IsleRoyaleGirl's Wilderness Blog

Beaver Basin Wilderness and the Fox River Pathway - November 7-9 2011

2011-11-15T20:28:00.001-05:00

Day 1 - Little Beaver Lake - Seven Mile Creek

I always like to get a short backpack in before the start of deer rifle season. Those two weeks are just too dangerous to be in wooded areas that allow hunting....most areas do. The month of November has been unseasonably warm but now the forecast was taking a dive. Not one to change my plans because of the weather, the trip was a go!

My friend Jamie from downstate decided to join me. I picked up a permit on the way through Munising. We met in Seney at the trailhead for the Fox River Pathway and quickly shuttled the cars. We would both drive to Stanley Lake where we would leave his car and then I would drive both of us to Pictured Rocks, specifically the Beaver Basin Wilderness, where we would start our trip.

It was already past noon when I drove down Little Beaver Lake Road. Two wolves were soon sighted crossing the dirt road. Nice way to start a trip!

As Jamie had never hiked in the Beaver Basin before we decided to take the north route around Little Beaver Lake and Beaver Lake. We had about 9.6 mi to hike to get to Seven Mile Creek for the night. With the recent time change, we kept a steady pace with few breaks. The weather was about 50 F and windy. The lake provided a roar of waves but it was moderate compared to many other times.

Set up camp, had dinner and went down to the lake in the dark. An almost full moon provided good light to walk the beach and cause crazy shadows. I may have had something to do with the latter.

Day 2 - Seven Mile Creek - Fox River Pathway (Clyde Lake)

The night was warm and it was quite easy to roll out of my sleeping bag in the morning. After a hot breakfast we hiked a half mile on the Lakeshore Trail before we headed south on the Fox River Pathway.

The first three miles of this hilly trail are in good shape until Kingston Lake. We saw the old kettle lake along the way. Took a break at Kingston Lake and headed onward to the Kingston Plains and the stump museum.

From many past experiences with the pathway, I knew the trail markers and any evidence of tread would be obscure. The pathway is rarely hiked and the surface is very uneven. It starts out with many DNR triangular blue tags, then goes to faded blue markers and then to very faded slightly marked spots and then many spots aren't marked at all. Some small sections had recent flagging but I don't think it was done by the DNR as it was erratic. I was glad when the flagging stopped as it was too "in the face". I like being able to find the trail on my own!

An area of beech trees that had been logged perhaps five years past was now full of little beech trees still retaining their leaves. I actually hiked on the pathway when it was being logged and I was surprised at how different everything looked.

After many miles of hilly wooded areas and mostly flat open fields, we came to a series of lakes. I had decided that we would make camp at Clyde Lake where I had stayed before. The place was extremely peaceful and there wasn't the slightest breeze. Had a pleasant evening walking around the ridges that surround the lake. Trail mileage for the day was 10.9 miles.

Day 3 - Clyde Lake - Stanley Lake

Another nice morning..probably 40-ish. The bad weather that was predicted for yesterday never really materialized. The trail in this section is slightly more used so I knew the navigation would be easier in parts. One of my favorite sections is along the West Branch of the Fox River. It started raining about then so we took a break and put on rain gear. It was a good decision as it only rained harder as we hiked.

As we approached the Stanley Lake area, the rain turned to snow. Of course I almost wanted to do a happy dance as it was the first snow of the year in these parts. The winds had picked up as well and the temp dove to 32 F but we were done with the trip. Almost 7 miles today. Now we only had shuttling to do and we were on our separate ways. On my way back to Marquette the snow increased in intensity and the waves on Lake Superior were at full speed. It was a neat way to end a trip and I have been been enjoying the snow since I got home...even skied a couple of times!

Here's my pictures from the trip:

Check out the pictures

Backpacking - Thirteen Days at Isle Royale National Park September 9-22 2011

2011-10-14T18:20:00.031-04:00

Rocks at Little Todd Harbor

Well, I'm not called "IsleRoyaleGirl for nothing". I usually end one journey at the island planning for the next one as it is an absolute given that I will be back. In this case I only waited a few short months. I was very excited about the journey as it was longer than norm and I would be hiking to many of my favorite spots. It wasn't to be a death march however. I didn't plan to hike every inch of trail but just cover enough ground to make it all fun. I hiked about 114.4 miles but really didn't even tabulate it until the end. Of course, I have been there so many times that I really didn't have to think about numbers or question what kind of terrain I would be dealing with. All I knew is that I would hike from one end of the island to the other, take a layover day, and then hike back a different way.

The layover day probably wasn't necessary but it was downright fun. One of my friends works on the island for six months each year (that is how long the island is open) and he was currently stationed at the other end (Windigo). I think it may be the only national park that closes for the other six months. More about my visit with Jamie later.

Day 1 - Rock Harbor-Daisy Farm

My journey began on the Ranger III from Houghton. The boat was fairly empty with perhaps twenty people aboard. Only a few were backpackers and since none of them were staying as long as me, I never saw any of them after landing in Rock Harbor.

It was already 3:30 PM when I started my hike and I headed to Daisy Farm, a distance of 7 miles. I encountered a group going the opposite way and I was surprised to see that the last person was someone I knew. He was not looking at me, so I spoke up and said, "Kevin!". I hadn't seen him for several years so we had a great chat while the rest of his group hiked onward. He was co-leading a Sierra Club National Trip and they were at the end of their journey.

Those miles went fast and soon I was settled in. In the meantime, I had seen tons of snowshoe hares, woodpeckers, flickers, snakes and more. The squirrels outside my shelter apparently were spoiled from a summer full of backpackers. They were aggressive and jumping around trying to get into my stuff. Also had a mouse in my shelter in the morning..first time I have experienced that in a shelter at Isle Royale. A full moon later filled the shelter with light.

Day 2 - Daisy Farm- McCargoe Cove

Today I walked from Daisy Farm on the south coast of the island to McCargoe Cove on the north coast..a distance of 8.2 miles. Having had a very dry summer here (in extreme drought according to NOAA), I noticed that the vegetation was very crunchy and leaves were drying out as soon as they colored. There was a good amount of bronzes and some reds. Fall wildflowers especially asters and buttercups were abundant. I noticed that most of the people I encountered today were an older crowd (like me). It's kind of like we wait until the youngsters and college kids go back to school. The camp sites at McCargoe were all filled by evening...that was a surprise!

Day 3 - McCargoe Cove - Todd Harbor

It always takes me a couple of days to get in a rhythm. Today after an early rise I was on the trail at 7:30 AM...not a creature was stirring! I always love this part of the trail system. The Minong Trail starts in earnest and soon I was overlooking Otter Lake. This is a special place for me where I remembered my father.

When I got to Todd Harbor I contemplated whether to move on as it was quite early or stay. I noted that the only shelter was taken so I walked down to the water's edge to rest. A boater in the harbor was leaving that area and I was surprised to see that he wore absolutely no clothes. Feeling awkward, I walked back away from the water where I met Matt who was leaving the shelter to hike onwards. We had a great talk. He was also on a long journey but with a very heavy pack (65 lbs)...I told him I would fall right over with a pack such as his and he laughed and said he did a few times and just laid on the trail. We talked about gear and I think he learned a lot on this trip for the next time.

I now had the area to myself so I decided to stay. I swam in the lake but quickly changed into dry clothes as it was quite windy, although it was warm. Walked the short distance to the Hayduke Mine and observed many flocks of geese heading somewhere. 6.7 miles today.

Day 4 - Todd Harbor - Little Todd Harbor

A mix of clouds, a dreary morning but it soon was a nice day. An easy walk on the ridge interspersed with ascents and descents to dry river or creek beds. Many distant cliffs were visible from the trail with many wetlands beneath them. Arrived in one of my favorite places..Little Todd Harbor. I had also contemplated skipping this but I am so glad that I didn't. The beach is black sand and rocks. I saw fresh moose tracks and there was an absolute chorus of waves. I sat on a log watching the waves and then played in them...just couldn't resist! Later a storm system came through with thunder and lightening. After the storm, a beautiful sunset ended the day. 7 miles today.

Day 5 - Little Todd Harbor - North Desor Lake

Today's section of trail is known as the most difficult on the island. I have experienced it when it's been wet and then it is treacherous. Today however seemed to sail easily. It is relentless rock but I guess after spending time in the White Mts in New Hampshire this summer, this rock is easy...it doesn't move! Awesome views of distant Canada are experienced many times on this section. I got to camp very early saving my energy for a long day tomorrow. I was the only one there all night. Observed lots of red squirrels today working on gathering their food for winter. Broken off tree branches with cones of every sort are their staples.. Mini showers with a brisk wind during the evening had me diving for cover many times. Trees fell in the forest but this was all quelled by the calling of loons. 5.7 miles.

Day 6 - North Desor Lake - Washington Creek (Windigo)

Today I hiked 12.6 miles. It was a fun route on the Minong Ridge. Didn't see anyone until I was almost at Windigo, that has been par for the course most days so far. I arrived late afternoon and set about finding my friend Jamie at Windigo. He was almost done at work for the day so we headed to employee housing. Met several of his co-workers and a bunch of researchers that were staying there for a week or less. Lots of fun and laughter..everyone was in a good mood. Took a short walk in the evening.

Day 7 - Layover

Today was my official layover day. Spent the day doing a few short day hikes totaling at least 3 mi, went to the Visitor Center and watched a movie with some of the researchers who were waylaid by their return boat (it eventually got them in the evening when the seas subsided). Jamie worked that day but in the evening we went for a boat ride out into Washington Harbor and its islands..Grace and Barnum islands, the latter of which we stopped at. Historic ruins of the first hotel there were being restored. A very neat place with several quaint cottages that are still be used. It was chilly so I made a hot drink upon the return. Evening brought a re-pack of my supplies for the rest of my journey. I conveniently had sent half of my food to Jamie so that I wouldn't have to carry the entire load during the duration of my journey.

Day 8 - Washington Creek - Feldtmann Lake and Rainbow Cove

During the next 2.5 days, Jamie joined me for the Feldtmann Loop before he would head back to work and I would head eastward. We didn't start until mid-morning after a 26 F degree night but we took a break at the Grace Creek Overlook and easily covered the distance with plenty of time to enjoy the evening. After setting up our camp and cooking dinner, we hiked to Rainbow Cove to watch the sunset. While laying awake I heard owls calling back and forth. 11.6 miles total.

Day 9 - Feldtmann Lake - Siskiwit Bay

Morning greeted me with a beautiful sunrise peaking through the fog. Lots of rustic colors along the Feldtmann Ridge. We stopped at the tower for awhile. Last few miles to Siskiwit are through mostly open fields...it was nice to arrive to the red rock beach and an old apple tree. The apples were outstanding after not having fresh fruit for a week. A pretty sunset ended another good day. 10.5 miles.

Day 10- Siskiwit Bay - South Desor Lake

A warm night and a sunny morning. However clouds were forming rapidly. We hiked to the Greenstone Ridge via Island Mine. Noted relics and mine tailings. We had lunch before we parted ways. I would be traveling eastward and Jamie would be returning to Windigo westward. Although we had experienced a few sprinkles, as soon as we bid good-bye, the rain began in earnest. It was steady but not horrible.Set up at an empty camp site and the rain became non stop and a muddy mess.

Day 11 - South Desor - West Chickenbone

The morning was bright and the rain disappeared. Although I had shorter options I decided to hike 15.2 miles today. The absolute non-contested highlight of the day was hiking towards two wolves. I had crested a hill and the two wolves were coming toward me. I felt very calm and the eye contact was amazing. The wolves turned and went back into the bush....or so I thought...as I rounded a corner one of them was looking at me. I never felt threatened though and kept walking while it disappeared again...this time for good.

Lots of gorgeous overlooks today along the ridge. Settled at West Chickenbone. Thought no one was there but later a trail crew employee stopped by to chat. I heard owls again and there was a beautiful sunset.

Day 12 - West Chickenbone - Moskey Basin

The journey today was short but I got to spend much time in one of my favorite places..the basin. Spent time reading and knitting a hat...I've been slowly working on it the whole trip but it is about done...knitted some at every camp site so it will now be know as the "Isle Royale Hat". It was a nice but cool day until about 6 PM when heavy storms arrived in earnest. I however had a shelter tonight so was quite content. Loons sang between the storms, all told three big storms! 5.9 miles

Day 13 - Moskey Basin -Rock Harbor

Hour-wise, the walk was long today due to wet rock. Heard a bull moose in rut so I observed where he was. Heard a cow in the area wailing but couldn't pinpoint her. Otherwise it was a quiet walk, only saw one dayhiker so I was surprised to arrive in Rock Harbor to find most shelters full. Turns out many people were just hanging there for several days as they are allowed as it is off season (normally one night is the maximum in this area). 11 miles

Day 14 - Return to Mainland

This day doesn't really count but it was a good day talking to people on the boat. Only a few were backpackers, the majority being seasonals that were done until next year. The boat at this time of year doesn't run full crew so they only allow 6 people from the public like myself!

I must say this was near the top of my list for one of the best trips to Isle Royale. Lots of quiet, great hiking, I felt great..what more can I ask for....maybe a repeat!

Here's all my pictures! Enjoy!

Isle Royale Pictures

Grand Island National Recreation Area - September 1-3 2011

2011-09-05T11:37:00.000-04:00

What better way to enjoy the end of summer than spending a few days at Grand Island!

I thought I would "beat" the Labor Day crowd so I took the ferry early on Thursday morning. I decided that this would be an easy trip, time to reflect on the good times I've had this summer and on plans for upcoming adventures.

I headed over to Trout Bay. It was very quiet and I had most of the place to myself.

Highlights were seeking out my favorite spots on the Thumb, chatting with islanders (those who have summer places on the island), finding that there were still three types of berries in season (raspberries, blackberries and blueberries), nice sunsets, watching a storm come in and whip up the waves (never fails to thrill me), and on the final night offering a couple (John and Sara) to share my campsite. They had come in on one of the later ferries and the camp sites were filled since it was the Friday night before the holiday. I found out that they were on their honeymoon! They had spent most of the week camping throughout the U. P. What a beautiful way to start their life together.

More Photos from Grand Island

Hut to Hut in White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire -August 2011

2011-08-26T15:03:00.006-04:00

In early August I traveled by plane out east to New Hampshire and Maine. My sister Julie from Arizona and my friend Connie from the Lower Peninsula of Michigan met me out there.

We rented a car and spent a few days traveling the eastern seaboard. We experienced places like Portsmouth, Kennebunkport and Freeport, all very picturesque.

Our eventual goal was spending six days in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. When I had mentioned this trip last year to my companions they were quite excited as we would be spending our nights in huts rather than tents. The trip still required a backpack though as we still had to bring mostly everything except a tent and cooking equipment. We didn't have to carry as much though as our dinners and breakfasts would be provided by "Da Croo". Our packs probably weighed around 20 lbs which is much less than normal for a six-day trip.

The huts are run by the Appalachian Mountain Club and there are eight of them in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains. They are steeped in tradition as the first hut dates back to1888 (Madison Springs Hut). Of course many of them have been updated since then but they are still rustic in nature.

The Madison Springs Hut was recently mostly rebuilt with the stone foundation intact. Huts hold various amounts of people but the smallest one we stayed in had 32 bunks (New Zealand) and the largest one had 90 bunks (Lake of the Clouds, aka Lake of the Crowds). The bunks sometimes are stacked three deep which makes sitting upright rather impossible. As mentioned before the huts are run by " Da Croo". They are coveted positions and many of the hut croo had up to five years experience. Da Croo are highly energetic folks mostly in their 20's with a passion for the outdoors.

Da Croo take turns hauling in fresh supplies twice a week from the nearest trailhead. They still use packboards which date back to the 1930's. Apparently this is the most effective way to carry in heavy supplies with these ladder-like boards and we witnessed several croo doing just that. The huts do have an early spring heli-drop of supplies of the many staples that are needed. Many of the huts had green power so sun, wind or hydro was used to help supply energy for limited lighting and more. Composting (below treeline), and waterless (above treeline) toilets were the norm. Sometimes they were located outside the building and other times inside.

The funny thing about this trip is that even though we carried less weight than our traditional backpacking trips we worked harder physically than any trail or bushwhacking trip I have ever been on. It wasn't an endurance feat but more a balance act. Trails in the White Mountains for the most part don't even resemble a trail. If there weren't the presence of huge rock cairns one wouldn't even know they were on a trail. The cairns were often topped with a white quartz rock which dotted the environment. Other mica-laden granite sparkled in the sun. There are no switchbacks so straight up is the only option.

For the section that we did in six days there was very little dirt and we rarely took more than a step that wasn't on rock, not flat rock, but climbing over every kind of rock you can imagine, huge talus slopes, boulder-strewn draws and fields of sharp rock. Many parts required scrambling. Although this was all rather slow-going and challenging, we enjoyed ourselves and took in the awesome views. Much of our trip was above treeline.

We met many people that had a long-standing tradition of hiking in the White Mountains. They were now taking their kids or grandkids and there were those with multi-generational units. Many were just hiking and staying at one hut or two as they had already planned their visit to other huts for next year.

Also a common denominator for many of the trekkers were to bag several 4,000 footers (there are 48 in the Whites alone). Of course, we were there for an entirely different experience but we did "bag" some of the 4,000 footers in the process. Part of the trail we traveled was also the Appalachian Trail (that starts in Georgia and ends in Maine). We met many thru-hikers most of which were north bound and nearing the end of their journey. Some we talked to on the trail and others at the huts where they facilitated a stay in exchange for work.They told many tales of their experiences which varied greatly.

Highlights of the trip were the rocky vistas, climbing Mt Washington (6,288 ft) with the highest recorded wind speed of 231 mph, Mt Jackson, Mt Pierce, Mt Monroe, etc, meeting new people, enjoying the entertainment of the hut croo and exploring new country (I had hiked in the Whites before but it was certainly more than a decade since I did).

