Our last trip BB-Before Baby!

Our trip was a wonderful adventure. We loaded up the car and we were off. Off for over a week in UP of Michigan. The trip to the Porcupine Mountains in the UP was a long one. It takes about 5 hours to get to Mackinaw from our starting point and then another almost 5 hours to get to the park itself. On the first day we stopped off at Gaylord, Mi. We stayed overnight at the DownTown Motel. The next morning we were off...Off to Wal-Mart to pick up some new pillows, we forgot ours. **Let me just break off here and say it's a miracle we didn't forget more of the basic necessities. We were staying at the rustic end of the campground which means no electricity. We needed to really think our supplies through, more than just the tent and sleeping bags. We had a nice hanging tripod to cook our food over the fire with. We had an emergency propane stove. We had 2 large tubs full of things like matches, utensils, plates all the things you have in your kitchen. We also had aside from the tent a screenhouse, 2 chairs, air mattress, sleeping bags and anything else you need in your house to live on. Ok back to the story.... After we crossed the MightMac we took the long and widing road (stopping off at Big Boys on the way) to the park. The towns on the map were nothing but clusters of mail boxes but we didn't worry. The sign at the entrance of the park said we had to go 25 miles into the park to get to the campgrounds. We didn't worry. We got on the road and worried. The sky was turning black. We got to the Ranger station, picked our site and voila-rain. Yup, much to the horror of my protesting husband we put up our tent and screenhousein the pouring rain...of course then it stopped raining. Another 25 miles back out of the park to get food supplies, another 25 miles back into the park and we had our first dinner of the trip. The next few days were spent hiking around the park. Looking at Waterfalls and wandering around scenic trails. They had a nice nature center and we found an excellent book on the ins and outs of the park. The nights were spent reading by the firelight & then playing UNO until we couldn't stand it anymore. The nights were also spent worrying about what wildlife might enter into our campsite...... The final big hike took us some 5 miles from South Boundary Road to Lake Superior herself. The trail was mostly up and downhill. We encountered some deer carcasses and some smaller wildlife. Then we noticed the trail criss crossing the river. Duh us the first time we crossed we didn't take our boots off...We had very wet feet. We ate lunch on a shoal in the middle of the river. Throughout the trail, deep in the trail, was a smattering of trail cabins. Then it was the trip back (insert nightmare scene here). We opted to take the route of lest resistance or so we thought. Our options were to go back the way we came, 4-5 hours of hiking mostly uphill or take a shorter route (about 1-2 hours) back to South Boundary road and then walk the smooth road back to our car. We opted for the shortcut. About half an hour into the short cut we realized our misktake and began to pay for it. BUGS! Oh my gosh we were walking ankle deep in mud all the way back to the road. It was that feeling that you'd never make it back. The water ran out and if you stopped to even think the bugs attacked. When we got to the road we died. And then we died some more when we realized we coudln't even take 10 more steps to get to our car. Dale made it half way down the road further than I did. He rounded a bend and I lost sight of him. I laid down in the bushes on the side of the road. Too tired to worry about anything. Then a car slows and stops by me. 2 older ladies in the front seat and Dale in the back. Yes we hitched a ride back to our car! We drove to our site, cleaned off and didn't move for hours. Our hiking for this trip was done. We can't wait to go back some day with Andrew..... Oh yeah...ask us someday about Dale decapitating a bird...with the car.. not on purpose mind you....

We have arrived! At the Porcupine Mountains in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan!
This is Dale & I at our Campsite to the right is our tent, further out to the right is Lake Superior.

This is the right view. This is the rest of our site. Tenting it worked out O.K.

A storm front was coming in. We were almost at a little town near the Wisconsin border when it started to roll by!

Time to go Hiking! We explored several falls that wandered down to the edge of Superior.

This is a wonderful scenic spot at the other end of the park called Lake of the Clouds!

Time for more Hiking and exploring. We ended up atop of a nice lookout and then further into the park where there are several hidden lakes and rivers.

Yup, them is hikers up in front of us. Through the marshes & other areas that they didn't want much wear-n-tear in they put these nice bridges or footwalks.

The last Hike of our trip took us about 5 miles from South Boundary Road all the way to Lake Superior. Here I am resting my feet! We ended up breaking for lunch here.

The trail criss-crossed the rivers in the park. We had to cross back & forth several times in order to keep on the trail. Yup, we got wet! Here is Dale...before we got wet!

One of the many signs in & about the park.

The day before we left I got this wonderful shot of the sun setting. These folks had this wonderful spot in campground. There site dropped right off into Lake Superior.