Portage Hustler Lake to Oyster Lake

Portage Hustler Lake (48.228121, -92.140546) to Oyster Lake (48.224811, -92.123453)
Nearest entry points: #14, #16
Length: 240 rods, 0.75 mile, 1207 meters
Profile: gentle climb and descent
Obstacles: 100 yards of submerged trail
We did this portage on 7/5/2008. Outfitter and guide book listed this as a "good ... well drained trail ... easy but long." True, until we hit that spot. About 100-200 yards of submerged trail. Fortunately the water wasn't as deep as depicted in the photo posted June 2009 on Boundary Waters Blogger. Our boys were wondering how they could make it across without getting their feet wet. I arrived with a canoe and a pack, stepped right into the water and dumped the canoe. Within five seconds the boys and their packs were in the canoe, not quite sinking it but mooring it in the murk.

Slogging through the northern jungle ...

They ended up getting wet feet after all. I mentioned the flooded trail to a NF ranger who checked our permit. He was as surprised as Scott Bunney of Echo Trail Outfitters when he heard about the flooded portage. I suspect a recent beaver dam, and judging from the picture referenced above, the beavers are still hard at work.

One of the best campsites in the BWCA, on Oyster Lake