New Richmond, WI to Baudette, MN

[xcr440]

Since no one posts many Guest Shots anymore, thought I would change it up a little from the "Oh no another warm up" threads to some actual riding/trail shots. I know I'm not the only one to do the backpacking trip thing. This was my little adventure the last 10 days from New Richmond, WI to Baudette, MN, with points in between, living on the sled! Nothing better, highly suggest this kind of trip for anyone with the means and nads to pull it off. I will be doing this every year going forward.

Enjoy.

 

[xcr440]

Page 2

 

[ac600sp]

Very cool! How any miles was it one way? Or for the entire trip?

 

[xcr440]

Very cool! How any miles was it one way? Or for the entire trip?

It could be done in less than 600 one way - 1782 for the 9 days on the sled.

I suppose a little commentary for the pics would be nice.

Pic 1 - Hitting the trail at 7:30am between Hammond and New Richmond
Pic 2 - Crossing fields north east of Clear Lake
Pic 3 - Just north of Barronett
Pic 4 - 7am on the Wild Rivers grade leaving Minong
Pic 5 - Trail 41 heading north west from Solon Springs
Pic 6 - 10am leaving Grand Rapids at the head of the Taconite State Trail
Pic 7 - Taconite east of Swamp Siders club building
Pic 8 - Taconite just south west of Side Lake
Pic 9 - Taconite just south west of Side Lake again, coming back from a second run down to Grand Rapids/Colaraine and back
Pic 10 - Fishing Lakes trail south of Tower
Pic 11 - Laurentian north of Virginia
Pic 12 - Taconite State Trail west of Hwy 73
Pic 13 - Northwest Connection between Big Falls and Baudette
Pic 14 - Rainy River in Baudette
Pic 15 - Border Trail between Baudette and International Falls
Pic 16 - Voyager Trail between Crane Lake and Vermillion
Pic 17 - Sand Lake north of Virginia
Pic 18 - Taconite at Hwy 73

 

[slowsi00]

Epic!

 

[sweeperguy]

VERY COOL.
"Living on the sled" So was it a real Backpack trip Winter camping in tents?
That's what I want to do someday 4-6 days winter camping.

 

[frnash]

… So was it a real Backpack trip Winter camping in tents?
That's what I want to do someday 4-6 days winter camping.

Winter camping in tents?
Naw, forget the tents, whatcha need to do is go with nature and build an igloo!
See:

1. (click →) WikiHow: How To Build an Igloo.
2. (click →) HowStuffWorks: How To Build an Igloo.

   "The experienced igloo builder can put one together in as little as one hour. Novice igloo builders can expect it to take an average of three to six hours.[SUP]1[/SUP]"

3. (click →) How To Build an Igloo, by Susan Labiste, with some "tricks of the trade":

   "All of this makes intuitive sense. But the next bit of advice is not intuitive… Cut out an arc on the bottom of every block such that only the two bottom edges of the block will rest on the block below. … The reason for the arching bottom of the block has to do with the contact points … a block fitted perfectly to the one below is very hard to seat. Perhaps the smaller contact points direct the compressive force more effectively, melting and refreezing the blocks as they are set."

(Technically best built not as a spherical section but as a section of an inverted (click →) paraboloid, so the pressures are nearer to being exclusively compressive.)

---

([SUP]1[/SUP] Some folks can't rig a tent that fast!)

---

――

――

 

[xcr440]

VERY COOL.
"Living on the sled" So was it a real Backpack trip Winter camping in tents?
That's what I want to do someday 4-6 days winter camping.

Ah no, that's not happening here! There were 3 nights in my buddies trailer mixed in, actually sleep pretty good in there. Its not bad for a night or two, then its time for a room with a shower. He always brings a shovel, for the "Snow Cave". I'm pretty sure he's stayed out there a few times.

With some of the shelters along many trails, in a pinch it would be totally doable once you got a fire going. There were a few clubs that had fully enclosed sheds with propane heaters and lanterns out in the middle of a big run.

 

[Deleted member 10829]

Great pics! Looks like you had great trails. It is good to get a new Guest Shots!!

 

[bearrassler]

That looks like a great trip xcr, some of the pics look familiar. One of my favorite trails is the northern connection trail, I think you go about 70 miles only crossing one gravel road. I have a few pictures of the same area with the low hanging cedar trees. From your pictures it looks like the traffic was pretty heavy again in the Baudette area

 

[xcr440]

That looks like a great trip xcr, some of the pics look familiar. One of my favorite trails is the northern connection trail, I think you go about 70 miles only crossing one gravel road. I have a few pictures of the same area with the low hanging cedar trees. From your pictures it looks like the traffic was pretty heavy again in the Baudette area

Yeah, that trail is awesome. One thing going on there this year is the power line going in - they are in tree clearing mode, it has to be at least 500 feet wide. And they are using about 10 miles of the trail through there for access. It wasn't too bad.

And yeah, traffic was a killer.....

 

[GTL]

Great ride and pics. We have done Breezy point up to Baudette (Oak Island) the last few years. (this year 723 miles, three days) We love that area and the backpack ride is about the only way we ride anymore. Being retired does have the advantage of riding those pristine trails mid-week.

 

[CatsOnly]

how do you have a trailer with you on a back pack trip?

 

[elf]

Awesome looking trip Kevin. I'd love to do that someday. We've done a couple days where we'd leave our cabin and rode to Tower to the Casino and back but never as far as you went.

 

[xcr440]

how do you have a trailer with you on a back pack trip?

I rode up with one group to Hayward, ditched them there.

Rode up to Grand Rapids the second day by myself, met a group of club members there.

Rode to Cook the 3rd day by myself, 4th day by myself, and the 5th day a buddy showed up near Virginia with his trailer that has sleeping quarters.

Conditions were so good I decided to ride that area another couple days, rather than back to New Richmond, and came home in said buddies trailer.

The only thing that I really needed meeting up with others was my pre-purchased oil (Which I'm sure I could have found on the trail) - I took advantage of one change of clothes in Grand Rapids, the rest was all with me on the sled.

So yes, I had a couple escape plans had things (The sled specifically) gone bad. When we rode to Baudette and Ash River on the 3 days away from the trailer, we figured if we had a sled go down, we could find someone we could pay enough to get a ride back to the trailer in Virginia.

 

[snowchief]

I am jealous, sounds like a blast and a lot of good miles, I have yet to do a backpack trip but really want to, thanks for sharing

 

[snomoman]

That is a great story to share with us. It reminds me of when I did a trip 20 years or so ago but with different experiences. It all started out innocent enough. We would do a 600 mile loop tour in 5 days with stops at prearranged motels along the way. First day, left Rhinelander Wi. to arrive in Silver city, Mi. that night. Break the throttle cable on lake goebic,,, no go on the sled mo. Find a hotel nearby, get the sled fixed by having it towed to a dealer. Okay good to go, Ride to Copper harbor to Brockway inn. all good for now. wake up next morning to 8" fresh snow. sweet,,but,,the sled won't start. have to get it towed to nearest shop. The crankcase is literally full of fuel. They drain it out & get us going again... We ride to silver City, mi. (I make sure that I shut off the fuel to prevent flooding again) Start out that morning & set out for Rhinelander, wi. about 17 miles north of eagle river, my waterpump goes out... The person with me tows me 17 miles to eagle river. I then leave in a taxi to Rhinelander to pick up the truck & trailer, then drive back to eagle river,pick up the sleds, then go home.
Almost seems that home was some kind of relief after all the setbacks that happened during the week
PS- the next trip was fabulous.
Snomoman