Started the day out in sort of a lazy, lackadaisical fashion. As we were finishing up breakfast we could hear some commotion across the way at the landing. (Never ceases to amaze me how sound travels across a lake) Apparently another trio of adventurers braved the fabled trail and made their way up to Gogebic. It was only 8:00, so they must've gotten a fairly early start this morning? It quickly became evident that they were merely on a day trip to do some fishing. They paddled around the lake for an hour or two before heading back down.[paragraph break]

After a leisurely breakfast, we all hopped in the "Red Bell Pepper" and headed for the landing. It was shaping up to be another absolutely beautiful day & we decided to do some hiking along the BRT. Studying my Voyageur map, there appeared to be an overlook a few miles up the trail. So, with that as our hopeful destination, we headed off.[paragraph break]

Initially the trail hugs the shoreline of Gogebic lake. Along the way there were several openings where a person could fairly easily walk right out to the lakeshore. I'm sure that there are hikers who use these to get a better perspective when viewing the lake. But, IMHO, I believe the main purpose they serve is for fishermen who didn't want to lug a canoe up the trail.[paragraph break]

Before too long we entered the other campsite on Gogebic. It is nestled in a nice grove of trees right in the middle of the trail. The ground was a little damp. But, really not too bad considering all the recent rains. You'd really have to know what you're looking for if trying to locate this site from the lake as there isn't much of a landing. The trail for the latrine ran up a steep hill behind camp. [paragraph break]

Just before the BRT starts to pull away from Gogebic lake you must cross over an old beaver dam. This was really the only spot we encountered where there wasn't an excellent footpath. A little caution was needed to keep our feet dry & avoid some brush. Otherwise, no real worries here.[paragraph break]

Once around the swamp the inevitable climb began. Somewhat to my surprise the trail itself was in excellent condition. About what you might expect at a state park. Of the several miles we hiked. There was only ONE spot that required any special maneuvering. The climb was long & steady. But, was never overly steep. [paragraph break]

It seemed we were passing through the Garden of Eden. Many variety of flowers were in bloom just off the trail. Which served to take our minds off the climb as we passed by. [paragraph break]

At last the trail began to level off. There were a couple of nice openings, but no overlook. After, the trail veered south. We hiked in this direction for awhile until finally surmising that we had already passed, what I thought may have been, the overlook. We stopped, sat down, grabbed our various snacks & took a break.[paragraph break]

Feeling refreshed we retraced our steps. Upon closer inspection, there were a few spots where West Pike lake could be seen through the trees. But, it was so overgrown with trees & shrubs that the view left alot to be desired. We tried bushwhacking a bit but, never did get a good clear view. [paragraph break]

Once we were back along the shores of Gogebic, I noticed a neat tree I must've missed on our way up. I wouldn't have guessed it but, the section of the trail that ran around the lake was actually the most difficult to traverse. It was level. But, there were an abundance of annoying roots & rocks to negotiate. Back at the landing, I snapped a picture of our campsite. [paragraph break]

Once back in camp we discovered that we were being over run with dragonflies that were molting. These are my wife's absolute favorite. And, I must admit, I kinda like having 'em around too. As they do a wonderful job keeping the annoying bugs away.[paragraph break]

We spent the better part of the late afternoon relaxing in the hammocks & playing cribbage. We even devised a seperate penalty for the loser of each game. That person would saw & split firewood until the next game was complete. Then whomever had just lost, would take his place. This scenario repeated itself for a couple hours.[paragraph break]

It was a beautiful day. And it didn't take much to work up a sweat. First Kelly, then Ross, hopped in the lake to rinse off & cool down. With the early thaw, the lakes have had plenty of time to warm up. But, the recent cool weather & seemingly steady rain had, for my tastes, kept the water a bit on the cool side. Judge for yourself. [paragraph break]

After supper, Ross & I headed out to try some fishing. It was yet another picture perfect evening. A gentle breeze, incredible scenery, & no bugs! What more could you ask for? Gratefully, we indulged ourselves, soaking up this intoxicating wilderness atmosphere as if it were a magic elixir. Knowing full well, that it doesn't always play out like this. [paragraph break]

Gogebic Lake

Woke this morning to find that the cooler had finally relinquished it's frozen status. Not wanting to take a chance letting the filets I had cleaned up last night swelter through the mid days heat. The decision was made that it would be brook trout for breakfast! IMHO Brook trout grilled over an open flame is absolutely one of the most savory delicacys canoe country can dish up. So how could we go wrong?[paragraph break]

By this time our campsite had really grown on us. The landing was all loose rock. But, all were mostly flat which provided "somewhat" secure footing for getting in/out of the canoe. Adding an unusal aspect to these rocks was the fact that they ran out a ways from camp forming a point to the south that almost seemed to be something of a pier. A unique phenomenon in my book. [paragraph break]

Around the firegrate these flat stones had been put to a most meritous use as perfect tables on either side. Also, a couple of small, low to the ground rock recliners had been fashioned. The trees in and around camp also provided the perfect setting. Enough to provide a measure of privacy, shade, shelter, plus good tarp & hammock hanging options. Yet still open enough as to allow a good view of the lake & permit the occasional cooling breeze adequate passage. Even the latrine was about the right distance back in the woods. The only major drawback were the tent pads. There was room for 3 tents. But, all the pads had troublesome roots & rocks. An air mattress would be an absolute necessity for all but the hardiest of campers. [paragraph break]

