The Sioux-Hustler Trail is a lightly maintained "primitive" lollipop trail in the BWCA. Primitive in this instance means that the trial is not blazed though it is marked by rock cairns here and there and sawn-off or cut logs along the paths from past volunteer trail clearings help one find the trail. I've seen various distances for the trail length. It is often listed as 30 or 32 miles. The forest service map puts it at 32.33 mi. I did this hike on September 27th and 28th, 2019.
Generally, I thought the trail was easy to find and follow, though a couple of areas were challenging, but solvable within a minute or so. These were usually at either end of the marshy bog and beaver dam areas. I only had to use my map and compass together once.
Trails like this, and the Angleworm Snowbank, Kekakabic and PowWow trails just need to be hiked more often.
Day 1: 18.5 miles The alarm went off at 3:30 - I was in the car and on my way north by 4:00 am. I arrived in the town of Cook and had eggs at the Montana Cafe then picked up my permit at the ranger station at about 8:30. The ranger told me that 2 groups had headed out for the trail the day before and were going to travel the same direction (counter-clockwise) that I was planning on taking. I thought I might run into them on day 2 or very late on day 1 as I was looking for a campsite. I made it to the trailhead at 9:45 and started walking at 10. It was overcast and a bit dreary, but the trail was right there in front of me.
There is a decimated area of the trail about a mile or so in that stretches for a good bit. It's a rocky section so cairns don't stand out and the only way to truly see the trail is to be on top of it. After that bit, the trail passes through forest and a few fens moving up the stem of the lollipop past Elm portage toward Devil's Cascade falls. There are a few blowdowns to deal with and quite a few stretches of ankle-deep wet trail and mud. I hit the hard right just after the Loon-Shell Lake portage (6 miles) by 12:30 and walked along Shell Lake and Little Shell through yet more wet trail and a couple of short stream crossings. I snacked and drank as I walked.
I came upon group 1 taking a break and having a snack at the portage between Little Shell and Shell at about 1:30. They were six guys - looked to be fathers and sons - and all to a one were sporting huge packs with big loads. I was happy for my 17 lb load. I came across group 2 (2 young fellas) taking a quick break about 1/2 a mile further down the trail. They had nice new gear and smaller loads and were heading to Lake Agawato. This 6+ mile section of the trail had lots of wet trail and a great many blowdowns requiring going up and over or down and under. The footpath was always discernible but a little slow going. The group of six won't like this very much, I thought.
I saw no-one else the rest of the day, no hikers, no canoes. Just a few ruffed grouse beating in the woods. At 4:30, the sun came out just as I stopped to filter water at the end of the Oyster-Hustler portage and ate a Pro-Bar. Just after the portage, the trail reaches a marsh and one is tempted to follow the obvious footpath into the forest to the right. Don't do that. Instead, take the hard left into the grass and across the wee stream flowing out of the marsh toward Hustler Lake. At first, it looks like it may be the spur trail to the south campsite on Hustler but rather it's the main trail. I never did find the spur trail to the campsite, but, didn't look that hard as I was moving on. I marched on up and down through more wet trail and blow-downs until I reached Range Line Lake at about 6:30. I thought of pressing on to Pageant Lake but decided to set up camp before the sunset, tend to my feet, get into dry clothes and get dinner going. It was a well-walked day and the clear dark star-filled sky descended quickly with a pressing cold and stayed until morning. I slept in shifts. Quiet.
Day 2: 13.75 miles I took my time breaking camp. It was 34F and there was much fog on the water. I ate a bit, drank and filtered water and was on the move by 9:30. The 1.5 miles to Pageant Lake was wet and overgrown but nice in the bright sky and sunshine filtering through the trees.
The section from Pageant moving south to the Heritage-East Loon portage was fabulous. Wide, clear and covered in pine needles made it seem like a highway compared to any part of the trail on day one. It stayed that way across the beaver dam and most of the way to the Little Indian Sioux River, at which point the trail narrowed and clung to the side of the ridgeline like a goat trail - easy to see and follow, but some careful footwork needed from time to time.
I made it to Devil's Cascade Falls by 1, had a bit to eat and rested for a 15 - 20 minutes before finishing the loop and getting back on the stem trail back to the trailhead. I saw no one the entire day until the desolate section near the trail's end. I passed a couple of hunters out looking for grouse. They had hiked to the Elm portage and back with their rifles but hadn't seen any birds. I raised one about a quarter-mile later and hoped the hunters weren't too close behind me.
I made it to the trailhead by 4 - changed into my "going home" clothes and made my way south, stopping at Gordy's Hi-Hat in Cloquet for a burger and fries. Two hours driving in the dark on 35 brought me home. It was a good trip.
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