Anyone ever done this portage from Fall Lake to Hoist Bay in winter? Looks like it's an old railroad grade up to Ella Hall Lake, but I can't find much more recent details on the rest of the route up to Hoist Bay.

We were up that way a few years ago and saw a few sled dog teams launch at Fall Lake but not sure where they were headed.

Don't have any answer for you, just chiming in because I like your Screen Name. "We'll send him cheesy movies......."

Minnesotian: "
Don't have any answer for you, just chiming in because I like your Screen Name. "We'll send him cheesy movies.......""

Robot roll-call! Few get the reference :)

4 mile is used pretty heavily in the winter.

It is usually packed well by mushers and campers up to hoist bay, sometimes beyond.

Thank for the responses. Thinking of tackling that, and am tempted to try to make a loop out of it - head north and come back down through Pipestone Bay and Newton Lake. Any mushers pack a trail up to Pipestone?

cambot620: "Thank for the responses. Thinking of tackling that, and am tempted to try to make a loop out of it - head north and come back down through Pipestone Bay and Newton Lake. Any mushers pack a trail up to Pipestone?
"

I don't think many mushers head to Pipestone. Too much moving water in and out of Newton to risk it with dogs. Also, the fishing is MUCH better on Hoist so there's really no reason to go to Pipestone if fishing is your goal

Good to know! Will definitely be considering this as an option this year.

Follow the mushers trail on Fall L. to the 4 Mi. Port. There are springs coming in that make for thin ice if you take a direct shot from the Fall L. boat launch. I went through the ice several years back. Luckily just got a wet foot. The dog sledders told me a team of dogs had gone through the ice there previously. There will usually be some augered holes in Hoist Bay that you can reopen with an ice chisel. We caught a pike for dinner within minutes.

Use to be a truck portage and in the winter of 1969, we drove my 1960 Fordstation wagon across the portage and we had a spear house there, quite a few fish houses there back then.
A cabin was next to the lake on the far side once.

Back bay area has some very big northern pike mixed in with numerous small pike. Times and lake changes-Man that was 52 years ago.

Yes used by dog sleds now and trail should be nice and packed. Check in with the local dog sledders or Forest service for present conditions.

Voyager: "Follow the mushers trail on Fall L. to the 4 Mi. Port. There are springs coming in that make for thin ice if you take a direct shot from the Fall L. boat launch. I went through the ice several years back. Luckily just got a wet foot. The dog sledders told me a team of dogs had gone through the ice there previously. There will usually be some augered holes in Hoist Bay that you can reopen with an ice chisel. We caught a pike for dinner within minutes."

That is a little scary. Usually, we go up there at this time of year- meaning pretty new ice.

Do you remember where the springs are in relation to Mile island on Fall Lake? We usually follow pretty close to a straight shot.

I also drove to a dark house back there. Set it up in the narrows going into to Garbage Bay (now called back bay). The minnows would feed off the garbage dumped in the bay and the big pike would follow them in.