... It's a cool trail, well defined but not over-developed... kinda like a portage in the BWCA.

[CampYJewel]

Yea that's what I thought.  It was wide enough to easily walk two people, easy to see so I never felt like I was taking the wrong trail but very remote and beautiful!!!  One place we actually had to walk across a beaver dam to get through the trail.  The small campsite we stayed at was a knoll between two larger beaver ponds just off the hiking trail.  I just can't wait to go back!!!!

[EagleEyeJack]

I have never backpacked that trail but I have hunted that area a lot. Falcon Guide, Hiking Minnesota, covers that section of the trail.

How were the bugs?

[Mayfly]

So do they have designated campsites on the trail or do you just find a spot??

[EagleEyeJack]

In the book that I have, they show 4 improved camp sites near lakes. Otherwise you can camp anywhere since that section of the trail along the Woodtick Trail road is public land.

[CampYJewel]

We went in the fall just before the leaves totally fell off and the bugs were pretty much non existant, thankfully!!

The section we hiked, just south of Walker and east of hwy 371 has several desiginated camping spots.  There was a fire ring and a very remote/scary porta jon in the woods.   And as long as the section is on state land I don't know why you could not camp anyplace.

I orderd some maps and hopefully they should be here in a few days, maybe they will list any rules on camping.  I will let you know.

Jewel

[EagleEyeJack]

Here is a link to the book I have and that section of trail. 

http://books.google.com/books?id=1S-MjdO2sbUC&pg=PA120&lpg=PA120&dq=Chippewa+National+Forest+Woodtick+Trail+&source=web&ots=QZ-yEf3nnQ&sig=GuKXNUbUrmZfL5StoW7LWIMRRsE&hl=en#PPA120,M1

[thunderpout]

The area of the trail north of Nevis, summer/late summer... black flies carry ya away...

[thunderpout]

Ummm... meant deer flies, you know, the ones ya cant hit and they leave a trickle of blood running down yer arm/leg after biteing ya....    Hey Jewel, you should check it out during deer hunting season.... a guy pulled up one night and looked around and said " Wow!  This camp looks more like an Eelpout Festival Camp more than a deer camp!" Best compliment we ever had....  I took it as one anyway...

[CampYJewel]

I  may just have to do that!!!  And since I hunt only 20+ miles from Nevis it is within a road trip distance     All the camp Y stuff is in the barn at our hunting camp.  Guess we never thought about taking out the kissing booth.  Wait it's all relatives, it will have to stay in the barn!!!!

[thunderpout]

  Even if ya counted out the relatives.... Thinkin bout the typical smelly, unshaven, god ugly deer huntin types drivin around, your best keepin it in the barn! Then again, youd make a killing Im guessing.... (Im lol here picturing a kissing booth in our deer camp, dudes pullin up, seein their faces when ya tell em there's not any gals in camp...) Yeah, maybe we'll have to catch up with each other this fall...

[CampYJewel]

Maybe us girls should put the kissing booth down by the road.  You know we get tons of road hunters who go by our camp!!!  But then again I can see the type of people we would get and we are much better off just leaving it in the barn  :puke

I did get my maps of the trail yesterday!!  I can't wait to get out, and hopefully this will be our last snow of the spring.

[thunderpout]

Maybe a mobile kissing booth!  Ya could drive around, hit the camps with the better lookin dudes, and be able to high tail it away from the camps with the green teeth types...   Youll just need to do a little scouting during daylight hours...

[CampYJewel]

Ahhh yes what a great idea.  Along the same reason we had Bubbles batchlorette party the second week of deer camp and were decked out in bright orange feather boas!!!

[thunderpout]

  That I would've liked to have seen... Ya should have told me, Our camp would have obliged Bubbles with a little chippendales/the full monty thing at our camp for her...

[CampYJewel]

The way things go today you never know in a few years we may be having another party!!!!

[thunderpout]

How is Bubbles?  She wasn't at the fest this year, or at least I didnt see her hangin at Club Y.... Ya cant go cold turkey just cause ya get married can ta?

[CampYJewel]

She is doing well!!!  Her new husband was sooo nice and booked a cruise for them as a Honeymoon....................the weekend of Eel Pout, go figure    Hopefully he wont' find another excuse for next year or we may have to look for a Bubbles fill in.  1st stop, Hooters   

[thunderpout]

  Well I suppose if ya have an excuse, A honeymoon is about as good of one as ya can get I suppose...

[CampYJewel]

After you get married in Jamica???????

[thunderpout]

Yeah... whats with that?  Thats like two honeymoons, eh?  I would have made the fest the honeymoon... but then thats probably why Im still single...

[CampYJewel]

You just have to find the right gal, some of us love going to Eel Pout!!!!  Honeymoon or not

[thunderpout]

I've often said, if I got married, my perfect place to do so would be on a cool little island in the BWCA... so the logical honeymoon would be at the poutfest.....?  Yeah, your right, it'd have to be the right gal, thats for sure!