Thursday, June 20, 2013

Eagle Harbor Trails


Since I don’t have to work them, Sundays are my adventure day.  Last Sunday I went to bike the Eagle Harbor trails with Hannah and her red healer, Tiki.  

In the winter these trails are groomed for cross-country skiing.  In the grassy months these two-tracks traverse gently rolling terrain past inland lakes and out to Great Sand Bay.

When I speak of an “adventure day,” it's the day I take to get out to the rest of the spots in this beautiful country that I need to explore in more detail before I can confidently send people out with a personal pocket guide.  I can't have people getting lost; my reputation and credibility are at stake!

So these are research-based adventures.  What a rough life I have created for myself.

In Copper Harbor, I am used to riding my bike up and up over an elevation of 600 feet, then down and down 600 feet.  600 feet may not sound like a lot (especially if you live in the real mountains), but I always pant profusely on the way up.

The Eagle Harbor trails were a walk in the park comparatively.  They’re great for beginners or a joy ride.  The only element we had to fight (besides the mosquitoes and blackflies) was the sand.  We had to push our bikes through a few sandy spots.  We laughed, though.  We didn’t care.  It was part of the adventure!

Exiting the woods to Great Sand Bay was a real treat.  That Big Lake, she gets me every time.  Apologetically, I did not bring a means of visually capturing the moment.  But I can tell you that the brightness of the blue sky was mirrored in the sparkling waves.  The air was crisp and refreshing.  Ah, it’s always important to savor those moments.

Would I ride the Eagle Harbor trails again?  Yes, but probably later in the season when the sand settles a bit.  My chain ring wasn’t too happy with me.  But riding nine miles without feeling like my heart was going to pop out of my neck was a welcome feeling.

You know what else is welcome?  All the beautiful flowers that are blooming!  Compare these to what is blooming by you.

In their prime we have lilacs, gaywings, starflowers, wild strawberry blossoms, apple blossoms, rockcress, chokecherry blossoms, blueberry blossoms, pussytoes and heartleaf arnica.

Just starting, we have wild roses, buttercups, wild lily-of-the-valley (get down and sniff that one), thimbleberry blossoms, vetch of all kinds, wild peas of all kinds and Canada hawkweed.

These are just the ones I’ve seen along my travels.  I think I come across a freshly blossomed species nearly every day!  Oh, the joys of summer!

1 comment:

  1. We have thimble berry starting to blossom and lupines in the yard here at the first knuckle of the Keweenaw. It seems like it's going to be an abundant berry and fruit year with all the blossoms and abundant moisture. Our blueberry patch has been full of blossoms, bumble bees, butterflies and humming birds for a couple weeks now. Do you have noseeums up there? We have them as well as the usual skeetes, blackflies, stable flies, deer flies and horse flies. None of them bother while I'm biking though.
    Peace,

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