Day 1: Lake of the Clouds Overlook Porcupine Mountains, Michigan

Lake of the Clouds. The Escarpment trail heads off to the left and parallels the lake on the level of the overlook.

Lake of the Clouds is the most photographed section of the Porkies. We were really looking forward to it because of this. The reality was not a phenomenal as the pictures make it out to be. I am not sure why this is. It may be the mob of people who drive up to overlook, or it may be that compared to Presque Isle, it just wasn’t as interesting.

We had planed on hiking the Escarpment Trail, which departs from the overlook. The trail was in the trees, however, and spoiled Coloradans as we are; we were in the mood for the wide-open spaces after, oh horror, being in the trees for half a day! So instead of lingering and hiking, we decided to head down to the lake shore and revel in Lake Superior. My Visions of Lake Superior post have the photos from our drive along the shoreline.


Big Carp River viewed from the Lake of the Clouds overlook.

If you go, the Lake of the Clouds is 10 miles up M-107 from the entrance to the park. The road dead ends at the overlook, which is a very broad chunk of uneven rock that some people had trouble navigating. I overheard two older gentlemen comment after walking the 100 yards to the view that it was well worth the effort. Everything is relative and for those who cannot get out into the woods, viewing the Lake of the Clouds will be a memorable experience.

Day 1: East and West Presque Isle River Trails (Porcupine Wilderness State Park)

Distance: 2.3 miles RT
Elevation: 602-802 ft
Elevation Gain: 200 ft

(Left: Detail of Manabezho Falls viewed from the East River Trail)

The Presque Isle area of the Porcupine Mountains is by far the most scenic and the most interesting. The Presque Isle River flows through an area of Nonesuch Shale, which has resulted in waterfalls, unusual rock crenelations, and in summer a wicked set of rapids. The crenelations are caused by rocks that have swirled in the rapids, carving out deep, perfectly curvaceous, holes in the rock. The water flows over these areas in a stunning manner. The shale itself is interesting to behold. Like fossilized Baklava, it is easy to see the rock’s thousands of layers. Nonesuch Shale was formed at the bottom of a lakebed 1 Billion years ago.



Shoreline of Lake Superior where Presque Isle River empties into the lake


Rocks along the Lake Superior shoreline


Crenelations in rock


Small rapids where you cross from east to west
The east/west river trail is a short and easy loop that can be taken in either direction. We chose to cross the river and head east side first. Before heading into the trees, we walked down to the lake and admired all blue water, clear skies, and interesting rocks along the shore. Little did we know that this would be the only sunny day on our entire trip.



The trail actually crosses the river along the rocks. Blue daubed of paint point the way.


A carved rock channel where the river no longer runs

There are three major falls on this short hike, Manabezho, Manido, and Newadaha. Manabezho is rather famous, appearing on coffee mugs, placements, and other tourist paraphernalia throughout the area.



Manabezho Falls from the East River Trail



Manabezho Falls from the West River Trail
The East River trail winds through the trees with oblique views of the falls. There are numerous social trails that lead to viewing spots. Some of these were very steep, slippery with mud, and crisscrossed with tree roots. The East River Trail ends at the road. You cross over a bridge, which provides an expansive view of the river itself, and then head off into the trees again. This side of the loop is called the West River Trail.



Nawadaha Falls



View of Presque Isle River from the bridge

The falls are more directly visible from the West River Trail. In several locations, the trail becomes a series of boardwalks, stairways, and viewing platforms. No root scrambling here.



Close up of the Nonesuch Shale with the river in the background
All in all the Presque Isle trail has it all, a cool forest, fascinating rock formations, picturesque waterfalls, and lots of moss (not something we see a lot in Colorado). If you journey to the Porkies, start your sojourn there.

Day 1: Summit Peak Trail Porcupine Wilderness State Park

Distance: 0.5 miles
Elevation: 1,678 - 1,978 ft
Elevation Gain: 300 ft.


View from the upper viewing platform
Summit Peak is 20 miles in from Silver City. It is a short hike of only 0.5 miles. Don’t bypass this trail for that reason oh seasoned hikers. The view is well worth swallowing your pride and strolling with the tourists.



Color at the trailhead

It starts out in the trees and ascends quickly uphill before transitioning to a series of boardwalks and stairs. There is an intermediate viewing platform, which is very nice, but the view from the final wooden tower will knock your socks off.



