Wednesday, May 07, 2008 to Clark 8.2 (round trip)

Track of this day Closed to motor vehicles, motorized equipment, hang gliders and bicycles! The Forest Service posts this warning on a sign at the edge of the wilderness.

Wednesday we traveled south to the point where the logging road entered the wilderness. We then retraced our steps and traveled east past Meat Lake to Clark Lake.

Years ago I frequently fished in Meat Lake. I caught many stunted northern pike using barbless hooks. I realized when I arrived at the lake that I had traveled to it by way of the old Clark Lake Road not the Wolf Lake Road. This access was closed when the 1978 wilderness legislation moved the boundary further south.

The trail to Meat Lake was a surprise. Most of it does not seem to follow an old logging road. Aerial photos did not show this trail. We discovered it as we hiked. (Someone had carefully brushed the entrance to the trail where it joined the Phantom-Battle portage.)

We walked all the portages we crossed during the trip and found them well maintained. I am wondering, however, how canoeists cross Schlamn Creek which runs across that portage. Maybe the flow lessens considerably after the spring melt. Personally, I do not like portaging with wet feet, even in August!

We had lunch on the shore of Meat Lake then made our way to two old cabin sites on Clark Lake. We found cleaner sites but still the ever present theme of empty beer cans: Steel cone tops. Steel flattop requiring an opener to punch an opening. Steel cans with aluminum tops and flip tops and our present day all aluminum. I don't recall seeing any plastic bottles - but then, beer doesn't come in plastic bottles!