Portaged into Agassa Lake on past Saturday to do some fishing.
Pulled up at the campsite, and found this mess.
Nephew and I were scratching our heads to make sense of it.
I would have packed it all out, if I had an extra #4 Duluth pack, or two.
3 tents
2 army cots
Propane tanks
Spray paint
Multiple scorched frying pans
Unopened cans of beans
Car battery
Beer cans
Pop cans
Fireworks
And much more.
We searched the area for bodies.
I'll let the Forest Service know.
I

hmmm

I had a training for a past job on how to identify drug production in homes and other areas. Some of those things remind me of that training. Kinda creepy. Glad you let them know!

I’m not familiar with the lake or closeness to roads. Just curious If this a close access site or more remote?

This makes me think there had to be some kind of emergency. Still an awful lot to carry in though. Very sad and hopfully everyone is all right and where on the way back to pick up the mess.

How was the fishing?

I agree with Portage...seems like weird stuff to haul in.

The simple answer is someone didn’t know what they were doing, got overwhelmed and just left everything behind to get out quickly. I would of looked for bodies too...probably an uneasy feeling as you looked around the site more...

T

Notify the Forest Service!!!

You guys are assuming the best. I assume the worst, that they were a bunch of pansies too weak to lug out what they'd carried to the site.

I visited the newer site last week in the Slim Lake area. It was so beautiful and so sad at the same time, knowing this kind of s***-human activity is in store for it. No "bushcraft" furniture, no twist-tie litter, no cut greens. Just pine needles and a gift of ready wood left behind, received by a very grateful traveler who had just paddled up after a long, wet, cold, scary-at-times return paddle from the other lakes.

So disturbing. This is also evidence as to why I seek places away from the powerful equation of gasoline engine (car or boat) + alcohol + free access. Understood that they were accessing Agassa by canoe, but anyone can walk up to Agassa at any time at no cost. It makes me so sad that I have to consider this danger when traveling in the backcountry. For me personally, the risk to me posed by humans engaged in this type of garbage-behavior is way more troublesome than risk created by wind, deadfall, wolf or bear.
:(

missmolly: "You guys are assuming the best. I assume the worst, that they were a bunch of pansies too weak to lug out what they'd carried to the site. "

Not me. I assume they wanted comfort of all that junk and that they wouldn't need it anymore so they just left it.

Selfsuffi: "This makes me think there had to be some kind of emergency. Still an awful lot to carry in though. Very sad and hopfully everyone is all right and where on the way back to pick up the mess."

You are joking, right??? Who lets their campsite look like this?

Spent shotgun shell? Spray paint? WTF?

Judging from the choice of products, looks to me like they do a lot of their shopping at Walmart.

I am guessing the problem was they didn't take their mother along to pick up after them.

The deeper you reach, the less danger there is. I stick with my guess that these desecrators are wimps, too weak to lug away their comforts and too weak to reach faraway lakes.

Spray paint? They must have left their mark on the rocks at Ed Shave.

The portage in from Echo Trail, is almost a mile.
There is an ATV trail that runs within a 1/4 mile of the campsite, to the West.
I'm guessing they haul everything from there (bushwhacking) and left in a hurry and didn't care to carry it all back out.
Spray paint for marking trees, to retrace their bushwhack ??

Anyway, I just talked to the Kawishiwi rangers, and they're taking care of it.
I told them (and they agreed) that there might be something (a receipt or proof of purchase) that might lead them to who did this.

Stumpy: "There is an ATV trail that runs within a 1/4 mile of the campsite, to the West. ?? "

Precisely my point. Gasoline engines + alcohol + unfettered access (meaning, no permit, no ranger station, no fee area) = increased risk of trouble for me

My brother had a job with park service for a while that involved cleaning up all matters of trace. They will find the people, I hope. He sure did.

timatkn: "The simple answer is someone didn’t know what they were doing, got overwhelmed and just left everything behind to get out quickly.

T"

This is likely the best innocent explanation. Looks to me like some people got in over their heads.

Or of course, they just didn't care.

I can almost picture this group. I'm envisioning a group of guys sitting at home in their parents basement killing off their 2nd case of Busch when the topic of a canoe trip comes up. Fueled by that 2nd case of Busch they hit their local Walmart to pick up the essentials for their trip.

