Discovering the Little Carp River Trail Thanks to a Hitchhiker

When we were driving down the South Boundary Road after leaving the Preque Isle River we picked up a hitchhiker. Yes, we picked up a hitchhiker! There were two men with an assortment of little girls on the side of the road and I told Wayne to swing it around and see what they needed. What they needed was a ride to their car to save the girls an extra 6 mile hike so Dad #1 hopped in and we took him to his van on Little Carp River Road. The light under the canopy was so beautiful that I pestered Wayne the next day to go back there for our hike.

I was a bit disappointed that the light was not as good because it had been overcast the day before, but we had a nice little hike nonetheless.  The road ends at a parking lot for the Little Carp River Trail which connects to a few other trails along the way. We took the side trail to Overlooked Falls first, which is really a set of cascades.  We ran into a nice couple there who took our picture, and I was so amused by the way Wayne was standing that I imitated it.  Our daughter said it looked like he was going to start doing ballet, I thought he looked like he was striking a superhero pose. Either way, it made for a fun shot.



We went to the other side of the river and made our way onto the Little Carp River trail.  It was a bit noisy due to some workers doing some trail maintenance.  There were quite a few downed trees across the trails in the park on our hikes. Perhaps they wait until later in the season and get them all at once due to budgetary limitations.

A little further in on the trail we came to Greenstone Falls. The falls is about 20' wide, and less than 10' high. As waterfalls go it isn't very impressive, but there was something delightful about climbing down the bank to see it and having the view up and down the river all to ourselves. The reflections of the golden leaves on the river's surface didn't hurt either.

Just a few steps away from the falls is the Greenstone Cabin, right on the trail.  It was originally built in 1948 but was renovated after a fire in 1990 and is an easy 1/2 mile walk from the parking lot. One of the unique features of this state park is their trailside cabins and yurts. The cabins range from 2-8 bunk capacity and include  mattresses, kitchen dishes and utensils, a table with chairs, a wood burning stove, and a saw and axe. Many hikers make arrangements to spend different nights at different cabins, making their way through the park along the trail system.  Most of the cabins also include an outhouse, though we couldn't find one for this cabin.  I was enchanted with the location and it's easy access from the parking lot and am keeping it in mind for a possible future trip with a friend. Hopefully that outhouse is hiding somewhere nearby! I can just imagine walking down to the river every morning to enjoy the peace and quiet before packing up and hitting any of a number of trails that intersect near there.  Bug season is quite lengthy in this area, so if you have the same idea either bring plenty of repellant or come after mid-August to avoid them.

Preque Isle River, Porcupine Mountains State Park

On our way back from Wakefield we took route 519 back into the Porcupine Mountains and stopped at the Preque Isle River area.  We drove through the Preque Isle Campground, and thought it was very nice for a campground without facilities. No electric, water or dump station here, so if you plan to come make sure you are prepared.

The reason to stop here is for the East and West River Trails along the Presque Isle River.  From the parking lot you take some stairs down to the river and can either start on the west side by taking a right along the boardwalk or you can cross the river by suspension bridge and start on the east side. We planned on doing the east side first because it reportedly had better views of the falls, but made a quick detour down to the river edge itself first.

The round potholes in the nonesuch shale riverbed form where an eddy current continually swirls pebbles and sand grains in a circular pattern, expanding the potholes. After wandering up and down a little ways we climbed back up to the expansion bridge and crossed over the river.  

The East River Trail follows the same route as the Superior Trail for a short distance until you come to a dry channel in the shale riverbed. During high spring water this area is covered and the penninsula on the east side of the river becomes an island. Walking across the riverbed was the highlight of the hike for me, and I'm really glad we weren't here when the water was too high to enjoy it!  There was a cute little bird enjoying it, too.

Once we crossed the gorge we entered a beautiful stand of virgin hemlock, white pine and cedar.  The roots were utilized as staircases, but I wouldn't want to be climbing them after a heavy rain or later in the season when they would be slippery with fallen leaves.

We completed both sides of the river, and if you only have time to do one side, definitely make it the east. In comparison the west side was a yawn.  It had a series of boardwalks for most of its length, but the views of the river, falls and forest were nowhere near as impressive.

Most people are here to see the 3 waterfalls, and while the water level being down at this time of year stole a little of their "thunder", they were still nice to see.  Perhaps we'll get here some year in the spring and have a peek at them while they are thundering their way toward Lake Superior.

Manabezho Falls

Manido Falls

Nawadaha Falls

Lake of the Clouds

A picture is worth a thousand words! The most visited spot in the park is the Lake of the Clouds overlook, and it's easy to see why. We were there for peak color, and the view did not disappoint no matter which way you looked.  We arrived around 4:00 p.m. and the light was nice for photography.  When we came back the next day in the morning there was nothing but glare.

While gazing down from the overlook we noticed some hikers crossing a bridge on the Big Carp River, so we came back the next morning to hike down and see what the view was like from there.

To reach the bridge you have to take the Mirror Lake trail. All 3 of the trails depart from the boardwalk at the overlook, and as you go down you eventually come to the sign which points the way.  We were there around 9:00 am and the woods was so quiet I commented that it was a little creepy. On our way back up the wildlife was finally awake and making noise in the trees and underbrush. The distance to the bridge is only a 3/4 mile trip and it isn't as steep as you would think when you're looking down from the overlook.

