These days, my months are split pretty evenly between my home in Baltimore, my family in Kentucky, and various hiking and backpacking venues. After researching some hiking destinations to break up the drive through West Virginia, I stumbled upon the Dolly Sods Wilderness nestled within the Monongahela National Forest. Even though it is a couple hours drive time off my direct route, I decided to spend a few days there in late October on a solo loop hike.
I'd heard this was a very popular spot, so I arrived on Tuesday to avoid the crowds and pretty much had the place to myself for a few days. The wilderness area is isolated and not so easy to get to on narrow gravel roads for the last five miles up a mountainside. I had just a couple hours to hike that first evening, so I hustled westward to reach the ridge line overlooking the Canaan Valley.
Hiked a few miles to the ridge, just in time for sunset!
This would be a quick 21-mile loop hike starting and ending from the trail head parking area for the Bear Rocks Trail, and circling the wilderness area in a counter-clockwise fashion.
My route, more or less.
I spent two cold nights camping along the way, but the crisp autumn days were ideal for hiking. It's a beautiful area with some history of homesteading, logging, wildfires, and even ballistic testing back in the day.
I didn't see any.
The hike features lots of open meadows and interesting sandstone cliffs. It's quite windy in the open areas because of elevations up to 4700 feet.
I'm looking forward to returning to Dolly Sods again one day to explore a bit more. Here's a quick video with some of the history and scenery. Happy Trails!
Alex and I finished up with our lunch at the Dunes Saloon in Grand Marais, Michigan. We drove separately to the southern terminus of our section hike, a place called Trout Brook Pond. We left my car there at the trail head parking loop, then took his car to our starting point at Tahquamenon State Park. All of this took a few hours, and it was already early evening by the time we were situated.
Our goal for this evening would be a five mile hike along the Tahquamenon River between the upper falls and the lower falls. But the upper falls were pretty amazing, so we spent a couple hours there. Alex a.k.a. "Money Shot" set up his tripod and took tons of photographs and video for his documentary project. A group of Amish or Mennonite women were near us on the viewing platform, and one of them asked me how the cascading water got such a golden tan color. I told her that it was actually a river of beer, but she either did not understand my sarcasm or just was not amused with me, rebuking my explanation. So I told her a more believable story, that tannins from fallen conifer trees seep into the water and give it that nice tea color. This made much more sense to her.
A river of beer!
Alex told me this would be the best scenery along this entire 65-mile section. I was a bit disappointed to learn that our hike's apex came in the first quarter mile, and that between here and my car stood 64 and three quarters of a mile of nothingness.
In this, his latest nature documentary project, we talked about the best way to present it to the general public. When he uploaded his last project, "A Sense of Direction - A 1200 Mile Walk on the Pacific Northwest Trail," Alex noted that a lot of his YouTube viewers checked out after the first 15 or 20 minutes of the 75-minute video. So there's a new strategy this time; it will be released as a series, with each of his nine section hikes of the North Country Trail through Michigan's Upper Peninsula being released as a separate 10-minute (or so) episode. This section would be episode four, and I assured Alex that it would for sure get the most hits of any of the nine uploads, the Fitty Shrimp episode, with plenty of nudity and inappropriate commentary!
Our southward trek through the U.P., about 65 miles.
On these maps, we would complete sections G through N
(in reverse order).
It's a great trail, maintained by Hiawatha Shore-to-Shore
Chapter of the North Country Trail Association.
When I first agreed to do this, my only stipulation was that there would be no night hiking. My vision isn't great at dusk and after dark, and I don't need another hiking injury. But by the time Alex finished filming, we had about one hour of daylight left and at least two hours of hiking to reach our destination. The miles along the river were muddy and very rooty. I don't think it would have been bad during daylight, but once it got too dark to push forward without the benefit of my headlamp, I discovered that my batteries were pretty much dead. Worse, Alex had moved on pretty far ahead of me. The last couple miles were through pitch black night with barely a dim ray of headlamp illumination to help me along, with the roar of the raging river nearby. It sucked.