4 crappy frying pans. When one isn't worthless enough you should bring 4.
Couple cans of baked beans, complete nutrition in a can.
A couple heavy tents complete with yellow plastic tent stakes. (Actually impressed with this one, most idiots like this forget the tent stakes.)
A couple even heavier cots because the ground is so hard and lumpy.
A case of shot gun shells because the boogyman is REAL!
A car battery because why not
Solo cups because it aint a party without them
Cigarettes and chew because all the cools kids are doing it
A couple packs of soda because lake water is bad for you.
Spray paint because the can offering 25% more was just too good of a deal to pass up.

What I really want to know is whats up with the left shoe in the 2nd photo. Was the other one nearby or did someone hop out of their on only their right foot? Maybe thats why the left everything. Damn hard to hop on one foot while carrying all that gear.

ZaraSp00k: "

Selfsuffi: "This makes me think there had to be some kind of emergency. Still an awful lot to carry in though. Very sad and hopfully everyone is all right and where on the way back to pick up the mess."

You are joking , right??? Who lets their campsite look like this?

Spent shotgun shell? Spray paint? WTF?

udging from the choice of products, looks to me like they do a lot of their shopping at Walmart.

I am guessing the problem was they didn't take their mother along to pick up after them."

I don't think I was all the way awake when I looked at this first thing this morning. There are some disturbing items to even bring into the BWCA but the filth and garbage should never have been that way. As filthy as there camp is there is no excuse for this.....not even a medical emergency. What the hell? How did I miss the spent shotgun shell and fireworks and spray paint. This is just disgusting. Forget being sad and hoping they are coming back. This just makes me angry.

Their cutting board is the same one I've used for a quarter century.

I wonder what that car battery powered.

Duckman: "

timatkn: "The simple answer is someone didn’t know what they were doing, got overwhelmed and just left everything behind to get out quickly.

T"

This is likely the best innocent explanation. Looks to me like some people got in over their heads.

Or of course, they just didn't care."

In order to get over your head you have to have a head. Looks to me they had nothing above their shoulders. They were probably nearby... hiding in the woods the whole time.

missmolly: "Their cutting board is the same one I've used for a quarter century.

I wonder what that car battery powered. "

Side post battery is usually Chevy... haha! But wow... that would be disturbing!

missmolly: "Their cutting board is the same one I've used for a quarter century."

I actually considered taking that, but then I thought, "I don't want anything they touched".

I'd be curious if anyone ran by them? It looks like what you would expect if someone had set up there for more than a regular camping trip. Like maybe they were there for a while.

Also curious about the 2X4s.

Were they cooking up a good batch of crystal? Probably the blue stuff. That's got my vote. This thing has meth head written all over it.

Car battery, fireworks, & altered propane canisters can be used for crystal meth production. Just from taking the training, if I stumbled upon this, that would be my first thought. Cookers also look for rural, secluded areas. I stumbled upon a lab in the woods here once-an empty cooler, a bunch of starter fluid cans, and propane canister. Scared me to pieces as I was a long way in, solo.

Although some of the ingredients don't match up, so who knows. Although a meth lab would be my first thought, I would be second guessing it with some of the other items. Maybe it is not as common in MN as IL.

gopher2307: "Were they cooking up a good batch of crystal? Probably the blue stuff. That's got my vote. This thing has meth head written all over it."

HA! Gopher, we were typing at the same time. At least I am not the only jaded soul.

And, I have not heard of spray paint for meth, but maybe graffiti or huffing.

I'm guessing the culprits were/are rednecks, completely overwhelmed by the vast, North Woods---and in a big hurry to get home. LOL

Stumpy: "The portage in from Echo Trail, is almost a mile.
There is an ATV trail that runs within a 1/4 mile of the campsite, to the West.
I'm guessing they haul everything from there (bushwhacking) and left in a hurry and didn't care to carry it all back out.
Spray paint for marking trees, to retrace their bushwhack ??


Anyway, I just talked to the Kawishiwi rangers, and they're taking care of it.
I told them (and they agreed) that there might be something (a receipt or proof of purchase) that might lead them to who did this. "

Thanks for calling.

I wonder if there was anything wrapped up in those tents/tarps?

I was on Agassa a few years ago and the campsite was trashed. Probably three cases of empty beer cans. Funny how people take the time to haul heavy loads of beer but can’t carry out the empties.

Portage99: "

gopher2307: "Were they cooking up a good batch of crystal? Probably the blue stuff. That's got my vote. This thing has meth head written all over it."

HA! Gopher, we were typing at the same time. At least I am not the only jaded soul.

