U.P. Heat Wave

It was pretty hot in Munising on Memorial Day weekend for a place so far north.  A high of 85F when we went for a hike on the trail to Chapel Beach was unexpected since May's average high is in the 60's.

another trail full of spring wildflowers!

If you want to hike to Chapel Falls or Chapel Beach make sure to get there early or on a weekday, or even both.  The parking lot is small and fills fast.  We had to park on the side of the dirt road with a bunch of others.  The last section of road is lined with cars on one side for quite a ways and there's only room for one way traffic until you get to the parking lot.  Bring water too, there's none available at the trailhead, but there is a vault toilet.

We tried to talk Katrina into going the distance to the beach, but she was not happy about the heat situation and said that the planned 2.6 mile out-and-back was enough.

For a change Wayne was the one who wanted to press on and he got a taste of what it's like to be the one who wants to keep going.  I was okay with either decision, though a trip to the beach would have been nice in that heat.  Of course it's an additional 1.8 miles from our end point at Chapel Falls...each way.  So, I contented myself with taking off my hiking shoes and cooling off my feet in the river.

Cool relief!

If you want to know what Chapel Beach and Chapel Rock look like, just follow this link to my blog post in 2011 when Wayne and I did go the distance.  Sherry and David from In the Direction of Our Dreams are in Michigan and heading to Munising soon so hopefully they'll get out there so I can live vicariously through their photos!  She's talking a lot about the mosquito problem there now, but when we were in the U.P. they hadn't arrived yet thankfully.

I didn't get any pictures of the falls because the water flow was pretty low and you have to be a daredevil to get a good angle.  Wayne climbed down a little ways toward the falls and turned back.  This is the guy who climbed up to the top on Chimney Tops trail and who's been climbing electrical poles for 20 years.  If he thinks it looks sketchy I'm certainly not attempting it!

I only saw one tiny patch of Bluets, but was thrilled to be reminded of my spring in the Smokies.  Seems like this year I just chased spring around the country.  Maybe I'll get to do the same thing in the fall?