Once down to the bridge there really wasn't much to see, the view up the river or down to the lake was more obstructed than you would think, but it was a nice little stroll down and back up again and Wayne was happy that the trail wasn't steep enough to trouble his knees. The trail continues on to Mirror Lake for those that want a longer hike.

When we were near the top again we stopped to watch two woodpeckers for awhile but I wasn't able to get a good shot of them.  I guess you'll have to settle for two more shots featuring the two of us and all that amazing fall color!

Union Mine Interpretive Trail

Our first morning in the Porcupine Mountains we decided to start out easy.  After a quick trip into the visitor center we chose the Union Mine Interpretive Trail for a hike. After four days of hiking in the park, this was my favorite trail. Short, but sweet!

It wasn't copper that first brought the Europeans to the Porcupine Mountains in the 1700's, but the fur trade. The first copper mining effort in the Porkies wasn't until 1845.  The first efforts didn't prove to be very profitable, and in 1864 the mine was sold to a Detroit businessman.

Four more shafts were sunk, one up to 400 feet deep, and a steam powered stamping mill used for crushing ore was brought in. Most of the shafts are caved in and not visible, but the trail was beautiful and for a short mile it packed a lot of punch.

Peter Toth and the Trail of the Whispering Giants

From Create Space's website on the subject:

 Inspired by the stunning California landscape, Peter Toth, a young sculptor, began a project that became his life's work. Toth, who escaped the Soviet invasion of Hungary with his family, noted similarities between the plight of the Magyar people and the struggle of Native Americans. As a gift to his adopted country, he carved a giant log into a sculpted head in every single state to honor our Native American past. Collectively these are known as the "Trail of the Whispering Giants." Beginning in 1971, Toth traveled the nation erecting his monuments to the American Indian. Today his work is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution art inventories as a significant body of work by a living artist.

There are 74 Whispering Giants, at least one in every of the 50 United States.  I finally tracked down my first of these sculptures while we were staying in the Porkies. Michigan has 2, and one of them is in the little town of Wakefield, just minutes from the southwestern border of the park.  The carving is 27 feet tall and was raised on September 29, 1988.   Nee-Gaw-Nee-Gaw-Bow was carved from a 350 year old white pine.

For those passing through Florida,  Peter Wolf Toth's art gallery is reportedly on the SW corner of Arther Avenue and US 1 in Edgewater, Florida.  Please feel free to correct me if this information has changed!

I didn't plan on starting my "collection" in Michigan, it was just a happy accident...a very happy one! Now that I've started, the hunt will be on for the rest of them. Apparently there is one in Cherokee, North Carolina that I somehow missed on our visit there last April....good thing we plan to visit the Smokies again!  Wikipedia has a list of their locations for anyone else who is interested in joining me on my hunt!

Union Bay Campground, Porcupine Mountains State Park

For our stay in the Porcupine Mountains State Park we camped at the Union Bay Campground.  It is the only campground in the park that has a dump station and electric hookups.  Like the other Michigan State Parks we've stayed in, sites are a little tighter than what we're used to in Wisconsin.  One thing we don't like about the state park system in Michigan is that you can make a reservation, but not for a specific site.  You get a "site type" reservation and get your site when you get there, kind of like a first come, first serve but with a hold. That's okay if you're a smaller unit, but at 37 feet with a small turning radius, this can be a problem for us.

Of the 5 sites set aside for the campers arriving the same day we did, two of them were too small for us to fit in at all, and another one would have been a stretch.  Luckily we got one we could fit into, but had to back and fill at least 6 times to get into it.  There are no gravel or paved drives at this state park, which we've encountered before, just numbers painted on the loop.  Also, numerous sites have to share the electric hookup, which can get interesting.  The people who pulled in next to us had to pull in really close to us in order to access the electricity.

All the sites in this park are very unlevel.  Some campers had the front of their fifth wheels practically touching the ground trying to level them out.  At this time of year the campground office is manned sporadically, which would be problematic if you had trouble with a site you reserved not working out for you.  For all the drawbacks, it is a nice park, especially if you're a smaller unit and live close enough or are traveling a shorter distance to get there early.

On the bright side, the location of the campground is great for seeing the state park and enjoying Lake Superior's shoreline.  We didn't get a spot on the shore, and again, you only get one if you get there early even if you have a reservation.

Our first night at the campground we took advantage of our access to the Lake Superior shoreline and went for a walk.  In addition to the great fall color we saw a lot of interesting driftwood and other little treasures.

After a long day driving we were ready for bed shortly after dark.  Too bad we didn't hang in there because I heard from a fellow camper who was staying in one of the campground's two yurts that they caught the Aurora Borealis about the same time we hit the sack! Oh well, can't see it all!

Fall Color in the Porcupine Mountains

We drove up to the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan's Upper Penninsula last weekend to catch the fall color this year.  We ended up timing it just right and got there just in time for an awesome show!

We don't get this much color all at once in southeastern Wisconsin, so it's been a long time since either one of us have seen anything like the show the UP puts on.  The weather was just perfect every day we were there, it didn't rain or get windy so it just lasted and lasted. 

But, of course, nothing lasts forever, so when the weather forecast called for a sudden drop in temperature with wind and rain mixed with snow we packed up on Thursday and came home.  The day we left the color was fading, turning more brown than orange, and the other plants in the forest were saying their goodbyes before winter sets in as well.

I don't think we'll go to the Porcupines for fall color again, but it certainly whetted our appetite to make searching out fall color a priority.  I'm thinking Pennsylvania...Vermont...the Smokies....who knows where our wheels will take us and what we'll see next?