And, I have not heard of spray paint for meth, but maybe graffiti or huffing. "

Looks like the typical aftermath of meth to me, either cooking or consuming or both. I'll bet the paint was handy for huffing.

nctry: "

Duckman: "

timatkn: "The simple answer is someone didn’t know what they were doing, got overwhelmed and just left everything behind to get out quickly.

T"

This is likely the best innocent explanation. Looks to me like some people got in over their heads.

Or of course, they just didn't care."

In order to get over your head you have to have a head. Looks to me they had nothing above their shoulders. They were probably nearby... hiding in the woods the whole time."

You guys are giving me too much credit for being nice :) I was being somewhat sarcastic...whether they got in over their heads or not pure selfish slobs and lazy is the only explanation.

T

Forest service just called me back about this. They had me send them pictures. They're on it.

missmolly: "Their cutting board is the same one I've used for a quarter century.

I wonder what that car battery powered. "

Trolling Motor?

Probabally ditched the car battery when it went dead, but they knew they would catch hell if they left dads trolling motor. After all they took it without asking his permission.

I would say with 99% certainly it was a meth lab gone wrong. I used to work with the MN DOC and met some of the best cookers, eventually something goes wrong. Every piece of evidence here adds up. You would not believe all the chemicals that go into meth. Wish I had my recipes, everything from brake fluid to battery acid. Leave no trace doesn't work for those people!

nofish: Cigarettes and chew because all the cools kids are doing it."

Nope, the cool kids are vaping.

The good thing is they left enough evidence that should they get a good idea who left this. They can use credit card charges to help prove they were the ones who did it.

I wonder if Walmart could easily tell them who bought that particular battery. There are three Walmarts in NE MN. Most batteries are marked with the date they were bought.

missmolly: "You guys are assuming the best. I assume the worst, that they were a bunch of pansies too weak to lug out what they'd carried to the site. "

agree
village idiots!

I can't make out the spray paint that well from my phone..

Gold paint is most bestest for the huffings

Silver paint is second bestest for the huffings..

What a mess.. People give pigs a bad name.

I'm going with a Squatchy attach.. Bodies will be found later..

A BWCA version of the
Dyatlov Pass incident.

firemedic5586: "I can't make out the spray paint that well from my phone..

Gold paint is most bestest for the huffings

Silver paint is second bestest for the huffings..

What a mess.. People give pigs a bad name.

I'm going with a Squatchy attach.. Bodies will be found later..

A BWCA version of the
Dyatlov Pass incident. "

Oh great, nothing worse than a Sasquatch meth head!

nctry: "

firemedic5586: "I can't make out the spray paint that well from my phone..

Gold paint is most bestest for the huffings

Silver paint is second bestest for the huffings..

What a mess.. People give pigs a bad name.

I'm going with a Squatchy attach.. Bodies will be found later..

A BWCA version of the
Dyatlov Pass incident."

Oh great, nothing worse than a Sasquatch meth head!"

Windigo, Skin Walker or a good old fashion alien abduction; anal probing included.

Firework type

1lookout: "I would say with 99% certainly it was a meth lab gone wrong. I used to work with the MN DOC and met some of the best cookers, eventually something goes wrong. Every piece of evidence here adds up. You would not believe all the chemicals that go into meth. Wish I had my recipes, everything from brake fluid to battery acid. Leave no trace doesn't work for those people!"

This is scary to me. Ugh.

I hope they heard a wolf howl, or a beaver slap, or a moose chewing, and went running... I hope no creature was adversely impacted by any leftovers.

Definitely not a meth lab.

Absolutely under age 25 males with no guidance in life.

Sometimes a banana is just a banana.

Stumpy: "

missmolly: "Their cutting board is the same one I've used for a quarter century."

I actually considered taking that, but then I thought, "I don't want anything they touched"."

I'd feel the same way. I sometimes bag trash from roadsides and I wear gloves and use a grabbing device because I don't want to touch anything that a litter bug touched.

missmolly: "I'd feel the same way. I sometimes bag trash from roadsides and I wear gloves and use a grabbing device because I don't want to touch anything that a litter bug touched. "

I know that all too well.
I'm head of maintenance, at a Chicago area park district.
We use picker sticks, and pick up everything imaginable.... including used needles, diapers, and things I don't care to mention.

So that mess on Agassa, didn't upset me, but only left me wondering, and wanting it cleaned up.
I also told the Forest Service, that they might want to bring the chain saw, as there we trees down on the tent sites, and on the path to the latrine.

