Preview of New Section of the North Coun try Trail

“How Backpacking Trails Are Routed
Ever wonder how backpacking trails are routed? Four years ago, Heritage Chapter member Mike Stafford of the North Country Trail Association proposed linking up the east end of the The North County Trail at Copper Falls State Park and the west end of the NCT near just west of Upson Lake. This year was Mike’s fourth year working to find a route to link up the current twelve mile gap in the trail. Mike spent many hours researching the local history of the area, determining land ownership along several proposed routes, and researching the law on which tracts of land required permission to cross, and then knocking on doors seeking that permission where it was required. For the actual ground surveying of the proposed route, Mike assembled a “focus group” of backpackers to provide feedback on the suitability of the trail route and campsites.

Group Members
On Thursday, May 13, 2004, a diverse group of backpackers started out from Wren Falls on the Tyler Forks River, just west of Upson Lake. Dan, trail named “Griz”, was joined by his long time backpacking partner Mike Schultz, trail named “Dr. Atomic”, who documented the route with his GPS. Travis, a senior at nearby Northland College in Ashland Wisconsin amassed a huge repertoire of knowledge of the local geography and recreational opportunities. Kevin had a trail name of Firebug. I, as a retired prosecutor, had a trail name of “Prosecutor”, and Mike Stafford had a trail name of “Mike”. Hey, “Mike” is pretty exciting trail name for a CPA. A proposal was made to slack pack the proposed route in three sections, keeping our camping gear in a vehicle parked at the end of each day’s hike, and because of safety reasons, the vote was unanimous to do that. I voted for the slack packing because I felt lazy.

Hypothermia Rears Its Ugly Head
The weather forecast called for a high of 50 to 55 degrees, with rain starting in the late afternoon. We started hiking at 10:16 a.m. with the outside temperature of 45 degrees, and occasional drops of rain. Through the underbrush we hiked south along the Tyler Forks River, taking GPS waypoints every now and then. Coming to a large field between two beaver dams, the group split up to find the best route around the huge pond at the lower section of the field. Just east of the field was a huge rock escarpment forming a wall bracketing that side of the field. Meeting up where the rock wall is adjacent to the large beaver dam, the group took shelter under a large rock overhang from the increasing rain. After the break, the group continued south through the rolling kettle moraine topography, but instead of climbing, the temperature dropped into the upper 30’s. By 2:30 p.m., our youngest and thinnest member had his fingers go numb in the cold rain and he started to shiver a lot at a brief stop. Dan got his spare vest and gloves out of his pack for him, and Travis needed help getting the gloves on his numb hands. Unanimously, the group decided to head out to the nearest logging road towards the nearest highway. A very fast paced five mile road walk in a driving rain to the nearest vehicle kept Travis from shivering, but the hike was finished for the day. Drenched and cold, Travis returned to Northland College, Griz and Dr. Atomic went to the nearest motel, and the remaining three of us drove almost an hour to my cabin to start up the fireplace and cook of venison burritos.

Friday’s cold and rainy morning kept Travis back at Northland College, and the rest of the group did road surveying and sampling the local cuisine at Squeaks Tavern in Pence, Wisconsin. By 1:30 p.m., the rain stopped, and the five of us started hiking east along the Penokee Mountain ridge from Mt. Whittlesey. Mt. Whittlesey is just 79 feet short of being the highest point in the State of Wisconsin, and it afforded a spectacular view overlooking the small town of Mellen and the Chequamegon National Forest all the way north 25 miles to the Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior between Ashland and Washburn.

Magnetic Rock Impairs Compasses
From Mount whittlesey, we took a compass course of east north east, following the ridgeline of the Penokee Mountains worn down by repeated glaciers. After a going over a few lesser peaks, Dan pointed out that I was now veering straight north. Somehow I got turned almost 90 degrees within couple hundred yards from our last waypoint. Minutes later, while walking down an old logging road, Dan pointed out the compass route of east north east. Standing 8 feet away, I checked his direction, but my compass disagreed with his by 90 degrees. I walked over to him to see read his compass, and my compass swung 90 degrees to the south in the space of 8 feet. Magnetic rock outcropping were affecting the compasses at ground level, and these swings became more pronounced as the hike went on. Near Ballou Creek, once the compass swung 180 degrees over the space of just 4 feet. Further on, the compasses were frozen solid in the magnetic field, and would only swing if held vertically, pointing north 60 degrees into the ground. Later, we were able to get compasses to point in opposite directions within a few inches of each other. I suspect the magnetic fields could be strong enough to keep persons with a pacemaker from hiking this ridge.