Although this was a different type of a backpacking trip from my normal status, it was an enjoyable, memorable and interesting experience.

More Pictures from the "Whites" Trip

Backpacking Isle Royale National Park - July 1-9 2011

2011-07-14T19:44:00.004-04:00

I couldn't wait to get there...it is my favorite place of all...an annual visit to Isle Royale National Park is always in the works.

This year I would again be joining my friend Jamie for half of my backpacking trip and the remainder I would do solo. Jamie works as a seasonal employee on the island so he is always ready for more back country time when he has a few days off. I met him over at Mott Island where he lives most of the time and from there we canoed over to the big island. After stashing the canoe, we started the first leg of the backpack trip.

Having had a late spring, the island was full of early spring wildflowers even though it was already early July. Amongst many other flowers, tons of Lady Slippers (both Yellow and Pink), Blue Flag Iris, Low Bindweed, Orange and Yellow Hawkweed, Wood Lily, HareBell, Beach Pea, Polygala, Daisy and Pitcher Plants in bloom dominated the scenery. Wet weather made the island very mucky and of course there were bugs (especially mosquitoes that like those conditions too :) The latter weren't really a problem at the shore (where all my camps were) but the trails in between camp sites were a haven for them.

Isle Royale is a constantly changing environment. This year the wolf population was very low at 15 with only one female and the moose count was approximately 515. This made for very few sightings by visitors. The largest mammal I saw was a red fox whose numbers are very low as well. However with less predation, this made for a ton of snowshoe hare sightings. I've always loved the hares as their big feet and long ears are quite unique. Loons and Red Breasted Mergansers were dominant in the water.

Other memories include watching a turtle at Moskey Basin trying to find a place to lay its eggs (it finally succeeded but it was a very long process). Lots of garter snakes in a variety of colors were seemingly everywhere I went.

Five thunderstorms, hot temps (compared to the cold spring), wind, fields of flowers, tiny strawberries, wolf howls, muck, cold water, roaring streams, quiet, wolf tracks, moose tracks, sunrises, sunsets, new friends, and just contentment were all part of the scene.

As most wilderness trips go, this one ended too early but I hope to be back in a few months.

More Pictures:

Isle Royale National Park Photos

Backpacking Grand Island National Recreation Area- June 12-14 2011

2011-06-16T21:04:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday night I decided to head to Grand Island on Sunday. I love these spur-of-the-moment trips more than anything. There is no wasted time packing, just throw in whatever suits me at the time and whatever food I happen to have around.

It is still early season for the island but I was really surprised that I was the only one on the ferry. I headed up the west coast to one of my favorite parts of the island..the north end.

The area around North Beach is protected so one can not camp there but there is a camp site located not too far from there. I would set up in the back country spot and then spend the rest of the evening until sunset down at the beach.

I had the entire place to myself having not seen a soul since I left the ferry. I can't say enough about the evening....just watching the light patterns change on the rocks and just plain being happy!

As the summer solstice was nearing, the amount of daylight hours was substantial. I woke up early and hiked down the east side. I bushwhacked in to a favorite spot on the coast for a rest break and then continued on down to Trout Bay. I was there by 11:30 AM which meant I could easily make the afternoon ferry or stay on the island another night. Since the latter was my original plan I went for it.

After eating lunch and setting up camp, I took off for a dayhike secure with emergency gear. I bushwhacked into the thumb area and on the way back checked out a favorite spot on the coast line. Again the afternoon and evening was void of people other than a worker on the island who stopped by to chat just after I arrived. I also saw someone fixing one of the cottages.

In the morning, I took the early ferry back (I was the only passenger) with many good thoughts of the last few days. I love that this treasure of a place is so close to where I live.

Grand Island Photos

May 2011 Adventures

2011-06-11T12:04:00.028-04:00

North Country Trail- Marilla to Baxter Bridge - May 2011

In Mid-May I joined the Grand Traverse folks for the annual backpacking outing that I have participated in for many years. This year the activity would be different as their chapter of the North Country Trail had organized a 100 mi challenge to hike all of the trail that the chapter has built and maintained. The latter is a continous process and effort.

Ed laid out the plans for the challenge itself. A small group of us had decided to backpack (many of us could only do a part of it for now). There would also be lots of shuttling going on as many day hikers would join the backpackers. All told it took a lot of organization skills of many people. As of this date several people have completed the challenge and others are close to it. I hope to go back and finish it at a later date. During my three days there I hiked/backpacked with Dick, Sara, Nancy, Debi, Kim, and Andy.

North Country Trail - Marilla to Baxter Bridge - May 2011 Pictures

Sisterhood - May 2011

One of my friends in the Grand Traverse Chapter invited me to a three-day gathering of women that started right after the backpacking trip. Although I knew Kim and Sara too, it would be a good time getting to know twenty three other women. Being a somewhat shy person I knew this would be a challenge for me but I was amazed how quickly I fit in.

I arrived in my sweaty backpacking clothes looking for a shower. I guess everyone saw me at my worst and still welcomed me. Many kept saying that I was brave to join the group but really they were brave to have an outsider join them. The spirit of all these women are amazing. Most of them are members of She Bikes/She Skis in the Traverse area.

Terri organized the first gathering of her friends three years ago in celebration of life after a battle with cancer. Paula organized the other details for activities such as mountain bike rides and hikes. We all stayed at a quaint resort (Watervale) located on Lake Herring just off the Lake Michigan Shoreline. I will treasure this experience forever as it truly touched my heart. I have made many new friendships and I hope to do future outings with them.

Sisterhood May 2011 Pictures

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - A Four-Day Backpack - May 2011

In late May my friends Andy and El organized a backpack trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Although I live close to it and get to it often I wouldn't miss the opportunity to enjoy a few days with them. We were joined by Matt, Jen, Joanie, Doug, Ken, Tim and Nancy. Our four day journey was marked by lively chatter, enjoyment of the surroundings and the common love of backpacking and the outdoors. It was great fun!

Pictured Rocks May 2011 Pictures

I have always enjoyed the emergence of Forget-Me-Knots flowers. They remind me of my Grandma Ursula's yard that was covered in them and they also have always had a place in my heart as the symbol for Disabled American Veterans. I also relate them to all the friends I have made through the years, none of them are to be ever forgotten.This picture was taken at Pictured Rocks recently:

Hiawatha National Forest - An Early Spring Backpacking Journey

2011-05-05T10:48:00.001-04:00

I decided to spend a couple of days backpacking earlier this week. The Hiawatha National Forest was calling. It was still very spring-like with lows in the high twenties and highs in the forties. Perfect for hiking in my mind! My route was rather unconventional combining a couple of trail systems and old road bed. The highlights were tons of lakes, hills, and the harbingers of spring: birds chirping, loons calling, and the first pokes of trout lily dotting the forest landscape. As I neared a highway crossing I heard laughter and there appeared three women that I knew from the women's mountain biking group that I belong to. What a riot!

Hiawatha National Forest Trip Pics:

Hiawatha

Hiking Arizona - April 2011

2011-04-26T19:29:00.003-04:00

This was a quickly planned trip. Actually there were no "real" plans other than the fact that we were going! I have hiked Arizona tons of times through the years and have immensely enjoyed it. I think the fact that it is so different from the Great Lakes area has its appeal.

We quickly got used to the dry heat, trail dust, cactus and desert creatures. We hiked most days in areas including South Mountain, Superstition Wilderness and Red Rock Wilderness. We also took the opportunity to explore historic cultural sights.

My sister, Julie, lives in Arizona and we were guests at her house when we weren't all on the road. Julie, our friend Sue and I planned each day's activities the night before and sometimes moments before...I love these kind of trips for the spontaneity and variety. They always turn out well as all of us are gung-ho about the next prospect for adventure. Many laughs, many stories..that is what great times are all about :))

Check out all the photos here:

Hiking Arizona 2011

Enjoying a Busy Winter

2011-03-07T23:28:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't posted much lately. It's not that I am not doing anything but actually doing too much! The first two months of the year were filled with activity. I took a couple of trips to a remote rustic cabin. The first trip was solo to welcome the new year and on the second trip two friends joined in the fun. After pulling our sleds full of gear into the cabin, we snowshoed, skied, chatted, worked on some knitting projects and cooked on the wood stove. The latter is something I enjoy doing but of course I wouldn't want to HAVE to do it everyday. I have fond memories of my Grandma Ursula's wood stove cooking but she was way more accomplished than I.

I also went on two back country sled (winter camping) trips one being the 5-day January group trip that I posted a journal for and another one that I did solo for three days in a nearby national forest.

I also had friends come to visit and stay a few days to visit. I went to the Copper Country for almost a week where I spent four days with seven downstate friends at a cottage. We skied every day of course! After they left, I visited my brother and we both shoveled the snow off the roof of our late parent's house. It's always a lot of work with several feet of snow to remove.

To make winter even more fun I organized two different skirt-skis!...yes we wore skirts while we were skiing. Everyone liked it so much that we are going to make it an annual event for the women's mt biking group (WSG). One of the events took place at night...it was supposed to be a full moon but we actually ended up skiing in the fog...it was really cool! On the way home the full moon appeared as I descended back into Marquette.

Every Wednesday my good friends meet for skiing to continue the tradition we've been doing for years. We actually meet year round but of course our activity changes with the season. Not sure what I would do without this bunch of good people as they are all top notch!

I also traveled to Wisconsin to see my grand baby Emma whom I couldn't love more. She is now 11 months and is crawling everywhere. She is so precious and so cute!

In between all these events I have skied most every day when I am not snowshoeing and even did a few snowshoe runs..something that I used to do years ago (race). I also did a couple of back country skis, one with my friend Sue and the other with a whole lot of people as a fundraiser for the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve.

I continue to test outdoor gear for different companies and love the adventure that goes along with that.

Even though it is March, winter is far from over and I still have lots of winter plans......

Lake Superior State Forest Sledge Trip - 5 Days in January 2011

2011-01-22T20:23:00.017-05:00

Friday - A Winter Paradise

Today would have been my Mom's 93rd birthday. I can't help but think that she would be worried about me if she were still alive. She could never make much sense of winter camping, I don't think she was alone in that opinion. Perhaps now she can see that I am safe and happy.

I had arose early and drove in the dark hours to the start location of the trip at the end of the plowed road H58 east of Munising. Even though I was on time I knew I would be way early as there were thirteen people going. This would mean lots of last minute preparations such as loading sledges, etc.

I was right, it was a couple of hours before the trip actually began. I spent the time chatting, comparing equipment and all the sort of things one does when they are waiting. Most of the group was from downstate, one from across the nearby border in Canada and another traveled from Indiana. Most were glad to see the depth of snow as they hadn't been blessed with as much as here. Although a big melt two weeks prior to the trip occurred, at least a foot of powder snow had fallen since then.

Michael, the organizer of the trip from MiBSAR (Michigan Backcountry Search and Rescue) helped a few of the new winter campers organize their gear and pack their sledges. Balance of gear is always tricky to prevent rollovers through the bush.

Let's see the players (besides myself) were: Michael (leader), Chris O., Larry, Cathy, Mary, Mary Ann, Dave, Matt, Chris L, Ewa, John, and Joe. The latter four were either new to winter camping or had some other experience with it but not with this group.

After awhile everyone was stoked to begin. I couldn't help but think that we looked like a train as we wound our way through the woods maneuvering between the trees.

Before long it was lunch break already on the edge of a small lake. The sun added a pleasant touch and before we were done feasting, giant snowflakes began to fall...it was all rather picturesque. We had crossed and traveled a short way on an old railroad bed and then a series of small ponds or lakes including Kinsey Lake that were likely weed-filled in the summer as the weeds were poking up in many places.

The afternoon went fast and we were soon setting up camp amongst the trees. Tarps and Tarptents of every description were quickly hung and it soon became a settlement. Michael had brought a large fire pan and Mary was the keeper of the fire. Soon thirteen people were gathered around to chat and share a dessert brought by Ewa. Snow fell heavily and soon there were several inches of accumulation on people's clothing...no one seemed to mind.

Saturday - Bitter Cold Lake Crossing

It had snowed throughout the night and quite heavily into the morning. The sound of snowflakes hitting my tarp lulled me to sleep and I was content. In the morning a few delays pushed our starting time to late morning. With a group this size, sledge problems, stove problems and more are inevitable.

The trees were now heavily laden with snow. Chris O., a promising film-maker, was making a documentary so he often went ahead to film the crew as they made their way through the forest.

After a restful lunch, many of us donned our insulated over-parka for quite awhile as the winds picked up and the snow squalls were frequent. Some times just for a few minutes a peak of blue sky would promise us a bit of reprieve.

We walked across the blustery east arm of Stanley Lake and then up the shoreline and headed to the west arm where we were to make camp later.

Along the way the winds were wicked; we pulled our balaclavas or neck and face gaiters into place. Some of the participants had accumulated a good amount of frozen slush on the bottom of their sledges. They were having a heck of a time pulling their gear with so much drag on their sledges so they were forced to de-ice in the nasty conditions. Michael stayed to help while the rest of us went ahead and made our way inland to find a camp spot in a more protected area.

Today Chris L. was excited to be in the middle of a storm with much predicted snow. John seemed rather elated as well. It's fun to see new enthusiasm in the group as many of us have experienced these conditions often and some times it seems like any other day in the wintry north woods. I do love it myself but probably don't express it as well...I just appreciate it all the time!

Travel today was mostly in a southerly and easterly direction. The depth of snow continued to deepen so perhaps it was a little harder than yesterday. Later there was a fire, dessert by Mary and tales galore.

Sunday - A Bit of the Fox River Pathway

Sunday...a day of rest, well sort of...we didn't start our journey until almost noon. We now were to follow the Fox River Pathway through heavily-covered pine forests...up and down lots of hills and very pretty. This is one of my favorite sections of the pathway that I have thru-hiked several times. The point person(s) got diverted from the pathway a few times but I was able to re-direct them from experience. The pathway does take unexpected turns at times and it's not always easy to find markers.

The day was mostly cold with a starting temp of 10 F and it never got more than a few degrees warmer.

At camp Michael built a trench shelter so that Chris O. could film the process. Joe later slept in it as his first experience in that regard. We had settled into a pine forest at the edge of a clearing not far from the West Branch of the Fox River. Chris L. had also made a partial snow shelter (with tarp roof) that was complete with sleeping bench and shelves. Every night he has made a different type of residence. He also made snow couches/seats around the fire pan at Mary's place. His energy doesn't seem to run out!

After a pretty pastel sunset, the temps started to drop. The evening chatter was quite entertaining to say the least. Several players including Michael, Chis L. and John were on a roll! Laughter was contagious. The temps starting dropping and it was already -4 F when I retired. It was hard crawling out of the sleeping bag during the night, not because it was so cold but because there is a whole production of zippers to open and close.

Funny thing in the morning was that it was almost 20 F after the low being -14 F during the night. This was crazy but made for an easy start.

Monday - The "Sweep"

A late morning start. We worked the trail above the branch of the Fox River, dropped to the rail grade and then bushwhacked for awhile. Matt and Chris L. helped Michael with the lead position at intervals. Eventually we worked an old road segment for awhile and then back to bushwhacking.

Dave has been in a much appreciated position of sweep during the entire trip. Many people have issues or need to make adjustments along the way while Dave patiently waited for them.

We did a short 100 meter crossing of the narrows of Nugent Lake and then we made camp. New snow was a constant in the evening and most people huddled under their tarps until they heard that dessert was being served. It even woke John up from a nap!

The snow was very needle-like with temps in the 20's throughout most of the day and evening. The needle-like snow sounded like rain on the tarp roofs!

Tuesday - What? An Early Start

The group photo is courtesy of Mary Ann Hayman

Early morning I heard the sound of someone banging on a pan. It was the wake-up call. Last night several had indicated that they would like to get going early as they had a long drive ahead of them after the trip. We probably were only a few kilometers from the car but based on the prior four days, this group was s..l..o..w getting ready. We were now ready at 9:30 AM...the same time we usually aim for....way to go pot-banger (aka Chris O.)

Chris and Matt broke trail with me right behind. Winds were very brisk in exposed sections but soon we were back at our cars. We said our good byes with some of the group driving straight back and some going out to lunch. I chose the former and was greeted by my snow-filled driveway...out came the snow scoop for an hour or so before I could get my vehicle in my garage. No complaints though, as it's the reason I live here...I love the snow!! Many thanks to Michael for organizing and leading the trip....and thanks to all the participants for the fun times!

More pics here: Lake Superior State Forest Winter Pics

Craig Lake Wilderness State Park - November 9-10, 2010

2010-11-11T08:59:00.003-05:00

Well the last few days has had unusually nice weather for this time of year. With the advent of deer firearm season starting next Monday I was anxious to get out into the wilderness for a couple of days. I decided on Tuesday morning that it would be the day with highs in the mid - 50's. Is this really November? I packed in a half hour, called and e-mailed friends and checked if anyone wanted to go at the last minute.

I was going regardless, but my friend Ursula decided to rearrange her busy life and she would meet me there a bit later in the afternoon.

Since it gets dark at 5:30 PM now and the trail is only about 8 miles long, I told her to go clockwise and meet me at a designated spot to camp only about 2 miles from the trailhead. I would arrive earlier, circumnavigate the majority of the trail counterclockwise and then we would camp together.

Everything went well considering that there seemed to be a zillion dead falls that I had to climb over and under or bushwhack around. Most likely the October weather that brought 60 to 70 mph winds did some major tree felling activity.

The hike took me considerably much longer than I expected but I did make it by dark. I passed by glacial erratics, rock ledges, fresh bear tracks and a deer. When I arrived at the designated site I didn't see my friend so I started walking further and I soon met her. She and I backtracked to the neat camp site on a rock outcropping above the lake.

We had a great evening and both of us crashed early. It was a windy night but quiet enough to hear the waves gently lapping the shoreline below the short cliff where we were camped. In the morning we were in no hurry to leave with only a few miles to get back to our vehicles.

