Somewhere Over the Mountain

I just had another "first" today. My friend Jo (who walked the walk from Calumet) wanted to walk from da Harbor to Eagle Harbor over Brockway Mountain. We set a date and walked that 15.5 mile walk today. Overcast, cool and foggy, the weather couldn't have been better.

Our soles pounded pavement for 5 1/2 hours. The part that required the most physical energy was that first hill up, though walking is easier than biking it. At the first lookout, the fog hung above Lake Fanny Hooe. That fog also dangled in Brockway Valley and misted us during the beginning of our walk. So refreshing!

The rest of the walk wasn't all that physically demanding. Duce, the flora, the rock formations and our jolly conversation kept us entertained. We ate our first bilberries of the year on the way up too! Yeah, I know... pretty early for those.

And the most mentally challenging part for me was the stretch from the Silver River (where Brockway Mountain Drive meets M-26) to Eagle Harbor. The speed limit is 55 there, and not everyone likes to make way for pedestrians. Good thing Duce listens well, so he stayed out of harm's way. But we all made it alive.

Then for the moment I was waiting for since the Brockway descent -- dinner at the Eagle Harbor Inn. Two local lady friends met us there as well, and we ate and drank merrily until getting off the chair was a feat (I think it would have been regardless).

So now I can say I walked over the mountain to Eagle Harbor, and people can say, "Oh, my, I don't think I could do that." I bet you could. We plan to do it again next year if you want to join!