Backpacking the Porkies!

The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, otherwise known as "the Porkies," lies on the southwestern shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It contains not only the beautiful shores of Lake Superior but also some rare virgin forest. While the park's title mentions mountains, the peaks are technically not mountains with the highest peak topping out at 1,958 feet. But these peaks can still challenge many a hiker or backpacker that wants a workout. The name "porcupine" is derived from the descriptions the first Natives gave to the appearance of the ridges that sloped to the lake. Initially the area was noted to have abundant hunting and trapping opportunities for the fur trade. When this became less lucrative, the settlers turned to mining copper and timber production. A park was made in 1941to preserve some of the remaining old growth timber in the area with the final act establishing it as a wilderness park in 1972. 

I knew very little about the Porkies when I decided I wanted to visit. I talked with my daughter, Amy, about possibly backpacking in the park. This is a favorite pastime of hers and something I have enjoyed in years past, so we were both excited to plan a trip. We settled on a loop trail of approximately 28 miles along Lake Superior Trail, Little Carp River Trail, to Mirror Lake and Lake of the Clouds before returning. This would take us 5 days walking and 4 nights in the backcountry. We arrived late on a Sunday evening and stayed in an established campground the first night with plans for an early start the following day. 

It had rained on us on the trip there and for a short time after arriving. I learned days later that certain winds and rain will bring in the black flies. And conditions must have been ideal for them because they were swarming everywhere. 

Undaunted, we arose fairly early, went for breakfast and then checked into the Ranger Station to notify them and obtain our tags. Then we were off to the trailhead for our adventure. 

   

        

 

The park is a beautiful place, and the backcountry sites are pretty private. The first two we stayed at were right on Lake Superior. The trails were the worse for a rainy spring and summer, so we spent over half our time trying to stay out of the mud which was the soupiest mud I've ever had traipse through. We found it to be pretty much impossible to avoid even jumping from rock to root to rock to root!

By the second morning I realized I had overestimated my backpacking abilities. What once I could easily do was not so easy anymore! The hiking was more difficult due to the mud and this may have contributed somewhat to my achy, tired body. Add in a few hundred thousand mosquitos, sleeping on the ground, and an injury to my pride (I fell like a turtle on it's back in the mud), and I was ready to announce on day 3 that I needed to find a trailhead before we got so deep in the forest we had no options. My daughter had been worrying about me (or my abilities) and agreed. A review of the map and we walked to the nearest trailhead about 4 miles away. 

Next, we encountered the problem of getting back to the original trailhead where our car was parked. One problem at a time. Did I mention that there is almost no cell service in the Porkies? Fortunately, my daughter has an emergency satellite communicator, and she was able to contact her husband back home. After about 2 hours an elderly man named Jim arrived to take us to our car. The Porkies is a big wilderness park with few roads, so we had to drive around the perimeter of the park to return, taking about an hour and a half. I learned a lot of information about the area firsthand from Jim who had lived there all his life running a wrecker service. We finally made it back to our car, found lodging in a nearby hotel for the night, showered, ate and generally felt much better. 

Still feeling guilty that I was a quitter, I wanted to hike the next day to see the Lake of the Clouds, one of the features the park is known for. So, refreshed from a good night's sleep we drove back to the same trailhead to walk the end of the trail we had previously planned. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed walking on dry trails, picking wild blueberries to snack on, and taking photos at the many beautiful overlooks to the lake. 

Another restful night and we packed up to begin heading home. Our first stop was going to be at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. My daughter has long been a Packers fan and I couldn't imagine traveling so close and not stopping to check it out. 

We were anxious to get home to the rest of the family after this. It was a very special trip despite the black flies, mosquitoes, muddy trails, etc. I'm not sure what memories my daughter will keep from this, but it will definitely be memorable!

I should never say never but, when I quit, I thought that would be my last backpacking attempt. Today I'm not so sure. I may give it a go again if the conditions are right and it's good company. Until then I think I'll stick to my pilgrimage walks where I have a bed every night and food every few miles!

For park reservations call 1-800-44PARKS 24 hours before arrival 

or online www.midnrreservations.com

You can reserve sites 6 months in advance. Campsites, cabins, yurts, and backcountry sites are all available. 

They call me Nonny

I've been thinking about this blog lately and wondering why I haven't been writing about some of the places I've been. I have been traveling. Maybe not nearly as much as I had planned but I have found another excellent use of my time. For the last 2 years I have been babysitting my newest grandchild. What joy this has brought to my life! 

I have 4 grandchildren and love them all dearly. The older three are developing their independence and lead busy lives filled with school, extracurricular activities, sports, etc. The oldest is even driving now! Where did the time go? When they were preschool age I was still working and managed to spend as much time with them as possible, always thankful that my family lived in the same county as me. I love watching them grow into adulthood, each different and remarkable in their own special way. 

Golf, swimming, football, camping, worship, road trips...  Everything is more special when any of these three accompany me. I look forward to much more fun with them doing things from the very simple to something more exciting. There are surprises around every corner. 

The most recent addition to those that call me Nonny is now 2 yrs old. After my son passed, I had a hard time finding joy in my day but this one has created a new spark in my life. He is so much fun and reminds me that there are so many reasons to look forward to the day. 