[paragraph break]

Today was forecast to be the cream of the crop weather wise. So Ross & I decided to make our way to West Pike. Since Kelly had no interest in fishing, we left him the keys to the Red Bell Pepper with instructions to be home before dark. [paragraph break]

Retracing our path of the other day, we descended down the first hill to where the actual BRT veers (west) left. At this point there is also a trail that heads straight north directly to West Pike lake. After passing the "T" the trail to West Pike climbs gently for the first few rods. From there on out it is literally straight down hill & there are no spots where the trail even hints at leveling off. Surprisingly, it is a well worn trail! About midway down the hill there are a couple of trees that will barely allow a canoe to squeeze through. There should be a medal presented to anyone who does this one fully loaded. [paragraph break]

There is a small landing at the lakeshore. But, with the recent high water, it was flooded over. So it took a bit of manuevering to get situated before shoving off.[paragraph break]

We headed in the general direction of the campsite on the far west end of the lake. (I had spent a few days there this past winter) From there we followed the north shore trolling along the way. [paragraph break]

Compared with Gogebic, West Pike was Grand Central Station. We seen more than a half a dozen canoes out 'n' about. By the time we left, all the sites on the lake had been claimed. Still, paddling conditions were optimal and the scenery breathtaking. So those concerns were, at best, ancillary.[paragraph break]

Fishing was slow along the north shore. Once we crossed over and came up the back side of the large island things changed. Soon Ross managed to hook into a smallie. While he played it out I let the Pearl drift near shore on the west side of the small peninsula that juts out from the south shore. As he released the fish, I noticed something unusal along shore.[paragraph break]

Since we were both in need of getting out to stretch. We paddled over to investigate. A small yellow metal sign was nailed to a cedar tree. Presumably it's some sort of forest survey marker. I seem to recall seeing one of these markers on the large cedar tree on Basswood lake. But, unlike the tree on Basswood, there was nothing special about this tree. Maybe someone else can answer what purpose these markers serve?[paragraph break]

Continued working our way west down the southern shoreline. Never got too serious. But, eventually, we both conceded and set our fishing poles aside, succumbing to the intensifying winds. [paragraph break]

Made our way back up to Gogebic. And I mean UP! :) Once there, I was ready to get back to camp & get supper started. Ross had supper on his mind as well. But, evidently, was contemplating a different angle than I? He convinced me to take the long way home while we plied the waters for Salvelinus Fontinalis.[paragraph break]

In short order the menu for supper tonight had vastly improved. [paragraph break]

Absolutely enjoyed our final evening just relaxing and taking it all in. I was surprised to learn later that we'd been up 'til nearly 3:00 a.m. playing cribbage. Another classic moment that, when looking back & wondering where the time went, leaves a person utterly astounded. [paragraph break]

Gogebic Lake, West Pike Lake

Was up quite early considering the late night. Clouds were moving in as we began to tear camp down. Didn't quite get 'er all packed away before the light showers started. It was hard to complain, considering the fantastic weather we'd had up until now. [paragraph break]

Of course the rain made the portage back down more tedious. The West Pike ~ Clearwater trail presents challenges of it's own. But, I must admit, once we reconnected with that trail (though not exactly considering it smooth sailing) there was a definite sense that the worst was indeed behind us. And, I'm happy to say, we all made it back to the Clearwater landing without serious incident.[paragraph break]

Kelly had the foresight to squirrel away 3 beers for just this moment. So as we recuperated from the completion of the portage we were each able to enjoy a semi-cold one. [paragraph break]

About the time we were preparing to push off the rain really started coming down. Fortunately the Clearwater landing is a very accomodating spot with several large white pines & cedars that provide protective cover from just such an occurence. So we hung out here awhile waiting for the rain to let up, which it eventually did.[paragraph break]

Out on the lake, the rain stopped then started several times. Eventually it quit altogether. The wind was slowly gaining some momentum. But, we reached the EP landing without much trouble. Once there, we retrieved the 3 celebratory beers that we had stashed before departure that were now ready for consumption. [paragraph break]

Once we were loaded up, we made a bee line for Trail Center. There we enjoyed the spoils of a successful trip. An ironic coincidence....Our waitress had just been up to Gogebic a week earlier & was singing it praises. She also mentioned that her understanding is that Gogebic is an Assinoiboine word meaning "Lake in the Clouds." We couldn't argue with that definition.[paragraph break]

Of course it helped that we had phenomenal weather. But, that doesn't change the fact that Gogebic is really a special lake. How many places in the BWCAW can you go one portage from a reasonably popular EP lake and see a grand total of 3 people (one group) on a lake in 4 days? The appeal doesn't end there. As they say in real estate, Location! Location! Location! Being about the perfect size, it has an unmistakable intimate, almost mountainous, feel. And, we barely scratched the surface of what the BRT had to offer. It would be nice to go back one day and invest more time in exploring that trail in both directions. [paragraph break]

In my final analysis. Of course the portage up provides a substantial challenge. But, beyond that, Gogebic doesn't offer up much fodder for any would be critic to chew on. So if your looking to get away from it all reasonably quickly? Check out Gogebic lake.[paragraph break]