We lingered over a long breakfast and then took a break on the shoreline before we headed back to our respective cars. It had been great to have the whole lake to ourselves. This is truly a gem of a place and I always look forward to my hikes there.

A few more photos:

Craig Lake

Porcupine Mountains State Park - Mid October 2010

2010-11-08T11:03:00.005-05:00

(I haven't been able to find my journal from this trip so this is just a short summary for now...I hope the journal eventually shows up though).

A few months back my friend Jamie had asked me if I would like to hike the Porkies with him when he returned from six months of seasonal work at Isle Royale National Park. He hadn't left that island for his entire work time so I was surprised that his transition to the mainland would be to go directly back into the wilderness. I guess it was a good step though, before he headed back to his home below the bridge.

Although Jamie had been to the Porkies before, he hadn't backpacked it so I planned the trip. Our trip started at the Lake of the Clouds after we had picked up our required back country permit at the Visitor's Center. We worked our way along the escarpment before descending further on the Big Carp River Trail. I was surprised at how many people we ran into as the color season was just about over. However, I can only speculate that most of the people we saw had planned their vacations months ago when they thought color would be at its peak.

We had an awesome camp site along the shore of Lake Superior complete with rock chairs. The evening was cool but the big lake was relatively quiet. We were treated to a gorgeous sunset.

The second day had us following the Little Carp Trail with numerous river crossings and quite a few small waterfalls. We played cat and mouse with about a dozen college students who were one big group. It appeared they might of been doing the field work for a backpacking class. I noticed that all of their gear was numbered and mostly alike (most likely from the SDC at Michigan Tech).

We hiked by Lily Pond and on to Mirror Lake for the night.

During the third day we hiked up to Government Peak, and then eventually through some lowlands where beavers had recently damned up water. The park rangers had dismantled the dam but it was quite mucky in the aftermath.

We climbed back up to the Escarpment via Cuyahoga Peak and settled in off the Escarpment. The highlight of the day for me was seeing a porcupine. It was not the fact that it was a porcupine, as I see those quite often living in the UP, but the fact that it was a porkie in the Porkies. Even though I have traveled there since I was a child, I can't remember ever seeing one there before...that was special.

The next morning the escarpment glowed with the rising sun. We only had a few miles to go but we stopped often to treasure the views. We had hiked over 32 miles during the trip and the weather had been really quite nice for October. It was a fun trip with loads of rivers, falls, lakes, peaks, vast hemlock forests, rocks, critters, good company and more.

To see more pictures from this trip:

Four Days at Porcupine Mountain State Park

Grand Island National Recreation Area - October 2010

2010-11-05T19:05:00.003-04:00

This was probably one of my shortest trips ever. I wanted to get back to Grand Island before the ferry stopped running for the season but travel and appointments kept my calendar too busy.

I packed and hoped to get the noon ferry as I had a doctor's appointment in the morning. That would allow me enough time to hike to the north end. Well like most doctor's offices, things take a lot longer than they should. There was no way I was going to make the noon ferry but the afternoon ferry was at 3:30 PM. I almost decided to go somewhere else BUT............I really wanted to go to Grand Island.

Needless to say I was the only backpacker on the ferry and it would be a short trip. I hiked the first two miles thinking I had the place to myself which I love.

As I rounded the corner by Murray Bay I found about a dozen dogs straining at their chains as they were tied to trees. About a half dozen men and four wheelers were parked in the Murray Bay CG.....it truly wasn't what I was expecting. The men assured me the dogs were harmless and I asked them if they were bear hunting?

Yessireeee.....my thoughts ran wild.....they asked me where I was camping?....don't know sounded like a good answer. I surely didn't plan to camp near there.

I headed to Trout Bay which was desolate. Had a great evening walking the beach before sundown.

In the morning I crossed the island to the west shore. Ran into some of the bear hunters at various times and had pleasant conversations. They were checking their bait piles but the dogs were thankfully aboard their four wheelers. I spent some time at Waterfall Beach and Mather Beach before heading back to the last ferry of the season.

It was a good trip even though my trip plans were altered and I surely didn't expect bear hunters but I am still glad I went.

Grand Island

Yosemite National Park - September 2010

2010-11-05T13:14:00.005-04:00

On My Way

I really don't have a bucket list but if I did, Yosemite National Park would be on it. However its always been in the back of my mind to travel there, the land where John Muir was so greatly inspired. I got a note from my good friend Andy asking if I would like to join him and his wife Elwira (El) and a few others on a trip to the High Sierras in September.

I knew that Andy had traveled that area extensively and if I were to pass on this opportunity, I would regret it. I did tell him to give me a day to decide however, as I wanted to make sure it was in my budget having already planned another trip for a few weeks before that. It really didn't take much thinking to decide that I would make it happen. The next day I had my plane tickets!

I was now on my way to Fresno. It does take a bit of plane hopping to get there as I live in a small city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Needless to say there aren't very many choices of flights here usually meaning long layovers. I first flew to Detroit in the Lower Peninsula, walked the airport for hours and then headed to Los Angeles. Upon arrival, I would take a shuttle and catch a smaller plane to Fresno. These kinds of itineraries usually make for stressful moments but everything went off without a hitch.

When I arrived in Fresno, I was greeted by Andy, El and Jim and skirted off to the REI where we would wait for Jenn and Matt who had some flight delays. Then we would eat a hearty meal at Mimi's and head a few hours north to Yosemite. We set up camp at Wawona CG around 1 AM in the morning. We secured our food in a bear locker and we were ready to drift off..It had truly been a long day! The camp site was on a very sloped area. I slept against the wall of my tent all night...this is one time that I was glad that I didn't have my tarp as I would of slid right out and down the hill and in to the river...OK, maybe the last part was an exaggeration!!.

Mariposa Grove

In the morning we went to pick up our permit at the Wawona Ranger Station. We listened to the ranger go over the rules and many of us picked up a few items at the shop including a stuffed bear. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this bear would accompany us.

This was our acclimation day so we day hiked over 6 miles through the Mariposa Grove. We latched on to a ranger-led hike (who interpreted the history and status of the grove) for awhile that ended at Old Grizzly (many of the trees have names) but we had much more to see on our own. We saw huge areas of sequoias that were up to two thousand years old.

We later did some car touring in the Yosemite Valley with views of El Capitan and Half Dome and ate pizza before we drove to the backpackers campground. It was a huge walk-in back country site occupied by many, but it was quiet. Belding ground squirrels were busy as ever scouting the campground for bits and pieces of crumbs.

Andy and Matt shuttled the cars as they couldn't be parked anywhere near the camp site legally so in the morning they took the shuttle to retrieve one of the cars. We piled into the Ford with all our gear. El had the honor of riding in the back with the packs to Glacier Point (our starting point). We talked about how we were going to do the return trip with the other vehicle and El said she wasn't getting in ANY trunk (the other vehicle was a regular car). Even though she was serious it had a hint of humor just hearing her say it.

We left a note on the dusty back window for Yogi to stay out of our vehicle and we were on our way. It was a good mixture of descending and ascending as we dropped elevation to rivers and waterfalls and then climbed repeatedly back up of course. We spent time at Illilouette Falls and Nevada Falls. The distance was short today at 6.2 miles because of the shuttling but the trail was very rocky. The camp site at Little Yosemite was spacious and two-story composting toilets were a luxury.

The camp was near Merced River and we lightly washed off our trail dust. It was already apparent we were going to have a hard time staying clean on this trip as the trails are very dusty and the fine dirt penetrates everything.

I soon met another backpacker with whom I had a great conversation. We soon found out that we only live 100 mi from each other. What a small world!

We were preparing shared dinners on this trip so Jenn and Matt served up a gourmet pasta with artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms. In the evening we talked about our plans for tomorrow. We would be hiking to Merced Lake but the option of ascending Half Dome could also be included. It would make for an extremely long day but Andy, El and I opted for it with the rest of the group traveling to Merced Lake in one unit. We would meet them much later with alternate plans for everyone if we didn't make it.

Climbing Half Dome

The Half Domers woke at 5 and were on the trail by 5:30 AM. We used our headlamps for travel and stopped for a quick breakfast along the way. There were tons of switchbacks and it was extremely rocky. I was surprised when we came to the approach area how long it truly was. Rock stairs were cut into the side of the mountain in various places and were right on the edge.

Looking down was not really that comfortable for me and approaching Half Dome looked downright scary. I had gone into this knowing that it may not be for me, so I really didn't know until the last minute if I wanted to attempt the 400 ft cable climb. Loads of leather gloves lay at the base ready for climbers so I found a pair that appeared to have the kind of grip I was looking for :). We started the climb with El going first, myself in the middle and Andy bringing up the back.

About a quarter of the way up, I voiced my concerns about being able to get back down. With a few words of encouragement I decided to go forth. About every 10 ft a board lay across the base of the cables that one could "rest" on especially when people coming the opposite way were trying to pass. I just kept looking upwards and I knew I would be OK.

At the top, Half Dome reminded me of a big moonscape...hikers had piled up rocks to make cairns and peace signs, etc. We probably stayed an hour at the top before we began our descent. There was a ton of people now going up, so the descent involved numerous stops to let people by but soon we were at the approach area. (Picture above courtesy of: Andy Mytys)

We descended back to Little Yosemite to pack up our camp site...we had already hiked 7 miles plus the cable climb to Half Dome and we still had more than 8 miles to go for the day. It was already 2:30 PM so we hoped to make it before dark. At first the trail was very sandy in spots making hiking slow, we had a fair amount of climbing to do and we stopped only for very short 5 minute breaks.The Merced River had a ton of picturesque cascades and there were several crossings including one with an impressive footbridge built over the river. We arrived at camp where the others were, just at dark. We quickly set up camp and devoured a huge meal that Jim had prepared...good stuff!

Vogelsang Pass

I was looking forward to today as it involved a climb to Vogelsang Pass. I seem to have no trouble with altitude or climbing per se and I kept a consistent steady pace. El said that I and Andy have "goat blood", not sure if that is a compliment :) We left the Merced camp and passed by one of the High Sierra Camps which was closed for the season. These are large canvas tent camps with amenities such as meals that are used by horse packers and hikers that want to carry a lighter load.

Jen and Matt left early so the rest of us ventured on. We climbed steadily on the Lewis Creek Route but often lingered taking photos. We took a two-hour lunch where I finally got some resemblance of a bath after several real dirty trail days. We passed through some meadows but mostly the trail was rocky and mountainous. Trees were stunted and gnarled into interesting shapes as they adapted to the prevailing winds and weather.

I believe the bear was named today by Jim. The name, Fibby, was in reference to Andy's estimation of how the trail would pan out each day...ie, mostly flat, etc .....those of us who have traveled with Andy before know that his interpretation of easy isn't always easy.... :)

The climb to Vogelsang (10500 ft) was very rewarding as the view of Vogelsang Lake from the pass was breathtaking. I rested at the pass while the others caught up.

After awhile Andy came along and then backtracked to meet the others. I had been sitting absorbing the views. I stood up to layer on some extra clothing and my Tilley Hat went for the dance of its life. I never thought I would see it again. The wind currents took it extremely high in the air, it swirled around and eventually let it drop where I could actually see it. I was so happy as I needed the sun protection provided by it and I would have been up the creek so to speak.

I resettled and waited for the group and then we were on our way to Fletcher Lake where we would camp for the night (8.8 miles). We arrived late but it wasn't dark yet. After setting up camp, getting water and eating an awesome dinner prepared by Andy, it was soon dark.

The full moon lit up the area and it was simply beautiful. Andy and El went for a night hike to retrieve a shirt that Andy had dropped earlier, it wasn't far from camp. We hunkered down as we expected a real cold night.

Long Day turns into Shorter Day

We woke early at 6 AM as we expected to have a full agenda today with about 14.2 miles. In the morning fog surrounded the mountains and the night had been much warmer than we would have thought. We have seen deer, some fawns, jays and marmots. We hiked to Tuolumne Meadows. The plan was to pick up our food drop and hike many additional miles today. Andy considered the options and the group voted to stay the night there and alter the plans for the following days. Some were have problems with altitude and it was best to not overdo the miles. We had hiked 7.6 miles already today so everyone was content to stay.

We had burgers at the picnic area outside the small diner and picked up our food drop. Everyone's packages had arrived except for Jen and Matts. Since the post office had closed for the season, instead of sending it to the Village store, they were holding their package back in Yosemite Valley.

They were told by the store employees that it could be driven up the next morning but after checking our supplies we found that there was way more than enough food to keep Jen and Matt happy. Andy especially purveyed most of their food as he had brought extra for such a scenario. We were glad that we didn't have to depend on someone bringing their food the next day as many of the seasonal employees really didn't have their act together...I think I heard the word "stoners" mentioned quite a few times in conversation.

We headed to the campground and settled in the far corner where quiet would prevail. We hiked down to the visitor center, a neat log cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Later I prepared my humble dinner offering, freeze-dried food and chocolate.

Backpack Loaded With Wine

Today our hike (9.6 miles) took us by the Cathedral Lakes where we spent a couple of hours enjoying the beauty. The first of the lakes was quite large and impressive. We climbed to Cathedral Pass (9700 ft) and then headed towards camp at Sunrise High Sierra Camp (9320 ft). We ran into muscled trail workers who obviously spent a lot of time wrestling granite.

At camp we had a great view of the sunset, a view of the full moon over the meadow and shared our campfire with backpacker Chris. He was just starting his John Muir Trail Thru-Hike. It was his first night on the trail so we all had a lot of questions about his trek. He had arranged food drops but we were startled that he still had an incredible 50 lbs of equipment.

We soon found out why his load was so heavy when he pulled out a 3L wine bladder. His intent was to share that with fellow backpackers and several of our group readily helped him with that. He had gone to school for wine making and was from Santa Barbara.. I quietly wondered if his future food drops included wine as well.

Clouds Rest - Spectacular Views!

We arose early so that we could enjoy the long day ahead of us (12.4 miles). We soon passed by a series of lakes called the Sunrise Lakes.

We had a lot of climbing to do topped by the Clouds Rest at 9926 ft. This outstanding rock spine lends for views in all directions. Part of it does have a scare factor as the top of it has sheer cliffs on each side. It does widen out a bit at one end for a comfort factor so people were hanging out in that area before the descent would begin.

The descent was very long and arduous, it is simply hard to get in a rhythm with granite steps and rough trail. We all arrived in Little Yosemite Valley at various times but soon dinner was being made followed by two unique and great desserts that Andy had saved for the last night to celebrate the trip.

Return to Valley

The next morning we hiked back to the "Valley" for a distance of about six miles. It was marked by very steep descents and an incredible rock staircase leading to the bottom of Vernal Falls. Throngs of clean-smelling but exhausted day hikers were headed to the falls and beyond. A rowing team from Stanford University ran up the trail as part of their training regimen. We took the shuttle to the Village where we checked for the availability of pizza. They had reverted to late fall hours so we took another shuttle bus to Curry Village where our appetites were satisfied.

We noticed a bit of commotion going on and thought a bear was sighted. It was actually a bobcat trying to catch a squirrel. It didn't succeed but it was neat to watch. Andy, Matt, Jen and Jim left to pick up the other car while El and I shuttled back to the village. We checked out the shops, gallery, and ranger station. We heard rangers talking about a certain bear and we laughed. One of the rangers had seen the backpack with the bear on the back while we hiked into Sunrise High Sierra Camp days earlier. El acknowledged that it was her husband who provided the transportation for the bear.

Andy, El and I met the others in Fresno and later we dined at a good place on the bad side of town. At least that was my impression as the parking lot was fenced and had a guard and all the businesses had metal bars on all the windows..quite different from my environment back home. However the food was great but interestingly enough on the plane the next day a woman sat next to me from Fresno. I told her where we ate and she indicated that she had never ventured to that part of the city to dine even though she had lived there most of her life..ouch! Thanks Matt!!!...Just kidding!

The next morning we all went our separate ways but not before reflecting on the trip itself, it was a memorable hike in an outstanding landscape. My thanks to Andy for his meticulous planning and his kind spirit.

More photos of the trip can be seen here:

Yosemite National Park - September 2010

24 Hours at Grand Island

2010-09-11T11:03:00.001-04:00

I just took a short trip to one of the local islands. I actually packed enough for a few days but a simple 24 hours was enough to calm my soul. I'm in between two big trips right now, so I didn't want to stay away from home too long. There is a simple beauty in the island that is ever changing. The island is very quiet at this time of year and it felt like I had the place almost all to myself. How great is that?

More Pictures:

24 Hours at Grand Island

Off to Colorado - August/September 2010

2010-09-07T20:32:00.006-04:00

Preface: This was the trip that "almost" didn't happen. Original plans were for three of us to backpack the Wind River Range in Wyoming but after Sue having a chronic foot problem this summer, we decided not to do a huge backpacking trip. Colorado looks appealing, we could do day hikes, a short backpacking trip and act like tourists visiting towns and shopping. Connie decided to join us as this trip looked more like something she would enjoy. Truth be said, I am probably the only one of us that is overly crazy about backpacking. We still camped each night except for the first and last nights that were related to our air travel schedule.

I did write my usual journal on this trip but will only skim the highlights or downlights as some may be:

August 25: Sue, Connie and I flew out of Marquette. Connie had traveled here the night before so logistics would be easier. Our trip was prefaced by a misplaced parking ticket fiasco....Sue's husband Jim had dropped her off and parked the car...then I would follow him to his hanger to store my car next to his plane. He was parked for maybe 15 minutes and wanted to exit the lot but the ticket was nowhere to be found...that meant he couldn't get out of the lot without the ticket which entailed getting security. In the meantime, I wondered where he was? They would let him out but not before paying the minimum of $35...This had to be dealt with later as no one would believe him or us!

Our plane was late getting out of Marquette meaning we had to run like hell when we hit Minneapolis. We grabbed the tram and luckily made it on our flight to Denver.

