Rogers Lake Adventure

[Gary_C]

I bought a timber sale back in late 2000 in the Fond Du Lac State Forest in Northern Minnesota. I worked on the sale till 2005 and even some beyond before it was finally completed. It turned out to be a real adventure and I took many pictures during that job. I thought I would share some of those pictures and a little of the adventure during that time. The pictures were taken at various times and seasons and are not in order time wise.

There is one major road that runs thru the state forest and it is known as Ditchbanks Road. The west entrance is from the little town of Cromwell and this is the west entrance to the state forest


This is the east entrance from Cloquet showing the Tamarac in it's fall glory.


The road was built by the state in the early part of the 1900's to get settlers to homestead the land. The land is quite wet and swampy and the road was constructed by digging a drainage ditch thru the area and piling the residue into a bank or road. It was built back when there were no excavators, draglines, or bulldozers. It is only one lane wide with a few wide spots for pull offs for when you meet another vehicle. And of course there is a ditch on one side that is as much as eight feet deep. Not exactly made for semi log trucks with 45 foot trailers.

The road on the right where my pickup is sitting is Rogers Lake Road where the sale was located. I took this picture after the sale was done because the DNR complained about the logs in the ditch. I did put them there, but the ones on top belonged to another logger and he was supposed to have picked them up along with the old basswood logs in the grass that I had used under the snow the previous winter to keep the rear trailer tires from sliding off the road as I made that turn. On the left side of Ditchbanks Road is that eight foot deep ditch.


This is Rogers Lake Road about a half mile behind the pickup in the previous picture. It was taken just behind the gate that is usually kept locked and the beavers were trying to cover the road at that time.


The next two pictures are of one of my favorite spots on the road and were taken about another 3/4 mile beyond the gate. This red pine plantation was planted on one of the homesteaders building site. The only evidence of the homesteaders were some piles of rocks just to the right of the road where they may have had some sort of building. After the homesteaders left and the state took over the land, they planted the pines which were about to be thinned for the second time.



More to come including a cache site.  ;D

[SwampDonkey]

Nice place Gary. Reminds me of areas down around the Fredericton or Woodstock areas with the roads and the forest types. Same species as up here at my area, but not as flat as the lowlands. Actually your roads are better maintained. Usually when they log off roads here they disappear and don't fix them back up. :D

Keep the camera rolling. 

[thecfarm]

I like the summer and fall pictures the best.    Keep the pictures and the stories coming.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

Cash site, hmmmm, I think we call those ATM's here

[Gary_C]

Have you ever heard of a cache site?

Well I had not until one day I was working at the lower landing area on the Rogers Lake Road. A well dressed guy came walking down the road from the gate. He was outfitted in very top of the line outdoor gear and carrying an expensive camera, fancy GPS, an electronic compass, and maps/printed directions. He asked me if I knew where the cabin on Rogers Lake was. I told him I did and told him which roads/trails to follow to get there. Of course I asked him what he was looking for there and he told me he was looking for a "cache site." He was visiting or on vacation in the area and went looking for a number of cache sites and had found two others in the area.

I later did a search on the internet and found a web site called GEOCACHE.COM. The location he was looking for is identified as GCJXE8. I did not link to the site as you can easily find it yourself.

The location he was looking for is about a mile and a half beyond the pines in my previous picture and you follow the logging road till it crosses the snowmobile trail and then along the snowmobile trail till that crosses the ski trail and then a short ways on the ski trail to the cabin on Rogers Lake. Here is the cabin and the lake in the front yard.




The description from the web page is as follows:

Rogers Lake is named after an early settler that had a cabin near the lake. The current cabin was built in 1989 by a "Sentenced to Serve" crew supervised by Bob Wait, hence the name of the cabin, "Wait Station". The logs were from the local pine and other building materials were donated by the MN DNR and the Ditch Bank Ski Club of Cromwell.

The area is forested with jack pine planted by the DNR in 1956. Kenneth and Blanche Kingsley had cleared the land before that when they moved here in 1931. The Kinsley's farmed here until 1940 when they moved to a farm south of Cromwell.

This area was adjacent to my sale area and the jack pine was sold on another sale on the same auction. You can also see from the down tree in front of the cabin that the jack pine was storm damaged and ready to be cleared. This next picture was taken in Dec, 2004 of the jack pine on the landing on the other side of the lake. The trees remaining on the right side of the picture were to be left along the lake. I believe there was about 900 cords in this part of that sale. Note there are two stacks side by side on the landing.


Next to come is the wildlife including the "fleas."  ;D

[beenthere]

Have heard of a cache, but not like what this web site has...like a treasure hunt. Also, it is geocaching.com

Very interesting..will look into it further..

[SwampDonkey]

Danny_S has done this Geocaching for some time now, he mentioned it back a couple years ago. I believe there are other forum members into it as well.


