Hoist Lakes - MI - Solo in the Snow - PIC HEAVY & short videos

**OneClick** · 02-09-2015, 20:32

Very heavy on the pics

I always prefer them to videos, but I included a few this time as well. Anyway...

I've been complaining about the weather and weak winter. Well, this more than made up for it!

I packed my bag, grabbed the snowshoes (looking back, I'm SOOO glad I took them) and headed north to catch some great weather at Hoist Lakes in northeast Michigan. It really was perfect; a steady 22° Saturday, 18° at night, dropping to 15° most of Sunday, and 10° Sunday night. The sun finally came out with 12° for my hike out Monday.

My usual gear came in just over 27lb total, which sounded just right per my list. WB Traveler, SF tarp, 0° Incubator and Burrow, food, clothes, Jetboil Sumo, and a few "extras" like my stool, 16oz of Coke and some Jim Beam.

Entering the piney woods!

I wasn't surprised to find the lot empty, which was good since I hoped to break a fresh trail in the woods.

Setting up camp near North Hoist Lake

Lots of freezing rain over night which was fun cleaning off the tarp. Just a light poke from inside and it broke off like glass.

Some random shots:

Oh yeah now I'm excited!! I never experienced lake effect snow from Lake Huron. I got lucky with the perfect NE wind most of the first day and all night. It went on for at least 16 hours.

Condensation city on the second morning! My frost bib helped, but it was still everywhere (UQ, TQ, hammock, tarp)

The forecast said 4° but I only recorded 10°. I noticed the (false) battery warning every time it gets below 15° or so.

I love the sound of snow sliding off the tarp every 45 minutes or so.

Usually I wouldn't walk on a lake out here by myself, but I'm sure it was nearly frozen solid. It's not very deep.

Packed up for the hike out

Snow bowing off trees on South Hoist Lake

Quality lake effect snow. Look at that!! I love living by the lakes...you can't beat this stuff.

Hello Mr. Pine E. Woods!

Still just my lonely Jeep out here. It had a solid coating of ice under a good 3" of snow.

It took me 30 minutes to warm up and finally make some progress.

That's it! Such an amazing trip. A few other tidbits:

- The Hawk Vittles and Packit Gourmet really hit the spot on these cold night.
- Hot water bottle trick, nice. Hot dromedary bag trick, amazing! I'll be doing this more often.
- Snowshoes make it so much easier. I thought about leaving them at home but the lack of traction alone would have wiped me out. The extra snow really made them necessary.

My video editing skill are yet to come, so here are just a few quick shots

**michigandave** · 02-09-2015, 20:58

Great trip report. Don't apologize for being pic heavy because those were amazing. Nothing quite like having the whole place to yourself. Did you stop at the Chat n Chow in Glennie on your way home? Think you'll make it up to Green Timbers the end of the month?

**2ply** · 02-09-2015, 21:06

The joys of winter camping. Thanks for the great pics! Hope we get at least one snow here in Georgia this year

**flyhang** · 02-09-2015, 21:35

wow,
what a great trip
thanks for sharing

**OneClick** · 02-09-2015, 22:08

Originally Posted by michigandave

Great trip report. Don't apologize for being pic heavy because those were amazing. Nothing quite like having the whole place to yourself. Did you stop at the Chat n Chow in Glennie on your way home? Think you'll make it up to Green Timbers the end of the month?

I think I remember seeing that place passing thru but didn't stop. I pounded out some miles right out of the gate and didn't stop until Bay City. Nice drive actually. Sort of getting tired of the 94/96/131/31 on the other side of the mitt.

I really hope I can make the Green Timbers. I'll have to wait and see. My wife isn't one to straight up say "no", so I have to try and read her and decide if I already used up too many trips.

**riverjoe** · 02-09-2015, 22:38

Really pretty trip . Still , we had a lot of snow on the ground on the Blood and no rain . Really got warm Sunday but lots of sunshine so not bad .

**Xtrm tj** · 02-09-2015, 22:56

Great looking pics....don't worry on the videos. There is plenty of time to work on that stuff.

Looks like you had a great site. And awesome weather!!

Thanks for sharing!

**hangswithraccoons** · 02-09-2015, 23:17

Very cool man! Those pictures are beautiful.

**Scotty Von Porkchop** · 02-10-2015, 05:22

Some great pictures there, thanks for the trip report

**bluecrow76** · 02-10-2015, 09:15

I love pic heavy posts, especially when the pics are that beautiful. I went on a one night hang over the weekend down here in southern Louisiana and it was no where near as gorgeous as that, but at least I was in the woods also. Thanks for sharing!