In Denver, Julie's plane from Phoenix arrived within minutes of ours and we were all together...our luggage miraculously made it too....life was good! We stayed at the LaQuinta and picked up our rental vehicle in the morning....a Suburban.....what a monster!...We teased Sue about practicing for her future life when she retires....driving a big RV!

August 26: We were off to Boulder...it was 90 F in the shade so we decided to do our acclimatizing by shopping at REI and MontBell rather than climb the Flatirons.

We picked up the rest of our food supply at Estes Park, bought some bakery and set up our camp for two nights at Moraine in the Rocky Mt National Park. We had an awesome site that I had previously reserved with a huge backdrop of mountain scenery.

August 27: The first night we all heard a huge chorus of coyotes...and I mean huge! We packed our day hiking packs with necessities. We walked right to the shuttle from our camp site. We met a group of local women called the Friday Frolickers who were very friendly. We switched shuttles and we were dropped off in the Glacial Gorge to do a few hikes including The Loch and Mills Lake.

Highlights were seeing a ton of elk and meeting a couple who were in their 26th year of volunteering at the park...incredible, they were at least in their 80's and hiking all the time.

Downlights were that Sue and I couldn't find Connie and Julie. At the time they were ahead of us as we were busy taking pictures. I kept walking and didn't come across them after asking several people if they were ahead of us.....of course, everyone indicated they were......yes, "two women, sun hats and one blue shirt"....after awhile instinct told me that they weren't, so we returned to a spot where we were shaded by a large rock...after another half hour they came walking from the other direction....Yikes, Sue and I had ducked into the bushes at separate times and they must of sneaked on by...........well, we all got a lot of extra walking in. Sue and I met a local and he told us of another way of getting back...it was really cool and it was unmarked and untraveled....just what I like!

August 28: It was a crazy night of elk bugling...I love our camp site. It sits far back from the road and is rimmed by meadows with large rocks and mountains in the backdrop. In the morning we packed up our tents and drove to the Bear Lake TH.

We were to hike to Odessa Lake and this trail was fabulous. There was tons of loose rock so it was slow going but pretty. We stopped at a short unmarked spur that the local had told us about yesterday and the views were fantastic (it's great to get hints from locals as they know the best places). The descent to Odessa was very picturesque. We turned around as we neared the bottom as we wanted to drive through the rest of the park today on the Trail Ridge Road.

As we traveled the road, it mostly threatened rain but had only mini-showers. We got out at various overlooks and took short and scenic hikes at others. The road winds all over the place with huge drop offs but is in remarkable shape. Highlights were the tundra, more elk and the Alpine Visitor Center. After we left the park proper we found a camp site in the Arapaho National Recreation Area at Shadow Mt Lake. As we settled for the evening lightening flashed everywhere across the horizon.

August 29:

The drive was very picturesque, we stopped in Vail and enjoyed the farmer's market where we bought bagels..supposedly the biggest farm market in Colorado. We next stopped in Glenwood Springs where Connie and Sue opted for the outdoor hot springs pool and Julie and I opted for a shower. We would have opted for the pool but neither of us had a bathing suit or appropriate swim attire (who wants to rent a bathing suit...yuk?) I have been there before so it was no big deal plus it was 90 F outside at least.

We headed towards Aspen exploring many possibilities to camp...the national forest campsite signs were mostly hidden from our view so we drove to Maroon Creek where I knew of three campgrounds.

August 30: Rain continued into the morning, we thought about hiking but headed into town instead. Aspen as noted is a very upscale community. We wandered amongst the shops where the best of the best is apparent. We did buy bakery and pondered over a shop called "Travel Jewelery"...I really never thought about having to wear travel jewelery so someone wouldn't rob me...but then I guess most all of my jewelry could be considered travel jewelery...I guess I have one less thing to worry about!

We drove back to camp and made preparations for our backpacking trip starting tomorrow. The day was mostly cool with intermittent sun.

August 31: After a rainy start to the day, we arrived at the trail head, filled out the required registration for backpackers and picked up our poo bags. I was surprised to see very few cars at the long term parking lot as every mention of the Maroon Bells warns of crowds of people.

The trail started off very rocky. I wondered how Sue would do with all the rocks if the whole thing was this way. We took a few breaks along the way and then slow and steadily marched to Buckskin Pass where the elevation is nearly 13,000 ft.

The views of the valley were as spectacular as promised. We stopped for lunch at the top and were relieved that it was mostly downhill the rest of the day. Our map didn't exactly line up with some of the landmarks but we settled into camp. Views at Snowmass Lake were pretty but not as idyllic as seeing it from Buckskin Pass.

September 1: We had a long climb ahead but we soon were at 13,000 ft again but not before seeing lots of pikas and marmots. Mountain goats gathered below the summit. We definitely saw more people today but it was getting closer to the holiday weekend which is the last hur-rah for a lot of people. On the way back we stopped at Crater Lake to take a break and then navigated through the rocks.

We got back to the trailhead around 5 PM and secured a camp site at Silver Bell. We learned from the ranger that we could obtain a shower at the Aspen Recreational Center for an after-hours price. Eight bucks each later we were clean and headed to bed. The night temps were quite cold.

September 2: Today we would drive back to Denver but not before making a few stops along the way. We drove over Independence Pass, stopped in Leadville for bakery (sense an overall theme here?) and found the REI in downtown Denver (which used to be a power plant -amazing!) after we got directions from a man in a brown uniform...known as the UPS man!!

September 3: Most of us had early flights but that didn't mean we would be home early. Sue and I had a layover of almost 8 hours in Minneapolis due to the airlines eliminating one flight while we were gone. The airlines doesn't call it canceled, but instead, that it doesn't exist??? Anyway, we spent our time dilly-dallying, riding the trams for fun and just yakking before Connie landed on a different flight. The flight to Marquette ended with cheers/clapping for the pilot as he landed safely in the midst of almost 70 mph winds, 42 F and raining crazily...welcome back Yoopers! Julie arrived back in Phoenix to 112 F...different worlds for sure. It was a great trip with a mix of types of fun for everyone. We'll surely be on the road as a group again next summer. BTW, Sue's foot cooperated very well and hopefully she is on the road to full recovery.

I have three picture albums from this trip for your viewing pleasure:

Part 1: Rocky Mt National Park, CO

Part 2 : Colorado

Part 3: Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Backpack Trip

Grand Island National Recreation Area - August 2010

2010-08-06T20:12:00.004-04:00

Destination --Trout Bay

It was one of those last minute trips. I actually had planned on going for weeks...I just didn't exactly know when, until last night. I found myself packing at 10 PM. Instead of hiking alone and walking around the whole island like I usually do, friends Ursula and Elisabeth would be joining me for a base camp trip. They would join me later today. It was imperative that I take the earliest ferry today so that I could secure a camp site at Trout Bay on Grand Island. After all, it was early August and I expected the island to be busy.

Within minutes of driving into the parking lot for the ferry, the place was hopping. There were mostly bicyclists who would be embarking on day journeys. Maybe I would have a chance.

I arrived at Trout Bay and only one site remained open out of four. I was not disappointed as it was actually one of my favorites although none of them are unsatisfactory. I set to work hanging my hammock and tarp and secured my food. Bears are being a bit of a problem this year and they have already had to remove one of the bears. Another was circling camp sites and displaying other behaviors that were most likely caused by careless humans. It is their home for sure and I am just a visitor so I am vigilant to make my camp bearproof as always.

This day was expected to be a scorcher in UP (Upper Peninsula) terms so I would spend little time at the beach. My hammock in the pines would be a refuge in the shade. I started reading a book that I've been trying to read for a long time.

I awaited my friends who I expected to come on the 3:30 PM ferry. They actually came much later so it was almost 7 PM before they arrived. In the meantime I fended off our campsite to many that were without one. The rules are strict in that only four people can use a campsite with only two tents or shelters. I am always glad to share if I am alone but my friends were coming!

Not long after Ursula and Elisabeth arrived, dark clouds hovered on the horizon....rain was imminent. We all gathered under my tarp (that was over my hammock) where they made preparations to set up another tarp as soon as it would abate. The storm brought heavy rain but it didn't last very long.

After the blow went through, we started to set up Ursula's new tarp. It was her first experience with a tarp so I suggested an ideal location for it (one with enough trees to tie off to) and how to secure the knots and maintain good tension. Elisabeth enjoyed the process as well readily helping to set it up.

Elisabeth is here visiting from Switzerland. This is her first time in the United States and has eagerly participated in everything good that has come her way. She borrowed equipment which didn't exactly fit her but she doesn't fuss and makes the best of it. She speaks multiple languages and is very versed in our speech patterns. I do love her accent, especially when she some times calls bears, "beers"... I love that!

A Day For Wandering

In the morning, it was still warm. ..no jacket required. I went down to see the sunrise even though I could see it right from my hammock. Then I got lazy and went back to my hammock..could this be a pattern?

With another day of predictably high temps we decided to hike to the other side of the tombolo on Murray Bay and then hike into the thumb of the island, and do a short bushwhack to the platter of rocks. I usually have that place to myself but after we were there awhile, boaters arrived. They were actually people from one of the cottages that still remain on Trout Bay. We stayed there a few hours and sat mostly in the shade other than when we were swimming.

We swam around the perimeter of the rocks which is quite deep but the water was amazingly warm. Lake Superior is really doing a number on us this year as it is predicted to have record high temps by the middle of the month. Long term effects are unknown but likely will not be good for the fisheries as well as it supporting invasive species that don't ordinarily exist in such a cold lake. Although it feels good to swim, I certainly hope it goes back to its normal state next year.

We walked back through the woods and then onto the shoreline for the rest of the way back.

In the evening, we prepared our dinners and then ate them down at the beach. We enjoyed a couple of desserts - yum! After dinner, I walked along the shoreline in the water up the north side of the bay while my friends swam back at the beach.

Peaceful Existence

I slept mostly fine last night after the first few sleepless hours....I guess I didn't work hard enough during the day to sleep easily. I had a crazy dream and apparently woke Elisabeth during the night...she thought I was having trouble with bears!

I woke early so I took a walk down the beach while the others slept. I met and talked to a young teen who was kayaking with his family. They were at the next site which is probably at least 1/8 mi away from ours. The other two sites on the bay are at the other end of the beach which is a mile away. I love the fact that there are only four sites on Trout Bay, it always feels very private.

The day started out very overcast but it was a perfect day to sit on the beach and read, journal, chat about life and enjoy the surroundings without the sun penetrating.

The winds picked up quite a bit throughout the morning and I watched the waves build. Soon the sky looked threatening and the winds picked up more than they already were.

As quickly as I analyzed the situation, rain sprinkles appeared. We gathered our belongings and returned to our shelters. It was another short blow but I lay in my hammock longer than needed as it was so relaxing. That's what this trip was all about...a peaceful existence.

The mosquitoes have been a nusiance at times and Elisabeth fell victim to their vicious attack the last few days. She had tons of welts especially on her ankles that are all swollen.

We later picnicked on the beach for a late lunch. Ursula always has a delicious assortment of fresh food so we were not living the backpacking style of all freeze dried food.

Ursula and Elisabeth were to leave the island today and I debated whether to stay on another day as I was prepared for that. Instead I decided to leave as I will likely be back soon to enjoy it again.

We packed up our gear and headed over for the last ferry of the day on the south side of the island. Since they can only take six passengers at a time we waited patiently until the last run of which there had been five (It is only a five-minute ride at the most). It had been a long day for the operator as the seas were rougher and he told of kayakers needing to be rescued on the west side. The west and north sides of the island can be particularly dangerous in strong winds. Lake Superior should never be taken for granted, but respected.

The trip was everything it was meant to be....relaxing with good friends, good food and beautiful surroundings. I can't wait to do that again!

All of my pictures from the trip can be seen here:

Grand Island National Recreation Area - August 2010

Wild Blueberry Fields Forever

2010-07-30T13:10:00.004-04:00

It's that time of year...for gathering blueberries! It did catch me off guard and it arrived earlier than normal. My blueberry supply wasn't depleted from last year yet and I wondered if I could find room in my small freezer. But I had to go.....It is tradition.

As a small child I learned the value of hard work procuring the wonderful fruit. Our whole family would spend countless hours filling our buckets with berries. It wasn't only limited to blueberries though, as we picked whatever kind of berries were ripe.

Growing up, we spent most all of our summers at our cottage on Lake Roland, one of the Twin Lakes in Houghton County, Michigan. It was less than 20 miles from our year round home and actually closer to our Dad's work. We were so lucky!

We never had to go far to find berries. I don't ever remember using a car as we just walked in almost any direction from our cottage and we could find them.

My favorite place though, was the island that was just off to the side of our cottage. We had to take our small wooden row boat to get there and that added to the fun.

In those years the island was unoccupied and an abandoned home was the only residence. I remember thinking that the place was haunted probably due to the condition of the rundown house.

I loved going over there though, as it was a magical place full of blueberry bushes that no one bothered to pick other than us. I really think my affinity for islands comes from these early experiences too.

Back at camp again, Mom would whip out blueberry pies and jams galore and we were in heaven. When I was 19, my parents sold the cottage and Dad continued to find different other areas to pick. He always found a supply and later was blessed to be invited to Wendy's (friend of my brothers) place on Lake Superior the last few years of his life.

Dad's enthusiasm for berry collecting never ended for 88 years even though his hands were swollen and crawling around on the ground was no doubt hard on him. His smile though said it all, he was pleased to be able to do it regardless.

The last time I picked berries with my Dad was after a backpacking trip of 13 days to Isle Royale National Park. My brother, sister-in-law and Dad picked me up from the seaplane and took me directly to the berry field. At the time I thought, "a shower would be nice", but what the heck? (The picture below is my Dad and I that day with our rewards).

A successful day with Dad (larger version)

So I find myself in the woods picking berries each year with the same satisfaction that I learned as a child. Sure my back hurts after several hours, the bugs bite and the sun is hot...but oh, the berries!!! I reflect on this tradition in our family and hope to be able to pass this on to my new granddaughter, Emma, when she is old enough. In the meantime, I often return to the woods to find more.

Isle Royale National Park - June/July 2010

2010-07-30T10:36:00.004-04:00

June 29 - Off to Lane Cove

The calendar seemed to hurriedly flow through the month of June. It has been a busy month of travel, company and yard work. Even though all of it was fun except for the latter, I was excited about returning to my favorite place. Time always slows there and the long days after the summer solstice were in my favor.

I drove up to the area the night before and in the morning my brother drove me over to get the Ranger III to the island. Other passengers were eager to board and smiles were bountiful. The boat had a light passenger load as it was still early in the season.

I settled in and chose to sit on the back deck of the Ranger III. It was protected from the strong winds and really very pleasant.

I conversed with an older couple who were going to stay at the lodge and do some fishing, a solo kayaker on his very first visit, a couple who would be spending time on the island volunteering and a parent who was visiting her daughter who was employed on the island. This is a typical variety of people who visit the island..a place that can be enjoyed in so many ways besides backpacking.

I found myself revisiting some of my memories especially when someone asked if I had been to the island before.

This year would be different for me. I would spend some time solo as well as spend the majority of time both backpacking and canoeing with a friend who is a national park employee working on the island.

When the Ranger III docked at Mott Island (headquarters), I got off for the brief stop to meet with Jamie to finalize our plans for the second part of the journey. Tonight I would hike out from Rock Harbor to spend the night at Lane Cove on the north shore and then return to the south shore later tomorrow to be picked up by Jamie in his canoe.

As soon as the boat docked at Rock Harbor I set out to hike the 7 miles to Lane Cove. It was already after 3 PM and the temps were pleasant. There were still remnants of spring wildflowers like Iris and Wood Lilies, and wolf scat to boot.

I climbed to the ridge and then quickly descended the remaining few miles. Only one campsite was left so I creatively set up my tarp in less than ideal conditions. I skirted around the shoreline to find a better place to filter water as it was very shallow.

I had the small cove to myself! I decided to gather my dinner, and other necessities to spend the rest of the evening there. Mergansers and their brood, loons, and a bald eagle were spotted. The sky was rosy. It was good to be back.

June 30 - Rock Harbor Lighthouse and Moose Sheds

I lay in bed for a long while. There was no need to rise early, not that there ever is on such a journey. I wouldn't be meeting Jamie until 5 PM, and I knew hiking about nine miles would only take half a day at best.

The morning was so quiet and I could hear the horn on the Ranger III blow on the south shore as it was leaving port back to sail back to Houghton. I decided to gather my gear and head out in the next few hours before the sun got real hot. The climb back to the ridge always induces sweat and I was glad to take a rest for a bit when I reached the top.

I stopped again at Mt Franklin and was greeted by a familiar face of a woman whom I had met on the boat. We chatted and then I ambled on towards the Ojibwa Tower. I climbed it to get a better view before I descended to Daisy Farm where I would hang out for awhile. I walked barefoot in the water, things were pretty quiet there still.

It was time to head back east along the Rock Harbor Trail to find the designated spot where I would meet Jamie.

Soon we were off in his canoe to Mott Island. He gave me a quick tour of the island, we ate dinner and then we took a motor boat over to the Rock Harbor Lighthouse. We climbed the steps and to my surprise we walked around the catwalk. It was somewhat scary thinking how old the whole lighthouse was.....actually it was scary to be on the top out in the open...anyway I took very small steps and viewed the awesome surroundings!

We then wandered over to Rolf and Candy's cabin and viewed the mountains of moose antlers that were stored for research purposes. We visited with Candy who had just returned from her row to Daisy Farm. It was great to see her again and we reminisced about my family who Candy got to know through her volunteer work for hospice. It was after sunset before we returned to Mott Island.

It was truly a remarkable day. After about 15 trips to Isle Royale this was to be the first of many experiences on the water. I absolutely loved it...how could I not?