Stumpy: "

missmolly: "I'd feel the same way. I sometimes bag trash from roadsides and I wear gloves and use a grabbing device because I don't want to touch anything that a litter bug touched. "

I know that all too well.
I'm head of maintenance, at a Chicago area park district.
We use picker sticks, and pick up everything imaginable.... including used needles, diapers, and things I don't care to mention.


So that mess on Agassa, didn't upset me, but only left me wondering, and wanting it cleaned up.
I also told the Forest Service, that they might want to bring the chain saw, as there we trees down on the tent sites, and on the path to the latrine.
"

Trees down? Sigh.

I doubt it was Meth Cookers. They don't bring fireworks as it attracts outside attention. The Fireworks, beer cans and inability to clean pans says its high school or college age boys. The color of the paint cans would tell you what it is probably used for. Metallics like gold and silver are best for huffing. Yellow, orange and lime green are good for marking trails. Flat black and olive green are good for camouflage.

It is a shame that even if they were caught in the act, not much would happen to them.

missmolly: "

Stumpy: "

missmolly: "I'd feel the same way. I sometimes bag trash from roadsides and I wear gloves and use a grabbing device because I don't want to touch anything that a litter bug touched. "

I know that all too well.
I'm head of maintenance, at a Chicago area park district.
We use picker sticks, and pick up everything imaginable.... including used needles, diapers, and things I don't care to mention.



So that mess on Agassa, didn't upset me, but only left me wondering, and wanting it cleaned up.
I also told the Forest Service, that they might want to bring the chain saw, as there we trees down on the tent sites, and on the path to the latrine.
"

Trees down? Sigh. "

They were blow downs.

tumblehome: "Definitely not a meth lab.


Absolutely under age 25 males with no guidance in life.


Sometimes a banana is just a banana.
"

true. true. true.
a meth cooker wouldn't haul all this stuff. plus, a 'cooker' would be careful to leave a scant trace behind, if any. Unless....the batch was to 'flash' and explode. Those are the ones likely to make the 5:00 news. A charred little camper out in the woods. Five-gallon containers (often emptied) of highly-flammable and wicked chemicals strewn about. Those blackened pans you see only mean they cooked over an open fire -- as those fabled rugged mountain men & voyageurs did.

and then, it all fell apart.

mjmkjun: "Those blackened pans you see only mean they cooked over an open fire -- as those fabled rugged mountain men & voyageurs did. "

I only cook over an open fire (I only bring a stove if there's a fire ban on).
That's how I produce a complete (Meat, potatoes, vegetables, desert, coffee, etc..) meal, all at once and severed hot, to a big group (9 or more).

Stumpy: "

mjmkjun: "Those blackened pans you see only mean they cooked over an open fire -- as those fabled rugged mountain men & voyageurs did. "

I only cook over an open fire (I only bring a stove if there's a fire ban on).
That's how I produce a complete (Meat, potatoes, vegetables, desert, coffee, etc..) meal, all at once and severed hot, to a big group (9 or more)."

Oh, yes. I wasn't knocking the open fire method. Just those knuckleheads who left a mess.
The best ever beef stew I have ever fixed (from scratch) was over an open fire, burning pinon. Heck, I couldn't see the contents of the pot once it got dark. When it simmered enough, I dished it out and it was superb. Was tent camping at a dispersed makeshift campsite at Grand Canyon outskirts at the time--before all the restrictions on camping sites were imposed. Those were the days!

Meth lab or not; 4 words are sufficient for me to describe the perpetrators:
Ignorant, self absorbed fools.
I wish for them, the kind of karma that such behavior deserves.

If it were within my power; I'd recommend a 3 thousand dollar fine, and 1 year of supervised probation for each fool. Each fool makes a 250 payment each month of probation. Miss a payment; go directly to jail for months remaining on probation. Upon release from jail; 1 years of supervised probation, and a 250 dollar payment per month, until balance of fine is paid. Repeat as necessary.

Slap on the wrist doesn't get a fool's attention.
I base my assumption on about 25 years of experience as a State Probation and Parole Officer, Youth Specialist, and Rehabilitation Counselor.

BOB

Flashback: "Meth lab or not; 4 words are sufficient for me to describe the perpetrators:
Ignorant, self absorbed fools.
I wish for them, the kind of karma that such behavior deserves.