At around 10:00 p.m., I finally reconnected with Alex at the Lower Falls area. There was an RV campground with quite a few long term denizens, but nothing that would suit our camping needs. So we pitched our tents next to a creek in a dark and swampy marsh on the least soggy plots of ground we could find there.
In the morning, we went back to the camp store for batteries and coffee. Alex got some footage of the lower falls before we hiked out.
Frothy head on a river of delicious beer!
He knows it, there is a certain knack to filming mushrooms.
We got hungry and started to look for a place to eat lunch. Nothing seemed right, so we kept going. We found a small stream with some lumber stacked next to it. We stopped there and started to prepare lunch. Soon, people showed up to use the lumber to build a bridge over that stream. They were a trail crew from the NCTA, including Ken Wawsczyk who is Regional Coordinator in charge of the entire Michigan section of the North Country Trail.
We ate while Ken and company began pounding away at the bridge project. They apologized for ruining our quiet lunch spot. I got an idea, that maybe Alex should interview them for his documentary, which he did. It went well, and they loved the idea of being featured in the upcoming episode.
Money Shot interviewed volunteers from the NCTA
and the Shore-to-Shore Chapter.
One of the crew volunteers gave us the inside scoop on some places to camp that night, once we reached the mouth of the Tahquemenon and Whitefish Bay. They also said they would be having dinner at the Silver Creek Pub on Hwy 123 if we made it that far and wanted to join them, but we knew it would be a bit too far.
This boat has seen better days.
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay if they'd put fifteen more miles behind her.
(from "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" - Gordon Lightfoot)
Well, we followed the directions to the secret stealth campsite where the sawmill town of Emerson is said to have thrived over a century ago. But what we found was a grass lane that turned to mush the closer we got to the lake. I cut my losses and backtracked, setting up camp at a dry spot on the lane. Alex explored further, hoping to reach the shoreline. But later, he too came back with mud to nearly his knees. He built a fire to chase away the ridiculous mosquitos while I went on a mission to get us some potable water from the RV campground across the highway, a mission that took more than an hour.
The next day, we walked four miles along Hwy 123 and arrived at the Silver Creek Pub where we each enjoyed a delicious fried fish platter. Much of the hiking that afternoon hugged Whitefish Bay before cutting south into the Hiawatha National Forest.
We made the mistake of not watering up before we left the bay, and we would pay for it later on. I just assumed there would be a water source someplace along the way where we could camp. There was none. Just before dark, we found a large grove of well organized fir trees where we set up camp. I had a nice juicy orange in my food bag, a trick I'd learned from previous waterless nights. I gave half of it to Alex, and that along with what little water we did have got us through the night, which by the way was very chilly.
Our last glance of Lake Superior and Whitefish Bay.
Seems like there should be water here, but no.
Camping in the fir farm.
We woke on a chilly Saturday morning and we figured we'd have to hike nearly ten more miles before we would find water. We arrived at the campground next to Soldier Lake in time for lunch and found a pump. The water had a very metallic after taste, but I didn't care, I quickly guzzled two liters, and Money Shot did the same. The caretaker at the camp assured us that the water is tested regularly and is fine to drink.
Soldier Lake, after more than 15 miles without water.
Late afternoon on the final day of our hike,
and we stumble upon by far the best campsite of the trip!
We completed our trip on Sunday afternoon and I was delighted to find my car right where I left it on Wednesday. We drove back up to Tahquamenon State Park for Alex's car. There is a brew pub there, and we had a nice meal to celebrate our accomplishment.
Chafing is a constant.
(photo by Money Shot)
From here, it would have made total sense to jump on I-75 and head back toward lower Michigan. But Alex thought I should go to Marquette and meet some of his friends who got to know me through clips he shared with them while making his PNT documentary. Now, Marquette is about three hours the other way, but I figured, what the hell.
