Robinson Lake

We were close to 2 other hiking trails and decided, based on reading the literature about each, that we needed to see Robinson Lake.  One of the main attractions to this lake (and campground) and trails was the Moose dining room, an area along the Gibbon Creek that moose are frequently spotted chewing away on the vegetation.

Gibbon Creek

Did not see any wire from this study

Robinson Lake

Robinson Lake was just 5 miles back down Route 95, not far from the Copper Falls we had just visited.  It is a Forest Service campground with a 6 acre lake and a couple of hiking trails around the lake.  Very pretty environment.  If I wasn’t such a wuss about having electric, water, and sewer hookup (this campground does not offer any - just pit toilets), would be a lovely camping area.  I do like having all the hookups so we just admired the people who were ‘roughing’ it.  The attraction to this hike was walking along the lake and seeing the interpretive signs as well as hopefully spotting moose.

Hiked up along the ridge about a mile then turned around

Walked down to the swimming area and then on to the fishing dock where some folks were idling the day away.  Said the lake is about 700 feet deep (marveled at that because knowing Lake Erie is only 65 feet deep at the deepest - wow!).  The lake is spring/creek fed and is stocked with various trout varieties.

The sound of a babbling creek - wonderful.  And see the bear scratching?

Mushrooms grow big here

Started up the Ridge Trail and after about a mile of hiking, decided we were not on the right trail, did not see any interpretive signs as the brochure stated.  Back we came and found the right trail.  Lots of signs of bears - trees scratched and saw paw prints in the mud area where the ‘moose dining room’ was.

Sorta the forest prime-evil

Looks like the survey marker, on a fallen cedar, needs to be moved

Bear paw print - and recent

Found the dining room but lunch must have been over.  No moose.  And thankfully no bear.  At the beginning of the hike we saw a sign posted that there was a bear study going on - do not disturb.  Wasn’t sure what we were be disturbing, but was very alert again about bears - I even got noisy a couple of times with yelling and clapping my hands.  Did see a nice huge print of a bear - probably was a black bear.  And fresh.

Very serene

Even though we had bug spray on we were getting bitten pretty good so after about a mile we turned around and called it a day.  I felt great that between the 2 walks we did, we went just shy of 4  1/2 miles.  This Robinson Lake hike felt like we were in the Jurassic time - very prime-evil.  Raw.  Still, the Gibbon Creek flowing through the campground and the burbling of the water, being in nature, hearing birds singing overhead, priceless.