Are you a novice cross-country skier who would like to ski in the BWCAW? How about an advanced skier who's looking for a great reason to do a cross-country ski camping trip? Would you like to see 600+ year old pictographs up close?

If you answered yes to any of these question this may be the thing for you.

In the 1.3 million acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness there are an unlimited number of options for cross-country skiing trips. You can do day trips, overnight camping trips and you can also see things that are only visible if you are on the lake like amazing 600 year old pictographs painted by Native Americans. Last year I loaded up my skis and my dog, Romeo, and headed for Ely, MN to see something I've wanted to see for years.


Native North American pictographs on North Hegman Lake.

There is a set of pictographs on North Hegman Lake about 13.5 miles North of Ely, Minnesota off the Echo Trail on an east facing cliff above the water line. They are believed to be at least 600 years old and possibly as old as 1,800 years. I've known about them for about 12 years now. I saw them in a hiking book and although I've been only a few miles from them at least a dozen times I've never had a way to get to them while I was there. Prior to this trip I've only been in the area when the lakes were open so having a canoe or kayak was a necessity to visit them. So with my new skis and a sled full of camping and fishing gear, Romeo and I set off from the South Hegman Lake trail head.

The trail going to the lake is about as easy as it gets. It’s a gentle downhill slope on a non-groomed trail through pines that brings you to the shore in about five minutes or less. There are three camping sites on South Hegman Lake that are about thirty minutes to an hour away by ski. You could also snowshoe to them or walk if the snow isn’t very deep on the lake.

I was staying overnight so I decided to check out the other campsites and then camp at the site on the north end of the lake. You can also ski on to North Hegman Lake and visit the pictographs and return the trail head on the same day. Roundtrip from the trailhead parking lot to the pictographs its only about 4 miles.


View of pictographs location from above. (Notice tracks along cliff.)

If you want a longer trip there are two lakes in the close by that also have campsites. One is Little Bass Lake, which is west of North Hegman Lake. There is a trail that leads from the south end of North Hegman Lake to the south end of Little Bass Lake. On Little Bass Lake you’ll find three campsites.

The other route one could take could involve a multi-day camping trip skiing north from North Hegman Lake then through Trease Lake. Then at the north end of Trease you take a trail to the Angleworm Trail and go on to Angleworm Lake. There are eight campsites on Angleworm Lake.
If you're feeling like something even more extended for a skiing trip you can continue on from Angleworm Lake. There are a number of lakes beyond that with connecting trails that will eventually bring you around in 20-mile circle. The final portion of that is one mile on an old service road going west from Nels Lake and then going about one mile north on the Echo Trail to get back to the South Hegman Lake trailhead and parking lot. As with any trip to the BWCAW be sure to check the weather and contact the ranger station to make sure things are open.

Another benefit with winter trips is that you don’t have to reregister for permits. Between October 1st and April 30th all permits in the BWCAW are self-registered at entry points. On nice days its likely you’ll see other on North and South Hegman lakes but very unlikely that you run into anyone beyond that area. When I was there last year I didn’t see any tracks going towards Little Bass Lake and only one set of ski and dog tracks that looked to be a few days old going on through Trease Lake toward Angleworm and there were no return tracks.

A few things to consider if you plan on taking a trip here.

1. Be self sufficient and prepared. Act as if something bad could happen and no one will be there to help you. ALWAYS leave your itinerary with someone you can trust and let them know where you are going and when you will be coming out of the wilderness. This person should know your level of experience in the wilderness. Set up a time when you will call them and let them know when they should start to worry and get help. Give them a map of your route. Leave a copy of this in the glove box of your car with a list of gear and food that you're taking with you, when you plan to be coming back and a list of emergency numbers including the person who you left a copy of your itinerary with. Doing this gives the rangers the option of smashing the window on your car to get the information quickly and information on who to contact to find out more about you. You can also call the ranger station and let them know you left it in the glove box. When you fill out the self-registering permit write on the back of it "Itinerary In Glove box in car." This way if something happens to your contact person and the ranger notices that your car hasn't moved in two weeks they can get information on where you were going and who to call and they can do it quickly.

2. Realize that the weather can change drastically in a matter of hours. Have a sleeping bag rated for about –20 or colder and appropriate clothing. If you ski in bring a pair of boots to wear when you’re at the campsite. Use a sled to haul in your gear. When you go across the lakes you’ll hardly even realize its there and you’ll have better range of motion for skiing if you don’t have a heavy pack on your back.

3. Have basic outdoor skills. Bring maps and a compass and know how to use both. Cellphones and GPS units are NOT backup plans. Batteries die very fast in the cold. They can also be damaged and not work. If you do choose to use a GPS unit you still need to bring maps and a compass. Don't get lost. I'll give you a hint on what being lost means and exactly when it occurs. Its the point where you don't know how to get back to where you were when you weren't lost. That means back to the trail. Yes, that's pretty obvious but when thinking in terms of navigation you should ALWAYS know how to get back to that point. Keep track of where you are going. This can happen even in the winter when following your own tracks. If you've walked around in a circle enough the only thing you'll have to follow are a bunch of tracks going in a circle.

4. Water? On a multi-day trip you’re going to have to either melt snow or have an ice auger to make a hole in a lake to get it. My choice would be to bring an ice auger and fuel for melting snow. The ice auger will be much faster and get you an unlimited amount of water easily. If you stay in the same campsite for a number of days you’ll also only have to chip away the part that froze over to get more water.

5. If you bring pets make sure they are accustomed to this environment. Romeo has a very warm coat but his feet simply can’t handle walking on snow and ice for hours on end for two days. Make sure to bring booties and that your dog will actually feel comfortable wearing them. They should also have the type of fur suitable for being in the cold for as long as you plan on being out. My dog went out on foot and I hauled him out in the sled wrapped up in my sleeping bag because his feet got too cold and he refused to keep the booties on his feet. Getting your pet used to wearing things on their feet ahead of time will help.

Romeo being pulled out in the sled

For more information on possible routes going from the South Hegman Lake trail head see McKenzie map #11

For BWCAW inforamtion visit the BWCAW website at http://www.bwcaw.org/

For my photos of this trip Click Here.