After a couple of fun days in Marquette, eating a pasty for the first time (meat and potatoes inside a pastry crust), and hanging with some Yoopers (people of the U.P.), it was time to get out of Michigan. From here, it made more sense to go through Wisconsin, and I reached out to my friend Chris in Madison. We met Chris last year on the last day of our PNT hike along the Pacific Ocean, and he gave us a ride all the way to Seattle. This time, I hit him up for a couple nights sleeping on the floor of his college apartment at the U of Wisconsin campus, and toured Devils Lake and other popular sites in the area.
The Ice Age Trail passes by Devils Lake.
Leaving Madison, I decided to head south to Kentucky to visit my folks there. I stopped for the night to camp in Hoosier National Forest south of Bloomington, Indiana. I pitched my tent under a picnic shelter because of the threat of overnight storms, a very good decision, as it turned out.
I got an early start and stopped to visit with my brother south of Louisville, then over to Danville to spend a few days with my folks before heading back to Maryland to tend to my property.
Lodging for this segment:
Tent camping: 5 nights (free)
Mooching off friends: 4 nights (sponsored a couple meals)
Here's the episode from Alex's channel; it's pretty funny actually. Check out all nine episodes and be sure to subscribe to his channel since he is super talented and will probably be famous one day!
Friday, September 16, 2016: Truth be told, I had basically been killing time in Lower Michigan enroute to the Upper Peninsula. My buddy Alex and I had planned a section hike of the North Country Trail there, but he has a job, so I still needed to find activities for five more days, and free or cheap lodgings for five nights. I do love the spontaneity of all this, and it's always exciting to see how it all shakes out.
I reached the trail head parking lot around noon and bid farewell to Nordhouse Dunes, where I had camped the past three nights. I decided to take the longer but more scenic drive up to the U.P., along the coast of Lake Michigan and the Grand Traverse Bay, through the town of Manistee to Traverse City, and on through Charlevoix and Petoskey.
The drive took longer than I had anticipated, and while I'd hoped to camp somewhere in the U.P., the onset of dusk and threatening clouds to the north forced me to alter my plan. I exited I-75 just before the Mackinac Bridge and drove through "hotel row" along the main drag just outside Mackinaw City, pulling over to check rates on various discount hotel websites. I ponied up $98 for a room, but it was nice to get a shower after several days in the dunes.
Amazing image of Mackinac Bridge by Alex "Money Shot" Maier.
Check out www.fiveacesmedia.net for more like this!
On Saturday morning, I enjoyed a free breakfast and hit the road. Only light showers fell overnight, but after crossing the bridge and heading further north and west, it was apparent there had been much heavier rain in those parts.
I wasn't really sure where to camp, but I wanted to get as close as possible to a 10-mile loop hike along Lake Superior in the Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore, which I would undertake early Sunday. I researched a spot called North Gemini Lake Campground, a state forest site, and set my phone's mapping app to get me there. The app identified the most direct route, the last hour of which had me driving through giant mud puddles on isolated logging roads, a bit unsettling. But I got there without getting stuck. I wrote a check for the fee and slipped it into the station at the kiosk, $13 for the camp site plus another $9 for a Michigan passport for using state parks and forests.
Car camping: a pussified version of backpacking
Pre-dawn moon beams
Hints of autumn over Gemini Lake
On Sunday morning, it took less than 30 minutes to reach to trail head parking lot at the end of Chapel Road. I hit the trail a bit past 9:00 a.m., and there were just a couple other vehicles, but with near perfect weather in the forecast, I expected it to fill up. The trail down to and along Lake Superior would feature Chapel Falls, Chapel Rock, Grand Portal Point, and Mosquito Beach. There are some very nice campgrounds at Chapel Beach and Mosquito Beach. Since I did not get back country camping permits in advance, it would be just a long day-hike this time.
A perfect 10-mile day hike
Chapel Falls
Chapel Rock
Rugged shoreline
Grand Portal Point
Impressive sandstone cliffs
On the NCT along Lake Superior
Mosquito Beach, a popular spot
Later in the afternoon, I arrived at the parking area, now filled beyond capacity. It was about an hour drive to the town of Munising, where there is a ranger station. I didn't know how late they would be open on Sunday, but luck was on my side. Shortly before 5:00, I met with a ranger and asked about dispersed camping in the Hiawatha National Forest. He gave me a pamphlet with maps to several beautiful and FREE dispersed camping areas maintained by the forest service. I decided that I would utilize a couple of these areas for Sunday night and Monday night, and then explore the Munising area during the day on Monday.
