Our Stories
Winter camping & snowshoeing on the NCT
![smIMG_2376 The group poses in front of the Campground sign](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2376-150x150.jpg)
This past weekend a group of four NCTA members gathered at the Chippewa National Forest’s Mable Lake Campground near Remer, MN to enjoy a winter camping & snowshoeing weekend. Our group included Bruce Johnson and Carter Hedeen of the Itasca Moraine Chapter in Park Rapids, MN; Harlan Liljequist from the Star of the North Chapter and Plymouth, MN; and myself (Matthew Davis from Detroit Lakes). Thanks to Mike @ The Canoeist.com in Two Harbors, we had a Snowtrekker 4-person tent and wood stove that kept us warm at night despite the cold temps that reached -17. Here are some pictures of our camp…
![smIMG_2342 Unloading the truck full of gear](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2342-150x150.jpg)
![smIMG_2345 Hauling the gear into our campsite](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2345-150x150.jpg)
![smIMG_2348 Setting up the tent](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2348-150x150.jpg)
![smIMG_2347 Carter set up the ground tarp inside](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2347-150x150.jpg)
![smIMG_2352 Carter getting the all-important fire going in the wood stove](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2352-150x150.jpg)
![smIMG_2355 Now that camp is setup, we went for a snowshoe hike](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2355-150x150.jpg)
![smIMG_2368 Waking up the next morning in the cozy tent](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2368-150x150.jpg)
![smIMG_2371 Enjoying breakfast](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2371-150x150.jpg)
On Saturday, we enjoyed a great snowshoe hike on a very beautiful section of the NCT. We parked at the end of FR2324 (Milton Lakes Dr.) at the boat landing parking lot and hiked east on the NCT. This section follows an esker, which can be clearly seen in the terrain map below.
![Milton Lakes Esker segment Milton Lakes Esker segment](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Milton-Lakes-Esker-image-150x150.jpg)
![smIMG_2385 Hiking the NCT up onto the esker from the Milton Lake boat landing](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2385-150x150.jpg)
![smIMG_2390 Matt, Harlan, and Carter pose along the NCT](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2390-150x150.jpg)
![smIMG_2394 Carter taking photos of the snow dappled pines](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2394-150x150.jpg)
![smIMG_2386 Bruce along the NCT](https://northcountrytrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/smIMG_2386-150x150.jpg)