Falling for the North Shore

Here we are at the Burlington Bay Campground in Two Harbors, Minnesota!  It's a nice campground right on Lake Superior with full hook-ups, laid out pretty well and I'm sure it will be full this weekend.

what I see as I write this post - not too shabby

After a day spent in the back seat of the truck on the road I couldn't wait to get out on a trail, any trail, yesterday so I dragged my mother 20 minutes down the road to Gooseberry State Park.  They have a huge visitor center and paved paths to the falls, but the trails are not marked at all and spurs jutted off in every direction.  The map was of little help either.  Knowing that the Fifth Falls Trail followed the river down one side and back up the other I just picked one that looked like it was going in the right direction.

Upper Gooseberry Falls

Upper Gooseberry Falls

Most of the trail along the Gooseberry River is fairly flat, keeping the river in sight the whole way.  Not much is blooming here yet, a few Rue Anemone and some Marsh Marigold were all there was to be seen besides the river.

I'm not used to so much sunshine and felt like all I was doing was fighting the glare as I tried to take pictures!  All were taken with a polarizer and I still had to tone down the highlights a bit when I loaded them up.  Still, it was nice to feel the sun and have a blue sky for a change.

The rock in the area was interesting, apparently some of it is the result of lava flows.

From Gooseberry Falls to Fifth Falls we walked a mile along the river and then had a lovely bridge to cross.

Mom on the bridge

view of the Gooseberry River from the bridge

Once on the other side we picked up our pace a bit.  Mom isn't used to hiking and was starting to be eager for it to be over and done with! I made her stop to look back at the view of Fifth Falls, totally worth a few minute detour.

We walked a little under 3 miles in 3 hours, just a warm-up for me, of course. It was a nice little hike and not too many folks wander away from Gooseberry Falls, I always like the ones that aren't crowded!

 Back at the campground the men in our lives had gone to Duluth for some supplies, including fishing poles and licenses.

Wayne wanted to drive over to Knife River and take a short walk along it to look for fish and I was happy to oblige.  Even Cory likes to walk along the water and look for stuff.

Wayne and the Knife River making its way to Lake Superior

This morning the men have gone to the bait shop to find out where to rent a boat and go fishing and my mom is taking me to the Superior Hiking Trail and dropping me off.  More sun today, but I'm packed to handle it!

Unleashed at the Dunes Segment?

Over the weekend I stayed at Point Beach State Park which is in the town of Two Rivers, just north of Manitowoc.  Sites 1-20 are non electric, 1st come 1st served and site 11 was perfect for my needs.  This park is heavily wooded, sites 1-20 are practically right on the main park road and the mosquitoes aren't kidding around once it warms up.  However, the beach is great and the shower facilities above average.  Most of the sites are not big rig friendly but there are a few big ones available.  If you want a weekend I'd say you're already too late for a prime site for the rest of the year.  They book up fast at the state parks here, but if you can come during the week reservations aren't really needed unless you're looking for something specific.

site 11

I was out looking for the Dunes segment trailhead in Two Rivers by 9:00 and chose the north end on Columbus Street as my starting point.  The Ice Age Guidebook made a big fuss about the trail being a little hard to find at the other end behind Aurora Medical Center so I figured I'd take the easy route.

Columbus Street

Right away the trail entered some woods in a residential section but the houses dropped away quickly as the trail makes its way in to the Woodland Dunes State Natural Area.  There was quite a few hemlocks and ferns to start, but then the forest changed.  I saw a lot of owls.

Okay, they weren't live owls, I'll confess. The trees and ferns were real though.  Lots of Jack-in-the Pulpit too, and some Bishop's Cap which is the first time I've seen that since I was in the Smokies!

The Bishop's Cap is so tiny its blossoms are only an eighth of an inch across!  The little petals look like snowflakes up close.

Mitella diphylla (also known as Two-leaf Miterwort)

The Ice Age Trail follows the Trillium Trail for most of the 2.6 miles of the Dunes segment.  I know that this used to be "dunes" as I discussed before when Lake Michigan was 30 feet higher, but in this state natural area the ground is relatively flat and I did not see much sand.

bridge across a swale

I also didn't see much trillium, it seems to be a little late getting started here.  I spotted 2 Nodding Trillium that were just opening and not very photogenic.  By the end of the week they will probably be stunning though.

I did see a few of these blossoming trees, if anyone knows what they are I sure would like to know!  I also saw Field Pussytoes in both of the fields I passed through, and it seems they are busy getting some trees replanted as well.