Maple leaves on the trail

I was schizophrenically alternating between jumping up and down like a child on Christmas day and pausing reverently to gaze if not drool over Mother Nature’s bounty. In the distance you could see the deep blue of Lake Superior. Out on the horizon was an ore carrier. We were able to see several of those up close on our trip later in the week to Sault St. Marie.




View from the lower viewing platform
The first hike we went on in the Porkies was near the Lake and so the colors there had yet to appear. We learned later that the areas near the lake turn last because it is warmer. Warmer?!! I beg to differ. A tree might have found the shore warmer, but we certainly didn’t.

Day 1: Visions of Lake Superior

Sunrise on the first day. Lovely but cold
Who ever called Lake Superior a lake was smoking crack! That body of water is an inland sea and cranky one at that. On this first day, the waves were steady and calm but within three days they would be tumultuous and downright dangerous.


Afternoon near the cabin we rented


White Tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). One of the few animals we saw. Considering that it was hunting season I was lucky to chase these two down.
If you had plopped me down on this western shore of the lake without my knowing it, I would declare I was in the Pacific Northwest somewhere. The water is dang cold, the shoreline is rugged, and driftwood decorates the beaches.


Canadian Geese along the shore


Geese take flight
There is something soothing about being on or near the water. I don’t know if all those water molecules are resonating with my water-balloon like (ok, say it water retaining…) cells or if all that coolness calms my hot-blooded Leo personality. Since water is almost always in motion, perhaps I am simply living vicariously through it and allowing my perpetual-motion-machine of a body to stop for a change. Either way, it was hard not to just linger near the shore and watch the endless waves grapple with eternity on the slopping sands.


Waves lap the shore

Vacation in the Upper Penisula of Michigan

Click on the image if you want to see the major locations from the trip.
I, and two friends, just returned from a week long trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We started in the far western side near Silver City, migrated to Shelter Bay near Munising, stayed on Mackinac Island, and cruised up to Sault (pronounced “soo”) St. Marie.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a rarely visited track of hard wood forest that is bordered on the north by Lake Superior and the south by Wisconsin and Lake Michigan. It is sparsely populated, contains only a couple larger urban centers, but contained some of the best kept roads I have seen anywhere. This is amazing considering their seriously harsh winters. The people were amazingly friendly and went out of their way to assist us in our travels. One of my friends grew up in the Midwest and indicated this was the norm. I have a new respect for Midwest values!

We chose the UP for the fall color. I have never been to an area of the country with hard woods and the UP’s color display did not disappoint. More than one scream was elicited by the vibrant red maples, which were just hitting their peak.

The primary airport in the UP is south of Marquette. The flight arrived at 6:00 pm and it was a two-hour drive to Silver City. We were advised to pick up our groceries near Marquette because the infrastructure was limited in Silver City. This was good advice and I wish we had also picked up supplies to cook dinner because there was only one restaurant in Silver City and its food less than pleasant. It was not until our last night in Marquette that we found a wine bar (Latitudes) that not only had a marvelous wine selection but also great food and service that exceeded even Midwest standards. After a week of unremarkable repasts, Latitudes was like stumbling onto Shangri-La, wholly unexpected, and an oasis in the wilderness.

Bordering Lake Superior, the air in the UP is damp and windy. Even though we had brought lots of winter-level layers, there were several days where we were butt-numbing cold. I can’t imagine what it would feel like in February. There was a 3-day gale while we were there, which made Lake Superior rage. Tell me this is not an ocean? I kept calling it that. It did rain during this period but not enough to prevent us from getting out and hiking. It did prevent long sojourns on the beach or on the decks of our cute Michigan cabins.

It was hunting season while we were there and every creature from the lowest newt to the mighty black bear was in hiding. We saw a few birds, a bunch of bald eagles, and a couple of deer and that was it. There are statues of Moose everywhere but very few real ones. I think their existence is anecdotal.

The natives of the UP call themselves Yoopers. There are independent, proud Americans and they should be. It takes a hearty soul to live there. We ran into one gal who said she moved to Marquette because there was not enough snow in Wisconsin!




I am working on my photos from the trip and will post them hike by hike, drive by drive. Stay tuned.

