Northwoods Adventure

Trout Lake

The camping adventure is over and it's back to the daily grind, but it was quite an experience. To those who said I'd never make it a week in a tent in the wilds of northern Wisconsin, I did! No only did I make it, but it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. Reconnecting with the natural world for a week really does a body good.

I rode bike, back packed and slept in a tent for the past week. I logged about 250 miles on the bike across Vilas, Lincoln and Oneida counties. They were hard miles as those counties are anything but flat. There was great payoff as the beauty around every bend in the road is hard to describe. Highlights on the bike would be the Bearskin State Trail that runs along the Bearskin Creek in Oneida County and the B.A.T.S. trail that runs along Trout Lake in Vilas County. I saw many eagles soaring overhead along with deer, beavers and hawks.

B.A.T.S. Trail

I have to thank all the listeners who convinced me to give this a try and suggested various things I'd need. The camping went really smoothly and I did have everything I needed. The camp site at Council Grounds in Lincoln County was great. It was on the Wisconsin River and had very nice hiking trails and a great beach. It did rain one night there, but the tent did great and I figured out how to deal with the rain.

Council Grounds camp site

After Council Grounds I moved on to the Northern Highlands State Forest and the camping area at Clear Lake. Thick pine forest and a lake that was so clean you could see right down to the bottom. The swimming was great after a 40 mile tour of the Nicolet Forest on the bike.

Northern Highlands camp site

I ate most of my meals by the campfire. Nothing tastes better than a steak cooked over wood. A couple of nights I just wrapped a spud in foil and tossed it in the fire. That was really good eating. I did go out to eat one night at the casino in Oneida County. I had done about 45 miles on the bike that day and I really chowed down at the buffet. I think I was the only one there without some sort of breathing device.

All in all it was a great experience. I'll leave you with a picture of me by Trout Lake on one of my bike excursions. It's a week I'll never forget!
Me at Trout Lake