July 1 - Canoeing Siskiwit Lake

In the morning Buzz gave us a ride on the largest of the park work boats, the Beaver, to Malone Bay. He was heading to Sisikiwit to pick up trail crew and had to stop at Malone to check out some new signs. The new head ranger, Dan, was also along.

We stopped at Chippewa Harbor to bring supplies to trail crew there. It was a calm day on the lake and the ride was great. We soon were at Malone Bay with our backpack gear plus paddles and life vests. We would be borrowing a canoe from the park service for the day on Siskiwit Lake. We set up at a shelter and then hiked a short ways to Siskiwit Lake. This is the largest lake on the island and it measures over 7 miles long. I was excited about this adventure as I had only viewed it from shore before.

The day was chilly and lightly raining but our spirits were high. We witnessed a long series of calls by a loon that was remarkable. We paddled to the east end of the island and into Wood Lake. We took a break there out of the wind and wondered if our paddle back would be a bit more choppy.

We paddled by Eagle's Nest Island, Ryan Island, Tea Kettle Island and more. We stopped a few times to take a break. Instead of going straight back to the launch site we paddled west a bit but decided that we probably did enough for the day (9.3 miles). It's better to stop before the body reacts as we had many days ahead of us.

Later we brought Jamie's paddles and life vests over to the Ranger Cabin so that they could bring them back to Mott Island when convenient. On the way back we hung out at the ranger station for awhile and looked through books and log reports.

Back at the shelter the evening brought a bit of sun and warmth after a chilly day.

July 2 - Hot Climb to the Greenstone

The next morning was warm and we knew we were heading out into a hot day. We had a leisurely breakfast before hiking the Ishpeming Trail to the Greenstone Ridge. We took a few breaks before the top to cool down and arrived at the tower where we had lunch. We then headed west as our destination for the night was South Desor Lake.

I couldn't wait to get to the lake as I wanted to swim. We set up camp and then headed down to the beach for the evening with our dinner and cameras. I greatly enjoyed the water but as I returned to shore Jamie noticed a huge leech that was hanging out, although I may of been accused of bringing it in. We had seen none prior to that so it was a surprise but at least it wasn't attached.

The winds caused a tree to fall over not far away and earlier one had fallen close to camp. We stayed down at the beach well after sunset to view the marvelous colors over the lake and on the reflections on the waves of the lake. We both took a ton of pictures, compared them and ranted about our own :) - Just kidding!

July 3 - Quiet Night at Todd Harbor

It was quite windy all night..that made for restless sleeping on my part. We got on the trail much earlier today, we were heading to Todd Harbor, a distance of about 11.8 miles. We only saw one group of guys today...yesterday it was only one group of girls...unbelievably quiet.

The day was hot, very hot and I was definitely overheated once more. We cooled off with breaks and the wind helped while idle. No sign of animal activity the last few days, probably just too hot!

We arrived to an empty camp ground and it stayed that way through the evening.. jumped in the lake to cool and laid on the dock..hair and clothes dried quickly in the wind. Pale rosy colors colored the horizon at sunset.

July 4 - Celebrating the Fourth

The day started cloudy and hazy after a bit of rain last night. By the time we hiked to the ridge over Otter Lake the sun broke through. We took a long break there and I remembered my Dad. He would have loved this place. We explored the Minong Mine for a short time before we arrived at McCargoe Cove. Took a break before continuing our journey. Shortly after it started to rain. We watched two loons with chicks and a heron. We stopped at West Chickenbone and decided to camp there rather than continuing to Lake Ritchie. It was hard to say whether the rain would continue and we had planned to paddle on Ritchie.

The rain ceased and by evening we had nature's own fireworks...another gorgeous sunset to enjoy. This one was really vivid and a treat for the Fourth of July. We also reflected on how others are spending the holiday as well as how we did in the past.

Enjoyed the evening so much that once again I was setting up my bivy and sleeping bag as the mosquitoes went into full force. It's like there is an "ON" button as soon as it gets dark...they go into a full-fledged riot. They really haven't been bad most of the time though, so I can be thankful. I managed to get into my bivy without bringing in any mosquitoes but Jamie wasn't so lucky in his tent.

Just before retiring, I walked up the trail and almost stepped on a toad and then a snake....small creatures in the night!

July 5 - Hiking and Canoeing on Lake Ritchie

We awoke early but were in no particular hurry. Jamie asked me if I heard the wolves last night but alas I must of slept soundly.

Today we walked to Lake Ritchie but along the way we also walked the portage trails to view Lake Livermore and Lake LeSage.We picked berries along the way as we have been doing every day. Dewberries, raspberries, a few blueberries and thimbleberries were along the trails.

At Lake Ritchie we stowed our gear, retrieved a canoe and paddled out and around the lake and small islands. Our paddling was often stymied by loons and chicks and eagle watching opportunities galore. We stopped for a break at the Lake Ritchie canoe campground..very nice setting.

The day was again hot but it was refreshing while on the water. We returned to land and stashed the canoe and hiked onward to Moskey Basin. It was there that I bid Jamie a temporary good bye as he had to hike out and return to Mott Island to work tomorrow.

I set up in a shelter at Moskey midway along the the basin. I took a much needed swim, rested for awhile, watched the water for loons and chicks and just enjoyed hanging out. The sunny sky gave way to clouds in the early evening.

July 6 - Return to Mott

I awoke early to heavy fog shrouding the landscape. I went back to sleep and a few hours later the fog started to lift. I stayed at Moskey most of the morning to enjoy the quiet surroundings. I started hiking and after about two miles I saw a nice rock outcropping with a pine tree providing shade. I lay down and took a long rest. I also stopped at Daisy Farm which was completely quiet. I finished my walk several miles east of there where I would await Jamie's return after work via canoe.

We paddled back to Mott as I would be returning to Houghton from there the next morning. The lake was a bit choppy so we decided to just paddle back and do some hiking on Mott later instead of more paddling. I set up my tarp, headed to the shower, and enjoyed a real meal thanks to Jamie. We hiked over to East Caribou Island via the bridge that connects it to Mott Island and then walked the Mott trails. The south side of Mott is very rugged with a shipwreck located in the waters beneath the rocks. It was almost dark when we returned so I retreated to my tarp for the night.

July 7 - Until Next Year

The last day is always bittersweet. Jamie stopped by in the morning to say good bye and soon I would be aboard the Ranger III. Although I am never ready to leave Isle Royale, this trip seemed entirely too short.

What more could I have asked for though, it was my favorite place, I had a great companion and I had new experiences. I didn't want the trip to end but life is good and I always know that I will return to my favorite place on this earth.

To see more pictures from the trip:

Isle Royale National Park 2010

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - May 28-31 2010

2010-07-13T19:04:00.008-04:00

May 28 - Laura's First Backpack Trip

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - a place so close to home that is a gem in all seasons. I met Andy, John and Laura at the ranger station on Friday morning. I hadn't seen the guys for a few years and I just now met Laura.

Our permit was filled out by the friendly ranger (Pam) who always remembers my name as I am a frequent visitor. We headed out to Sand Point to drop my car and then John shuttled us to Grand Marais where we would start our journey.

Andy likes to begin the trip at Sable Falls so we descended the steps to view the falls, checked out sand dune view points along the way, all before walking by the Grand Marais Ranger Station. We noted the status of the spring flowers along the way. With the early spring this year, many of the flowers were past prime and the ferns were well higher than norm.

We stopped to eat our lunches around the Log Slide. It was a windy day in the mid 70's F but felt actually cool when we rested. This was Laura's first backpacking trip and she was doing exceedingly well. Andy had versed her in the selection of equipment and she was well under 30 lbs for her first trip.This was an awesome way to start. We all had our "beginner" status tales from long ago and I recalled how I use to bring dried apricots weighing a ton because they were after all, "dried".

While we chatted, a group went by with typical beginner gear, heavily loaded including massive tents strapped to the outside of their packs.

The remaining 1.5 miles to the camp site at Au Sable went quickly. The camp sites were mostly unoccupied except for the group that we had seen earlier. We set up in close proximity as the sites aren't very large.

We spent time on the rocky shoreline, it was a time for "catch-up" and time for new thoughts and ideas. We are a diverse group and it makes it quite fun! Later we went down to catch the rosy sky before retiring to a full moon in the sky.

May 29 - Shipwrecks

Relatively warm night - stayed in sleeping bag until around 7 AM. We hiked the short distance to the Au Sable Lighthouse where we planned to have breakfast.

Instead of walking the actual trail itself, we followed the shoreline to catch sight of shipwrecks. The water levels were very low so iron and wood was evident from the late 1800's.

Ironically but not unusual, an ore boat passed by as we walked the beach. We took our time and enjoyed every picturesque opportunity along the way.

At Seven Mile Beach, we took an extended break in the shade, walked in bare feet in the cold water, and watched a scout troop jump in the water.

It was already late afternoon when we headed to Trapper's Lake. Along the way we ran into a group of rowdy young men and women. One guy was carrying a ridiculously big log over his shoulder and they were trying to find the group site.

They didn't realize that they had already passed it but Andy redirected them and they were soon following us. They were laden with adult liquid refreshments and had evidently been already partaking.

We quickly decided to take one of the individual sites the farthest away from them as peace and quiet is what we were after.

Andy found a huge snapping turtle as he went down to retrieve water.The evening remained hot as it was all day. We didn't even have to add layers to our clothing as dusk settled in.

Coyotes and frogs plucking their banjos entertained us during the night. I apparently made some noise of my own as I awoke myself and others with cries of "Help Me". Andy was fully prepared to help, but I assured him it was just a dream.

May 30 - Hot, Hot, Hot!!!

Left camp and then spent a bit of time at Beaver Lake. Andy went swimming and soon Laura headed down the shore to do the same. Stopped again at the Coves and rested on the massive rocks.The day was already hot but a breeze made it tolerable.

Just before Chapel we saw several people climbing on Chapel Rock in full view of the sign that tells one to stay off. After a quick view of the offenders, we hiked on to see the ranger running fast toward the rock. It was Cliff, a backcountry ranger I knew who was definitely set to confront the guilty people.

After a break at Chapel Beach in the shade, we were back on the trail. We picked up the pace and the humidity did the same. It was much hotter than I liked (90 F) and I was happy to find that my favorite camp site under the hemlocks was available at Mosquito. I set up and rested to cool down before heading to the shore to join the others.

This afternoon we heard three distinct and loud crashes of rocks as we neared Mosquito Beach. They were evidently pieces of large rock crashing into the water. This often happens but I can't say that I've ever experienced the sounds before.

We stayed down at the beach until well after sunset. The skies looked ominous and later around 3 AM a storm blew through and then it was mostly peaceful.

Monday - A Lone Wolf

The day went quickly even though we had many miles to hike. We just didn't take as many breaks but we did pause for a snack at each end of Miner's Beach. The lake was really picking up today and the waves were rolling in..rip tide conditions for sure.

At the confluence of Miner's Beach and Miner's River Andy decided to lighten his pack by sharing his huge stash of licorice, chocolate-covered cranberries and more. We all gladly obliged and I teased him about the big climb ahead of us...I knew he would fly up it anyway but now his pack was even lighter.

We cruised to Sand Point where my car would serve as the shuttle back to Grand Marais. On the return journey a wolf crossed the road. Andy and the rest had seen one the night before the trip began so this was only fitting. How cool was that?

To see all my pictures from this trip, check out my album:

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore May 2010

2010-06-10T21:05:00.029-04:00

A Journey Around the High Country Pathway - 80 Miles in 5.5 Days

Thursday May 13 -- A Rainy Start

There is a certain draw with some places and this is one place that I've been drawn to often. This is my third through hike of the High Country Pathway, although the last one was six years ago. I have been back many times since then but only for sectional and bushwhack hikes. After responding to inquires about the pathway on a backpacking forum, I simply stated that it was a thru-hike that I would like to do again. Others "called" me on that thought and soon there was talk to do it soon. Mike F. from Canton, Mi organized it and Ewa R. from Livonia, Mi and I would join him.

The pathway is an 80 mi loop through varied forests and terrain in the Pigeon River Country State Forest. This vast state forest lies in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is mostly a quiet place and it is rare to see others on the pathway.

We started our journey at the headquarters unit of the PRCSF. There is parking for backpackers close by to leave their vehicles for multiple days. We picked up the requisite permits for our journey. These permits are free and it would be silly to be fined for not having them. There is always a conflict of opinion regarding how to use these permits as it solely depends on which state worker one talks to at any given time.

We were told we had to have one for each night and then to leave it posted to a tree in the middle of the woods at each camp site. Other times, including just recently, we were told that we could carry one permit for the whole trip and not leave the woods littered with them. The latter makes the most sense for backpackers as I doubt they would ever get retrieved from most remote spots. I understand the concept behind posting a permit permanently though as some people leave a mess, have unattended fires, etc. Our small group would do neither. No trace will remain from our journey as we always pack out everything and we don't have fires.

We soon were on our way. We traveled counterclockwise on the pathway and hiked through pines, blueberry bushes, wintergreen with red berries and purple Gaywings. They all are at home in acidic soil.

After hiking less than a mile, the telltale rain sprinkles began. As they soon intensified, I donned my rain gear as did the others. It wasn't to abate so we spent the entire day walking in the rain. It wasn't without interest though as the wet forest highlighted tons of elk rubs on trees, especially in the hilly area of glacial moraines and between the old remnants of the fire tower and the two following overlooks. As we passed the spur to one of the state forest campgrounds, Ewa spied a raccoon just wandering around.

We crossed the East Branch of the Black River on the marvelous new bridge that was built since my last journey in that part. I had waded the river on a couple of prior occasions as the old bridge was destroyed by high water.

The new bridge was highly structured and made to last. We checked out a potential camp site prior to the bridge but decided to walk further and chose a spot further back from a meadow area to get out of the wind. We were not in view of the river but it wasn't much of a walk to obtain water.

We set up our shelters, hung our food, fetched water and just hung out in (tent) or under (tarp) our shelters as it was still raining steadily.

At dusk the rain lightened and the woodcocks who are nocturnal began to make their calls. Peent, peent....it went on for a long time. They resumed again around 5 AM. I think we were definitely in their territory. We were also entertained by meadowlarks at various times.

Friday May 14 -- Rattlesnake Hill

Everyone packed up and dried anything in the wind that was wet or damp. I really didn't have much to dry other than my rain gear. The field looked like an abandoned camp with everything hanging in trees.

We soon were on our way. We almost immediately hiked through the Tubbs Creek area which has dozens of boardwalks through the moss and cedar swamps. Mike noticed a sharp shin hawk.

We procured water at Rattlesnake Creek, then climbed the steep approach to Rattlesnake Hill which really is a series of hills. It was quite windy and cool at the top so we didn't linger very long. We started the series of short climbs. Ewa saw a deer and soon we were back in the red pines and then jack pines. We met two mountain bikers who were climbing the hill by Pug Lakes. We watered up at Van Dalen Creek and made camp shortly after. We were deep into the pines after climbing to higher ground. We had hiked over 15 miles today and although it went well we were all glad to be at camp.

Saturday May 15 -- A Tough Decision

The night was fairly chilly. I got up and put some extra layers on and then I was content. In the morning I walked down to the creek while the others finished packing and startled a partridge. We ran into a group of morel hunters..looked like mostly family units enjoying the activity.

We only had about two miles to go before Clear Lake State Park. it is located on a short spur off the pathway but we went there because Mike was not feeling the best. He hadn't eaten much this morning and wanted to have breakfast there to see if he would feel better. We lingered there for a couple of hours. After contemplating different options, Mike decided it was best that he leave the trip.

We walked to the park office and a ranger took him immediately back to his car. Now Ewa and I would go forward to hike the rest but felt bad that Mike couldn't do the same. It was his trip and he was really looking forward to completing it. I knew though, that he would do it another time!

It was already noon when Mike left, so Ewa and I knew we had a long day ahead of us. We crossed the highway, climbed up to the tower area and then walked through jack pine forests, old railroad grades, ghost towns (McPhee), wetlands with rickety footing, clear cuts and more.

As we crossed a dirt road, Ewa hailed a slow-moving recreational vehicle. We confirmed with the owners that we were crossing the road we thought we located on the map (Millersburg). Although the pathway is suitably marked and we certainly weren't lost, it is hard to keep track of the road crossings as many or most are not on the map. Overall, we have seen much traffic on forest roads today with free-wheeling teens and turkey hunters. It has surprised me as I usually see almost no one.

We refilled our water containers at Tomahawk Creek and ascended into the lovely hills there. Soon we came to the flooding where we spied red wing black birds and a deceased turtle.

Ewa and I walked seemingly forever to get out of the no-camping zone which extends the length of the flooding. We were heading to the area well east of Tomahawk Lake but decided to camp in a meadow after walking through a pine plantation. All told we were tired but food and drink rejuvenated us. A sliver of a moon hung in the sky.

Sunday May 16 - Lots of Wet Areas and the First Mosquitoes

As soon as we walked a few hundred meters this morning, we realized we were where we wanted to camp last night. It was fine though, as I would of missed the crazy sounds from the wild last night. I can't even describe them but some animal was making noises I never heard before.

When we got to Tomahawk Lake we topped off our water supply a bit and then hiked to Shoepac Lake. We stopped to get fresh water from the pump there and enjoyed a break on the lovely shoreline.

Today our travel went through wetlands, clear cuts, and even hardwood forest on each side of the Black River. I noticed a neat black and white bird with a red vest (Rose-breasted Grosbeak) in the hardwoods. It was a pretty day with longer breaks at Canada Creek and then the Black River.

We had lunch in front of the shelter at Canada Creek and Ewa noticed a few ticks.The day was again very hot and I dipped my hat and neckerchief in water to cool me off. We stopped and cooled our feet in cold water too.

We hiked for hours (17.5 miles) and negotiated tons of broken board walks and waded through extensive wet areas. We often bushwhacked around the worst. We finally made it to Duby Lake at 9 PM and it was quick work to set up camp, set the bear hang, make dinner and journal. Also had the first of many mosquitoes today through the wet areas and at camp. They weren't particularly bothersome though.