If it were within my power; I'd recommend a 3 thousand dollar fine, and 1 year of supervised probation for each fool. Each fool makes a 250 payment each month of probation. Miss a payment; go directly to jail for months remaining on probation. Upon release from jail; 1 years of supervised probation, and a 250 dollar payment per month, until balance of fine is paid. Repeat as necessary.


Slap on the wrist doesn't get a fool's attention.


BOB"

+1

mjmkjun: "Oh, yes. I wasn't knocking the open fire method. Just those knuckleheads who left a mess.
The best ever beef stew I have ever fixed (from scratch) was over an open fire, burning pinon. Heck, I couldn't see the contents of the pot once it got dark. When it simmered enough, I dished it out and it was superb. Was tent camping at a dispersed makeshift campsite at Grand Canyon outskirts at the time--before all the restrictions on camping sites were imposed. Those were the days!
"

All Good
Now I'm hungry

Flashback: "Meth lab or not; 4 words are sufficient for me to describe the perpetrators:
Ignorant, self absorbed fools.
I wish for them, the kind of karma that such behavior deserves.


If it were within my power; I'd recommend a 3 thousand dollar fine, and 1 year of supervised probation for each fool. Each fool makes a 250 payment each month of probation. Miss a payment; go directly to jail for months remaining on probation. Upon release from jail; 1 years of supervised probation, and a 250 dollar payment per month, until balance of fine is paid. Repeat as necessary.


Slap on the wrist doesn't get a fool's attention.


BOB"

Heck, yeah, BOB!

eroom: "Spray paint? They must have left their mark on the rocks at Ed Shave."

So I’ve driven by Ed Shave in the past. I haven’t been up there for a few years. I admit, I always used to slow down and read the rocks. Just wondering if that still goes on and if it is as colorful as I remember...

Hey, Stumpy. Thanks for your efforts. Thanks for taking the time to photograph the mess, posting the disgusting violations to this site and the follow-up of reporting it to FS/ Rangers.
Your profile pic is scary. Probably a good thing you didn't paddle up as they were deserting the site. ;)

mjmkjun: "Hey, Stumpy. Thanks for your efforts. Thanks for taking the time to photograph the mess, posting the disgusting violations to this site and the follow-up of reporting it to FS/ Rangers.
Your profile pic is scary. Probably a good thing you didn't paddle up as they were deserting the site. ;)"

Thank You.
I cleaned up that site once before.
Ha !... My buddy drew that picture while in high school. It was of the fictitious "Stumpy" character, that terrorized canoe travelers throughout Quetico, as told by our guides at Canadian Wilderness Voyage.
When I had to pick a name, for the old Canoe Country Bulletin Boards, in the 90s it was only natural.

Update...

11-18-2019
Got a call from Forest Service (Carl), this morning.
They pulled a sled in with several workers, mile portage, and across ice (skirting edges of lake).
Cleaned up the site, but weren't able to trace anything or tie names to anything.
Ranger was very thankful to me, but I was like hey, you guys did the work (I'd have packed some out if I had a spare pack).
I thanked him, and told him how nice it was to get back to me.
He said the trash totaled about 150 pounds.
He also found no ATV signs, and thought some group had just made it their "community" site, for a few months.
He said they'd go in Spring and clear the downed trees, and check on the site, in future.

Glad to hear that it got cleaned up and that the rangers will keep an eye on it. Good job on letting them know.

Thanks, Stumpy!

wow. that's pretty interesting that not only they went in and cleaned it up; but they called you too.

missmolly: "Their cutting board is the same one I've used for a quarter century.

I wonder what that car battery powered. "

Really loud music requires a big battery!!
2x4s could be carried on shoulders to carry a lot of weight suspended between two jerks!!

Harv: "wow. that's pretty interesting that not only they went in and cleaned it up; but they called you too."

I'd imagine regular trippers and this message board are viewed as a force multiplier.

well done Stumpy

drnatus: "well done Stumpy"

What drnatus said.

Nice to hear that there was some closure on this. I'm amazed that they took the time to call you with an update. That's pretty great if you ask me. Thanks for staying on top of this and keeping us all in the loop!

bfurlow: "Nice to hear that there was some closure on this. I'm amazed that they took the time to call you with an update. That's pretty great if you ask me. Thanks for staying on top of this and keeping us all in the loop!"

+1

I agree: good work on notifying and the follow-up. Have seen some trashy sites on both sides of the border, but this one was something else.