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

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.

Porcupine Mountains State Park - Mid October 2010

(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

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

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.

 

24 Hours at Grand Island

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? 

Off to Colorado - August/September 2010

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

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

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?  

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

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.