Outing Report;
Border Route Trail, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
September 14-19, 2011.
This area is more known for its canoeing than backpacking. In spite of this Russ, Henry and I chose to give hiking in the North woods a try. The Border Route Trail section we chose is 46 miles in length going from McFarland Lake to the Gunflint High Cliffs area. The trails are best described as an 8 foot wide swath cleared thru the forest with a trail tread running down the middle of it. Depending on trail maintenance we were hiking in foliage with heights varying from 1 to 5 feet. The forests are very dense here making cross country travel not an option. Navigation was very easy with the plastic topo maps. There was signage and prominent lake shapes and ridges providing ample landmarks for easy navigation.
The Border Route Trail follows the route of the Voyagers. In the 1700’s the chain of lakes we hiked along were used by these fur traders to bring in supplies and carry out mostly beaver pelts. A trading post operated by the North West Company was located at Grand Portage on Lake Superior.
The weather for our outing was good. Cool nights with some lows near freezing and highs in the upper 40s and 50s. It showered on day one and rained on day five of our six day outing. There were no hypothermia problems although I got cold wet feet on day one. A minor problem.
We hiked in a boreal forest, which contain lots of red and white pine, spruce, white cedar, birch and maple. The eastern three fourths of the trail was for the most part mature forest with some blow down areas. The western one fourth was affected by the 2007 Ham Lake fire. There are pictures in the slide show where the forest is 4 years old and the vegetation is about hip to shoulder height.
All but one of our campsites were located on lakes. Evenings were spent listening to the cry of the loon. Other wildlife we saw were swans, ruffed grouse, ducks, garter snakes, beaver, a mouse in Russ’s tent, bald eagle, red squirrels, a large brown orb female spider and red fox. We all fished and could not believe that no fish would bite our lines. A great disappointment. On the Gunflint Trail (road) near our turnoff to Gunflint Lake, late in the evening near 11pm we saw 4 large dog like animals in our headlights. They could have been coyotes, feral dogs or wolves. Insects were not a problem. We recorded only two mosquito bites and a fly did a kamikaze attack on my face and disappeared.
The most notable features of the outing was the numerous granite overlooks of the lakes and boreal forests. Often times we would be hiking along a ridge top and be getting little sneak peaks of the scenery below. Good solitude. We met two backpackers coming out at the McFarland Lake Trailhead when we were hiking in. We saw canoeists occasionally in the distance, and a bit more up close at Rose Lake and Staircase portage. Unlike many of our California trails and Utah desert trips there was no dust at any time. We were breathing clean air 24/7 in spite of a forest fire 30 miles away. Campsites were always available at each of our chosen overnite stays. Hiking the Border Route Trail is a great way to experience the north woods of Northern Minnesota.
To view a short slide show of our outing go to:
Outing Report — Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, California.
October 8-11, 2010. Written by Elaine Gorman
After 7 hours of driving and a stop to pick up trail dinners in Garberville, we finally wound down the gravel road to Needle Rock Visitor Center in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park. We met up with leader Paul Plathe and the rest of the group, and obtained our permits. Our group of fifteen unloaded our gear at the trailhead to Bear Harbor, and we entered the magic of the Lost Coast. We passed by 2 campsites, named Orchard and Railroad camps, which alluded to the historical activities of this area.
While setting up camp at Bear Harbor, we realized that we were being watched by a huge bull elk, a female, and a yearling. We did our best to avoid them as we made our way to the beach at low tide. We gingerly stepped over the masses of exposed kelp, trying to keep our balance on the slippery rocks. Treasures of the sea awaited us — sea stars with dozens of arms, blue-green sea anemones, crabs, and even a small octopus.
Back at the campsite, as Russ prepared a pot of freshly-harvested mussels, the bull elk on the other side of the stream began to get restless as we walked around. We had a few scary moments when the elk bluff-charged Jon, and sent Jon escaping into the stream. People hit the sack early, but Christi and I stayed up a bit, singing with my ukulele.
The next morning we headed back to the vehicles for a short drive to Jones Beach camp. The bull elk had a bug up his butt and bluff-charged many members of our group, sending us pitching into the brambles and hiding behind trees. At Jones Beach camp, we then stretched our legs on a 2-mile hike to Whale Gulch.
Back at the trailhead, we began our hike to Wheeler Camp and Jackass Creek, 4 miles distant. We passed by giant Douglas Fir and Coastal Redwoods with broken tops and secondary trunks jutting out at right angles before reaching for the sky. Sword, bracken, and five-finger ferns blanketed the forest floor. As we descended the final hill into Wheeler camp, I half expected to see an Ewok zooming through the trees. We erected tents near the beach, then we made our way to the shore to walk along the sand. Seals played in the waves, but the ocean was a bit rough for Andy or Ron to join them. Julie, Debbie, and I sang a few Beatles tunes while we prepared our meals. After our dinners (which ranged from pasta with home-dried veggies to homemade hummus and tortillas) we headed back to the beach for a tour of the caves. After a roaring fire, we settled into our sleeping bags as the mist washed over us. Sleeping on the sand was luxurious.
