More Snow and More... - Day 382

  I awoke to the reality that the predicted snow showers with no accumulation was more like 2.5 new inches on the car. That translated to even more where I was hiking. Truly gorgeous.

I chose to wear the snowshoes. There was 6-12 inches on the ground, most of it wet. That's really hard for me to posthole in. It was only a short while until I realized I wasn't going to be able to do 12 miles before dark. But it was still gorgeous.

I was only making 1.5 mph. I created a text message to a couple of people for someone to pick me up after 6 miles at a main road, plugged the phone into the power pack so it would stay on and hiked on in hopes that it would eventually send. Fortunately, it went through, and I got a ride with only 6 miles done.

Now for the reality. This was on gently rolling hills with only a day pack, not carrying a big pack or pulling a sled on real hills. My hips and knees ached the whole way. I only made it 6 miles. Yeah, I probably could have done a couple more, but there was nowhere to extract me at that distance.

I have talked with several friends, including David who was going to do the western UP with me in January. We've officially decided it's not worth the risk. This hike was never planned to be conducted in the dead of a northern winter. I don't have the gear for it. I'm not sure I have the will to be out for extended times in the temperatures that are predicted. Even the roads that are plowed are not going to have any places to park a car safely. One of my unspoken goals has always been to survive this hike with all my appendages. Seems obvious, but perhaps worth mentioning when discussing backpacking in single-digit temperatures.

I am tired of asking friends and mere acquaintances to do white-knuckle driving on marginal roads in the dark. I am tired of trying to contact people to bail me out if I can't do the miles I had planned.

As it is, I've cut the mileages for the next few days in half which is not going to get me to the Mackinac Bridge as soon as I had thought. I'm not going to be able to stay ahead of the big snow that is predicted for the end of the week.

I'm OK with doing short miles for the next 3 days, but if I can't get ahead of the snow again, I may be too frustrated to continue without a winter break. When the days' miles are consistently below 10, I feel as if I am wasting both my time and the time of my helpers (I know I don't get to say how they feel, but it's how I feel about it.).

David will join me in May or June to hike the western UP miles. I will complete them, but it won't be a continuous hike. I just couldn't get to the UP by October.

Signing off to lick my wounds. I am embarrassed, disappointed, and frustrated. It'll be fine, but it just doesn't feel good tonight.

Miles today: 6.1. Total miles so far: 4355.8

See Magical Snow

Magical Snow - Day 381

  This was a fairly easy walking day with only two real hills. The only thing that was a bit challenging was that the snow was deeper in the last three miles. It provided just enough drag that my hips ached, but I got through it.

The wet snow from yesterday clung to branches. When the sun peeked out occasionally, there was magic.

And, I was wrong about not seeing Lake Superior any more. I forgot that the trail follows it again here along Whitefish Bay. It wasn't making noises today. It's already stiff here in the bay.

I liked this place where the ice had shattered into puzzle pieces. The sky looked ominous, but nothing came of it.

The most significant trail feature of the day is Naomikong Bridge. "Ne-amikoong" refers to the presence of beaver. You might recognize the "amik" in the middle of the longer word, which means beaver.

I want to give a huge shout-out to the Hiawatha Shore-to-Shore chapter here. This section used to have a long, long stretch of narrow boardwalk that was obscured by tall shrubs. You had to push your way through and keep your feet on the boards by feel. They have been replacing that trail with wider boardwalk on higher ground. So very much better! They had also done a ton of chainsaw work to remove large fallen trees. And a long, long flight of stairs to get the trail up the Naomikong bluff was nicely constructed with risers that were low enough they don't make your thighs ache on each step. I think those were built by the Forest Service, but they were great. It's a 100-foot climb (not stupendous, but a steep bluff), but it was nearly painless.

As I mentioned, the snow was deeper in the afternoon. The walking was a chore, but the woods was amazing. I couldn't stop taking pictures. These two are my favorites.

My trail angel for the day was Dennis. He helped me spot my car in the morning.

Miles today: 13.3. Total miles so far: 4349.7.

See Redstem Stork's Bill

Redstem Stork's Bill - Day 380

  This was my second day off, the day that was supposed to be the big storm. Ho hum. It was a really good day to not hike, but all it amounted to here was rain and a little over an inch of wet snow. Sloppy, but it won't affect hiking very much.

I was going to go back and show you three seeds that I haven't been able to identify. Some of you know that one of my totally ridiculous life goals is to be able to identify every plant in the NE United States in every season of the year.

