We registered at the trail head and began the 3.5 mile hike to the summit. The is well marked. The Kekaabic Trail Club in Minneapolis opened a second trail from the northwest at Brule Lake in the Spring of 1999. That trail was devastated with perhaps 50,000 trees on it alone. The trail, which is more scenic but 3 miles longer, is now open.
People expecting a simple jaunt are also in for a surprise.
With a permit you can camp at Whale Lake. Sweet smells from the pines drifted constantly across the trail. The summit itself is marked with a plaque on a boulder. There is no USGS marker and we found no registration canister. All this said, the premier area activity is water-related.