Index of Posts:

• Visions of Lake Superior

• Summit Peak: Porcupine Wilderness

• Presque Isle River Trails: Porcupine Wilderness

• Lake of the Clouds: Porcupine Wilderness

• Drive to Copper Harbor

• Woods around Shelter Bay

• Munising Falls

• Miner's Castle and Beach: Picture Rocks National Lakeshore

• Hike to Chapel Falls, Lake, Rock, and Beach: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

• Mackinac Bridge and Island

• Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island

• Sault St. Marie Lock Tour

Sandbeach Lake

Distance: 8.8 miles round trip
Elevation: 8,312 ft - 10,283 ft
Elevation Gain: 2,146 ft (cumulative), 1,971 ft (net)
Date Hiked: 20 September, 2008
Dogs: Not allowed, National Park
Bathroom at the Trailhead: Yes

Sandbeach Lake just where the trail comes out

Sandbeach Lake is lovely fall hike that meanders through juvenile aspen groves and along a ridge overlooking the golden marshes of the St. Vrain Valley. Its destination, Sandbeach Lake, is also embraced by shrubbery along its banks that reflect the season in greens, golds, and reds.

Fall color in the St. Vrain Valley

Fall color on the trail. I purposely blurred the image a bit to evoke the mood

A meadow along the way

The lake sits below Mt. Meeker, which dominates the skyline. Now I know how the ant feels when looking up at a lumbering Texas Longhorn. Sandbeach is aptly named because it is bordered on two sides by wide, sink your toes in, sand beaches. The sand is actually a remnant of Glacier that carved out the north side of Meeker and it covers much of the area. Local residents have to battle it when digging any sort of hole.

The lake looking south

Standing on the shore and looking up at Mt. Meeker

A close up of the Meeker Massive

Zooming in on the crags

The other unique thing about Sandbeach is that it exists in a broad sub-alpine valley, which is reminiscent of lakes in the Sierras. There is a sense of airiness you don’t get from most of Colorado’s starker alpine tarns. This is place you will want to linger, set up camp, open a bookstore, drink freshly picked Chamomile tea.

Pine cones by the lake

At over 2,000 ft elevation gain, this trail is not for couch potatoes. There are steep, rocky sections but also frequent flat transects that enable the hiker to catch his breath.

Color on the way back

While in the trees most of the time, there are views of the St. Vrain Valley, interesting rock formations, boulder fields (again left over from the glacier), stream crossings, as well as intimate meadows and aspen groves. Given all its pleasures, and the serenity of its destination, I am surprised that it is one of the lesser-known hikes within Rocky Mountain National Park’s Wild Basin area. Not necessarily a bad thing for us locals who cringe at the teeming hordes that descends upon Bear Lake every summer.

Another view of the St. Vrain valley

So, fill your thermos with apple cider, pack up some pumpkin pie, and wallow in Autumn on the Sandbeach trail.

You can really see the steepening of the St. Vrain Canyon in the distance

Ireland: Knowth and Newgrange passage tombs

Knowth and Newgrange rival Stonehenge in their mythical aura of otherworldliness. It is partly their age, which at over 5000 years to hard to grasp for us history deprived Americans but it is also the stability and intricacy of their construction. Their stone carvings, which demonstrate a profoundly advanced knowledge of the lunar cycles, are humbling considering that the average man on the street probably still believes the moon is made of cheese. You can’t help but stand before these structures and not feel awed by the accomplishments of man before the cell phone, before the working of iron, and before the advent of Microsoft Project.

These tombs are an easy bus ride north from Dublin and should be on everyone’s must do list. The visitor’s center at Bru na boinne is world class and comes with a nice cafeteria for the inevitable hunger attack. Since it was positively freezing the day I went, access to warmth and tea was a lifesaver.

Knowth

Kerbed stone. I accentuated the contrast and exposure to bring out the carvings.

Knowth consists of a large mound surrounded by 18 smaller mounds. The large mound’s base is surrounded by large carved kerbed stones while their top is verdant grass that hangs down the mushroom shaped mound like thatch in a Tolkien fantasy. The top of the mound has hosted a church, a village, and even a small fortification, as it lay buried through the ages. It was just a high point on an otherwise flat plane. There are two passages into the tomb, one from either end.

