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      Trip Report - Brule and Winchell Lakes
 
  Last Visit: 03/29/2024 04:39AM

Entry Point 38 - Sawbill Lake

Sawbill Lake entry point allows overnight paddle only. This entry point is supported by Tofte Ranger Station near the city of Tofte, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 25 miles. Access is a boat landing at Sawbill Lake. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.

Number of Permits per Day: 11
Elevation: 1802 feet
Latitude: 47.8699
Longitude: -90.8858
Author Message Text
DRBOBDERRIG
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01/07/2013 05:58PM
 
New Trip Report posted by DRBOBDERRIG

Trip Name: Brule and Winchell Lakes.

Entry Point: 41

Click Here to View Trip Report

Dr Bob
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Dennisal
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01/08/2013 10:26AM
 
Enjoyed your report.
Thank you.

Never lost. All portages and roads go somewhere or they would not be there.
boonie
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01/08/2013 06:20PM
 
Tanks, nice report drbob.
TomT
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01/08/2013 09:20PM
 
Cool trip and it looks like you ate very well too. Thanks for posting.

"Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." --- George Bernard Shaw
luft
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01/09/2013 01:02AM
 
Enjoyed reading your report.


Any chance I could talk you out of your oreo cookie instant cheese cake recipe, or better yet... could you post it in the dessert section of the recipes forum?
DRBOBDERRIG
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01/09/2013 06:40AM
 
It is one of those No Bake Cheese cakes along with Cherry and Strawberry one finds in the store. I think there is or was a peanut butter one that my wife would gag on but I would like :-)
bob

Dr Bob
DRBOBDERRIG
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01/09/2013 06:43AM
 
http://www.kraftbrands.com/jello/products/no-bake/


Oh my...there are lots of other kinds that kraft makes....may have to look at the big box stores for some of these others...glad you mentioned them. BTW...powdered milk works fine.
If you have an odd number of campers it makes it difficult to divide evenly.

Dr Bob
salukiguy
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01/09/2013 12:22PM
 
Great trip report.


Where did you get the fry pan with the tall sides? I have a rectangular pan but it is only maybe 1/2 inch deep so if the grate is unlevel the oil slides to one side and spills over.
bapabear
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01/09/2013 03:03PM
 
My last two trips I've started at Brule Lake. We, too, had the good fortune of no winds and pleasant paddling on that lake - both times. I don't want to try paddling that water with the wind blowing very much at all. We stopped at the site you had on Winchell for a rest stop - really liked it! The site on Gaskin with the steps is really a nice one. From the distance we thought we saw steps but didn't believe what we were seeing, and then as we got closer we were amazed at how nice they were. You are right that the site is 5 stars. I fell in love with the beauty of Omega Lake. That portage from Cliff Lake to the Cone Lakes wasn't the worst I've done but it sure seemed longer than it really is.


Thank you for sharing your trip. It brought back some neat memories for me. Does this look like your site on Winchell? Omega Lake. One of my favorite campsites. The site on Gaskin.

My superhero name is TYPOMAN. Writer of wrongs.
strom2127
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01/09/2013 04:06PM
 
Nice work DrBob. A good read that certainly stimulated my appetite! I'm off to scrounge through the cupboards!!

"Once more unto the breach dear friends, once more."
DRBOBDERRIG
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01/09/2013 05:42PM
 
That is a cast aluminum baking dish made by Manitowoc Foundary in Manitiwoc Wisconsin which is about 30 miles from here. Cost escapes me right now....$50-60 maybe. I really like it...The high sides keep things from being sacrificed to the fire gods. (around 2" high). Being thick we don't seem to have food burn on it.... We usually have at least six in a group so the size is good for that. It came with a non stick coating which is long gone but doesn't bother me. For a few years we had two groups of scouts going the same week....I didn't think twice about getting a second one. If you can't seem to run one down (I don't know if there is a website) let me know and I can try to see how you can order one if you wish.
bob

Dr Bob
DRBOBDERRIG
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01/09/2013 06:02PM
 
Found a site that has and shows this thing
http://www.unbeatablesale.com/wa024.html


also website of Manufaturer....I don't see it listed in their products but you might contact them and find out


http://www.allamerican-chefsdesign.com/


good luck.
bob

Dr Bob
nofish
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01/15/2013 10:28AM
 
My wife and I did a similar trip 2 years ago. Started on Brule and went up to Winchell and stayed at that same campsite. It sure is a nice site. Did you walk back on some of the trails behind the site? My dog ran those trails and climbed on the rocks back there for hours at a time.


We were on Winchell in August and noticed very few people. We talked to some rangers who were checking permits and they said we were 1 of only 2 groups on the entire lake.


We had some more day trips planned like you did but we were wind bound on that site on winchell for over a day. 20-30 mph wind out of the west sure makes that a tricky lake to paddle.