The dispersed sites are offered up on a first come basis as there is no reservation system. I followed the directions to get to a place called Hovey Lake. Unfortunately, the directions were not completely clear, and I was lost driving around gravel and/or dirt forest service roads for a couple hours. After retracing my route and basically starting over, I found Hovey Lake just before sunset. Only one of the four sites was available, so I nabbed it.
On Monday, I did a small hike around Sand Point and explored Munising Falls. Then I got a few groceries and carefully followed the directions to Council Lake, another dispersed site. This one was even nicer than Hovey Lake! I built a fire and enjoyed a delightful night under the stars. I was awakened in the middle of the night by dozens of honking geese that landed in the pond nearby, but they did not stay long.
Munising Falls
From my camp at Hovey Lake
Council Lake, beautiful and isolated campsite
During my time in Munising, I met a few people who were doing a thru-hike of the Pictured Rocks section of the North Country Trail. A shuttle can be hired to drive hikers from Munising east to the town of Grand Marais. From there, hikers trek 42 miles west along the shore, experiencing spectacular sandstone cliffs, dunes, bluffs, and lighthouses along the way. I did not have time to complete this since I was meeting with Alex in Grand Marais on Wednesday to hike a different section of the NCT. But I decided to drive over to Grand Marais a day early and hike a section, out and back.
I arrived at the Grand Sable Visitor Station just outside of Grand Marais late Tuesday morning. The ranger went over some options with me, and I got a back country permit for just one night at the Au Sable East campground. There is a $5 per night fee for the back country permit. There would be plenty of daylight to make the 7.5 mile trek to Au Sable.
It was a pleasant hike, and I stopped at the Log Slide area to take in the giant dunes extending all the way to Grand Marais to the east. The log slide is so named from the logging days, when giant logs were rolled down the bluff and then shipped to distant ports.
When I arrived at my camp, I was surprised to discover no other campers. I set up camp and hiked half a mile further up to the point to check out the lighthouse, which was closed on this particular day (bad timing).
Impressive dunes and a cool lighthouse
on this out-and-back hike
History!
Amazing dunes!
Just me...
...and this guy. Gnome sayin'?
Au Sable Light Station
On Wednesday morning, I got a very early start to get back to town to meet Alex and was treated to one of the most incredible sunrises I'd ever seen (full disclosure: I almost never wake up in time for any sunrise). I got a message from Alex that he would be a few hours late, so once in town, I went to get some groceries and just chill at the town park overlooking the bay.
Alex arrived from his home in Marquette, Michigan around 1:00, and we met for lunch at The Dunes Saloon. We had hiked together for the better part of three months on the Pacific Northwest Trail last year, so it was great to reconnect with him, if only for a few days. I'm proud to say I dubbed him "Money Shot" on our first day of hiking through Glacier National Park last year, a trail name that stuck. He is working on another nature documentary, a follow-up to the amazing film he produced of our PNT hike, this time covering all of the North Country Trail that goes through the U.P., more than 400 miles. I felt honored to be able to help out for a 60-mile section, mainly with nonsensical suggestions and shenanigans that would most certainly be edited out.
Dawn's early light
A great start to any day!
Money Shot and Fitty Shrimp, back on the trail!
We needed to work out some logistics for our section hike and hatched a plan for the strategic placement of our vehicles. We would leave my car at the south end of our section, a place called Trout Brook Pond. Then we would drive his car north to Tahquamenon Falls State Park, where we would begin our hike. More on this in the next blog entry.
Lodging costs for this segment:
Hotel: One night $98
State Forest: One night $23
Hiawatha National Forest (Dispersed Camping): Two nights $0
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Back Country): One night $5
Here is a video from my Youtube channel of the Chapel-Mosquito loop hike...