Spectacular New Backpacking Recipe
That evening, while enjoying a spectacular sunset, three of us ate dinner and a dessert of cherry cobble near the summit of Mt. Whitlesey. Firebug offered to make his best dish, Wild Leak Burritos, and Mike Stafford picked 20 wild leeks in a few minutes. The burritos were fabulous, and the recipe is worth publishing:

Wild Leek Burritos

Ingredients:
1 package of Jack Link’s fully cooked ground beef, Mexican style
1 package Fantastic Brand dehydrated refried beans
1 cup of sun dried tomatoes
20 wild leeks, diced
12 six inch flour tortillas
1 small package of Taco Bell hot Sauce

Pour 1 ¾ cup of boiling water into the refried beans, and let sit 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot water to the sun dried tomatoes. At one ounce of water, one hot sauce packet to the 10.5 ounce net weight package of pouch Mexican style ground beef, and heat. Place beef mixture, beans, tomatoes, and diced leek on each flour tortillas so everything comes out even, and enjoy a great meal. This recipe feeds three people.

Spectacular Scenery
Saturday, with now excellent weather of clear skies and temperatures around 60 degrees, we cleaned up three large trash bags of bottles and cans around the mountain top. Then the group of five hiked west from County Highway MM along the Penokee Mountains Ridgeline, recording GPS waypoints, and photographed numerous scenic overlooks, cliffs, the Bad River rapids and waterfalls. Sunday finished up with an exploration of the Berkshire Mine Ruins, with an agate the size of a battleship between the ruins and the top of Mount Whittlesey. Hiking west down the mountain took us to Eagles Peak, where a local outfitting group had placed a well designed American flag pole at the top of a commanding view of the road going north into Mellen, Wisconsin.

Photos of Trip: http://community.webshots.com/album/143790234qsWMuh

What Is Next
The proposed route will have to be submitted to the North Country Trail Association for them to obtain the necessary easements, before any actually clearing and flagging of the trail. Once that is done that section would be examined to see if it passes the criteria to be certified as an official part of the North Country Trail. This proposed route has spectacular overlooks, fascinating geological formations, and interesting ruins that rival the best sections of any backpacking trail in the United States.”

“Wow, Prosecutor.
What an amazing adventure. Thanks so much for giving us a glimpse of a very unique trip. Again, wow.”

“THat's really cool about the strong magnetic fields there! Sweet!”

“Indy, unlike the Knobstone Trip you were on when the rain stopped just when we started the hike, the rain in Wisconsin began just when we started the hike.”

“Very interesting, Prosecutor..Firebug had mentioned to me that he hoped to take this trip when I met him at Canoecopia..so, who made the cherry cobbler?????? It'll be great to have that 12 miles connected..what alot of work it is..by the way, any risk of falling in beaver-created ponds? I hate walking over beaver dams..”

“Oh, I finally posted my Namekagon photos on the weiner thread..”

“Prosecutors cobbler was excellent. A good way to top off the meal.

I am surprised that he did not mention my goof up. I did not bring my poles and stakes for my tent the one night and I decided instead of walking back to the car or using someone else’s tent, I would just use it as a bivy sack. Well, I must say that was a mistake. I awoke after a couple hours almost drenched. The condensation that formed inside had almost created a sauna despite it being around 32 degrees. As soon as I uncovered the tent off me, the sauna went away but my wet down sleeping bag was not doing much good. I had an emergency sleeping bag (space blanket type) that I climbed into and it kept me adequately warm enough to sleep. I did wake up with a bobcat snarling about a hundred feet away but I was so tired I just went back to sleep right away.

The rest of my trip, I used my Hennessey. ( and slept much much better).”

“Hey Firebug, as I was just turning the computer on I realized I forgot to mention your goof up. I usually never forget to mention others mistakes. Sorry. And we should add how you remembered to add the cheese to the burritos just after I ate the last one. It might not have worked if the cheese covered up the wild leek though.”