Trip report: Northern Minnesota & Michigan

[Mike Magee]

I escaped the heat for a while, but now I'm back in it! It was great while it lasted, cooling off along the Lake Superior shoreline in 70s and 80s while it was over 100 degrees back home. But all good things must end, and now I will have to content myself with the memories and the pictures.

I set out on July 15 from Okla. and spent the first night at Slip Bluff CG, a quiet county park off I-35 just north of the MO-IA state line. This was my third time there, and it was the most crowded I've ever seen it: there were 3 other campers! Electric included, just $14 per night. It's a nice, shady CG with a short walk to a bluff overlooking a valley where you can see for 3 or 4 miles.

The second night I drove north of St. Paul to Moose Lake SP. My campsite had the most heavenly fragrance from all the flowers and plants growing nearby. Sleeping with the windows open, I was treated to the fabulous, sweet scents all night long. It was like sleeping in a flower garden.

The third day's drive was a short one, since I was by then so close to my destination area. I had plenty of time to enjoy the sights, including Gooseberry Falls:


A bit farther north is Palisade Head, a popular destination for rappellers. I saw a couple here the last time I visited (5 years ago), and this time there was a group of young guys. You can see why they like this spot so well:


The next campsite I chose was a state forest CG called Eckbeck, near Finland MN, about 3-4 miles up the hill from the shoreline. It rarely fills completely, unlike the state park CGs along the shore, but it was very pleasant with lots of tall, fragrant evergreens (spruce perhaps, as the needles were short... definitely not pines) and a nearby river burbling over rocks. This became my base for 2 nights as I spent some time enjoying the nearby state parks.

The following day I hiked around Tettegouche SP. Surprisingly, I ran into the same climbers here that I met at Palisade Head the previous day! In the photo you can actually see Palisade Head in the distance. It's the cliff with the big tower on it.


Another park nearby, Temperance River SP, has a nice swimming hole just before the river reaches the big lake. The river cuts through the bedrock and people like to jump off the rock banks into the channel below.


More to follow..........

[Mike Magee]

While at Tettegouche, I wanted to see the arch again. You just don't see many natural stone arches in the midwest, and it was a pretty one. Unfortunately the arch had fallen in about 2 or 3 years ago and only the stack remains.


Here is a photo of the arch that I took in 2007. You can see the difference.


I also made it back to the Split Rock Lighthouse SP. Even though I had purchased an annual MN state parks pass for this trip, they charge an extra $9 entrance fee to get into the lighthouse grounds. But oh well, it's a nice place. Not only can you walk around, into, and up the lighthouse, you also gain access to the path down to the beach... and that path is the best place to get a picture.


It's late, so I'll post some more tomorrow. I hope you enjoy seeing the sights as much as I did. Unfortunately I can't reproduce the scents for you. You'll just have to go camping yourself!

[Raz]

I really enjoy these types of posts. We plan to visit the Great Lakes soon so I am taking notes . Thanks for sharing, Raz

[rgrugg]

Nice photos. Especially enjoyed the conversion to b & w.

[Mike Magee]

Thanks. Next move was farther north. I stopped at Grand Marais for a tasty pizza at Sven and Ole's, and to get another picture of the Beaver House.


There's a spacious parking lot on a spit of land sticking out into the lake, where people with trailers can park. It's only a block back to the main shopping area of Grand Marais (plenty of tourist shops to look into). When I walked back to the trailer, I decided to get a pic of the coast guard station at the other end of the lot, and to explore the far end of that spit of land beyond the station. Lo and behold, it's a place called Artist's Point. A bit of wooded area with trails running through it, and beyond that a solid rock shoreline. It's very picturesque and worth spending an hour or more enjoying the beauty of the spot.


Here's an interesting sailing ship coming south past the point to head into the harbor.


After walking all over Artist's Point and out to the marker light at the end of the breakwall, I turned inland on the Gunflint Trail and made my way to the next campsite, 2 nights at East Bearskin Lake. I spent some time on the water here with my kayak, did some fishing, listened to the loons calling at night, and enjoying the absence of traffic noise. Here is what most of these lakes look like:

[cpaharley2008]

very nice trip report

[ScampBum]

My Bucket List trip...The Gunflint Trail to Trail's End.