OK, when you are done laughing, I'll just show you one seed, but now I can identify it. And shame on me. It's found in Michigan, but I didn't know it. It's alien, but it's become so naturalized, it's found in 48 states and 7 Canadian provinces, including my home county. When blooming, it looks so much like the common Herb Robert and several other members of the Geranium family, that I probably overlooked it.

However, in North Dakota, I began finding these seeds screwed into my pants. What the heck? They were poking me, but so interesting!

Look at the stalk more closely. It's curled like a corkscrew, and the tip of the wider part is also curved. I've had this seed screwed into a curtain since North Dakota because I think it is so fascinating.

So here's another thing to ponder, is this the seed itself or the seed pod? This is the seed itself. The pod looks like any of the other long-stemmed Geranium pods that get lumped under the common name of Stork's Bills.

Now for the really fascinating part. I thought probably the wind would catch that tail, and screw the seed into the ground. But that's not how it plants itself at all. The tail unwinds when subjected to water which makes the tip rotate and plant itself in crevices. Here's a video of the tail reacting to water. From Wikipedia.

Video of redstem stork's bill seed in water

Plants are amazing!

In other news: I spent a whole lot more of the day than I like on the phone making plans, and talking with a reporter. I started another news article, did more planning, went grocery shopping, did laundry, cooked a pot of food that will last for a few days

Tomorrow, we return to our regularly scheduled hiking.

See It's the Little Things

It's the Little Things - Day 379

  Yesterday, as I was thinking about not hiking today, I said to Bill, "I am really looking forward to blowing my nose on a handkerchief that isn't wet and stiff."

Meanwhile, let's talk about some big stuff. It's pretty well set that David is coming back to hike some of the western UP miles with me after Christmas. He has a lot more winter backpacking experience than I do. I'm not going into details yet, because there are still a lot of loose ends to tie up.

If this next week stays on schedule, I'll be nearly to Petoskey for Christmas. That feels really close to home, and really comfortable hiking. There is a piece of me that doesn't want to go back to where it is in the teens in the daytime and single digits at night. The snow doesn't bother me much. After you have enough to need snowshoes it doesn't matter if there are 10 inches or 50. It's like when people ask me if I'm afraid to swim in deep water. I always say, "I only use the top couple of feet. It doesn't matter how many feet are below me." Well, OK, 50 inches of snow might obscure some of the blazes. But even the western UP isn't anywhere near that yet.

Here's another little thing that is making me happy. I found this decoration in a store. It didn't cost too much. I surely don't need another frivolous thing, but I bought it because it makes me smile every time I see it. (Partly because it reminds me of this. I've looked at it a lot today. I also read a book this morning, and last night I watched Amahl and the Night Visitors on YouTube.

I moved the trailer. And I still have a full day ahead of me to do some work and rest more. I think I'll be more than ready to hike on Friday.

See Tahquamenon River

Tahquamenon River - Day 378

  Today was mostly about following the Tahquamenon River to Lake Superior.

For some reason, there is a little patch of heavier snow within the park. Not enough to need snowshoes, but just enough to keep things looking wintry. I began in hemlock woods.

The first few miles were the hilliest of the day, but they weren't bad. When I came to another bench that Bill had built, I had to take my break even though it was a few minutes early. It sort of made me feel as if Bill was still with me. It overlooks Camp Ten Lake where there was a CCC camp.

Before long, I was following the Tahquamenon River downstream. It was mostly frozen.

And then I was at the mouth of the river, where it empties into Lake Superior's Whitefish Bay. This is really and truly my last look at Lake Superior.

Now, let's back up for a little joke. This sign is so damaged you can hardly read it any more. It says "Old Stove Road." It's between where I started and the river.

You might wonder what this is all about. Well, when I was last here in June of 2010, not only was the sign still in good shape, but the old stove was still there as well. It's now been removed. I suppose it was junk, but I thought it was funny.

I did more miles today than I've done in a while. I wanted to knock out a bunch because I am taking the next two days off. Tomorrow is going to be really windy, and the next day will be the storm the wind is bringing. I am tired and my feet need a good rest. Tonight I'm really tired. I can't even focus my eyes. But I can rest in the morning, so it's all good. Then I'll move the trailer again.

Miles today: 16.2 (plus 1 mile on a spur). Total miles so far: 4336.4.

See Tahquamenon