Our camp was on a great spot on a small ridge overlooking the lake. Because I had been at Duby Lake a few times in the past I knew obtaining water there is a hassle due to extensive bog-like wetlands lining the shore of the lake.

We had enough water to camp and we knew we could backtrack a short ways to get water at Milligan Creek in the morning.

Monday May 17 - A Great Surprise

Another cold night! There has been quite a contrast between high and low temps on this trip. Awoke by 7 AM and we were ready to go quickly this morning. We backtracked to the creek to resupply our water and then hiked through mostly pines to the Dog Lake Flooding. After that the forest became a combination of pines and hardwoods. There were still wet areas to navigate and we even came across a small creek so we decided to have lunch there amongst the mosquitoes.

Soon after crossing Webb Road we saw a morel hunter from Ohio. The hardwood forest was the perfect environment to find the morels so he has found several nice looking ones. His partner was somewhere else within the forest and they would meet up later.

We stopped for a nice break at an overlook above the Pigeon River when we were almost to the Pine Grove Campground. As we approached the campground I saw a guy and his dog hiking towards us. Wait a minute, I know this guy! It was Dennis and his dog Relay! They had just set up camp and were going out for a training hike (Relay's training, not Dennis). He was as surprised to see us as we were of him, he asked us to sit awhile so we took another break as we only had a few miles to go. Relay is one of 57 dogs that Dennis owns, but the only one that got to go on this trip. I bet he got spoiled by that! It was also neat because Ewa got to meet Dennis and she would be going on the same group trip as he in a few weeks to Canada.

After saying our goodbyes, we headed to the bridge that goes over the Pigeon River. It was technically closed but had cables to further secure its footings. Actually the bridge is in much better shape than the boardwalks that follow it.

We came across a turkey hunter fully decked in camo. We also chatted with him about turkey sightings but none of us had seen any. This trip has been different from others I have done here as we've encountered more people than usual doing their sports of choice. It was neat to see many people enjoying the merits of this great state forest land.

We headed towards Bird Tally Creek. Before we got to the actual crossing of the creek with the pathway, we saw neat wide open wetland areas complete with beaver dams and an active beaver which we watched for awhile. There was also great bird activity with herons and red wing blackbirds being the most predominant.. We hiked on a short ways and then decided that it would be a great place to camp so we backtracked to that spot.

Evening talk amongst the bird chatter made a great atmosphere while we were cooking our own respective dinners. A nice sunset completed the day.

Tuesday May 18 --Climb Through the Hardwoods

The night had been peaceful as all the activity was on hold. We were awake early, at 6:30 AM or so and had breakfast and quickly packed. We quickly found that our decision to camp last night where we did was a great one! The actual crossing of Bird Tally Creek with the trail is now non existent. It is dried up or very swampy!

Now it was time to climb up through the hardwoods for quite a ways. I often wonder how it would be to ski down this climb as it goes forever. At the top of the climb we joined into the Shingle Mill Pathway (which is one in the same as the High Country Pathway for this section) until we got back to the park headquarters where we started.

We followed the exterior loop in hot and dry conditions with a few breaks to cool down. When we reached the end of our journey, we both drove off in separate directions. Ewa was heading back downstate and I ventured off traveling the dirt roads to Webb Rd and eventually getting back to the expressway to head north.

We had a great experience and I'm sure I'll be back for another round sometime!

All of my pictures from this trip can be seen here:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/577882179HzgXaX?vhost=outdoors

2010-06-08T18:24:00.017-04:00

High Banks to Red Bridge - A Journey on the North Country Trail

Pre-Trip -- April 29

After spending the last few days with great friends who live in Harbor Springs, I drove to the Manistee River area via Traverse City where the vast orchards of cherry trees were blooming. I couldn't resist a stop at Oryana, the wonderful food coop hidden on the back streets of town.

I settled in at the Upper River Trailhead at 9 PM for the night as I would meet the Grand Traverse Hiking Club (North Country Trail Chapter) in the morning. Thoughts ran back to how I originally met some members of this fine group. It was at least a decade ago on the Jordan River Trail where I first met Dick N. and Rick H. In hindsight, I probably had met Rick before that at a GLH Gathering. Anyway, after years of occasionally running into one or the other, I started attending their annual group backpack outing several years back. I was also looking forward to seeing Ed, Kim, Dale and Deena who I had met and hiked with a few years back.

This year was very exciting as we were going to hike the new section of the North Country Trail that the club had designed, and constructed during the last few years. We were to hike 31 mi during the next four days,18 mi of which had been newly rerouted.

April 30 -- Stormy Night

In the morning, I drove the short distance to Red Bridge where most of the group would congregate. Although I recognized Rick wearing his signature Tilley, there were many that I hadn't met before. Dan, Bruce, Peggy, Tom, Pam, and Sara (who I had recognized from ski racing years back) introduced themselves. Mona and Deena were also there to help shuttle the hikers. When we had been shuttled to the start point, Kim and Nan joined us for the backpack trip.

We started at the High Banks area. We hiked either along or a short ways back from the Manistee River on the "high banks" above the river. There were many spectacular overlooks along the way. Dick joined us at Anderson Creek as he had backtracked from our first night's camp. At the creek we readily re-supplied with water. It was a hot crazy day for spring and it didn't take much to overheat. It was at least 85 degrees and the air was very dry almost making it desert-like conditions.

We later set up our camp above the high banks of the river. We all chatted and learned many facts about each other. It was a very diverse group, some members were from the Traverse Group but others were from further points near Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and myself from the U.P. During the evening Dale and Andy arrived at different times from opposite directions, it was a large group for sure. Peggy treated everyone to chocolate fudge which she had prepared at camp.

The evening remained hot. Heavy storms were predicted and we weren't to be disappointed. The first rain drops fell around 10 PM so everyone trailed off to their respective shelters. Earlier that evening I had spied a broken small poplar tree that had the top hung up in the crotch of a tree. I had considered moving my tarp even though directionally the tree had no chance of hitting me if the hung up part came down. Lightening flashed everywhere and thunder was reverberating in all directions (the next morning, Dale compared it to "surround sound", a perfect description).

I was settled under my tarp listening to all the sounds when the winds shifted directions and pulled violently on my tarp. The tarp had been set up in sandy soil and I feared for the worse. All of a sudden some of my tarp stakes violently jerked out with a ferocious blast of wind. It was evident that I would be in trouble!

Rain was seemingly falling as hard as possible and before I could unzip the closed mosquito netting of my bivy, my hair and shirt was plastered with water. I gathered the loose part of the tarp as best I could around me and tucked those edges under my bivy to keep them from flying away. Meanwhile I dug into my pack that was next to me, and got out a hat and fleece plus rain gear. I layered on the clothing as best as I could considering that I was still holding down the tarp. I huddled under the enclosure until the worst of the storm went through.

There was still another round to go with this storm but in the interim I got up and starting looking for my stakes. With so much pressure they had flown off in many directions and I found all but two, after looking seemingly forever. I found some tree branches to secure the other loops. Lightening was still flashing everywhere and even with the use of two lighting sources the other two red stakes were no where to be found. The storm was really noisy and I wondered if others were OK.

I went back to bed with wet hair and a partially wet sleeping bag hoping to dry both with body heat. Then the next round of the storm came through and I hoped for the best. Thankfully, It was soon morning and I had slept well.

In the morning, I noted that the poplar tree section had indeed separated from the crotch of the tree and was now impaled into the earth several feet from my tarp (I am so glad I didn't move my tarp in that direction). Another small tree was also down, funny thing is that I heard neither hit the earth. In the morning, I and others had searched for the remaining stakes but just found one so the other one is still out there, perhaps it flung off the cliff. (Later reports indicated the rainfall was 1.2 inches.)

Others had their own difficulties during the night. Rain was flying in through the mesh on their tents and they used umbrellas, rain jackets or whatever they had to stop the penetration.

May 1 -- The New Reroute of the North Country Trail

A new day and a beauty of one. In the morning Deena, Jan and Bert came in to join us for the day on some of the new section of trail. Deena had worked on building this section along with Dick, Sara, Ed and other members of the club. This section was much closer to the river and much more scenic than the former North Country Trail through this part (I had backpacked the old section many years back).

Being new trail, the surface is a bit more uneven until the passing of many hundred hikers occurs.The construction of many bridges and boardwalks were necessary as many areas are wet, based with clay or have creek crossings. Many of the structures were referred to by the name of the person that worked on them like "Deena's Bridge". There is more work to do but this section is officially open and wonderful.

We met morel mushroom hunters along the way who indicated they weren't being as successful as normal years. Maybe it had been the dry and cold weather previous to now.

It was another scorcher of a day. Rest breaks alleviated sweating bodies and hydration was key. We hiked to the Fletcher Creek CG where the day hikers left us as well as Sara who had another outing (but would return the next afternoon). Since Sara was leaving she offered to get refreshments and snacks for the group. We hiked a bit further to the back country site where we would spend the night. It gave us more privacy as well as quiet and it was situated on a short spur to a point off the main trail.

We had a great surprise that evening when Ed popped into our camp site. He had been looking forward to the trip but had recently become saddled with a back problem. We enjoyed his visit and wished he could of enjoyed the fruit of his efforts on the new trail. He has accumulated a significant amount of hours working on the trail and will continue to do so when he gets better.

We gathered in the vicinity of the official fire ring where Nan attended to the fire. Stayed up well past dark and then retired to my tarp and bivy located near the shoreline...a very pleasant evening,...heard splashing now and then from some critter that was entering and exiting the water regularly.

May 2 -- Along the Dam, Across the River, and Through the Woods....

During the early morning it began to rain quite steadily. To our surprise it ended before we took down camp, in the meantime we took all the necessary rain preparations. The day was a bit cooler but still felt hot between rest breaks.

We noted that some chainsaw craftsman had made mushroom sculptures out of some tree stumps. Many of the local landowners or leasers from Consumers Energy have been active in making this reroute possible and have given many hours to the trail..perhaps it was one of them who did the sculptures.

As we went near the Northern Exposure CG, Nan, Kim and Dale left us as they had to get back to their lives in TC. It has been a "schedule" intensive trip as Rick has organized the comings and goings of some 16 people. He didn't seem frazzled by this but then he is a retired school teacher!

We skirted the backwaters of the Hodenpyle Dam along the shore and then before we crossed the Little Mac suspension bridge we met a large group of students from Calvin College who were completing a 1 credit backpacking course. The had done the Manistee River Trail as an overnighter and were excited about their trip.

We took a lunch break on the other side of the bridge and then hiked down to camp site #6 located about 5 mi after the bridge. Since the camp site was high on the bluff, I descended to the river via trail and walked a bit in the water and relaxed at riverside.

It was a great night of conversation around the fire ring area. We watched the sun disappear and soon most were off to bed. Sara (who had hiked back in earlier) and I were the last to leave conversation and then I soon drifted off to a comfortable sleep.

May 3 -- A Short Day

Morning was bit cooler, I even wore my down sweater for a bit although it wasn't an absolute necessity. As we headed out we spied a sign Andy had drawn in the dirt as he had camped further up the trail than we did last night. The trek out was uneventful but it brought back many memories of numerous "24 hours of Manistee" trips that I used to do. I hadn't been there in 5 years so it was great to be back to not only experience that but to also hike the new section of marvelous trail along the river.

Thanks to Rick H, Dick N, and Ed M for their efforts in organizing the trip. Can't wait to see everyone again next year!...or sooner!!

To check out my slide show from this trip, go to:

Pictures

An Early Spring Backpack in the Pigeon River Country State Forest

2010-04-20T12:30:00.022-04:00

April 8 - A Snowy Start

Like any backpack trip, one must get ready for the elements. The unseasonably warm weather during the last month abruptly turned south or..... should I say north?

Last night temperatures plummeted, winds were off the charts and this morning there was at least 6 inches of snow on the ground. Not being able to resist (the snow), I took a short walk out on the extensive trails near my home. I knew that traveling downstate would probably negate that last pleasure. Heavy-laden tree branches and snow-blasted tree trunks were decorated in cool patterns. It was a bright spot for this "winter lover" to have a bit of winter again!

Later, upon arrival in the Pigeon River State Forest, it was apparent that it had snowed there as well but very little comparatively...a light dusting would be accurate. Some of the trekkers were already there when we pulled into the designated overnight camp in a "field". Mary Ann, Mary and Larry were hanging around in Larry's truck presumably to stay warm and dry as the light snow was still falling.

Michael and I retrieved some food or dessert bags from Mary and set out to cache them in three different locations. Ordinarily such a feat is not performed. It was necessitated because there was a lot of people on this trip and the desserts were rather heavy, the goal would be to find them each day if navigation went well! It was late and it took over two hours to drive around the back roads and find suitable spots to hang the food and mark the GPS coordinates (in case they were needed).

Once back at the "field", it was nearly 11:30 PM and I fell asleep without any effort. It had been a long day! I did hear the song of coyotes at one point during the night.

April 9 - A day of swamps, you say?

The morning was cold and crisp. Not in full backpacking mode yet, the group prepared simple but hot breakfasts and leisurely waited for the others to congregate. Kevin, Dave, and Bill all arrived within a few minutes of each other and soon we were relocating all the cars nearer to our start and end point. Earlier, Bill had sighted fifteen elk in a group on his way down the dirt road.

Since the group was large the plan was to divide the eight people into a couple of groups. Previous plans were for three groups, but several people had canceled making two groups the likely choice.

Once groups were decided, participants would come up with their own route and meet at a designated spot in the woods later to camp. Michael thoroughly went over the topos and had the other group mark a ton of extra information including every bit of private land, unmarked roads, pathways and other details onto their topos so they would know what to avoid or hit.

The group I was in also consisted of Michael, Dave and Bill. The other group (Mary Ann, Kevin, Mary and Larry) started off after Michael finished his instructions and the rest of us lingered another hour to make some changes to equipment, etc. Dave did the navigation on the first leg and soon we were down overlooking the Pigeon River.

We saw a few blinds that hunters had constructed out of forest materials. We hit some high ridges but most of the day was spent penetrating an amazing amount of swamps or water. When the water got too deep, we looked for beaver dams or other slightly higher areas to get across the very wet areas.

Bill especially enjoyed the swamps so I teased him about his affliction :) I must admit that they are pretty in many ways including the sphagnum moss and colorful (shades of red) vegetation, however, I was hoping for higher ground tomorrow. We were rewarded though by seeing any amazing amount of giant pines and cedars on our journey today.

The day remained cold and tiny snowflakes drifted down at intervals. After the previous month of warm weather we had been spoiled for spring. We were now wearing mittens, over pants, jackets and wool hats again....and this is while we walked!!!

We finally reached our destination in mid evening. We had been rewarded by seeing a huge porcupine just before heading to camp. It had been mostly a tedious days of swamp walking and most were beat.

Cathy arrived just at dusk to join us. She had driven up after work and had the coordinates to find us as we were located a few hundred meters off an accessible road. Our bivouac was along the banks of the Pigeon River so she quickly found us. She told us of sixteen elk that she had viewed in an elk field on the way here.

I feel asleep quickly on my new Neo-Air mattress. I had used a Christmas gift certificate from my son Ryan to purchase it and tonight it was living up to its reputation....pure heaven indeed!

April 10 - Another Day of Swamps, You Say???

Morning came too fast. I got up at 7 AM and soon was making breakfast right from my sleeping bag. The lows were in the 20's and there was a good layer of frost on my tarp. We once again split into groups although the group format changed somewhat.

Larry navigated the group I was in for awhile. We started out on high ground and found a good way to cross Nelson Creek. We wondered if it was named after an old homestead we had seen shortly before crossing.

All of the wood structure in the ruins had long rotted away and all that was left was parts of a rock and cement foundation and a peculiar circular and sloped cement slab that probably implicated that there was a silo there at one time. There also remained the requisite bed springs and other metal parts.

We navigated a bit of high ground and walked by a few more blinds. They were mostly constructed by people cutting down the forest vegetation and some had furnishings within them including one that had an overstuffed living-room type chair. Shamefully none of this should be done in our state forests and leaving behind junk is certainly not the sign of good land ethics.

We soon had to navigate a huge flooding, Michael found an old beaver dam that we could use. It was sturdy but made for complicated walking.

Once we got through the wet areas it was a maze of looking for high ground to utilize and sometimes old forest roads. Saw a few signs of spring including the flower, Spring Beauty, with its tiny pink and while petals and lots of Trout Lily (leaves only).We finally made it to the Dog Lake Flooding after a long day. It was about 6:30 PM, a full hour ahead of yesterday!

The other group was set up along the dam while we chose to set up at one end of it. Geese, ducks, loons and beavers were sighted and heard.

The winds were brisk and soon we heard a scream, and it was Mary Ann who lost her sleeping mat to the wind. She soon was down to her swimming attire and waded into the water to retrieve her mat.

Later we found out that the other group had come across a dead coyote that apparently just died. There were no signs of wounds so it will always be a mystery as to its demise (Coyote photo courtesy of: Mary Ann Hayman).

April 11 - Wildlife Galore

After I went to bed last night, the beaver splashing began. They played around for hours although the night was otherwise quiet. I did sleep well.

I had a leisurely breakfast under my tarp and watched the sunrise through the trees. The morning was noted by the first tick sighting. One had attached itself to Cathy's neck!

The group(s) decided to merge today so we all headed out through the very thick and wet area immediately to the south of the dam. There were many downed trees to climb over or around and many moments of hanging on and swinging around various trees trying not to get wet in over the boot type water.

Endured a few more scratches to the face and finally we were on an old road bed. It make walking a bit easier.

At one point a huge beaver dam flooded the road. We picked our way across the very narrow dam that looked like it would collapse at any point...then lots of road walking. We stopped at McMasters Creek for lunch and noted another tick...people quickly tucked their pants into their socks or gaiters if they hadn't already done that.