All ya had to do was a forum search.  ;D

But getting back to caches, it was very common in my grandfather's working days. They had teamster roads into the forest for lumbering and there were several caches established if the main camp was very deep into the woods. A lot of these caches were maintained and occupied by trappers or guides. Remember the men went to these main lumber camps in all kinds of weather and 80 miles is a long way to walk behind a horse or even it's back. Sure didn't get there in one day boys. These caches would be more common in the north and the NW coast. In BC some of the old teamsters roads are mapped and look after for their historical significance. When we did layout for timber harvesting in BC, these teamster roads were no touch zones. I found one and walked it for quite a distance going into an area of timber we had to assess for harvest potential. Grandfather showed me one of the trails they used. Locally they were called tote roads because that was the supply chain to the lumber camp(s). A lot of those trails are long lost now from all the timber harvesting and no regard for the past. Some of them became logging roads.

[Ron Scott]

I believe Shotgun also does Geocaching.

The Forest Service use to have Fire Caches containing hand tools for firefighting strategicly placed through out National Forest areas.

[thecfarm]

I too can remember tote roads.My Father always called these wood roads.These was on top of the hill.These were only a few miles long.When I was growing up I could still see where the old wood roads were.Than the only way I could find them was the trees were not so tall in the roads.Now I can't find them at all.The trees have grown tall and many years of logging has done it all in.I can't even find the stones for the old houses anymore.Everything been pushed around up there.The stone walls are hard to move.

[faronskid]

Great pictures.  The snow pictures really make me wish we had a little of that white stuff around here. 

[Gary_C]

The Fond Du Lac State Forest is between the little town of Cromwell on the west and Cloquet on the east, a distance of about twenty miles. Part of that is reservation land and some private land. Ditchbanks Road runs east and west about 3 miles north of Minnesota Hwy 210. North of Ditchbanks Road it is about 10 miles to the next road on the north. So there is a lot of territory where no human ventures, other than some local adventurous snowmobilers.

Ditchbanks Road is somewhat hazardous in summer and fall and downright dangerous in the winter and spring. In the winter the DNR is supposed to hire the county to plow snow, but they will stop doing that without warning when their funds run short, even though the timber sale contracts have that requirement in writing. In the spring parts of the road is under up to a foot of water during snow melt and is posted as closed although the DNR issues permits to loggers during that time. The summer is when there is more traffic on the road. Every morning there were 4 old timers from Cloquet that drove the length of the road just to sight see and keep up on what was going on in the forest. This picture was taken Nov. 6, 2003  on Ditchbanks Road just after the first snow.


So there is a lot of isolated area for the wildlife to roam. Deer are plentiful of course and I would see them almost daily year around. In late winter the deer would follow me in the harvester about fifty feet behind just munching on the fresh tree tops. But one late winter morning I saw something that few people have seen according to the Game Warden. After I rounded one of the turns on Ditchbanks road, a deer practically flew across the road about 25 yards in front of the pick up. And right behind the deer was a wolf in hot pursuit with a second wolf following them. Both the deer and the first wolf leaped across the ditch and went into the woods while the second wolf sprinted up the road directly in front of me apparently trying to head off the deer. The second wolf on the road must have heard the diesel engine behind him and turned his head back for a quick look and then leaped across the same ditch and disappeared into the woods. What I remember most from that sighting was how long the legs were on those two wolves. A sight I will never forget.

In the winter after a fresh snow, there were always deer tracks on the road into my landing on Rogers lake road and normally there were wolf tracks there also. The deer would pass thru my landing, but the wolves would go out in the woods around the landing. In June of 2005 I took this picture of the remains of one deer in the road near my landing.


On the same day I took this picture of the red pine stand after it was thinned on that other sale.


More wildlife to come.

[SwampDonkey]

I like that pine stand. When are we going logging? ;D

I notice quite a few picture with a new red Ford in them.  :D

Roads must be pretty good, no mud or scratches on the pickup.  ;) ;D

[Norm]

Thanks for the story and pictures Gary. A beautiful part of our country that I've never had the pleasure of seeing. Do you work alone on these harvests?

[Gary_C]

Norm, when I first started this job, my son and a friend of his worked with me. But both of them now have much better jobs. Later on a local friend and retired farmer worked with me till it was finished. But there were many many times I was alone in that wilderness. I have walked down that road that the wolves patrol even at night with not even a flashlight. 

There is a cell tower on the road in so there was always excellent cell service, if that was any consolation.  ;D ;D

[SwampDonkey]

I was never afraid of wolves or bears and I seen bears a lot more often, but seen wolf tracks all the time out west. No cell phones, only crappy repeaters and radios. Only way out was boat or flying.


Well not being afraid of them isn't exactly right, you always looked over your shoulders when one passed by. Certainly were avoided if possible.

[Gary_C]

Well not being afraid of them isn't exactly right, you always looked over your shoulders when one passed by. Certainly were avoided if possible.

