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.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - May 28-31 2010

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?