Hello fellow wilderness enthusiasts!

Heading down EP 36 next Wednesday with Captn Tony and my daughter (6) and just wanting gather some trip info before going in. If anyone has been in recently or plan on going in this week I would be grateful to provide a report on the trip.

- Are there any current hangups on Hog Creek right now? any beaver dams I should expect to get hung up on? Were you able to push over it or did you have to lift over?

- What is the water temps looking like right now on Perent?

- I have done lots of research on this forum about this lake so I have a pretty good grasp of some spots to check out for fishing but, in general, what depth ranges were you having your best fishing success at?

- Since we don't have to stop at Tofte to get our permit since it is done virtually now we think we may just camp up close to the EP so we can get an early start. It looks like state campgrounds are closed on the websites. Are there any good private campgrounds around the EP36 that we could crash at the night before we go in?

There are a couple of free dispersed sites right off Wanless road (172) on Homestead Lake. They're not too big, but will fit a vehicle and tent.

I was in there about 10 days ago, I was solo with a 12.5 foot Old Town Pack with a 50# dog. I was able to slide through all beaver dams going in, going out I had to get out and pull up over two. Guessing you may have to pull up over three dams if you are tamdem with much weight, maybe four on your way out/upstream.

Don't have fishig or water temps, but water felt pretty warm.

Camp at Harriet Lake campgrounds, the rustic sites on the right near the boat launch will be closed, but there are many dispersed sites with picnic tabels on your left as you go in. Numerous places to dispersed camp there because it was the site of an old farm and it is still fairly open. It gets burned every few years to keep it open. I burned it a couple times when I worked for the USFS in Isabella.
A few choice spots overlook the lake with picnic tables. Pay no attention to the sign that the campground is closed, this is for the Rustic Campground, not the dispersed sites on the left and other places away from the campgrounds. A few people were camping there when I went in.

If you don't like that, 4 miles off the Wanless Road from Cty 7 past Hogback Lake there are 2 real nice dispersed sites on Homestead Lake. (Lake County land). I camped there a couple weeks ago.

Harriet Lake Rustic campgrounds, pull up the map and put it into aerial view, the icon on the bottom right. You will see all the dispersed camping trails away from the campground.

LindenTree: " I was in there about 10 days ago, I was solo with a 12.5 foot Old Town Pack with a 50# dog. I was able to slide through all beaver dams going in, going out I had to get out and pull up over two. Guessing you may have to pull up over three dams if you are tamdem with much weight, maybe four on your way out/upstream.


Don't have fishig or water temps, but water felt pretty warm.


Camp at Harriet Lake campgrounds, the rustic sites on the right near the boat launch will be closed, but there are many dispersed sites with picnic tabels on your left as you go in. Numerous places to dispersed camp there because it was the site of an old farm and it is still fairly open. It gets burned every few years to keep it open. I burned it a couple times when I worked for the USFS in Isabella.
A few choice spots overlook the lake with picnic tables. Pay no attention to the sign that the campground is closed, this is for the Rustic Campground, not the dispersed sites on the left and other places away from the campgrounds. A few people were camping there when I went in.


If you don't like that, 4 miles off the Wanless Road from Cty 7 past Hogback Lake there are 2 real nice dispersed sites on Homestead Lake. (Lake County land). I camped there a couple weeks ago.


Harriet Lake Rustic campgrounds, pull up the map and put it into aerial view, the icon on the bottom right. You will see all the dispersed camping trails away from the campground. "

I was google maps stalking these places just because I like to learn about the area more.....is that a granite mine just west of the Hogback Lake area? Looks like sharp cuts and large stones sitting out.

Also....I see what you mean about an old farm. Nice and open for being up in the forest!

And lastly....from near the Isabella Lk parking area google maps has a "road" marking that heads roughly north for quite a ways. Then it splits off. Old RR bed?

cyclones30: "

I was google maps stalking these places just because I like to learn about the area more.....is that a granite mine just west of the Hogback Lake area? Looks like sharp cuts and large stones sitting out.


Also....I see what you mean about an old farm. Nice and open for being up in the forest!


And lastly....from near the Isabella Lk parking area google maps has a "road" marking that heads roughly north for quite a ways. Then it splits off. Old RR bed? "

Cyclones,

Yes it is an old Granite Quarry, not sure if it is ideling or closed. They used to let my fire crew and engine drive aound it once in a while. We got a good view of the quarry. They cut the Granite with high pressure water.

The road out of Isabella Lake parking is the Pow Wow hiking trail, it was an old logging road before the BW. The logging town of Forest Center was located on the south side of Isabella Lake.

Forest Center

Thanks, I always like to hear the history of an area. Old RR tracks in certain parts of the park, old camps, etc.

Linden. Have you ever been on that island in Homestead? I’m pretty sure it’s never been logged and never burned. Those old trees are growing on a moss covered jumble of their fallen ancestors.

inspector13: "
Linden. Have you ever been on that island in Homestead? I’m pretty sure it’s never been logged and never burned. Those old trees are growing on a moss covered jumble of their fallen ancestors.
"

No, wish I would have looked closer when I camped there a few weeks ago. I paddled all around it and sort of scouted out a place to camp.
My camp with the Aliner on Homestead Lk. Forest Center 2nd pic.

This picture was taken at that site 25 years ago.

inspector13: "
This picture was taken at that site 25 years ago.



"

Nice, same two trees behind the kid and the dog in my pic, just bigger now.

Thanks for the info.

I may try that campground as well.

I took my daughter here on her first BWCA trip, 2 years ago. We had a blast. We camped at site # 2215, on the island. It was huge. There was a nice sloped rock on the SW point of the island that we went swimming off of. If that site is open, take a look at it and maybe grab it.

Thanks!

gotwins: "I took my daughter here on her first BWCA trip, 2 years ago. We had a blast. We camped at site # 2215, on the island. It was huge. There was a nice sloped rock on the SW point of the island that we went swimming off of. If that site is open, take a look at it and maybe grab it."

Interesting that this site uses a different number for that site on their maps.