In the morning, we headed out for a 10-mile loop hike to Sally Bell Grove. On the old road heading up to the grove, we spotted banana slugs and garter snakes. We followed a flagged route to the Lost Coast Trail, and had lunch along Little Jackass Creek at the beach. Previous visitors had constructed elaborate cairns of the stream- and wave-worn rocks. After napping in the warm sun, we headed back to camp. At a coastal overlook we could see all of the way north to Shelter Cove. As we approached camp at the mouth of Jackass Creek, we saw bear tracks on the beach, probably left the previous night as the bear searched for food deposited by the high tide.
At sunset, most of the group walked to the shore to watch the sun dip into the thin band of clouds in the distance. The crescent moon turned pumpkin-colored as it slid toward the ocean. Since the night was clear, stars were abundant and shooting stars were glimpsed skidding across the sky. Sagittarius poured its inky tea into the west while Jupiter ascended from the east. As Russ made popcorn on the campfire, Swee, John, Michael, and I dodged wind-blown embers and tried to stay up until 10:10 on 10/10. We didn’t quite make it……..
Seemingly in the middle of the dark night, Paul roused the group at 6 AM. Stargazing while eating breakfast was an unusual experience, and we hit the trail by 8 AM. Marie and Ian, and Tim and I formed a protective human sandwich with Debbie in the middle as we approached Bear Harbor and the troublesome elk (Debbie had confessed to midnight thoughts of charging elk). Apparently the elk had moved on, and we all made it back to the vehicles safely. After hugs to Ian and Marie, the rest of us headed to Garberville for lunch. Over burgers, salads, and other good grub, we cheered Paul for leading another successful outing. 
Hiking in the Sinkyone Wilderness, October 26-29, 2007
An account of Delta-Sierra Group’s Lost Coast Backpack Trip written by Elaine Gorman of the Yokuts Group. Paul will offer this autumn outing again in about two years.
The outing announcement promised redwood groves, great ocean views, and black sand beaches. The seven Sierra Club members on this fantastic outing enjoyed these features of Sinkyone Wilderness (Mendocino County) which straddles the Lost Coast Trail and more. Our first afternoon led us to the visitor’s center, a ranch house from the 1920’s settlement near Needle Rock. After a quick tour of the natural history displays in the visitor’s center and the nearby rustic barn/cabin we headed toward Jones Beach. Walking along the beach we were greeted by a herd of seals that slipped into the surf from their rocky perches as we approached. As the tide receded the Pacific Ocean began to reveal her secrets – green anemones, sea stars, and mollusks. At Barn Camp that night we were treated to homemade bread and beans (special ingredient – prickly pear cactus fruit).
The next day, we shared a Pabst Blue Ribbon left behind by some other hikers, hoisted our packs, and hiked the one-half mile to Bear Harbor camp. After a short break we checked out the old railroad tracks hanging out of the hill and over the ocean and wished the two divers good luck in their quest for abalone. The rest of us headed to the first of two old growth redwood groves. The majestic conifers were a beautiful backdrop to the golden boughs of the oaks and maples. After another four and one-half miles, we reached our campsite for the next two nights, Wheeler Camp and the beach at Jackass Creek. Another low tide allowed us to explore the beach at dusk. We discovered sea caves and tunnels underneath the bluffs which were creepy but fun to explore. While we sat around our campfire and watched the clouds creep up the bluffs the group enjoyed the mussels that were gathered earlier.
On the third day we completed a loop along the old logging road then followed a flagged but rugged route through thick brush and pampas grass back to the Lost Coast Trail. Along the way we sidestepped banana slugs, fungi, and elk poop. When we arrived back at our campsite we checked out a “Hipster” camp that was hidden in an alder grove. Tucked away in the branches was a tree house and old fishing floats carved into tiki heads. Driftwood furniture completed the magical abode. Tired from our long day of hiking we drifted off to the sound of the crashing surf. Tendrils of fog wrapped around our sleeping bags. On our last day we were up before daylight to get an early start on the trail back to our vehicles. During our hike out we munched wild rose hips, and crushed fragrant bay leaves, but avoided the poison oak plants.
As we drove by the visitor center a reclining herd of elk barely took notice of our passing.
Even though human impacts are evident due to farming, wood processing, and logging activity that continued into the 1980’s, the Trust for Public Land and Calif. State Park System must have realized its value when it acquired the land to become part of our state’s natural heritage. While the wildness of the high Sierra was absent, the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park has a lot to offer in its interesting human history, scenic vistas (when the fog was absent) and the rugged coastline. And even though I developed a small patch of poison oak rash and lost my watch, this trip was my favorite for the year. Outings Leader Paul Plathe did an outstanding job planning and leading this trip to ensure that we all had a splendid experience.
Thanks Paul, it was a blast!
Gorge Scramble 