Soon after lunch Cathy headed out to retrieve her bike that she had stashed before the journey. She was soon sighted barreling down the road laden with her fully-loaded pack. She had about 8 miles to go before she would find herself at her car to head home.

The rest of us journeyed to the Cornwall Creek Flooding where we camped at a pretty pine-laden point. Always with his binoculars, Kevin kept us informed of bird sightings from his comfortable perch along the lake shore. Goshawks, eagles, geese, ducks and loons were rampant. Beavers were also noted swimming in the flooding.

We spent a restful evening talking and visiting as we had arrived early at 4:30 PM. We had retrieved Mary's dessert that she had made prior to the trip..a yummy chocolate cake complete with caramel icing, apricots and pecans.

Our chatter included thoughts on leaving difficult geocaches for people who like to do that. I think they would quickly get discouraged if they found themselves in the deep swamps!

I'm not a fan of geocaching anyway in its present form (leaving trinkets in the woods), what's wrong with nature caching instead...trying to find a hidden waterfall or landmark??....that's what we do anyway, but I hope there's a wider movement to get people out in the woods towards that, rather than going after the trinkets. I also know that there are a lot of rules for the former, but I often wonder how many of those caches get permanently left in the woods? OK, enough of my views!!! (but, this is my journal :)))

As I got ready to lay down on the pine needles for the evening, a beaver made its regular evening performance. I always enjoy that and it doesn't keep me from drifting off.......

April 12 - A Friendly Visit by a Forester

The morning was calm and welcoming. Didn't seem like any one was anxious to leave so we lingered for a few hours before departure. We circumnavigated the shoreline until it became too unpenetrable. We then focused on heading out to a nearby dirt road. We checked out the boat launch and spied a small island that would be neat to check out with a canoe.

The rest of the day combined old roads, a horse trail and bushwhack travel. Dave wanted to try his "Go to" feature on his GPS so we followed him for awhile. Of course the linear path this feature follows does not take into account wet areas or thick bush so after awhile we diverted to free-style navigation.

We arrived back at our vehicles and most snacked before they journeyed to their respective destinations. While we were there, a state forester stopped by who was curious about our journey. He told us that we had missed extensive rains that had dropped a lot of water in the forest before we came.

That explains a lot of the seasonable water that we had encountered. Even with that in consideration, we reminded ourselves that one can only interpret so much information from topographical maps. Areas that look promising are often the worse to navigate...we'll just chalk this trip up to the land of water!!!

To view ALL of my pictures from the trip: (to avoid music and webshots ads, please hit the slide show option on the right side of the page)

Pigeon River Country State Forest - April 2010

A Final Good Bye to Winter

2010-04-02T15:33:00.004-04:00

Today is bittersweet! For the past month, any chance I would get I grabbed my skis and headed out to the local cross country ski trails to see if I could still ski. It was fine that there wasn't much snow in town, but a few miles away I could pursue my passion. BTW, doesn't it strike you as funny that people are so into getting rid of snow in the spring that they spend hours each day shoveling it onto the pavement where it will melt? I'd rather ski!...well, actually I'd rather be doing anything but that.

Anyway, today I headed out to County Road 510.... basically the end of the Noquemanon Trail that sets higher in the hills west of town. I had been traveling to that end of the trail daily for the last week or so since I returned from Wisconsin. Each day I was greeted with less snow and larger bare spots. At first, they were easy enough to step across and then it was maybe twice that I had to take my skis off.......then a lot more.....each day they grew.....today it was large sections easily 1/8 mi long. I only removed my skis for the long sections. I felt lucky that there was any snow at all, as most of the woods looked like a gigantic brown and white jigsaw puzzle.

The only reason I could still ski was that the trail had been groomed and packed repeatedly over the winter and it set up a nice lasting base. This section, as aforementioned, is extremely hilly so most of the crests of the hills were barren but there was still some nice downhill runs. Like most days skiing, I enjoyed every second of the experience! It was only yesterday while I was snowshoeing on that very trail that I had flushed some sand hill cranes and then they circled above me before flying off. Today I saw two deer and the usual squirrels. All was right in the world!

Because I was now walking half of my ski time in melted and dirty areas, I decided that this would be my last day of skiing for the season unless of course the snow gods appear again (Did I mention that I was wearing my bottom of the collection rock skis?????). It was bittersweet, as I'm not really ready to call it to an end but it is nearly 70 F and other activities can take its place. Maybe it's time to get my bike tires pumped to the proper level, and prepare its chain rather than my skis.

Now awaits the task of hot scraping the skis. All of them need to be thoroughly cleaned and topped with a fresh coat of storage wax...it is a daunting task to do them all at once, so I will work on a few at a time.

Maybe by the time I'm finished I will be ready to embrace spring weather for all that it brings, but I'm certain that a "perfect" but too short winter, will remain in my joyous thoughts.

The Joy of Spring Skiing

2010-03-16T19:04:00.003-04:00

Even though the calendar doesn't say that it is officially spring, the temperatures for the last 12 days have sky rocketed (40-55 F every day). The tall snow banks in my yard have dwindled to a short status with more bare spots showing up each day. There is still plenty of snow in some parts of the woods but the ski trails that have been packed all winter are the most beautifully intact. Even though the melt rings around neighboring trees are getting larger, there are no bare spots at Blueberry Ridge Ski Trails that I'm aware of.

Spring skiing is kind of a scientific art. If I were to venture out to the ski trails too early, they are like a luge run...fast and ferocious...but if I wait too long, it's kind of like skiing in mud. I'm fairly good at figuring out conditions from my arm chair, as I regularly check the temps to see what the lows are before I go to bed. I re-check them in the morning and then calculate approximately how many hours the trails may have been exposed to freezing temps, if any. The sun is a huge factor too, I actually prefer the gray days, even rainy days, as the trails heat up more consistently. The sunny days produce screaming descents in the shade only to hit a warm spot half way down and my body wants to override the skis...that has resulted in some hilarious technique to say the least.

Yesterday, none of that helped me. I sauntered over to the trails expecting it to be in the perfect time window. I put on my ski boots, clipped them into the ski bindings and took off. Wait a minute, why am I getting no kick at all? Could it be that I doomed my progress this morning by waxing my skis? I hadn't waxed them for a week and I thought it was time to give them proper treatment. I had headed out on the classic trails at Blueberry, the Crossroads Trail is the first loop on that side of the system. The loop is fairly bland but always a good warm up. I ventured onward determined that the kick would develop....After a klick or so I even stopped to check the tracks to see if they were really more frozen than I had calculated. They were slick enough but far from frozen. A continuous parade of thoughts floated through my head thinking mostly that this is either going to get better or I am in for a hard but short ski.

At some point, for whatever reason I glanced down and out of the corner of my eye I noticed a small blue tag on one of my skis...wait a minute.......no wonder ...... the blue tag is a square of blue masking tape that I put on each pair of my skating skis to let me know how they are waxed...it's too hard to remember from time to time so I just label them with an initial. How this comes into play is that I don't label my classic skis as I only have two pairs of them and one pair is no wax....I am trying to classic on skating skis!!!...no wonder I am failing.

Well, that explains my loss of technique but now I have to get back and I can't skate as I am on the classic only trails. Double poleing with no kick is the only thing that works but it gets exhausting fast. I never was so glad to see the parking lot where I retrieved my classic skis from the vehicle and went out for a real ski. What joy!

I love every second of spring skiing as I never know from day to day if it will be my last for the year. I usually call it to a halt when I have to take off my skis more than five times in an outing to walk over bare dirt.

Disclaimer: Even though I should have worn the right skis from the start, it was an easy mix-up. Both sets of skis are from the same time era in the early-to-mid 90's....Fischer skis with garish yellow tops and red graphics. It was an easy mistake. I'm not sure it beats the time about fifteen years ago though, when I drove 80 miles away to ski and discovered I had two different skating skis...waxed differently of course but I skied anyway!!! Sometimes those days are the most rewarding!

2010-03-13T18:09:00.006-05:00

Grand Island National Recreation Area--- March 2010

Friday -- A Day of Surprises

It was to be a much different year. Last year when we traveled in March across to Grand Island on ice-covered Lake Superior, the island was surrounded by ice. Starting at the south, we had been able to travel along the cliffs up to the northern shore. I carefully watched the coastal ice reports that are fun to monitor throughout the winter as the trip drew near...it wasn't to be. There was good ice to get to the island and to travel across Murray Bay but sporadic pack ice was mostly evident north of the East Channel Light. The leader of the trip, Michael, was of course also monitoring the situation and kept the rest of the group informed.

As I drove over to Munising from Marquette, a mere 40 miles, the temperature hovered at 1 F. Although the winter had been bountiful enough with snow, it hadn't been particularly cold. Temperatures for the trip were predicted to be on the warm side possibly getting up to 50 F. What a contrast to this morning!

I knew our trip leader would cautiously examine the ice, interview ice fisherman and other locals about the conditions once we got there (as well as have a back-up plan - Pictured Rocks). Upon arrival he made sure everyone had their safety equipment including a throw bag, a waist harness with locking carabiner and a pair of ice picks and..... that they knew how to use them. We practiced throwing our rescue rope bags and discovered quickly that many of us were throwing them too high...that meant re-packing our throw bags and doing it again until we got it right!

While we were at the ferry dock a local outfitter (Carl) and a local writer and musician (Carl B) showed up and accompanied us on their snowmobiles on the first leg of the journey to the lighthouse on the Thumb of the island -The East Channel Lighthouse. They both were acquainted with Muir who was on our journey.

When we got to the lighthouse we decided to stay within its view and have our lunch. As just mentioned, Muir, who often has worked as a kayak guide in the summer months, was part of our crew. He entertained us by telling the legends of early natives who inhabited the island including the story of how Longfellow wrote "Hiawatha" based on Grand Island.

Not to be outdone, Carl Behrend, (the songwriter) sang his original tune relating to that story. He has produced a number of CD's of "Legends of the Great Lakes" that I was already familiar with. Wow, this was really turning out to be a different type of trip as we usually don't have entertainment...it was certainly unexpected, but delightful.

After passing the light house, pack ice had settled in between the shores. Although frozen, it was too risky to travel up the Thumb of the island or beyond. We left our sledges and walked close to and behind the ice overhangs before we would turn back part of the way from whence we came.

We traveled back towards Muskrat Point and headed across the ice to the trail that connects Murray Bay to Trout Bay on the tombolo. We made camp at Trout Bay. There were actually two other camps set up at Trout Bay consisting of ice climbers that had arrived by snowmobile. We were somewhat apprehensive about the possibility of it being a noisy night but thankfully the ice climbers were not much into snowmobiling itself. After a few runs all was quiet.

We individually explored the peaks of ice that form along the shoreline..from a distance they look like a small mountain range. Close up I could see the fissures and blow holes all results of different storms bringing in massive waves of ice and freezing in place at various times.

On the other side of this mountain range Trout Bay was filled with pack ice...some frozen together but much of it in ever changing bands or drifts of chunks of ice.

Our party of nine spent the night setting up camp at the Little Dune site (BJ made a snow shelter and some slept without shelters) cooking, visiting, and relaxing. Although the beach was heavily snow covered where my camp was, just behind it in the pines I found a dry place to lay in the pine needles for awhile. Besides Michael, the other trekkers included Muir, BJ, Mike F, Larry, Mary Ann, Mary, Cathy and myself. We were all treated to yummy chocolate cake with walnuts made by Michael's sister Sue back in Marquette.

Today had been a warm day as predicted and most people were easily down to their base layers while sledging. As the evening settled in the temps dropped but it was in general a warm night (20's F) with clear skies and a whole lot of stars.

Saturday -- Muir Takes a Plunge!

It had been a quiet night, however we all had an early wake-up call. About 6 AM we heard the first of many snowmobiles and I knew right away that they must be ice fishermen and women. One by one they cut their engines and embarked on their sport.

I lay in my shelter until about 7:30 AM and when I got out I saw the large group of fisher persons behind the mountains of ice on the shoreline. A few of them had brought in flat boats on their snowmobiles presumably to use if the pack ice they were standing on would decide to push out with the wind. The fish like to hang out under the edges of the ice so based on the amount of fishermen it would suggest that the fishing is good there.

Because we could not travel on ice further up the coast of the island we made the decision to travel to the north end of the island on the regular trails. The other option would have been to bushwhack but we didn't have enough days to travel that distance if we wanted to go all the way to North Beach.

We traveled the length of Trout Bay along the snow-covered shoreline and then headed inland on to the trail. That meant a long steady climb from camp. It wasn't too long before everyone was stripping down to base layers both from the climb and the rising temperatures. We stopped at the Trout Bay overlook and soon some snowmobilers stopped as well. We would be seeing quite a few today and they were all courteous. We of course moved well off the trail as soon as we heard them coming.We covered a lot of terrain and some struggled with their skis on some of the ascents while pulling a sledge (they took them off). Uphill definitely requires great traction.

We saw two backpackers today that were heading in the opposite direction towards Trout Bay..I think they were surprised to see all of us!

We quickly stopped at North Beach and most wanted to press onwards to camp but we were excited to learn that Muir wanted to jump in Lake Superior. Some of us grabbed our cameras...paparazzi!!!.... and headed down to the water's edge for this event. I must say that this is the first time on any winter trip that I have been on, that anyone has decided to take a swim. Although the rest of us were all hot from the sun and the work load it didn't seem that appealing to me or the rest of the crew. Way to go Muir!!

We trekked by the North Light and traveled further down the coast a ways. The reflections on the partially frozen lake were great from the sunset as viewed from the cliffs. The sky was filled with rosy pinks.

Sunday -- The "Abandoned" Sledge

I slept quite well throughout the night. I did hear the wind pick up so I wondered how those who were close to the end of the cliff fared. We set out about 9:30 AM on a highly frozen track. I decided to don snowshoes for better control (besides, I am testing a pair right now). I clipped right along and stopped at Preservation Point. It was there that I learned from Muir of what had just transpired.

Apparently BJ "lost" his sledge and didn't even know it! He had flew down a hill and even though he knew he was going fast he didn't realize that his sledge has became undone (rope attachment) on a flat section before he descended. Story has it that he didn't discover it until Muir asked him where his sledge was at the bottom of the hill. Meanwhile Mary had seen BJ fly by her and kind of figured that maybe Michael had offered to pull BJ's sledge for some reason. Anyhow, it was a fun story and it definitely beat the story of the time someone lost their snowshoe and didn't realize it right away! Stuff happens!

After a break, I soon decided to put my skis back on rather than the snowshoes. I traveled a few hundred meters and quickly learned that it was a bad decision. Here was the "mother of all hills" of the trip. It was quite frozen and narrow and very hard to herringbone because of the later. The edges of the skis had a hard time cutting into the surface as much as I would of liked. In addition, the fact that it resulted in hanging the tips of the skis over the cut away edge of the slope was creepy.

Why did I change to skis as I could of just zoomed up with the snowshoes with those awesome fore and aft crampons? BTW, I am testing the Atlas Series 11 Snowshoes and they have the most amazing traction I have ever experienced but they weren't doing me any good right now attached to my sledge! Anyway it was a tough climb and a bad decision but there was no backing out when I was already part way up the steep incline with a heavy load pulling at my waist.. I will remember that hill in the future!

Today had been snowmobile free until a few came by at mid-day. Cathy had lost her hat so she asked one of them that if they found it, if they could pick it up and leave it at the ferry dock on their way off the island.

We then traveled to Juniper Flats which is a group site on the west side of the island. We set up camp and Carl B stopped in to see how our travels had gone. He said that it was good we were leaving tomorrow as the ice conditions were worsening with the several days of warm temps. All of the ice on the west side of the island had been pack ice to the north of us and there were only traces of it wherever the wind blew it. We heard another snowmobile and it was Cathy's rescue man who brought back her hat...how cool was that!

Camp was perched above a small cliff so Muir and BJ decided that they could suspend their water bottles down into Lake Superior with a rope to fill them rather than melt snow. It worked but they had to break through some of the thin areas around the pack ice. A few benches were located at the camp site and some of our group decided that they would make good spots for a nap.

The evening brought relaxation, a view of two eagles over Lake Superior, Cathy trying Mary's skis at camp and almost doing a flying endo, Larry having a mishap with the bench, and I falling flat on my face after stumbling on something with one of my snowshoes. The camp area was quite deep with snow so in order to travel around we had to keep our snowshoes on all evening.

Monday - Winter Ascents

What seems simple enough in warm weather months is often difficult in the winter. What comes to mind is the ascent from camp to the main trail. This ascent is steep and has a switchback curve and reality speaking, "difficult" wouldn't even describe it in other seasons. But try pulling a sledge and making those curves without problems. One by one we left camp and most of us had difficulty.

My own sledge flipped and had to be up-righted...no easy task when the weight of the sledge is pulling away from you. Mary Ann was behind me and as I unbuckled my harness she kept the sledge from descending backwards. She then helped me push it around the corner. Mary helped Mary Ann and so forth....

There was only a little more than three miles left before we got back to the ferry dock on the island. I took off sans snowshoes or skis as the hard pack surface of the trail was very frozen and didn't necessitate either. The time flew by quickly. Along the shoreline I was getting closer to real ice pack (a good sign for crossing).

Along the way I saw signs of recent deer crossings and their associated paths in the hemlock forest. I waited for the rest of the gang as we would cross the ice together for safety reasons. It was thankfully an uneventful crossing and any concerns by anyone about being left on the island remained unfounded.

We all gathered at the Dog Patch in Munising for the traditional send off to our respective places that ranged from the Keweenaw to Ontario to Ann Arbor in the southernmost part of the state. Many conversations took place at once so I drifted into some and then another.

