2026 Spring Trail Crew Recap: Trip #7: Powwow Trail

Our 4-person volunteer crew (“To The Left”) just wrapped up a 5-day backcountry mission to clear the trails around Mirror Lake, and they crushed it! From fighting headwinds to evading aggressive bees, this crew put in 427 total hours of volunteer service to keep the wilderness accessible.

Trail Cleared: A total of 0.25 miles of dense trail cleared right around the Mirror Lake campsite, plus 4 major downed trees removed on the hike out!

Weather & Wilderness Life:

The crew experienced a bit of everything! They started the weekend paddling into chilly, choppy headwinds and dodging Saturday morning downpours, but finished strong in sunny, 88°F weather by Monday.

Wilderness highlights included spotting beavers, a turtle near Rock of Ages, and listening to whippoorwills at night. They also noted plenty of moose and wolf scat along the trail—reminding us who actually owns the woods!

The Spicy Highlights: No backcountry trip is complete without a little drama! The crew got swarmed by some highly territorial bees during lunch at Lake Three. Valentin and Olcay took a few stings for the team, resulting in a swift, action-movie-style escape back into the canoes. Note for the future: pack more Benadryl!

Big Thanks To Our Partners!

A huge shoutout to the US Forest Service (Superior National Forest - Tofte District) for the permits and campground use, and to Kawishiwi Lodge for keeping us afloat with canoes and gear!