Hogback Lake

 Where did the summer go? Family visits and house projects had consumed the days since our spring waterfall trip. Labor Day was fast approaching and we decided a camping trip was in order. 

 We settled on a U.S. Forest Service rustic campground in the Superior National Forest. We like the rustic campgrounds. With no services, these sites are more likely to attract our style of campers. Located on Hogback Lake, the campground offered hiking and canoeing opportunities. With only 3 well-spaced sites, we were likely to have the peace and quiet we enjoy while camping. I borrowed my friend Bob's hand-built skin-on-frame canoe. We loaded up the trailer and departed on Monday morning.

 

We arrived at Hogback Lake at around 3 PM. One of the three campsites was taken. We selected the best remaining site and set up camp. The site was nicely wooded with a picnic table and a fire pit. 

 

 

 

We had dodged rain on the way up but it found us soon after we arrived. We set up the Clam screen house over the picnic table to provide a bug and rain shelter and cooked dinner. After dinner we took a walk around the campground. Our neighbors turned out to be a retired lady school teacher and her friend. Ivonne, from Florida, camps all summer in Minnesota and returns to Florida for the winter. Her friend was from Wisconsin. Ivonne, an avid fisherman was an energetic 87 years old! Her friend, a former student, was younger. Good, interesting neighbors.

 

 

We checked out a sign at the boat launch which showed options for hiking and canoeing. Hogback Lake connects to Canal Lake and a short portage allows access to Scarp Lake. A loop trail system offered several miles of back country hiking. We retired to camp to have a fire and consider our options for the coming days.

We awoke to a beautiful sunny day with cool temperatures. We made breakfast of eggs, bacon and hashbrowns. A couple Canada Jays paid us a visit, looking for a handout. After cleaning up and doing dishes, we explored our surroundings a bit more. We enjoyed the views of the lake and some sun on the boat launch dock. A nice breeze was blowing in from the northwest. The lake was pretty calm but we could see whitecaps on the far shore. We decided this was a good day for a hike, hoping tomorrow would bring less wind and better canoeing.

 

Enjoying the sun on the dock

View of Hogback Lake from the dock

 

 We ate a light lunch, loaded rain gear and snacks into the pack and set off to explore the woods a bit. The trail left from the boat launch area and climbed up to a ridge running between the lakes. We followed the ridge above Scarp Lake for a while, enjoying the views and the wildflowers. We returned the way we came and followed the trail to Canal Lake, then returned to camp. 

 

Nice pines on the trail

Lake view

 

 

Glimpse of a lake through the trees

Trail signpost

Scarp Lake from the ridge

Goldenrod

Pearly Everlasting

Kathy on the trail

Asters

Sign of fall?

Moss topped stump

What bird is that?

Back to Hogback Lake

After our hike, we relaxed in camp, read books and I prepared some wood for a campfire. We ate dinner, watched a nice sunset and new moon rise. The wind kept the bugs away and we enjoyed a nice campfire. The clear night sky provided an impressive display, including the Milky Way and a couple of shooting stars. We went to sleep serenaded by the familiar and cherished calls of a loon.

Moonrise over Hogback Lake

We woke to another sunny but windy day. A new tradition- we made cinnamon rolls in our Coleman camp oven to augment another breakfast of eggs and sausages. Good strong coffee for me and tea for Kathy. And no surprise, a visit from the Canada Jays. We spent another relaxing morning in camp. Eventually, although the wind was still blowing, we decided to go canoeing. We packed a lunch and carried the canoe over to the shore for launching.

Hogback Lake is connected to Canal Lake by a narrow passage. We explored Canal Lake a bit and found the portage to Scarp Lake. The portage was well traveled and ended in a marshy area on the Scarp Lake side. There was a shallow passage through the marshy area into the lake. After a short time of feeling like we were Humphrey Bogart and Kate Hepburn in the African Queen, we found ourselves in Scarp Lake. The wind was blowing pretty good and we sailed down the lake, passing a large beaver lodge and some impressive rock cliffs that probably inspired the name of the lake. The trip back against the wind was a bit challenging but we followed close to shore and made it back to the portage without trouble. We found a nice lunch spot on Canal Lake and had a picnic in the sun. A large painted turtle poked its head out of the lake near shore to check us out before swimming on.

View from under the canoe on the portage

End of portage to Scarp Lake

 

 

Narrow passage

 

 

 

Portage back to Canal Lake

 

 

End of portage to Canal Lake

 

 

Lunch spot on Canal Lake

 

 

Nice spot for a picnic

 

 

Lunchtime view

 

 

After our lunch break we paddled back to camp. We spent some time watching a loon fish- it's fun to try and guess where it would surface after a dive. Kathy read her book in the Clam and I set up the hammock for a nice nap. After dinner we walked around the campground a bit and I took some photos of the woods. Then we read our books until dark. We spent some time looking at the stars on another clear night- so many stars.

Serious work by a Pileated woodpecker

Base of the tree showing impressive output

 

Woodland scene

Woods with lake in the background

 

Interesting moss

Tree roots

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View of Hogback Lake from the woods

 

Hogback Lake scene

 

Thursday morning we had a leisurely breakfast and packed up camp for the drive home. I had to trouble-shoot the trailer lights which stopped working on the way up. I determined the contacts in the wiring connection to the truck were the problem. Once I got those cleaned up all the lights were working again.

On the way home we scouted out some other rustic campgrounds in the area for future reference. We had a very pleasant picnic lunch on the shore of Eighteen Lake. We stopped for dinner at a favorite spot- the Northview Drive-in in Webster, Wisconsin. It is an old-fashioned drive-in with car-side service and great hamburgers. We opted for a table. A nice way to wrap up a relaxing camping trip.

Nice lunch spot at Eighteen Lake

Northview Drive-in

Last rest stop before home