My father looking at a Kerbed stone

Newgrange is architecturally more impressive than Knowth, but a lot that is due to a modern reconstruction effort. You cannot wander at your leisure but must be led into the center of the mound by a guide. Photography is prohibited. The mound itself covers an entire acre and the front contains a dramatic white quartz façade that must have been visible for several miles. On the winter solstice, the sun enters the large rock chamber illuminating the megalithic stone and carvings for just 17 minutes. Standing in that chamber is almost frightening. The weight of stone surrounding you is oppressive and yet it has stood since its construction in 3200 BC. I would like to transport a few of their quality engineers to the future. It may have taken at least 300 people over 20 years to complete the mound. The entrance stone with its circular carvings is also impressive. You don’t pick up a stone that size and toss it in your wagon (if they even had wagons during that era).

Newgrange from the side

If you are on a trip to Dublin, be sure to add Knowth and Newgrange to your list. Its profound antiquity will hammer home the insignificance of the human life while elevating the meaning of humanity.

The front of Newgrange

Other posts from my trip to Ireland:

• Rock of Cashel
• Dingle Pennisula
  

Chaco Canyon

Grand Kiva at Casa Rinconada
One advantage of living in the West is the proximity to ancient Puebloan (re Anasazi) ruins. Like Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon is a world class site. If you make any sort of trip to Southern Colorado, try and do both. While Mesa Verde is primarily cliff dwellings, Chaco Canyon is a series of small urban centers out on the plains. These centers consist of multi-story buildings, complete with balconies as well as the familiar kivas. There are so many ruins in Chaco Canyon that you have to pick and choose spots.

Man began to occupy the canyon around 800 AD but by 1050 it was the cultural center for the entire San Juan Basin. Roads fanned out from Chaco to over 150 other sites throughout the southwest.


View of a monolith and the desert planes.
There is a long dirt road to reach the Chaco National Cultural Center. It is passable with a standard car but bumpy. I would not want to try it in the rainy season. Be prepared to pay the Federal fee or present your annual pass. I went in July and while hot it was not excruciatingly so. A broad hat, sandals, and breathable clothing do help. There is a large water spigot outside of the visitor’s center to dunk you head under or to fill up your water bottles with.


Wall construction
If you really want to learn about Chaco, begin at the visitor’s center and try and sign up for a Ranger led tour. We chose to wander about ourselves and while beautiful, we undoubtedly missed a lot of historical information. It is easy to loose yourself wandering along a 1000-foot wall covered in petroglyps or staring into the remains of a 1000 room “condo complex” built when Europeans were still picking lice from their hair.


Kivas at Pueblo Bonito
There are five major sites, all of which have self guided trails and handy paper guides. We were in transit to Santa Fe and so only did three of the sites including the petroglyph trail. While short, they can easily take up to an hour each.

Next time you are road tripping to Arizona or Santa Fe, take the detour and enjoy some of the cultural heritage of the region by stopping at Chaco Canyon. The stark landscape and agelessness of the wind and sun will bring you back to earth.

Garter snake

I literally stepped over this juvenile Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans vagrans) on a riparian trail. Like a Wild West gunslinger, I whipped out my camera and rudely started flashing away. The poor thing slithered into a little nook, but I was able to shove my lens in its face to get this shot. Notice the brown effluent on its head and side. Garter snakes exude this secretion from their anal glands when frightened. If Princess Di had used this technique with the paparazzi, perhaps she would have been left alone. There is nothing like a stinky black mass delicately dabbed behind each ear to deter the voyeurs.

I like snakes because they are true sun worshipers. Being cold blooded (heterothermic for you science types), snakes bask in the morning sun to give themselves the energy to get through the day. I am the same way. I’ll take a nice flat rock in the sun over caffeine any day.

Garter snakes are non-venomous and terribly interesting but then most snakes are. It is hard for us bi-peds to imagine a life with no limbs even less a life eating frogs, leeches, lizards, and rodents. Did you know that Garter snakes talk to each other via pheromones? What is really interesting is that some males will secrete both male and female pheromones. These she-males confuse males and have better luck mating with the females. Take note alpha males, letting your inner woman out might actually help you with the chicks.

I always thought that snakes hibernated but they actually brumate, which is metabolically different. Hibernation involves a decreased heart rate and body temperature. Brumation is a form a dormancy in which energy is saved by minimizing metabolic growth. I kind of like the hibernate version. It involves a summer-time feeding frenzy to add a few love handles to the pantry before winter. That sounds much more fun.

I am surprised that I don’t see more snakes on the trail in Colorado. I guess since they can sense vibration through the ground, a herd of boot-clad hikers is easily avoided. Keep your eyes peeled for these interesting inhabitants.