Waterfalls - Day 346

  I heard a report that in the 36 hours after I hiked on Wednesday until the rain stopped, that 3 inches fell. Translation- today was going to be wet walking no matter what. Yup.

But it was also a day of spectacular waterfalls along the Black and Presque Isle Rivers. All that water draining from the watersheds made the rivers roar.

The first one I passed was Potawatomi Falls.

Then I missed Gorge Falls- it was on a side trail. But at the mouth of the Black River, the trail crosses a huge suspension bridge that was first built by the CCC in 1938-9. It's 210 feet long. It was rebuilt in 2009, but I think the foundations are the same.

My favorite falls of the day had the best view from the other side of the river. This is Rainbow Falls. It's kicking up so much spray that it's hard to tell, but there are channels of water falling in two different directions. Note the viewing platform on the opposite side for scale. No rainbows today- totally cloudy day.

Then there was a longish walk on an old forest road between the Black River and the Presque Isle River. The biggest challenges of the day were certainly on this section. The road has not been used by vehicles for years. It was pretty much a mud pit. Almost every culvert is washed out. And all the rain made additional rivulets. I had to cross about 40 streams of some variety. Some I could just step across. Most of them had a scramble down to the water and then careful foot placement, followed by a scramble up the other side.

I did take one side trail to see a waterfall on the Presque Isle. This is Lepisto Falls. I thought that was probably a Native American word, but it's Finnish for "alderwood." Hope you appreciate my extra walk to get this ;)

After that was another short challenge. This climb was so steep and slippery with clay that a rope handrail has been installed. Yes, I did have to haul myself up using that rope.

I missed Manido Falls- lots of steps down to see it (and then back up), but I got the real Manabezho Falls this time.

Just one more picture for today. This is a fallen yellow birch. The bark was so bright against the green and the snow it really looked golden. Since that is an unusual color to find in the wild, I tried to capture it.

I'm to tired to write any more. We are in place for me to hike the McCormick Wilderness tomorrow.

Miles today: 14.7 (all trail, plus a couple of tenths on spurs). Total miles so far: 4041.0, and I'm pretty sure I'm under 800 to go.

See Rain, Plan, Rain, Plan