Hillman's road update

[kelly-p]

The 6 mile angle road is open again. Not as good as we would like but since the last storm our standards have dropped a bit. DO NOT go east off the road as the old road bank has sunk leaving a big slush pocket. We are going to try run some loops off from it to the west so people can spread out. One added bonus is that while we were plowing the road out I noticed a black speck to the west so I plowed out to it. Found an abandoned snowmobile but the plow track goes west about 1/2 mile ending up about 1/2 mile from the Res. Line. Do not leave your houses out there, one more storm and we may not get back out there again.

[luckydog25]

If that sled is newer...I believe it was mine...lol. I knew I left it somewhere?????

[cookie129]

That is my sled and I will be retrieving in in the near future

[wildeskimo]

thanks kelly for the report well be up thurs , an check that area out , well be bringing the wheelhouse < maybe i well run into tigger that day ha??????

[kelly-p]

After the storm this weekend I was a little scared heading out there to check it out. I was relieved to find only a sled.

[river rat316]

Did you kick around in the snow to see if it was just a sled?

[cookie129]

A friend borrowed my sled saturday in that nasty weather as he wanted to fish where we were last year. When he got ready to leave the cluth or somthing broke. I rescued him on another sled as there was no way to retreave the sled its to heavy to tow through all the snow. I took my chance it would be safe until I could plow out to it.

[upnorth]

sounds like someone did the plowing for you

[racer1]

Cookie, hows the fishing been in your houses?

[kelly-p]

Did you kick around in the snow to see if it was just a sled?

No kicking around in the snow,,,,,I just rolled everything around with the V-Plow to see what's there. I think that when most of the damage happened to the sled.

No I just called the CO when I saw what it was. He was there in 10 minutes and checked everything out.

[cookie129]

Thanks kelly and sorry if I inconvienced you in any way.

[westrush]

I was up last thursday For all the fun We Did get some nice walleyes out of hillmans Left friday for low that Stunk three fish And A Heck of a lot of snow Should have stayed on Red

[kelly-p]

Buddy punched 2 narrow roads to the north at about 1 1/2 miles and 2 miles for the walleye fishermen. Each reaches the breakline along the north shore. One out from Ditch #5 and the other out from Davidsons.

I went down the 6 Mile Angle road about 2 miles to where they were getting the big perch last weekend and punched 2 narrow roads straight west about 3/4's of a mile. They are tied together in 3 places. Then I went to the end of 6 Mile and opened up a narrow road west along the pressure ridge that is just out from the breakline. This road is also tied into the other two at the end. These new roads are narrow because if we make more then 4 runs the banks get too high for people to get through. All told everything is about plowed out from the last storm now with 12 miles of big main road and about 14 miles of side roads.

The only slush we are seeing is where drifts formed around houses and the snow banks along the main roads.

[Stan7600]

Thanks Kelly for these reports. You seem to know just what people from outside the area are wondering. Lots of us appreciate it. Wheeled houses aren't so great when you can't get around. Many of us went that route because it was so hard to find a place to stay overnight; back when there were only about 3-4 outfits renting sleepers on Red. Many of us are too old to be getting stuck too much. It sounds like permanent houses aren't worry-free either but you probably already knew that. Stan C.

[kelly-p]

One guy with his wheel house followed me west off from the 6 Mile Angle road yesterday. I told him that in return for plowing him a spot he had to give us a fishing report from there. This morning when he came off the lake he stopped and told Shorty that he had limited on walleyes and also picked up 4 crappies so it looks like the plowing was worthwhile.

Stan, wait until you hear about Shaky Legs yesterday. Even with directions he ends up caught in deadend roads and cul-de-sacs. I'm starting to think that he doesn't come up here for the fishing. He just likes the adventure of getting there.

[shaky legs2]

This road was like a 4-lane super highway compared to that sneaky/snaky/slushy road you had on the south side of the pressure ridge years back. Now that was an adventure

[Random guy]

that sneaky/snaky/slushy road you had on the south side of the pressure ridge years back.

Ya but it kept out those two rif raf in the green wheelhouse.

[kelly-p]

So refresh my memory. How many days were you trapped in deadend roads and cul-de-sacs before you got to our rentals that year? Those were the good old days. Now I cann't plow that much and even when I give you directions you get lost. The young ones can do it better now but they don't have the memories.

[Scott M]

Glad to here things are back up. Southern Mn is getting some snow, hopefully Red doesn't get too much more.

Jonny, check your email or shoot me one.

[shaky legs2]

Okay Here's the story if anyone is interested. This was back in our portable days before we got old and lazy. The scene: URL early January, our first trip of the year. Hillman's road went straight to the West for 8 miles just like it has for the last 30 years Parallel to the road on the south side was a huge pressure ridge that went out the same 8 miles and then turned north and went almost to shore and the beginning of the "crappie highway". Our conversation went something like this: "I wonder where Kelly has his houses set up this year?" We knew he would be on fish and wanted to set up in the same area but a respectful distance away. We kept driving; 2 miles, 4 miles, 6 miles and there they were on the south side of the pressure ridge. "How did he get across the ridge?" We drove out all the way to the T and swung north following the ridge but couldn't find where he got across. "Surely he didn't go all the way to the North and loop around??? We decided to turn around and find where he got across - surely we must have missed something on the way out. Lo and behold - we got all the way back to Hillman's access and there right off shore was a narrow twisting trail shooting off to the south and across the ridge. "That sneaky #**##!! You have never seen such a twisty, slushy, narrow road in your life, loaded with cul de sac dead-end roads to throw us off the trail. We almost gave up but the lure of the crappie guru led us on. People getting on the lake are looking straight ahead and not off to the side of the road, especially right on shore. That's why I call him the master of deception

We set up a respectful distance away in our portables and the corks started going down and never stopped. This went on every weekend from January until March. On the last trip there Doc saw two fisherman who came in from the T which then had become passable unbeknownst to us as we were still using the sneaky snaky slushy one. Everyone kept their mouths shut and enjoyed a fabulous bite for the entire year! Thank you Kelly!!!!

p.s. This story sounds a lot better if you are consuming some adult beverages and can embelish the language. I would have really liked to tell you what we said about Kelly when we were on that road