We also got lucky on Brule with very little wind. I've done brule in the wind and I'd rather not do that again if I can help it.
DRBOBDERRIG
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01/16/2013 09:10PM
 
duh...never looked back there to see any trails...maybe if we were windbown or bored we would have explored more back there.
Maybe a lot of people that go in on Brule stay on Brule. The crew that was moving into our site as we were leaving on the island would never haul those barges and coolers over a 160r portage. Even the people going in at the EP on Saturday (it was noonish already)as we were leaving probably had no intentions of going very far.

Dr Bob
nofish
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01/16/2013 10:42PM
 
I think alot of people do stay on Brule. I know I have friends who go up every year and never leave Brule. The trek to Winchell is a little harder than it use to be with the beaver dam that broke and drained one of the lakes on the route up through Grassy lake. Now you have to do what you did and go through the Cones which is a longer paddle or you have to take on a 350-400 rod portage. We opted to do the long portage, its quicker than doing the route through the Cones but the portage sure gets long.


I found those trails behind the campsite on our wind bound day. They go back at least as far as the back end of the little bay on the north side of the point. It looked like you could go a lot further than we did but the dog was doing his best mountain goat impersonation and was getting a little to comfortable on the edge of the cliff so we opted to turn back.


This is him back on one of the trails.
luft
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01/23/2013 12:15AM
 
quote DRBOBDERRIG: "http://www.kraftbrands.com/jello/products/no-bake/



Oh my...there are lots of other kinds that kraft makes....may have to look at the big box stores for some of these others...glad you mentioned them. BTW...powdered milk works fine.
If you have an odd number of campers it makes it difficult to divide evenly."



Thanks for the info on your "recipe". I am always looking for easy desserts to add into our menu plan. We do a lot of freeze dried so it is nice to add in a little sweet treat to make it more special.
DRBOBDERRIG
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01/24/2013 06:26PM
 
Like Red Licorice....seems like no-bake cheese cakes have become traditional


dr bob

Dr Bob
bapabear
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01/26/2013 06:21PM
 
quote nofish: "I think alot of people do stay on Brule. I know I have friends who go up every year and never leave Brule. The trek to Winchell is a little harder than it use to be with the beaver dam that broke and drained one of the lakes on the route up through Grassy lake. Now you have to do what you did and go through the Cones which is a longer paddle or you have to take on a 350-400 rod portage. We opted to do the long portage, its quicker than doing the route through the Cones but the portage sure gets long.



I found those trails behind the campsite on our wind bound day. They go back at least as far as the back end of the little bay on the north side of the point. It looked like you could go a lot further than we did but the dog was doing his best mountain goat impersonation and was getting a little to comfortable on the edge of the cliff so we opted to turn back.



This is him back on one of the trails.
"






On a couple of different trips I've gone through that "grassy lake" area before the long portage. Aside from the skeeters we've really enjoyed the end of the portge into it because there is plenty of room to pull aside and relax/snack on the rocks. I really like that spot. So now that lake is gone? As it was it wasn't much of a lake and we could only go a short distance before we had to start portaging.




My superhero name is TYPOMAN. Writer of wrongs.
ducks
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01/27/2013 02:13PM
 
That stairway site on Gaskin is our favorite so far.


Great Report. Thanks for sharing.

Ride EZ
SunCatcher
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01/27/2013 07:28PM
 
Great trip Dr Bob! nice pics and great story. I do think North Temperance is a nice little lake, and a lot of folks don't stop there, they just pass through there. If you ever get a chance to stay there, I think you would like it.


SunCatcher

"WWJD"
DRBOBDERRIG
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01/27/2013 09:14PM
 
1:30- 2:00 in the afternoon..S temperance was like Grand Central Station and I figured North would be similar..but with the weather getting crappier we decided not to try it.....The topo maps suggest that it might be a pretty lake.

Dr Bob
northbound
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03/20/2013 11:39PM
 
Nice report, curious what was travel time from Brule EP to Winchell? Thinking of heading there this spring.
MHS67
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03/28/2013 08:14PM
 
Paddled Brule several times. It has been glass smooth at one in the afternoon and had three foot waves at seven in the morning! You just never know. Thanks for the report.
DrBobDg
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04/06/2013 07:32AM
 
I'm thinking 5-6 hours but don't have my notes....we took our time...esp on that one long portage.
riverrunner
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04/06/2013 07:12PM
 
I been to Brule several times up through the cones. I have been lucky every time and have never had big winds. Nice area Brule has great walleye fish and haved enjoyed eating them.
bapabear
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04/06/2013 08:09PM
 
Two years ago we put in at Brule and went straight north to Winchell. I can't remember just when we started out but took the site just to the north of the portage into Winchell early in the afternoon so DrBobDg and my memories jive pretty well. We double portage and took time for a lunch just before setting off into that shallow mucky lake just before the long portage. Winchell was beautiful!

My superhero name is TYPOMAN. Writer of wrongs.
hwdhusky
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03/28/2017 11:43AM
 
Sounds like fun was had by all. I am going to have to do a little more research on food. It sounds you ate well. We usually do the basics and it is fine but your meals sure looked a lot tastier:)
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