Itasca State Park MN Backpacking Trip

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Feb 8, 2009
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My girlfriend and I decided to go backpacking in Itasca State Park in MN this week. We started on Sunday and got back to the car on Wednesday. We covered about 15 miles over the four days. This area is full of lakes, and each backpacking site available in this park was on a lake.

This is the view from out first campsite on Myrtle Lake. We were located on a small peninsula on the lake.
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Here are some more sights to see in this park.
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We came upon what was called "Nicollets Cabin" off the trail, it was a restored forestry cabin. The door was open and we were allowed to walk in and take a look.
All to be found was a rusty bed frame, pots and pans and a table. I believe the pots and pans were from the orginal site of the cabin before it was restored.
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An old stove outside the cabin.
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This was our last site, and we had a great view of Iron Corner Lake.
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We made great time getting to this site, partially because of the mosquitoe ambush in the middle of our hike that day.... So that gave us some time to sit and relax for awhile. Here is what I brought with on the trip, a Cold Steel Pipe Hawk and PMoore Duty knife.
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I practiced on making feathersticks, as did my girlfriend. She was doing great with a BK11!!
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I also practiced a bit with my flint and steel, had to have been the quickest I got a spark to a flame so far!

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And I will leave you with a beautiful sunset...
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Thanks for looking!
 
Looks like fun. I've been there once on a field trip when I was in the 4th grade in Wadena. I remember some burial mounds, a huge tree with a path built around it, a lookout tower, and a lake that was the start of the Mississippi river I believe. I didnt know about all the trails. I really need to go there again sometime.
 
Looks like you had fun. Thanks for the nice pics! Especially like that last one:thumbup:
 
Thanks for sharing your journey!

Grew up in Nisswa, MN and made a couple trips as a kid...

Cheers,
9
 
Looks nice, lovely pics!
It would be fun to get that stove going, it looks a bit far gone though.
 
Cool pics. I was also wondering, why no fishing? Is it not allowed in that area?
 
I love MN, its been a long time since I've been to Itasca. Its a great park, and the head waters of the Mississippi river. There are so many awesome parks in MN, for those of you not from here I recomend any of them :)
 
Love that park - never had a chance to hike/camp it, though.
Somewhere there's a picture of me standing on the log straddling the "Mississippi River" there at the headwaters.
 
Nice photos Goose, thanks for sharing.
 
I grew up in Fargo and have been there many times.
Great pics looks like a great time.
 
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