Museum Lake
There is a post on the Internet about an old loggers camp dump somewhere in the woods along this lakes shoreline. This post was from 2001. It could be that was the last time the lake was visited since it is a fairly challenging place to reach.
Just a guess as it is fun to try to put some meaning behind the names of these lakes. Museum Lake appears to be a water body with a number of stone sculptures scattered across its surface; and under its surface for that matter. There are about half a dozen small stone islands and a like number of rocky submerged islands about the lake.
The forest fires of 1885-1889 affected the area from Fire Lake up to Disappointment Lake.
A fire in 1910 burned a swath of forest from the Horseshoe/Wilder Lake area and move north, burning the forests around Parent Lake and Disappointment Lake.
Fire burned the region in 1916-1917 centered on the Drumstick Creek drainage and forest just to its east.
Approach to Museum Lake
From Lake Insula: From the large, northwest arm of Lake Insula that comes closest to Museum Lake, look in the back of the second bay from its south shoreline and there is a creek flowing in that gets its start in Museum Lake. The single forum post on the Internet about this lake has the poster beginning from Lake Insula and traveling without gear into Museum Lake.
From Drag Lake: This appears to be the easiest (word used loosely) route, assuming you are already at Drag Lake. Look for the creek coming into the southeast corner of Drag Lake and follow that into the forest.
Bushwhack to Museum Lake
From Lake Insula: A creek, with a length of about a half mile, connects Museum Lake to Lake Insula. Don't expect this creek to provide a free float into Museum Lake, as it does not appear to be navigable along the majority of its length. However, this creek with help you stay oriented and on task. This creek passes mostly through peat bog and the occasional stretch of forest along its course. If you have a GPS receiver, follow the creek until you reach point (47.932474, -91.313711). At this location, the creek splits. Follow the western branch to Museum Lake which is about 25 rods west from the point where the creek divides.
From Drag Lake: From the east end of Drag Lake, follow the creek into the woods for about 20 rods. After 20 rods, you arrive a the west edge of a large pond/peat bog (depending on water levels). March across the peat bog to its far eastern end and crash into the woods. A quick 5 rod passage through the woods, still heading east, and you will come to a fair sized pond. Head to the northeast corner of this pond. Starting from this point it is a vigorous 50 rod bushwhack to the northeast to the western tip of Museum Lake. If you have a GPS receiver, you are heading for point (47.930618, -91.326933) on Museum Lake's shoreline.
Exploring Museum Lake
Without a doubt, this will be an interesting PMA lake to visit. There are many sunken islands as well as half a dozen exposed islands dotting Museum Lakes surface. These sunken islands may be a good place to try your luck fishing. There may be remnants of an old loggers camp somewhere along the shoreline of this lake as hinted at in an online forum. Most of Museum Lake's coast is forested or rocky; there is very little bog around the lakes edges. No campsites were ever established on this lake, but you should be able to find one. The lake probably has fish in it; this information hinted at by gleaning Internet forum postings.
|
