It is no surprise so many people think camping is lame. For most us, childhood memories of camping consist of setting up a shitty camper or smelly old tent in what is basically a tree-dotted parking lot full of other people in shitty campers and smelly old tents, all sharing one disgusting group bathroom on the edge of a small third-growth forest. Now, to me, that all sounds like great camp conditions, for, say, a refugee camp in Sudan. However, a pristine, natural, outdoors camping experience it is not. When the urban routine is grinding you to a pulp, the best way to relax and recharge is to just leave it all behind you with an escape to some wilderness solitude.
With the Sylvania Wilderness Area lying a mere 4 hours to the north, any Madisonian with a 3-day weekend and about $75 to burn can find such sanctuary. It’s a small distance to drive to feel so very far away, and any inexperienced hack can pull it off-you don’t even need to own any camping or canoeing equipment.
In Sylvania, you can find yourself stretched out in the sun on the surreal white sand beach of a beautifully deserted wilderness lake, surrounded by record-size old growth pines complete with bald eagles circling overhead. The speed and stability of canoes make wilderness access fun and easy for those who don’t want to hike for miles with heavy backpacks.
One recent, summery Friday morning, my friend Shawn and I called in sick and headed off to Sylvania, smiles on our faces, elbows out the window and the stresses of the city fading as fast our cell phone signals. After 4 hours of driving through classic and quirky northern Wisconsin scenery, we pulled into the tiny A-frame ranger station, picked our campsites off the map and launched our canoe on Crooked Lake.
Sylvania Wilderness Area is a relatively small section of Ottawa National Forest containing about 34 crystal clear lakes connected by short “portage” paths, which allow canoeists to tour the park by paddling from lake to lake. Launching the boat at 2:30 pm, it took us about 2 hours to paddle and portage across 4 small lakes to our picturesque, penninsular “Fox” campsite, water surrounding it on three sides. We quickly collected some firewood, got started cooking our tabouli and falafel dinner. Later we opted to leave the tent in the backpack and sleep under the stars on such a clear, mild night. We took turns reading aloud Hemingway and London, pausing for an occasional sip of Daniels.
When I awoke the next morning, Shawn and the canoe were gone. Shawn strode back into camp 30 minutes later, beaming from his solo morning paddle and excitedly describing the morning mist glowing intensely orange over the glassy water in the light of the sun, still low on the eastern horizon. We breakfasted on granola, powdered milk and dried fruits, and then paddled 40 minutes before stopping again to eat our PB&J pita lunch on one of the relatively large stretches of pretty white sand beach along Loon Lake. Unable to leave the paradisiacal beach, we spent the afternoon swimming in the clear water, fishing and lazing on the beach. Another 40 minute paddle brought us to our primo “Loon” campsite on Loon Lake, where we settled in to the eerily beautiful evening calls of the waterfowl that the lake and campsite were named for. On the menu for our second evening in the bush was a tantalizing tomato and porcini mushroom orzo pasta with Parmesan, chilies and other veggies. We fell asleep early - stuffed, satisfied and under the stars once again.
Waking early the next morning, we roused some flames from the fire pit, put on our instant coffee and went for an invigorating morning swim on the campsite’s pebble beach. After eating our breakfast and reading for a while with our backs against a giant pine, we began our paddle out of the park, stopping for a couple swims and a lackluster hike to Whitefish Lake. We ate our last lunch under the shade of the only tree on a small island about a 15 minute paddle from the car, savoring our isolation and taking in the scenery before returning to The Routine.
By 5:45 pm Sunday evening we were back in Madison clinking beers over a non-dehydrated dinner and patting ourselves on the back for making such good use of our 3-day weekend and the fair summer weather.
The best time to head up to Sylvania is late spring and early fall when there are no bugs, few visitors, and comfy temperatures. We collectively spent $30 on great dehydrated foods from the Willy St. Co-Op gravity bins, $40 on gas, and $30 on park fees, bringing our total per person to $50 for the three-day trip. Sylvania Outfitters, located just east of the park entrance on U.S. Hwy. 2, rents high quality canoes, camping equipment, and is a great information resource. A complete gear outfit for a Sylvania trip, including pre-packed meals, a canoe and every piece of camping equipment you could need is only $38 per day. It’s best to call ahead and reserve your equipment (906.358.4766, www.sylvaniaoutfitters.com). Contact the park at 906.932.1330.
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