[Mike Magee]

The second night at Bearskin, it clouded over and rained a bit. But oddly, it did not cool off! I woke in the wee hours feeling too warm, and it was tough sleeping from there on. So the next day I drove back to Grand Marais. By then, about 10:30 am, it was already feeling pretty warm. And I started thinking that it might get hot.

Well, this was a Saturday morning and the campgrounds along Superior are packed. Electric sites? Forget about it! So on the spur of the moment, I decided to head south to Duluth and then east to Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

There's a place in Iron River WI called White Winter Winery, and I stopped in to taste their wares. They make mead, actually, not wine (unless you count the cyser). The blueberry mead tasted delicious and I picked up 3 bottles to take home, along with 1 raspberry mead for my daughter.

Reaching 'da U.P.', I swung north to Porcupine Mountains SP. Their main CG (called Union) is typical of many MI SP CGs, with sites close together on good grass and no greenbelt barriers between most of them. It is a different feel, and since your neighbors are so close, you all get to talking more readily. MI state park CGs are good for the social campers. In comparison, East Bearskin NF CG and Minnesota's Moose Lake SP CG contained much growth between sites, so each one felt private and isolated. (Eckbeck was sort of 'in-between'... you're close to your neighbors, but all the big trees make it feel a bit more secluded.) The Porkies is a good weekend destination, I think; even at 7:30 pm on a Saturday night, Union CG had 5 sites left and the plentiful, more primitive CGs within the park probably had even more vacancies. This is a big park, both campsite- and acreage-wise, with tons of trails for the hikers.

In the morning I drove toward the west end of the park (which takes over a half hour at 40 mph, it's that far!) with a stop for one of the shorter trails on the way. At the west end is the Presque Isle River, with 3 waterfalls in a little over a mile and some nice woodsy trails along both banks. One can hike up one side of the river and down the other side, and see Lake Superior in the bargain. I believe this is called Manabezho Falls:


And I think the next one is Manido Falls. There are lots of other rapids and rocky shelves along this stretch, and I love walking and photographing here. This particular photo was a 3-picture HDR group combined with Photomatix software. The underexposed shot had the water about right, but everything else was nearly black. The properly exposed shot blew out all the water to pure white nothing. The overexposed shot picked up all the detail in the deep shadows. Put 'em all together, and voila.


After wearing my legs out along the riverbanks and then a picnic lunch in my Escape, I drove back to the east side of the park and to the high Lake of the Clouds escarpment. By now the light was coming from the correct direction for this picture:


About 4 pm I left the Porkies and headed NE toward the Keweenaw Peninsula.

[Mike Magee]

Even though I had lived in Michigan for my first 30+ years, I never had been north of Houghton. So I was glad to finally see the Keweenaw Peninsula. I arrived F. J. McLain SP around 7 pm on Sunday night and got lucky... due to a late cancellation, they had an open campsite on the lake shore! I snapped it up, of course. My site for the night was just yards from the beach. Here is my rig in site 82.


And shifting the camera angle a bit, here's the view of the lake from here.


This turned out to be my favorite campground for the whole trip. Although I only could stay on the water side for one night, I ended up staying a total of three nights. Each evening I walked or bicycled to the shoreline and sat in one of these chairs to watch the sun set.


What a nice place! The warmest high was 82 degrees, and the lows were moderate too (which isn't always true along Superior). The paved roadway lent itself to bikers, and a great many campers were out with their bikes and meandering around the CG. As you enter the park the CG is to the right, but if you go to the left the pavement continues about a half mile to another beach area and a little CG store selling t-shirts, ice cream, hot dogs and nachos. (This far beach also had about the only cell phone reception.) And between the road and the shoreline, there's a patch of forest with trails. The beach beyond the forest is stony (great for rock picking), but the other beach areas are sandy.

About 1/3 of the CG is the close, intimate type similar to Union CG at the Porkies. The other 2/3 is spaced out more, with many of the sites divided by swaths of trees and bushes.

The wild raspberrys and thimbleberries were growing in many spots throughout the park, so I got some fresh fruit.

