The mystery of Jap Lake
One of the lakes I've designed our upcoming summer '05 Boundary Waters trip around is Jap Lake. Located south of Seagull Lake, Jap appears to be a remote, less-frequently visited lake of mystery. The first rumors I heard of Jap centered around 1) fish and 2) The Portage.
Now, I am at best a fair-weather fisherman, usually opting to leave the rod & tackle at home in favor of paddling those extra few miles. But Jap was rumored to be home to a hearty population of lake trout, which are nearly as mysterious as Jap Lake, being related to salmon and living at the bottom of the deepest, coldest lakes during the ice-free summer months. Also, lake trout are reported to be good eatin'.
The Portage compounded the intrigue of Jap: a 500+ rod portage, rumored to be variously muddy, rocky, steep, long, poorly maintained, and worth it. Portages of these lengths were legendary in the far north of the Quetico, but in the middle of the Boundary Waters? The very existence of such a monsterous portage begs the question, "why?" What is it about Jap Lake that motivates people to portage far greater distances than anyone ought to carry boats on their shoulders?
Geographically, Jap Lake is also unique, as it offers one of only about three routes through the line of hills stretching from Kekekabic Lake in the west to Magnetic Lake on the Canadian border in the east (the other two routes being Agamok/Mueller Lakes and the Gunflint Trail). So not only is Jap a fish-filled, remote, hard-to-get-to lake, but it actually holds the key to connecting the Saganaga/Seagull/End-of-the-Trail region with the east-central heart of the Boundary Waters. Crossing both topography and local watershed divides (1 or 2 lakes south of Jap) only adds to the excitement!
But is Jap Lake even Jap Lake? Huh? Allegedly, in 1971 the U.S. Board on Geographic Names changed all geographic features named "Jap" to "Japanese" to eliminate this ethnic slur from maps. But as of 2003, officials are recommending the name be changed from "Japanese" Lake to "Paulson" Lake. What?!? Well, apparently, the name "Jap" never referred to anyone of Japanese origin but was rather an acronym for John and Addie Paulson, operators of an iron mine near the Gunflint Trail in the 1880's! The Fisher & McKenzie maps I own still say Jap, so I guess I'll stick with whatever the map says, but it'll be interesting to see whether the old-time map companies of the BWCA will revise the name in the future.
And then there's the constant excitement of someplace new: what will the lake look like? Are there any "classic" campsites? How much damage did the forest around the lake recieve in the Great Blowdown of '99? What's around the next corner, point, and bay? We'll have to wait until July to see.
UPDATE: It looks like Jap Lake is in one of the hardest hit areas of the blowdown.
Now, I am at best a fair-weather fisherman, usually opting to leave the rod & tackle at home in favor of paddling those extra few miles. But Jap was rumored to be home to a hearty population of lake trout, which are nearly as mysterious as Jap Lake, being related to salmon and living at the bottom of the deepest, coldest lakes during the ice-free summer months. Also, lake trout are reported to be good eatin'.
The Portage compounded the intrigue of Jap: a 500+ rod portage, rumored to be variously muddy, rocky, steep, long, poorly maintained, and worth it. Portages of these lengths were legendary in the far north of the Quetico, but in the middle of the Boundary Waters? The very existence of such a monsterous portage begs the question, "why?" What is it about Jap Lake that motivates people to portage far greater distances than anyone ought to carry boats on their shoulders?
Geographically, Jap Lake is also unique, as it offers one of only about three routes through the line of hills stretching from Kekekabic Lake in the west to Magnetic Lake on the Canadian border in the east (the other two routes being Agamok/Mueller Lakes and the Gunflint Trail). So not only is Jap a fish-filled, remote, hard-to-get-to lake, but it actually holds the key to connecting the Saganaga/Seagull/End-of-the-Trail region with the east-central heart of the Boundary Waters. Crossing both topography and local watershed divides (1 or 2 lakes south of Jap) only adds to the excitement!
But is Jap Lake even Jap Lake? Huh? Allegedly, in 1971 the U.S. Board on Geographic Names changed all geographic features named "Jap" to "Japanese" to eliminate this ethnic slur from maps. But as of 2003, officials are recommending the name be changed from "Japanese" Lake to "Paulson" Lake. What?!? Well, apparently, the name "Jap" never referred to anyone of Japanese origin but was rather an acronym for John and Addie Paulson, operators of an iron mine near the Gunflint Trail in the 1880's! The Fisher & McKenzie maps I own still say Jap, so I guess I'll stick with whatever the map says, but it'll be interesting to see whether the old-time map companies of the BWCA will revise the name in the future.
And then there's the constant excitement of someplace new: what will the lake look like? Are there any "classic" campsites? How much damage did the forest around the lake recieve in the Great Blowdown of '99? What's around the next corner, point, and bay? We'll have to wait until July to see.
UPDATE: It looks like Jap Lake is in one of the hardest hit areas of the blowdown.
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