Haystack Mountain
Of the three volcanic plugs in the Ottawa National Forest (see an earlier post aboutOttawa volcanic plugs), I enjoyed Haystack Mountain the most. It's relatively remote, virtually unknown, and involves a short but challenging hike. A recent trip to the Upper Peninsula brought me close enough to the mountain to stop by for a quick climb.
South from Haystack Mountain
Parking my car at the gated two-track off of Lake 13 Road, I quickly hopped the steel gate and waded through the tall grass. There were a few raspberries scattered along the track to sweeten the trek and none of the thistles that had plagued previous visits. Familiar with the area I took the right fork without referencing my GPS. According to older topo maps this fork in the road eventually loops around but I knew from my last visit that the right fork simply ends after a short distance.
The summer undergrowth was very thick in the woods. I struck a bearing roughly 30° to ...
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