[Mike Magee]

During the next couple of days, I sat around a lot and enjoyed the cool breezes, sights, fresh scents, and quiet activity of McLain SP. Sometimes I sat at my campsite. Sometimes along the lake. Sometimes I'd spend time riding around on my bicycle. The word "paradise" kept coming to mind.

One day the camp hosts had a sign up announcing that there would be a sing-along and campfire fudge at 8:00 pm. Then he had a couple volunteer to play for us! It was very pleasant; the man played a guitar/harmonica combo, while the woman played a viola. Later the man traded the guitar for a banjo. They played several tunes for us and sounded good. Meanwhile the hosts filled a gallon plastic ziplock bag with ingredients, then we passed the bag around to take turns kneading it. When the mixture stopped sticking to the sides of the bag, it was mixed enough and she dumped it out, flattened it, and started dividing up chunks of this easy-to-make fudge. The camp hosts and I thought it was better than Mackinaw Island fudge. It was a big hit, especially with the kids, and we ended up making a second batch. Oh, and we roasted marshmallows, too.

I also spent half a day on a driving tour of the peninsula, farther north of McLain. The drive along the western shoreline was pretty, with some more small waterfalls and plenty of parks and scenic turnouts. Big freighter ships could sometimes be seen well out on the lake. There were ample spots for a picnic lunch.


I also came across this beautiful monastery. I'd read about it some years ago, then had forgotten it. Seeing it again reminded me that I had wanted to take a picture or two of it. Thought I'd try something new....


At the norther tip of Keweenaw is another state park, Fort Wilkins. They have reconstructed the old fort here and one can tour the buildings and learn what life was like in the 1800s in this remote location. My favorite building was the general store:


Well, all good things must end. After 3 nights at McLain SP a rain front moved in, and it seemed like it was time to head to my sister's house in Stephenson for a visit and then to head home. I'll leave you with one more sunset over Lake Superior, for good measure.

[brian m.]

GREAT trip report Mike!
Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Nancy]

Mike,

What a wonderful journey you took us on. We have never been to McLain and look forward to going there after your report.

Of course we all want that fudge recipe. Did you get it? Please post under the food area if you know it.

Your Split Rock picture is pretty, but you have it in the Michigan area. If you ever go back there is a really neat beach next to where you took your picture. You can get to those places without paying the extra money, but you still need a park pass. When the birds are not nesting one can go out on the little island for another great Light House shot.

Thanks for the nice pictures. Artist Point is another of our favorite places, I am ready for a drive up the shore.

Nancy

[Nancy]

OK, Think I found the fudge recipe. The Boy Scouts call it Armpit Fudge and the Girl Scouts call it Pass Around Fudge.

Nancy

[Mike Magee]

Yes, I have posted the recipe now. It certainly is easy, but you do have to plan ahead and have the ingredients. I don't usually carry powdered sugar or marshmallow cream on my camping trips.

[ScampBum]

My profile pic is from Union Bay,2010.Headed back there mid August for 15 days.
Porcupine Mtn Music Fest,Aug 24th-26th.
Also,did you stop in Port Wing for smoked fish from Everett's?
Ehler's General Store in Corny?

[Mike Magee]

Can't say that I've ever heard of either place, Al. Neither Port Wing nor Corny are listed on my Michigan map. Are they in Wisconsin?

[Nancy]

Yes, Wisconsin. Port Wing, Herbster, then Cornucopia. Sailing to the Apostle Islands from Duluth they are on the way.

Never went to Ehler's or Everett's, but have eaten at Fish Lips across from Ehler's a few times.

Port Wing has an annual fish boil around Labor Day. The proceeds go to a youth something. It is a fantastic feast the little town puts on.

Nancy

[Ken C]

Is there a ferry for car and rv trailer from Duluth to the Apostle Islands or are you talking about a sight seeing tour, thanks.

[Mike Magee]

There's a short ferry ride from Bayfield to Madeline Island. I don't know of any ferry from Duluth, offhand. But Nancy may have meant 'sailing along on the highways' with tug and trailer.

[Nancy]

Sorry I wasn't clear. In my head it was a group of privately owned sailboats that go there every summer.

But I think there are boat rides one can get on at Bayfield that goes around some of the islands. The only island that has cars on it is Madeline Island. The rest of the islands are wilderness with boat access only.

Nancy