All of my photos from this trip can be seen here:

Grand Island in March

Porcupine Mts Wilderness State Park - February 2010

2010-02-20T10:15:00.010-05:00

Friday - A "new" Sledge for Dave

The Porkies is a place that I am very familiar with as it holds a lot of great memories for me. I spent my entire childhood in a small village located less than 50 miles away (and our camp was only 30 miles away). Our family would often drive there for the day to enjoy the sights. During my adulthood, I started backpacking there but for some reason I never did a winter extended trip there until now.

We all gathered in Silver City the night before the trip was to begin. Our leader, Dennis Waite, arrived well after the rest of us due to a few complications. Was it his 54 Siberian Husky sled dogs that he had to feed before the trip or the fact that he simply had too much else on his agenda? Anyway, he ended up forgetting a bit of his equipment but luckily drove through Marquette about 15 minutes before Down Wind Sports closed. He quickly bought the necessary items and several hours later he safely arrived at the Americinn. We hadn't been able to reach him due to no cell service. This is a common fact in many areas of the Upper Peninsula. I am quite used to it but I think it surprised many of those from downstate.

Most of us were quite hungry so we ate at the inn's restaurant that evening. Although the service was quite slow, the food was sufficient to keep us stoked until morning. Evening chatter revolved around past times and the trip itself. Most of us were veteran winter campers and although Dave had traveled with us before, this was his first winter trip. He had procured enough gear and built a sledge so he was excited to get out in the bush with it..

In the morning we made an attempt to eat breakfast at a local restaurant but since they keep odd or different hours each day, they weren't open. The continental breakfast at the motel began to sound better all the time. It provided enough calories so that we could begin our journey.

We stopped to register with the park office for our party of six which included Dennis, Dave, Michael, Mary, Cathy and myself.. We made arrangements to park our cars in two different areas for the start and end of the trip.

Our trip started by traveling a length of the road (winter snowmobile trail) to Lake of the Clouds before we diverted off on the Government Peak Trail. The former was shared with snowmobiles so we were glad to get off that section as quickly as possible. The latter was groomed for skiing so we carefully pulled our sledges between the two sets of ski tracks so as not to disturb them. We did see some friendly skiers as we pulled well off the trail for a break. Soon we focused our efforts on bushwhacking towards the valley underneath the Escarpment. This area is slightly hilly and sometimes brushy. It soon became apparent that Dave was having problems with his sledge handling the brush and the deep holes in the snow.

Michael had already surmised that this might be an issue with Dave's sledge and was already formulating ideas to make it easier to travel. The rest of us, of course, had no idea that Dave's sledge would be totally re-designed and re-fabricated in the bush by the next morning. I must say that Dave's sledge was rather impressive looking as he had done a ton of work on it. However, it was more suited to open travel such as on a packed trail or lake travel. It's wide traces and sides just plowed in the snow through the bush creating too much work.

We saw some neat otter slides as we broke into the open area at the inlet of the Carp River. We stopped there for a break and contemplated the rest of the day.

We made early camp backed up to a ridge. It was a pretty spot, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Most of us were glad to relax and enjoy the surroundings of hemlocks laden with snow. Mary, Cathy, and Dennis had set up camp in close proximity and the rest of us weren't that far away. Dennis baked some delicious brownies with his Outback Oven and shared them with all of us. I also admired the ornate mitten liners that Dennis had made. Barred Owls could be heard throughout the early evening.

Michael and Dave went through all of Dave's gear and both concluded that he had too much stuff. They would bury about 20 lb of gear in cache and plans were made to retrieve it on the fourth day. Although most of us went to bed around 8:30 PM, the evening had just begun for Michael and Dave. Out came the saws, knives, and the like and Dave's sledge was eventually a pile of parts!! The sides were sawed off the sledge and all that was left was the simple unadorned hull. I'm not sure I could of been so calm about this process if it would of been my sledge but Dave bought into the process readily. I dozed off in the midst of this but reportedly they were up until 11 PM or later.

Saturday - Crossing the Lake of the Clouds

I awoke by 6 AM but just lay in my sleeping bag for awhile. The temperature had dropped a lot during the night to -9 F. The coldness could be felt on my face and the fact that my hands had to be warmed after only a few minutes of early morning chores. Usually just putting my hands in my pockets for a few minutes does the trick!

I was ready to go at 8:30 AM but everyone needed more time. Michael and Dave still had a lot of work to do on the sledge so several hours went by before we were ready to leave. Luckily it was decent weather to chat and stand around until we left. We all observed the transformation of the sledge to a full-fledged bush sledge and were amazed at what had taken place without the convenience of a garage full of tools.

When we left we had about 2.5 klicks of travel through the hardwoods before we would hit the Carp River wetlands before the Lake of the Clouds. Once we got into the open, Michael checked the lake for good ice with his ice spud. It was very solid and we traveled the length of the lake stopping by the The Lake of the Clouds Cabin that is for rent during all the other seasons.

During our travel across the ice we could see groups of snowmobilers waving to us from the top of the Lake of the Clouds lookout. I'm sure they were pondering how we got ourselves down on the ice.

We traveled to almost the end of the lake and then up the bank into the forest and finally down to the bridge that crosses the outlet to the lake. This took us to the Mirror Lake Trail but we didn't travel it but instead traveled a few hundred meters to the west of it.

We made camp under the large hemlocks and we were treated to chocolate chip cookie bars by Mary later in the evening. It had been a short day of travel but a good one indeed!

Sunday - Camp on the Summit

After a few "short" travel days, we were back on track and ready to go by 9:30 AM. Today would be a total bushwhack first heading south and then traveling along Scott Creek and across small ponds.

During lunch I passed out organic chocolate bars as a Valentine's Day treat to keep our spirits high before we started climbing. After lunch we started an ascent to a peak that is higher than the Lake of the Clouds overlook. We snowshoed a long route traversing the elevation gain. The forest was simply breathtakingly beautiful. The hemlocks hung with significant snow and it snowed readily throughout the day. It had started as very fine snow, the snow that I call "trying to snow" but we were not disappointed with the abundance of powdery snow that fell throughout the day.

Throughout the day we had crossed many open water areas along the way oftentimes kicking in a snow bridge. When we reached the peak we looked for places to camp and we were not disappointed as hemlocks dominated the forest. We had to knock some of the snow from the lower branches down so that it wouldn't shower us while setting up camp but we fully expected great amounts of it to fall with any wind at all.

Michael gathered and sawed wood to help those who were using hobo stoves. Dennis provided a freshly baked dessert. Life was good.

Monday - More Snow!!

It had snowed heavily during the night. In the morning I heard a few people stirring. Dave was working on his hobo stove fire. Since he had cached his white gas stove and fuel on Friday, he had said he missed the convenience of it. Fire building does take more time and effort in the bush especially after a long day.

Today we left camp and traveled mostly downhill to the cache site. After a break we headed east towards the Union River area. The forest again was outstanding and the snow in the air turned from tiny needle-like flakes to round snowflakes. Plenty had fallen since the day before - about seven inches. We checked out the tiny Cross-Cut Cabin that is open for day travelers and then headed another few klicks before we sought camp sites. More hemlocks and deep snow...how great was that!!. Everyone was kind of quiet and after settling into their respective shelters some took naps.

It was another snowy evening and most of us constructed snow walls underneath the edges of our shelters to prevent the snow from pushing into the sides of our tarps. We also trenched an area to collect the snow on the outside edges.

Tuesday - A Long Descent

This would be the last day of our journey. We would bushwhack down, down, down through the forest and over open water holes and come out at the entry to the headquarters. Some of the navigation was creative to avoid deep ravines. The only stop along the way was for a bush repair. One of Mary's traces had popped its rivets. Michael quickly came to the rescue and secured it temporarily with cordage and duck tape. Once we were out, cars were shuttled and we headed over to Bergland to Antonio's where we had a fine lunch. The waitress was amazingly efficient even though the place was filled with snowmobilers who were on the second day of their 4,000 mi journey to Alaska as a fundraiser for diabetes - way to go!

Post Trip Note:

Thanks to Dennis who organized this "former" Bushrats reunion and thanks to all for the highly enjoyable time.

More of my photos from this trip can be seen at:

Porkies February 2010

McCormick Tract Wilderness 5-Day Sledge Trip - January 2010

2010-01-27T21:07:00.010-05:00

Day 1 -- Ten, Nine, Eight.....Trekkers

It all started a few months back. Michael advertised a group trip to the McCormick Tract for January 2010. I was highly excited as this wilderness area is on my "favorites" list for places that I love. Although I had taken many back country trips there in all the other seasons, I had not experienced it in the winter months. Many other trekkers were apparently just as optimistic as the trip quickly filled to a maximum of ten people. Most of the time it is hard to get a few people to be enthused about a winter trip but having a full slate makes one realize how special this place really is!

McCormick Tract is a federal wilderness area covering almost 27 square miles that was donated by descendants of the Cyrus H. McCormick Family to the federal government in 1967. It became a protected federal wilderness in 1987. It was once a wilderness retreat for the inventor of the reaping machine and his family and friends. Little remains of the original structures that dominated a small part of the tract but the spirit of enjoying nature and solitude remain today. I have long followed the history of the tract and can imagine the good times that were had there.

I met the rest of the group at the southern terminus of the tract off of the Peshekee Grade in Marquette County, Michigan. I had opted to miss the breakfast gathering of the group in Ishpeming where many of the out-of-towners had spent the night. When I arrived everyone was in various stages of loading their sledges. I was already fully packed so I spent the interval introducing myself to four persons that I hadn't met before and greeting those I already knew. It was quite comfortable to stand around and wait as the temperature was quite mild and the winds non-existent. I knew I would quickly be taking off any additional layers as soon as we started moving.

The group consisted of Michael, Mary, Mary Ann, NCT Hiker (Mike), Don, Muir, Matt, Larry, and myself. The tenth person (Dave) had to cancel due to family concerns.

Michael was a bit concerned about the size of the group so he had purchased radios so that the lead and sweep person could communicate. I actually wondered if this would be annoying as I don't like extra noise in the wild but the radios were thankfully not used excessively. In the winter it is easy to follow the tracks of others anyway, but the group did split at various times for different reasons making the communication easier.

The journey began by crossing the Peshekee River on the old access road to White Deer Lake but we quickly diverted into the woods after passing along rugged and towering outcrops. We would follow Baraga Creek to Lower Baraga Lake. With the warm temperatures huge chunks of snow let go from the heavily snow-laden evergreens as we passed through and I don't think anyone was safe from the experience of being showered with snow.

The snow depth looked deceptively shallow but as some of us with smaller snowshoes walked through we were sometimes up to our thigh in a hole. The creek was still flowing but had huge mounds of snow perched on various rocks and logs in the landscape. The open water of the creek made for a lot of slush as we entered the lower lake. We carefully made our way checking the ice and then decided to travel inland from the shoreline for awhile until the ice became more safe.

We stopped for lunch and waited for the rest of the group. Muir radioed that Larry had sprained his ankle and that he was wrapping it. Larry was having a tough time and when he arrived Michael told him to have lunch before they figured out the situation further. Larry seemed to be able to walk without much discomfort without the sledge but pulling the sledge made him too uncomfortable. After a few attempts at trying his ankle out, it was apparent that the trip was mostly finished for him. Although we hated to see him leave already, it was best that it happened before we went further away from our vehicles. Michael pulled Larry's sledge out for him so that Larry could walk unassisted. Now we were eight.

While Michael was returning with Larry to his vehicle, the rest of the group traveled to the north end of Lower Baraga Lake. We carefully checked the ice and it was solid. We made camp just back of the shoreline and waited for our leader who returned at dusk with his own sledge. The evening was spent listening to others talk about their lives and travel and of course gear.

The night was unusually mild and the sky was clear and filled with stars. It probably was in the 20 F range in the early evening and the next day was predicted to be at least 40 F.

Day 2 -- Sunny and warm with amazing scenery

The night was relatively warm. At 9 AM the guys said that the temperature was 9 F...it warmed up fast after that. I don't know how high the temperature got today but I assume it was at least 40 F. We headed off the lake up the steep bank and inland through the snow-laden forest to Middle and Upper Baraga Lakes. I guess technically there isn't a middle lake, it is just that the upper lake has two sections with a narrow section in between the two parts. The only open water was found in that connection but we easily skirted it by getting on the shore of the lake.

We often got dumped on by snow falling from the branches...just a bit of snow and no one in particular was targeted except perhaps Michael who often went through first and likely shook the branches as he sauntered through the forest.

After leaving the lake, the next leg would be more difficult as there would be some high rock bluffs that we had to get around. Michael led the group up diagonally without too much effort. I have been real impressed with the aggressive crampons on the snowshoes that I am currently testing - Atlas 11 Series. I haven't slipped at all on climbs where I have noticed other people backsliding and sometimes falling while they are pulling their sledges uphill.

The route through the forest to Lake Dortay was fun as well. Muir has been taking the sweep position. He relayed that he really enjoys this spot as he usually breaks trail on most of his trips and it also keeps his speed in check. We have all witnessed that he is quite the sprinter on his snowshoes!

Don told interesting stories of his guide experiences for both Wintergreen (dog sledding expeditions) and for guiding kayak trips to Grand Island and Pictured Rocks. He also raised his family in a remote part of Alaska so we were all ears for details.

Matt also is an experienced back country enthusiast who was taking his first "group" trip in a lot of years. He travels solo for the most part which I often do. There are good and bad to both but he really seemed to enjoy the group camaraderie of like-minded people.

At Lake Dortay we set up camp at the end of the lake having completed the first two days of our journey without any difficulty. The snow on the lakes has been crusty for fast travel and the intervals in the woods have been quite easy compared to many trips.

It was relaxing to set up camp when I didn't feel tired. There was a bit of a wind in the open area where we camped so I built short snow walls under the edges of my tarp to have more protection.

Talk today revolved around sledge designs and back country skills. NCTHiker made a new hobo stove and was fired up about using it for all his back country needs. He designed and fabricated a very cool design and it should prove plenty sturdy for a lot of snow camping.

During the evening Muir made a fire to dry his wet mukluks as the canvas and moose hide just doesn't stay that dry in these warm conditions. Michael plunged his foot accidentally into a hole at camp and joined him to dry his liners at the "laundry". Usually after we settle at camp a lot of us like to take off our snowshoes after we "pank" or pack the area down but we often end up finding holes underneath the snow the hard way!

Day 3 -- The Acropolis

The winds really picked up during the night but finally subsided by morning. My tarp was flapping more than usual as the wind caught an edge of the tarp and shook it for all its worth. Because it rattled, it kept me from sleeping so I tied a few additional guy lines so I could get some rest.

The skies were filled with brilliant stars with a cold clear sky. It probably got down to about 10 F, I awoke around 8 AM and heard a few people stirring but it was very quiet overall.

Four of us left camp early and left Lake Dortay for Island Lake. Along the ice on the former, we saw tons of coyote tracks. At the edge of the lake we checked the map and concluded that a good route would entail skirting high bluffs on the inland jaunt to Island Lake. Matt led the way and in no time we were at the next lake. The second group arrived a bit later following our tracks. That is one of the perks of winter treks compared to other seasons where the signs of travel are not apparent even if one is not far behind.

Since we had extra time due to the fast and easy conditions, Michael asked the group if they would like to explore some other areas such as the Acropolis which was plotted on early McCormick Tract maps. Some of us had been there a few times before but it was neat to climb it in the winter. We left our sledges at the base and climbed up for the view. Although it wasn't clear enough to see all the way to Lake Superior, we knew it was hidden in the distant view.

We then freestyle-bushwhacked to Bulldog Lake with Matt and Michael taking turns at the lead. Muir provided coordinates once in awhile to keep them on track. There was much sign of moose activity along the way with tracks, a moose bedding area, and signs that the trees had been grazed.

We arrived at the old logging camp site along Bulldog Lake. Most of us chose to camp on the snow-covered rock bluffs towering over the lake and Muir was content to make his home in the open field.

Day 4 --The Old Pumphouse

The morning started with a spectacular view over the lake. NCTHiker saw some motion further down the lake and it was determined to be an otter. We had seen quite a few otter slides over the last few days so it was neat to get a glimpse of one.

After everyone packed up their belongings, the sledges were belayed down the steep outcrop to the lake below us. It took awhile to get each person's sledge down but we were on our way across Bulldog Lake quickly enough. We were heading towards the channel that separates Bulldog Lake and White Deer Lake. When we got to the channel it was very slushy but we were able to skirt along the shore without difficulty.

Once on White Deer Lake, we headed towards the island where many of the foundations rest from the McCormick Camp days. We passed one of our favorite bivy sites up high on the Fortress and noticed right away that it looked quite different than the last time we had viewed it. Either a small fire or other natural disaster had stripped the pine trees of their once healthy appearance.

Since Muir had to leave today to get back to Finlandia University, he requested that Michael show him the pump house from the early days that was hidden back in the forest. Michael wasn't sure what draw it was in so he and Muir traveled parallel to see who would find it first. Most of the rest of us were with Michael when he spotted the pump house. It is likely the only remaining structure at McCormick and it was built strong with cement and other sturdy materials to serve its purpose in the heyday of the early years.

Muir left after lunch and now we were seven. The rest of us bushwhacked to Camp 11 Lake where we set up for the night. Matt explored the cliffs above us but the remainder of the group were content to stay at camp. Michael scouted for a bunch of fire wood like he did every night for all those who were using hobo stoves.

We had seen tons of otter slides again today. It seems to be the most active animal in the tract this winter! Another evening was spent visiting while people attended their hobo fires.

Day 5 -- The Final Leg of the Journey

Since there were only a few miles to go and it only required a short bushwhack to get to the old road which we would travel to the parking area, Matt and I left earlier than the rest. We were followed by NCTHiker but we never did see him again, as the rest of the group caught up to him at some point and they completed their journey together. The trek out was peaceful but like most trips there was a bit of sadness that the trip was over. It is certain that I will be back!

More pictures from the trip can be seen here:

McCormick Tract January 2010 Pictures