The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-09-26
Superior National Forest
Radio Address over WEBC
by RAY U. HARMON, Supervisor
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erably further north. Leaving Nina
Moose Lake at the north and by way OF
Nina Moose river, we have three miles
of padding through water which is
alternately filed with rocks and marsh
grass. interrupted by two portages, one
Of n rods and one of about 100 rods
but they're coming easier now. The n
rod portage IS very much downhill in
our direction and the river drops a
hundred feet or so through a beautiful
rapids and falls which relieves the mon
otony Of looking at smooth water over
the side of our canoe.
We suddenly pop out around corner
into large body of water, Lake Agnes
which Is about three and a half miles
long by mile or 81 wide and it is here
we will make our camp and fish awhile
before turning westward to continue
our trip. Lake Agnes is a beautiful
lake with CCC camp of boys doing
trail and portage work located here on
broad rock point which juts out into
the lake and forms a beautiful bay to
the southwest end. This lake contains
wall-eyed pike and northern pike, but
have come twelve miles from our start
ing point at the road and are pretty
tired and after making our camp and
having supper are perfectly agreeable
to turning in for the night. I forgot
to mention that on the way up, we pass
a very high cliff which is well decorated
lxxytt y, ha init io1c Of hxtvo dc Of
lists who pulled their canoes to the side
Of the river and had a good stiff climb
to get up to the rock We can only
wonder what tools were used, as the
initials are weatherbeaten and brown
and in some cases appear to be three or
more feet high We can scarcely un-
derstand why intelligent people desire
to disfigure the landscape in this dis
graceful manner.
But, back to Agnes lake again. Up
early in the morning and we'll fish to-
day. As stated before, well-eyed and
northern pike are plentiful and it does
not take very long before we have
enough for dinner because they are big.
After dinner we break camp and start
west. Our first Jump is to Oyster Lake
paddle mile and half through a
narrow lane cut out through the bull
rushes, carry another IS rods and we are
at Oyster Lake. The portages we have
just walked over are brand new and we
hardly believe that we are in the heart
rf ha Avon h1rf al
that after year when the vegetation
grows up along the path it will
lose that freshly groomed appearance.
We are also told that the path through
the middle of the river was cut out by
CCC boys with scythe and that in
some spots the muck was so thick that
they had to stand on paddles to pre-
vent sinking out of sight. We can i'm
agine the work connected with 1t, but
we thank them just the same, for that
would have been quite paddle and
almost impossible were it not for their
hay making stunt, if cutting bullrushes
could be called hay-making.
Oyster Lake contains both lake trout
and great big Northern pike. We stop
at a side camp on this lake and see a
35-inch Northern pike weighing about
fifteen pounds, which Is beauty, just
caught the night before. The lake
trout are caught in the north end of
the lake along rock ledge in very cold
water, and soundings indicate a depth
Of more than rs feet in spots. We have
heard about a lake off to the north
called Green Lake so called because OF
the color Of the water, and while we're
here, the map shows it not very far
of, so let's go. We paddle to the north
end of Oyster Lake and see sign
which must be where we cut across, but
what's this, no dock! The sign reads
'Rock Lake" SIS rods, and although
there's no dock and the trail doesn't
look like the trails we've been over
how. Really and truly this must be
one of those old Indian trails we've
heard about. Lots of brush, windfall
across the trail, which must be cleared
of all its dead branches before we car
proceed, a little swamp, rocks ana
everything else, and even though it wa:
only SIS rods that Rocky Lake looks good
through the trees. Rocky Lake is very
narrow and only about mile long, sc
called because of the rocky cliffs lining
each side, which should judge to bt
about four or five hundred feet high
The water is very black and is indica.
tive of great depth. The sign at the
north end ef this lake reads "Greer
Lake" 100 rods, and the trail doesn't
look much better than the one we have
Just been over. Well, we only wanted
to see the color of the water anyhow, 81
this time we just walk over. This por.
tage is just like the one between Oyster
and Rocky, only longer, but we final!
arrive at Green Lake and 1t is certainl!
that. The water is a very intenst
emerald green and appears to be tina
color from some kind of soluble dy,
which comes from something in TIN
} lake itself. Somebody had the nerve t,
write on the signboard "One lousy por
tage," and we wonder who wrote that
We retrace our path back to Oyste
Lake again, surprise buck deer feedins
on the lower edge and see him run of
into the swamp, but otherwise the tril
is uneyentful and we are glad to fin.
supper ready. After super, to bed. ant
our second day is over. We camp OH
on the point at the mouth of the Mar
rows and have just short way to g,
} when we leave in the morning befor
J taking to the water again.
Up bright and early in the morning
we paddle a short way to the south en-,