The IAT Guidebook mentioned crossing some railroad tracks but I assumed they meant real tracks that are in use.  In another week or two these tracks won't even likely be visible.

When I got to the end at the Aurora parking lot it seemed it should be easy to find the other trailhead.  Just drive around to the back going to the left as you are facing the facility and there is a large sign at the trailhead.  I turned around and then not far in I noticed a spur to a viewing platform.  Of course I scared off the ducks before I got a good look at them, but the geese didn't seem to mind my presence.

Foggy reflection

Overall it was a nice little trail, great for a short easy stroll.  I even made a little movie.  Don't know what the heck I'm doing, of course.  Just goofed around on YouTube.  I did figure out that I kept having problems with pixelation because I was moving the camera so this time I kept the camera still and moved myself!

Sometimes I hate going both ways on a trail, but I'm glad I did so on this one.  As I was completing my return trip I suddenly spotted an old car off the trail that I couldn't see coming from the other direction.

I stepped around carefully, sure to make my presence known to not startle any critters that might have set up a home in it.  In another month this will be even harder to find when the weeds grow in thicker.

I only met one other person on the trail, unusual for a Sunday, but maybe the weather kept some folks away or maybe it's just not a popular spot.  We spent a few lovely minutes chatting about dogs and retirement.  The Ice Age Trail does allow dogs on leashes, but I must say every person I see with a dog has it off leash.  What is the consensus out there about this practice?  Most folks taking their dogs to these out of the way spots have animals that are well behaved, but part of the prohibition is meant as an attempt to protect these areas from damage.  I know the other lady with her 2 dogs that I met on the Point Beach segment had them running all over the place in and out of the dunes and through fragile habitat.  Thoughts?  No judgment, I'm a bit conflicted on this issue and am seriously wondering what others think.

On my way out of the area I spotted this neat bicycle sculpture outside an art museum in Manitowoc.  No matter how many times I drive through an area I always see something new!  Today we are actually in a new area, Wayne and Cory and I drove to Two Harbors, Minnesota with the RV last night.

Mosquitoes on the Menu - Point Beach Segment Part 3

Back in the real world I had to work 11 hours yesterday so here is the third installment about the Point Beach segment of the IAT a day later than I had planned.  For the last 3-ish miles I parked at the Red Pines parking lot which is directly across the road from where you would turn off Sandy Bay Road to go to the state park campground.  Again there is a little IAT trail marker at the intersection with the yellow blaze, but no actual sign and the marker is already buried in foliage at this time of year.  The parking lot is kind of hidden from view of the road so look carefully.

This was my favorite section of the segment, the wildflowers were a little more prevalent as the trail was starting to move away from Lake Michigan instead of paralleling it.  No mosquitoes for most of the hike, but the title isn't just a clever alliteration...

Lye Leaved Rock Cress Arabidopsis lyrata

When I hiked the Kewaskum segment I left behind my hiking stick/monopod.  Most likely right there in the parking or else the last place I stopped to take a photograph.  When I stop to take pictures I often have to shuck everything off my back, change lenses, squat on the ground, decide whether to use the monopod or the gorillapod, get a drink of water, and then repeat the whole process in reverse.

I'm still not used to the whole hiking pole thing, they really aren't needed for most Midwest hiking situations.  As a replacement I ordered the above Mountainsmith Trekker from REI.  At half the price it does the job just as well as REI's version that I previously had and I actually like the foam removable handle better than the cork one.  I'm ordering another one to stick in the RV in case I lose this one too!

No hiking pole needed for this mostly flat hike

The forest is newer growth, the Point Beach area was heavily lumbered in the 1800's and the hemlock trees that I enjoyed so much were used in the leather tanning industry.  The trees were cut not only for lumber but to fuel the many steamships that ranged up and down Lake Michigan as well.

It might seem like there isn't much to look at on trails like these, but just slow down and keep your eyes open.  I found a burrow that had me wondering whose home it was.

And the Juniper shrubs that snaked across the old dunes weren't fully covered and sported some interesting orange fungi.

Old stumps and not so old trees have stories to tell too, sprouting colonies of lichen that look like miniature worlds.

Further along the trail the dunes reappeared, so strange as I was moving farther away from the lake and not closer to it.

Sandy Bay Road ends and turns in to CountY V as it veers west away from the lake.  I crossed the road and continued on, entering the Rahr Memorial School Forest which has served the Manitowoc area schools as an outdoor classroom for 50 years.

