Keweenaw "Summer" Vacation

I feel like I just got back from a vacation in the Keweenaw!  My friend Hannah and I have gone on a slew of adventures.  

Friday we hiked up the south side of Brockway Mountain.  We took the Woopidy Woo Trail up and hiked right on the ground! 

Flying Squirrel and Woopidy Woo

Then down the north side.  We tried to take The Flow Trail, but the snow was so thick, that we just "skied" down on our snowshoes on some parts.  We weren't lost... we just couldn't find the actual trail.

Snow on The Flow

Saturday was the real adventure.  We planned to fourwheel out to a cabin close to High Rock Bay at the point.  However, we picked the day with the most wicked runoff, and were unable to make it up a steep section through the river and ice.  Oh, well.  We just went to Horseshoe Harbor, went for a couple hikes and laid in the sunshine!

Beauties and the beast before our departure

Looking east on the ridge at Horseshoe Harbor

Looking east from a hole inside that ridge

The sunset

We camped that night under a beautiful, starry sky.  Soon we were awaken by lightening and thunder.  Since we planned to sleep in a cabin, we did not have a tent.  But we were sleeping on a Tyvek tarp, so we just put that over us when the sky started to sprinkle on us.  We watched the lightening through the Tyvek sheet, and soon fell asleep again.

The whole night I was looking for the moon, but I saw it behind us probably two hours before the sun rose.  A slim waning crescent.  The sly, sideways smile.

I am not one to sleep through a sunrise on the beach, however, so I climbed one of those rocks, stretched, waited and watched.  I have really never found a feeling that compares to that: watching the sky change colors high upon a rock, bringing in a brand new day.  Oh, man.  I love it.

The next day brought more sunshine and hot, hot weather.  It was so warm that I jumped in her Majesty, Lake Superior.  Oooo eeee!  Not as cold as I thought it would be, but invigorating, nonetheless.

Sunday night we went to Eagle Harbor and had dinner.  It was fun to hang out with the fine folks there as well.  But Monday was still so warm and sunny that we hiked up Mount Baldy.  Close to the beginning we had to cross a river.  Not only was it way colder than the big lake, it was rushing wild!  We had to try to keep our balance on the slick rocks, not get bowled over by the current and withstand the frigid temps.  But we did it -- once up and once down!

There was lots of snow and wetness on that trail, but lots of it was dry as well.  I liked how the terrain changed from sand to conglomerate to rocks and roots.  The wind was refreshing at the top, and the view was great too!  I apologize, however, I did not bring a camera.  I'll just have to go up there again!  With three miles of ascent, it's quite the journey.  But rewarding as well.

Well, back to the grind, but adventures still await!

Accidental Adventure

Sunday promised to be a great adventure. Aaron and I loaded the four-wheeler with a thermos of raspberry tea, a ziploc bag full of Mexican eggrolls, water, pocket warmers and snowshoes. We were ready for a tour of the tip of da Peninsula.

Our first stop was Horseshoe Harbor. Man, I love that place. The old rock of a shore was now an icy, sleeping beast wrapped in snow. We managed to climb to the top and watch the waves roll the pack ice over and over again. I stared out toward her majesty to relish the sight I'm so fond of, but the brisk winds against my cheeks wouldn't let me stay for long.

We slid back down the south part of the ridge on our snowshoes and hiked the trail back up to the machine. I originally wanted to snowshoe up the snowmobile trail to Horseshoe, but Aaron said he'd take me on the four-wheeler whose wheels are like tanker tracks in the winter. On our drive out I thought, wow, this sure is way easier than snowshoeing the mile up that hill! I felt a bit guilty for traveling the easy way, but snowmobilers do it. Why couldn't I?

I jinxed us. On our way East out to Schlatter Lake, the machine got a little wobbly. Aaron got off to check things out. "We might be walking home," he confirmed. Ha ha. Ha. I thought. No way. I bet we can just turn around. We did turn around, and limped that thing about 200 yards before the front wheel was truly detached.

Now I would get to hike that mile, and the five others from here to home. Luckily we had plenty of sustenance for the trek. Plus we were in the midst of the trees to protect us from the wind.

We identified trees and barren bushes along the way. Making a new adventure out of our adversity. We made it home safely, knowing that tomorrow, we'd have to fix and retrieve the stalled ATV.

Last night we hopped on the trail grooming snowmobile with all the necessary tools for reattaching a wheel. Standing in the cold, I aimed the brightest flashlight at Aaron's targeted area while he worked quickly and diligently. Good thing he had put these tracks on earlier this year, so he knew what he was doing. After an hour, the job was complete.

Then for the fun part. Amanda got to drive that beast home! I have never driven an ATV or a snowmobile in my life. Aaron gave me a quick lesson. That four-wheeler was a bit hard to handle, but I figured it out after a mile or two -- going about 14 mph, so we didn't have to dig it out of the snow on a wily turn.

One frozen thumb and an intense arm workout later I was back home unscathed. Ahh. We'll have to try that trip again, after I make Aaron double check all the parts!

As for a note on the present moment, the wind is whipping something fierce! Our windows are shaking here at the East end, and I can only imagine that drifts that will need to be busted through tomorrow. Stay warm tonight, wherever you are!

The Other Bookend

Wow. Each day, for the last 4 days, I have gotten up with the sun shining. By 10 am the air is warm enough to sit out in a long sleeve shirt. The wind has been calm from the south. I guess that would make this our 'Indian Summer.' Thank you, Indian Summer. You feel so nice.

The skies have been clear during the day and night. I've had the good fortune to lay under the stars. Thursday had a little surprise to the north -- the Northern Lights. The white lights shimmered across Porter's Island and dropped my jaw.

But where was the best place to look? At the Northern Lights or right above where 'shooting stars' dashed across the sky? To be fair, I took turns until the horizon show faded. Shooting stars kept my mind wandering and pondering until I fell asleep in the crisp air.

And then Friday, a whole day to myself Friday, was even better. A good friend and I rode our bikes east with a couple destinations in mind.

We saw the petroglyphs -- rumored to date back when Lake Fanny Hooe was Fanny Hooe Bay. The maples, birches and evergreens that blocked our view of the Great Lake that day were non-existent when those carvings were made in the rocks. It was a great place to imagine being thousands of years ago.

Our next stop was Schlatter Lake. Bathing in the sunshine, we enjoyed the peace and calm of the afternoon air. It was so relaxing that we had to move on so we didn't fall asleep!

Next stop was at High Rock Bay. Oh, High Rock, you sure know how to make me smile! I found my big meditation boulder and sat for a while. We checked out the old rocket blasting site. We ate lunch on the beach in the sunshine and pebbles, looking out at Manitou Island.

Just when I thought the day couldn't get any better, we headed back west. I have never been to Horseshoe Harbor before in the day time, so we trekked down there. Let me just say that I like big rocks. I love boulders that overlook the water and everything around. I am drawn to them like the flies love a sun-shiney window. What I saw at Horseshoe, I was not prepared for.

The whole west edge was a giant (30-40 foot high) barren ridge. Even though I had metal cleats on the bottom of my biking shoes, I b-lined it right to the top, scaling up the side. It was like the moon up there. And to the right, it gradually sank into the lake. We sat on top until the sun dropped and left us in the cool twilight.

That day was like a the other bookend from Isle Royale, with the summer of work sandwiched in between. Those bookends held me together through another busy summer.

And now, only 6 more books (days) of work for me to go! Better get your last Harbor Haus meal while you can!