Back at it — second camping write-up, and this time the whole crew came along: Jayson, plus both huskies, Echo and Dee OhGee. If you caught the Lake Winni Dam post from Memorial Day, you’ll remember I was flying with a short bench that weekend. Not this time. As always, the shorter, in-the-moment version of all this — photos, quick takes — lives on Mastodon at @w0ger@woof.group.
Two nights at Leech Lake. Here’s how it went.
The Weekend
Another Corps of Engineers campground, another reminder that the COE quietly runs some of the best campgrounds in the country. Leech Lake Recreation Area was excellent — well maintained, genuinely quiet, and the bathrooms and showers were clean the entire weekend. Site 15 had everything we needed and then some. If you’ve been reading along, you know I have a soft spot for these places, and Leech Lake did nothing to change that.
The weather was the headline, and not in the way you’d expect for mid-June. Cloudy and cool the whole time, with a high of only 58°F on Saturday. No rain, though — which, after the Winni weekend got rained on for two days straight, I’ll take cool-and-dry every single time. And here’s the thing: 58 degrees and overcast is husky heaven. Echo and Dee were in their element. No panting, no hunting for shade, no frozen-water-bottle babysitting. They just got to be sled dogs in the woods for two days, which is all they’ve ever wanted out of life.
One repeat heads-up from the last trip: no firewood sold at the campground itself. There’s a gift shop across the highway that sells bundles — we grabbed two, both good and dry. Fair warning, though: they burned fast. Two bundles didn’t even cover late Saturday afternoon into the evening. Next time I’m buying more than I think I need, and then some.
The paddleboards stayed home this time. I’d been watching the forecast all week, and once it locked in at 58 and cloudy with mid-60s water, the call made itself. No sense hauling the Paddle Norths four hours round-trip to look at them. They’ll get their weekend.
The Saturday Drive
Saturday afternoon we pointed the truck north and drove from the Leech Lake dam up to Lake Winnibigoshish. If that name rings a bell, it’s because Echo and I camped on Winnie over Memorial Day — but this was the other side of the lake, which was fun to see. Same big water, completely different angle on it.
On the way we found some forest trails worth poking around on. We ran 91 to 2348 to 2948 and back to 91 — an easy loop overall. Like a lot of the routes out here right now, everything’s lush and green, with a few puddles scattered along the way. Nothing deep, but enough to keep things interesting. Some ruts here and there, but nothing a stock vehicle can’t handle. The one knock: a few stretches were a bit narrow for a full-size R1T — branches reaching in close, not a lot of room to swing wide. We managed fine, but a Tacoma-sized rig would’ve been happier in spots. Quiet out there, too — we passed exactly one other party, an ATV, the whole time.
Saturday evening we didn’t do much of anything, and that was exactly the plan. Built a campfire, made s’mores — which were excellent — and let the camp go quiet around us. The FireCan rode along as insurance in case campfires were banned, but the fire ring was open, so it never left the truck. Always nice to have the propane backup and not need it.
What’s Working Well
Thermacell Zone repellers. I went into this trip braced for the usual Chippewa National Forest mosquito assault, and it just… didn’t materialize. Partly the cool weather, sure, but the Thermacell Zones earned real credit. Set them around the site and the bugs basically left us alone. After years of swatting my way through northern Minnesota Junes, this felt like cheating.
Cool weather for the dogs. I’m filing this under gear even though it’s just the sky. June heat is the thing I worry about most with two huskies, and this trip removed the worry entirely. If I could special-order 58 and cloudy for every summer trip, I would.
The R1T off the pavement. The truck continues to be a fantastic basecamp and a capable trail rig. Those forest roads up by Winnie were an easy outing, but it’s nice to be reminded the R1T will happily go find the puddles when you point it that way.
What Could Be Better
JetBoil Genesis Basecamp. This is the real gear story of the weekend, and not a happy one. I could not get the thing to stay lit. The included windscreen is supposed to snap into place and it just wouldn’t seat right, and the burner kept dying on me. The Genesis was supposed to run the Dutch oven for Saturday’s planned ribeyes-and-cheesy-potatoes dinner, and with the stove being uncooperative I bailed on that whole plan (more on the menu pivot below). I’m going to pull it apart on the bench this week and figure out what’s going on — could be the windscreen, could be the regulator, could be me. I’ll report back once I’ve diagnosed it.
That firewood burn rate. Not a complaint about the wood — it was dry and good. Just a planning note to myself: two bundles isn’t even one full Saturday afternoon-into-night. Buy extra.
Late start, skipped meals. Minor, and honestly fine, but we got a slow start Saturday and a couple of meals fell off the board (see below). No regrets, but if I’d wanted to hit the full menu I’d have needed to move quicker in the morning.
The Menu
So the meal plan I packed and the meal plan we actually ate diverged a bit — which is camping. Here’s what really happened.
Friday
- Dinner — Beer-braised brats with grilled peppers and onions, plus baked beans. Exactly as planned, and exactly what you want after a three-hour drive.
Saturday
- Breakfast — Loaded breakfast burritos (sausage, peppers, onions, hash browns, eggs, cheddar). As planned, and a strong start to the day.
- Lunch — Skipped. Late start, and we were out chasing trails.
- Dinner — Chicken Caesar wraps. These were supposed to be Saturday lunch, but with the JetBoil refusing to cooperate, I promoted lunch to dinner and kept things simple. No shame in lunch-for-dinner.
- Dessert — S’mores, and they delivered.
Sunday
- Breakfast — Skipped. We packed up and got on the road instead.
- Lunch — The Deerstand on the drive home. Stop here. The ribs and the burger were both excellent, and there’s a great outdoor space where Echo and Dee could hang out while we ate. Highly recommend if you’re passing through.
As for those Saturday ribeyes that never got cooked at camp — they came home with us and got the proper treatment Sunday evening, once everything was unpacked. Smoked low on the Traeger, then finished with a hard sear on the grill, with corn going alongside. Honestly? They might’ve been better off for the delay. Reverse-seared ribeye in your own backyard with the gear cooperating beats a balky JetBoil any day.
The Whole Crew
Last trip I closed by listing who I missed — Dee OhGee stayed home, and Jayson was off in Chicago. So it feels worth noting that this time everyone was here. Jayson, Echo, and Dee, all in the woods, all in the cool air, all where they belong. Two huskies who got to actually be cold for once, a husband to share the fire with, and a quiet site under a gray northern sky. That’s the trip I was hoping for back in May, and this was it.
That’s Leech Lake. The JetBoil and I have a date with a workbench this week, and the boards are still dry, so they owe me a paddle.
Up next: Forestville Mystery Cave State Park. Should be a fun one.
More to come — here and on Mastodon. Thanks for reading.
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