Most of it is quite swampy, the mosquitoes will be unbelievable in another few weeks.  I was thankful the weather was cool and they weren't very active.  It's hard to imagine that this area was part of the great Peshtigo Fire that raged in 1871 with all the moisture I saw. Did you know that the Peshtigo Fire happened the same night as the Great Chicago Fire?  Land clearing practices of the time left piles of dry wood laying around and the combination of several factors including drought led to numerous fire outbreaks at that time in the Midwest.  The Peshtigo Fire was a firestorm that turned sand into glass, jumped rivers and claimed the lives of 1500-2500 people.  Interested in learning more?  Here's a link to the Wisconsin Historical Society whose archives has documents and pictures about the tragedy.

Even though I've seen a lot of Marsh Marigold lately it was still lovely, and some new things are sprouting up alongside it, including an interesting two toned plant that is probably an iris of some kind.

Part of the education program includes a 1640 foot boardwalk that was completed thanks to 4851 hours of volunteer work.

After exiting the boardwalk I came upon a small pond in a clearing and then it was back in to the woods for a short while where I was mercilessly attacked by mosquitoes.  Why there and not on the boardwalk across the swamp?  Perhaps the temperature had finally warmed up enough to get them moving?

violets cover the ground until the emerging plants fully mature

They were swarming around me as I hurried out into the road, and when I opened my mouth to breathe I sucked a few in and down the gullet they went!  I was hungry, but insects were not what I had in mind for a snack.

See the mosquitoes?

I don't recommend hiking this area come June unless you are doused in DEET and wearing protective clothing as well. I was wearing a jacket and still they got me a couple of times in the upper arms through my coat. On the bright side, didn't see a tick all weekend, not even on my tent when I took it down.

Sheboygan Mural - Wise Eyes

I don't know if these were part of the Sheboygan Project or not, but the murals on the side of the Senior Activity Center was interesting.

Unfortunately I couldn't find any information on the internet about the mural or its artist.

Babies, Blooms and Butterflies - Point Beach Segment Part 2

One of the things I decided that I didn't need to drag along with me on my 6-7 mile portion of the Point Beach segment was my zoom lens.  Whatever I leave behind, I always wish I had brought it.  On my journey along Sandy Bay Road I spied a family of Sandhill Cranes and a zoom lens sure would have come in handy!

Look again, not just one chick, but two!  Even though I couldn't see them very well they were adorable from afar and one even kept stretching up and flapping its little wings.

Even though I adore wildflowers, I enjoy landscaping too and I don't think I've ever seen as many daffodils in one yard as the ones I saw on Sandy Bay Road.

At Viceroy Road I cut back in to the woods.  At this point the Ice Age Trail is merged with the Rawley Point Bike Trail, which I've ridden before with Wayne last August and by myself back in July of 2012.

goofing around off the trail

The IAT splits off again and dives into the woods, swooping up and down the remnants of old sand dunes.  Lake Michigan used to be Lake Nippissing 5,0000 years ago and the water was 30 feet higher than it is now.  All of this was underwater, and the ridges and swales that define coastal Lake Michigan in northern Wisconsin are what was left behind as the water level dropped.

I've walked this section of the IAT before when I camped here the first time, so it all looked familiar, right down to the access points to the beach.  I could tell when I was getting closer to shore because the temperature would drop, it felt like I walked in to a freezer!

The plants really change as you move back away from the dunes, going from reedy grasses to shrubs like the Bearberry and Juniper, and then the trees pop up along with the wildflowers and the ferns.

I even saw one butterfly resting on a sandy spot, probably trying to dry its wings with all the damp and fog we were experiencing.

Back at the park entrance I retrieved my bike that I had locked to a tree and rode 4.5 miles back to my car.  One of the mailboxes along the way had a lighthouse instead of a red flag, how cool is that?

Friday night I started the segment by doing the back end of it first and it was my favorite part of this weekend.  Well, except for the Sandhill Cranes.  You know I stopped at the same spot on my way out of town this morning and there they were!  This time I had my camera properly outfitted and got the shot I wanted without even leaving the car.

Last of Point Beach to come, and then I did the short Dunes segment at the other end of Two Rivers on my way home this morning too.  We leave Wednesday for Minnesota, no more Ice Age Trail for a few weeks, I can't wait to see what we find along Lake Superior!