I'm just back to my computer from spending the first week of the year in the BWCA. I hauled my toboggan in on New Year's Eve starting at Round Lake and staying on Brant. From my base on Brant I hauled my day gear and fishing gear in to Bat to fish for Lakers on two days, and on one day stayed on Brant to pick up a Northern. Travel in was made greatly easier by a hearty group of campers who stayed on Green and forged an excellent trail for me to follow. By New Years Eve, most slush was frozen over with only a few new pockets forming. My hopes had been to fish Gillis, but the other group had carefully tested the ice and found only 2-3 inches just off shore. I did walk just on the edges maybe 5 feet from shore on 1/2, but even there the ice groaned and cracked, and so I moved off and fished Bat. I had just one bite in two days, but this was my first try for lakers through ice. Two others on the lake in those days had slightly better luck than me, but agreed it was a bit slow. Overall an absolutely great trip.

New toboggan ready to go




Sunset over behind my encampment




Standard inside lighting shot of Snowtrekker.




Trail set by other campers, here fanning out to avoid slush




Fresh cinnamon rolls in the wood stove





Bobcat tracks with hare tracks all around




Flying Lake




Norther Pike Pad Thai

That tent picture is bad ass! Hopefully the fishing picks up I'm heading up in two weeks.

Thanks for taking the time to share your story and photos. Looked like a good time.

Been to all those places in the winter over the years. Use to go in from the Kek trail(via Bingshink(sp)-Fay etc.) and also the Round lake trail.


Did you make it all the way to the parking lot on Round lake or was the snow to deep? How much snow in the woods and on the lake?


Remember on year we broke trail in like 4 feet of snow going toward Green lake over those hills. One thing a decade ago there was usually a moose or two using those portages and there tracks were hardened up and helped a ton.

Nice report from beautiful country. My first trip into that area was like 1988.

I think winter camping has grown much since than and equipment improvements.

Nice report.

No Pinetree, I did not drive all the way to the parking lot. The road was plowed about 40 yards from the turn off from the Tuscarora Road, and then there was a well packed snowmobile trail on about 8 inches of snow from there to the actual entry point. About the same snow depth on the lakes except where drifted in a few places. Even when I ventured away from the other groups trail it wasn't too bad. Overall pretty easy travel - and nothing at all like breaking through 4 feet! Yikes!

I had not been through that area for over 20 years, but am eager to head back still this year.

Oh, and I just saw that the good folks at Tuscarora Lodge have posted updated ice depths on their website/blog. Gillis still looks thin.

Thanks

Thanks for sharing--- Round to Tuscarora -Gillis and back around through Bat/Flying etc was my first ever winter trip in 94'.

Done the loop also. Was in that area a lot in the 80's and 90's,maybe we crossed paths back than.
Spent many a nights on French lake also.

We use to see a group of college students like Presidents day every year I am not sure what college-maybe it was Augsburg(sp)or Duluth. But they were their for part of their class assignment.

Remember one year seeing two guys winter camping there that had the weekend off from their job of using explosives in the tunnels along lake Superior when they were first creating them.

Nice report, thanks for sharing. Crazy that the ice is still so thin in mid-January.