That's during the daylight when you could see them.    How about at night when you are walking alone down one of those deserted forest roads and every sound makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, and you keep looking back to see if anything is following you. That is not just fear, it is knowing that in one of those wilderness areas, they are just two kinds of animals, preditors and prey. Without a weapon I know what side of that food chain I belong to and it sure does make me nervous. Besides, one spring while I was working on that job, a woman from Cloquet was jogging one evening on the east side of the forest on one of those forest roads and was ambushed by a bear. Now she was probably looked a lot more attractive to that bear than a crusty old logger or forester but I still do not like to take those chances. She did get away from the bear, but I doubt she goes jogging in that area again.

There were two spruce bogs about 1 1/2 miles apart on that job with one right in the middle of my sale. There were many bear signs in the area and I saw tracks all the time. I took this picture of one bear track right in Rogers lake road on Sept. 5, 2003.



I do not know how big the bear was as I never saw one, but the area game warden told me that with all this isolated territory to roam, some of these bears got to be 5-600 lbs. I think there were at least two that stayed right in my sale area, most likely in the spruce bog where I never ventured. It was just to dense and you practically had to crawl thru there.

Every fall, there was a local guide that set up bear baiting stations very near where I was working. Then during bear season he would bring guys out to sit at these spots and come back and pick them up just after dark. Only got to talk to him once so I do not know if they got any in my area.

One day something broke down and we had to go to town for parts. We came back late in the afternoon to get the parts installed for the morning and just a half mile from Rogers Lake Road, this was standing in the road.



It was just getting dark and the picture was not focused very well, but there was no mistaking the Moose standing in Ditchbanks Road. We stopped and took this picture and waited for a short time and he just stood there. So finally we drove ahead cautiously and he just slowly walked off the road and stood behind a bush about 50 feet from the road. I thought I had seen his tracks near my landing once before and later saw his droppings in a small landing nearby. However I never saw him again. That was the first wild Moose I have seen. Later that spring I saw a female moose standing in a drainage ditch up to her neck in water. Can't say as how I blame her as the mosquitos were really bad.

There are still billions and billions of animals to come and I don't mean the Minnesota State Bird nor ticks.    ;D

[SwampDonkey]

Yeah I have a bear or two that hangs out on the woodlot. In the spring he goes around and turns over as many old logs as he can find for the grubs. In August I think it was, I came face to face within 20 feet of him. He about tore the ground up running away, all I had was a camera in my hands. In September I was thinning on the same lot and came literally face to muzzle with a couple moose about to lock antlers, later they did and muscled one another when I walked up the strip line to my saw. Then I decided this wasn't smart. I walked out in a big circle away from those two monsters and came out on the path only to stand a few feet from mrs. moose. Made another circle around her and to the car. Went to get the camera down at the house. Came back and those two moose came to their senses and charged off into the thickets and disappeared. It was a moment I won't forget in some time and only wish I had a video camera to first time I walked in. But there were only about three rows of planted spruce about 3 inches in diameter between me and them. 

[Onthesauk]

Steelhead fishing this fall, I hiked up the river a mile or two.  Ran across some pretty good sized bear tracks in the mud right on the edge of the river.  I didn't think too much about it until I was working my way back down the river and got back in the brush about 20 feet and found a fresh, dead salmon.  Think I probably pushed him off his dinner as I was working upriver.  Probably sitting 50 feet back in the brush waiting for me to leave.  I left.

[sawguy21]

You were lucky, he must have abandoned it or you might have been an entree.

[Norm]

I'm guessing he was just full and figured that red meat in you was just too much cholesterol.

So Gary do you whistle to yourself while walking out at night up there. ;)

[Coon]

Great thread but there's one problem......  I've read and looked at it all.  We need more. ;D

Bear and wolf tracks on our farm is a regular occurance.  They live back in the swamp and uninhabitted areas.  Not many people ever go there. 

I had a bull moose charge at me one time while I was wandering about in the bush looking for a place to cut an access trail into a stand of birch.  Seems I was invading his territory.  I left in a he!! of a hurry.  The only way I got away from this big guy was to get into a very thick stand of tammarack that he couldn't get into without a fight.  From there I circled around to another access trail about a quarter mile up from it.  Once on this trail I made tracks of my own and high-tailed it out of there.  I escaped with only minor cuts scrapes and bruises from travelling through the bush at high speed for a human.  I wouldn't want to know what would have happened to me had he gotten close enough.

[Gary_C]

Great thread but there's one problem......  I've read and looked at it all.  We need more. ;D

Ya, I know, but between my computer acting up, my internet service not working right, and the -14 F temps, I've had my hands full. Had to take the truck in yesterday and get the block heater fixed, one of the air bags on the trailer is leaking and needs replacing, there is a leaking hydraulic hose way up inside of the boom on my harvester, and I've got about five loads of aspen that needs to be delivered to the mill and it's supposed to get down to -29 F tonight.  :

Why does every thing have to be an "adventure?"

[Reddog]

Gary_C

Look at the bright side..........it could be -40.   ;)

[Coon]

Ahh I see.  Get things figured out first then when you get time you can put more on.  I'm in no hurry.  I was just really getting into the thread and I had no more left to read.