The auger takes a tentative bite into the red soil. Twisting the T-handle, there is resistance and grittiness, proof of the chunky nature of what lies below. On this gray fall afternoon, here on a narrow hogback between Clear Creek and the Nemadji, the task is to set a trail sign to guide hikers headed west on the North Country Trail toward the state border. In specific, to take a substantial lump out of this old glacial lake bottom, replacing it with a sturdy post and a pine board that points the way.
