BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
January 06 2025
Entry Point 77 - South Hegman Lake
Number of Permits per Day: 1.5 (varies by day)
Elevation: 1282 feet
Latitude: 48.0336
Longitude: -91.9250
South Hegman Lake - 77
Snowshoeing to Hegman Pictographs
Entry Date:
December 21, 2024
Entry Point:
South Hegman Lake
Number of Days:
1
Group Size:
7
The Echo Trail and parking lot at the entry point were well plowed and to our surprise, there was very little evidence of vehicle or foot traffic near the portage trail. We bundled up, strapped on our snowshoes, and down the 85-rod portage we went. A fresh few inches of snow covered the trail and trees creating a beautiful winter scene.
The portage trail ends with a staircase down to the lake edge. After checking the ice and noticing a couple sets of cross-country ski tracks, we set off across the lake following the shore as we went. My boys (8 and 10) quickly adapted to walking in snowshoes as we held a leisurely pace across the frozen ice of South Hegman Lake.
As we approached the short 18-rod portage between the Hegmans, open water was apparent from the small creek flowing between the lakes. We kept our distance circling around the open ice and made the short hop into North Hegman Lake.
It felt a bit odd snowshoeing between the narrows and around the large boulders protruding from the ice rather than paddling through. Once around the corner, the large rock wall was hard to miss along the western shoreline. As we approached, the reddish markings came into view. Everyone took a moment to reflect and think on the history behind how these pictographs were placed there and how long ago it may have been.
While taking a break to view the pictographs, hot chocolate and coffee was served to warm everyone up. The solitude did not go unnoticed as we had the lake to ourselves. Once we had all stopped crunching across the snow on snowshoes, we noted the wind had stopped and found ourselves in silence; the type of silence and solitude one hopes to find during the permit season.
After a half-hour the coffee was gone and plenty of photos had been taken. The boys were ready to get back to a warm car and a hot lunch. Retracing our tracks back to the entry point proved a little easier as the trail was beaten down some. Even though it was a short day trip (4 miles in total) into the wilderness, every trip into the Boundary Waters finds a way to be unique and special.
~North Hegman Lake, South Hegman Lake