Lake Baw Beese Through Lost Nation State Game Area

This was originally posted on the NCT Friends Yahoo Groups Site

It describes my hike on December 30, 2009

Please note that there is now a new route for the NCT

in the Lost Nation State Game Area and that Ron and I

took the old route

Today my winter hike moved to the south

about 40 miles. Ron Sootman wanted to

hike from Baw Beese Lake through the

Lost Nation State Game Area.

I want to clear up something from

yesterday's post. I was hiking using

a blaze orange outfit.

This morning I met Ron at the Lake 5 trailhead

but we decided that it would be too far of a

hike between cars so we parked Ron's car

at the Tripp Road Trailhead instead. Then

we headed back to the Baw Beese Lake Park

that Ron had ended his hike earlier this

year. After some extra miles going around

the Lake trying to find the park, we finally

made it.

The park is called the Lake Baw Beese

Recreation Area, and occupies the whole eastern

side of the Lake. It is a little confusing

getting to it because you go down

a road that you think dead ends at

a power plant/water works. But it

actually continues on to the park.

The Baw Beese Trail is paved going

through most of the park. We parked at

the very end of the park. The trail

is not paved going to the southeast.

But it is still used as a Rail Trail

for biking and hiking.

We made very good time hiking on the

railroad grade. The grade runs through

woods and swampy areas on the way to

Osseo. We made it down to Osseo and

crossed this old dilapidated railroad bridge

over Black Bride Road. We figured that

must be the Black bridge the road is named

after.

It's about a block from the bridge to Hwy 99.

As we were walking that block, a guy in

a car pulls up and asks us if we were hiking

the North Country Trail. We said yes. He

said he was out scouting the trail, and

would be hiking some of it in Hillsdale,

He had the official NCT maps and everything.

I think he was from Ohio, because he said

something like he came up to check out the

trail. I took his photo and gave him

my "I saw Tman" business card so he can

check out my website.

Ron and I continued down Black Bridge Rd

and eventually we turned left on a short

road called Black Road. The off road trail is supposed

to start at the end of the Road.

This is where the hike started to have problems.

At the end of the road there were No Tresspassing

signs posted. There were no indication of a trail

there. We decided to hike in a farm field next to

a wind break. Eventually, we saw a old blue blaze on

a tree in the wind break. So we hiked down the

wind break where we started hiking on a

farm road through some woods. But we didn't see any

more blue blazes. Instead we saw some more

farm roads, and wondered which one we should take.

We didn't see any blue blazes. Eventually we could

see Bird Lake Road across a barren field.

So we hiked across the field. Then, we hiked

north and reconnected with the NCT. We must have

taken the wrong farm road.

We hiked the trail east of Bird Lake Road. We saw one

Blue Blaze, then the Trail disappeared. I wanted to

hike down an electric line right of way, but that trail

turned into an impassable thicket. Ron backed up and found another

trail, but soon we realized that it wasn't the trail.

Ron wanted to hike back to the road at this point. But

I said that the trailhead should be not far to the

north of us. We found a stream bed that went in that

direction and found the trailhead. It took us 30 minutes

to hike a section that we could have road walked

in 8 minutes.

We started hiking down an old abandoned road and

saw blue blazes along the way. Then we made it

to an intersection where it was ablaze with

Blue Blazes. There were about 10 or 15 blue blazes

painted on trees at the intersection. Someone

went nuts here. We started hiking the way

the map shows and met up with Angela and Bill.

We had a nice conversation with them. Evidently,

they were hiking a loop. I took their photo

and gave them my I Saw Tman cards, and we were

on our way.

Shortly after that we passed a bridge that Bill

had spoke of, and then we were back to the

Tripp Road Trailhead, where Ron had parked his car.

We traveled back to the Lake Baw Beese Recreation

Area to get my car. But it had a flat. Ron has

an air pump built in to his suv, so we were able

to pump it up.

It was around 2 pm, and we wanted to get back on

the trail, so we drove both vehicles to the Pittsford

Road Trailhead. we left Ron's SUV there, because

it is the hike endpoint. We wanted the good vehicle

at the endpoint. Then we drove pack to the

Tripp Rd Trailhead and started hiking.

Immediately, we were not able to find the trail.

So we road hiked down Tripp Road, then down

Way Road. On Way Road we hiked past a gun firing

range. There were hunters there tuning in their guns.

Ron said that the real trail goes someplace behind the

firing range, which he thought was kind of dangerous.

All of a sudden I was happy we were road walking.

We reconnected with the NCT at the Lake 5 Trailhead,

where the trail goes on the shore of the Lake.

Then there is a road walk down Rumsey Road.

We started another off road section south of

Reading Road.

This was a really nice hike past a little lake,

across a beaver dam, then on top of a hill.

When we reached Skuse Road, Ron and I had a

little conversation. I wanted to Road Walk

the last section because I could see a big

hill the trail went up. Plus, we didn't have

that much daylight left. But Ron said after

we get up the hill, it is fairly easy walking.

So we hiked the trail. We went up the hill

and after that it was fairly easy walking.

The trail kept going downhill and soon we were hiking

next to a creek that was about 4 to 6 feet wide.

We got to a point in the trail where we could no

longer find the trail. It was right next to the

creek. Finally, I looked across the creek and saw

a blue blaze on the other side.

Then we were on a hunt to find the best place to

cross. They definately need to build a bridge here.

Well, Ron found a place he liked, and crossed.

But it didn't go smoothly. He broke through

and put a foot into the water.

I crossed next and learned where not to

put my foot. I made it through dry.

After the creek, there is a big hill that the

NCT ascends. A very big hill. Ron changed into

a dry sock and put his foot into a plastic bag

then into his boot. This is a trick that

I had talked to him about yesterday.

While he was working on his foot, I decided

to start hiking up the big hill. I took it

slow, because I was already pretty worn down.

Once on top of the hill, we made pretty good time

because we were hiking on top of hills, then

downhill. It was well blazed. We made it back to

the car around 5:30. It was getting a little dark.

We drove back to my van. The tire was still inflated

so I told Ron that I was going to get it fixed

right away while the Service Center at the

Walmart Supercenter was still open. That's

where I spend the next hour or so. Then

I went to the hotel and took a nap.

Now after writing this, I need to go back

and get some more sleep.

Regards from me, Tman