JT, as he is known, is so loving and smart. He cannot help but bring a smile to anyone's face. I am looking forward to watching him grow and happy to be a part of who he will become. 

All this to say I have four excellent reasons to refocus my attention on how I live. While I still want to travel to exciting destinations and make more pilgrimages, I want to make sure to spend a majority of my time with family. This summer I focused on family trips and making memories with those I love the most. It really is all about having quality time with the special people in your life. 

I am also planning on catching up on writing about some trips I've taken since my last posting almost two years ago. I've had some fun trips, seen some amazing places, and loved every minute - good times and not so good. 

Thanks to everyone who continues to read my simple stories about life as I know it. 

Roadtripping in a Campervan !

 I've begun a new type of adventure this summer and it's something I've been wanting to do for some time. I've bought an older model camper van. I'd been looking at websites now and then and, of course, watching a lot of YouTube videos on the topic. A few years ago I almost bought one but the deal seemed a little shady and the camper was not in the best condition. Since that time I would randomly get online and check out Craigslist or other sites looking for something that suited my needs. Just after Memorial Day I was looking again and noted that a 2006 Chevy Roadtrek was up for sale in Nashville. Knowing that these are never on the market long I quickly made arrangements to go see it and within 3 days I was driving it home. Quite a few friends said I had to name it. Never having named a vehicle before I was a little unsure. But I came up with a name that I think fits her very well, Rhoda. 

There are some things I've been fixing up or replacing but overall the van is in good condition. I have also been putting some of my camping supplies in it to have it road ready quickly should I want to go. Now that I have been on a few short trips I feel more confident about a longer trip. I just need to decide where and when to go. 

This summer has been a busy one in my family with a new grandchild, summer golf for the older grandkids and some health concerns that demanded attention. So I spent the first night just camping at my local state park. It gave me some idea of what items I should leave in the camper and where to organize supplies. I also got a good idea of how to deal with the fresh and waste water, awning and electrical. My oldest daughter and two grandkids came and pitched a tent and camped with me so we had quite a bit of fun for such a brief adventure. 

Camping at Fort Massac State Park

After this I decided to drive my van to the Louisville area. My sister was going to be there visiting her daughter who had just had her third son. So I searched out overnight options and got prepared. I found a nice state park in Indiana, Charlestowne State Park, just across the river from Louisville. It was just over 20 miles to my niece's home but one of the closest campgrounds. I was not disappointed in the campground. It was a very large campground and offered some sites with full hook-ups (electric, water and sewer) and others that were electric only. I picked one fairly close to the entrance since I would be driving in and out every day and also close to the showers, wanting to use the park shower instead of getting everything wet in the van. Even by Saturday the campground was over half empty. I had heard that campsites were scarce since Covid began because more people were camping. I'll just say that people are missing out not staying at this park. It was very clean and well maintained, private and close to Louisville. 

I had a wonderful visit with my sister and her family. Getting to know my great nephews was a special treat - such darling boys! Most of the time spent there was family time and not a true vacation or touristy in any way. It was so nice though to have my bed and all the comforts of home traveling with me. 

Soon after this one of my dearest friends called and advised me that there was a hot air balloon festival in southern Illinois. Since she and I are both amateur photographers we thought this would be a great opportunity to get our cameras out and try something different. She suggested camping in Rhoda for the weekend and I readily agreed. I found a campground at Carlyle Lake, Coles Creek Campground. There are several campgrounds there operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Two night minimum sealed the deal for us to stay over a second night. Once again I packed the van with food and clothes and we were off. 

The balloon festival was wonderful. As soon as the balloons started filling up we both forgot each other was there and took off snapping pictures right and left. We had sense enough to remember where we last saw each other and headed there when the excitement had ended. Reunited we walked back to the van and headed to the campground. 

The campgrounds have very nice paved sites with electric. A few also had full hook-ups. We were again close to the bathrooms but there was only one shower house and we had to drive to that. Not being close was my error for not checking the website closer. Carlyle Lake is a very large lake and many of the campsites were right on the water. It's a beautiful place and one I'd like to visit again sometime, maybe with a kayak. 

It was a fun weekend. Whether you love photography or not I would encourage anyone to attend a balloon festival if you have the opportunity. It was amazing how quickly they rolled out the balloons, filled them and took off. The announcer at the event said this balloon event was different than most that didn't allow spectators to get up close to the balloons. We could walk up and touch them if we wanted and talk to the crew who seemed happy to answer questions. The second night we visited the festival we stayed for the "glow." As it begins getting dark the balloons are filled but stay on the ground. Then they fire them up according to what the announcer says, either a steady burn or flicker. It was truly beautiful to watch. 

Overall I'm loving the opportunity that the campervan provides. Many people live in them full time but I like being home with my family too so I don't think full time van life will ever be for me. I'm hoping this van will be a good opportunity to get my husband and the dogs out traveling more too. Although living quarters would be a little crowded with all of us it would get us from point A to B easily and comfortably. Maybe I'll get to cross some more states off my list with Rhoda.