FADE
TO BLACK
I suggested that we finish our day checking out the waterfalls in the
Black River Gorge. I had originally
planned to go there on Saturday morning, but recent experience had suggested
that we might not have time to break camp, get breakfast, visit the waterfalls,
drive to northern Minnesota, and set up camp.
Going there that afternoon would require an extra hour of driving, but
Christy was ok with it.
From the Lake of the Clouds, we drove east out of the park, then south,
then back west towards Ironwood. We knew
we wouldn’t have dinner until late, so we stopped at Dairy Queen for a “snack”. We decided to go through the drive thru,
because that would be easier than getting Jackson out and back in the car
seat. Of course
that backfired. He started crying right
after we ordered. He was hungry, but we
were trapped in the drive thru line, with cars ahead of us and behind us. Unfortunately, the back seat was a mess, so
sitting back there with him wasn’t an option.
I ended up grabbing a bottle from the cooler and feeding him through the
window. I walked alongside the car as we
slowly progressed through the drive thru.
I’m sure this was comical to everyone else around. Once Christy paid and got our ice cream she
drove around and parked. I finished feeding
Jackson in the parking lot, and Christy saved me part of the Blizzard.
From there it was a short drive north past the Big Powderhorn
Mountain Ski Resort to the Black River Gorge.
The Black River has a bunch of waterfalls, but they are spread out over
several miles of river. It was late
afternoon, so we decided to visit the most appealing ones. That meant skipping the ones upstream,
including Gabbro Falls. That one sounds
impressive, but access is a little iffy.
Instead, we started downstream with Gorge Falls and Potawatomi Falls. They are down in the Black River Gorge, and
they combine nicely into a short loop hike.
We started with the short walk to an overlook of Potawatomi Falls. Short doesn’t necessarily mean easy, as there
were a lot of steps. The waterfall is
very nice, though options for photography are limited to a small overlook built
on the side of the gorge. From there we
headed downstream to Gorge Falls. The
side trail to this one was blocked by a 2x4 that was inconveniently attached to
the fence bordering the trail. I assumed
that it was placed there in error, as there were no signs at the trailhead or
at the junction mentioning that the trail (staircase) was closed. There was also no mention of a closure on the
National Forest website. So I crawled under the inconveniently placed lumber and
descended a staircase that, frankly, could use some
work. In fact, if someone were to move
the previously mentioned 2x4 to a more useful location it would solve a lot of
problems. I’m no carpenter, but the
solution seemed pretty obvious to me.
Gorge Falls is pretty cool, though photography
is again limited to a small overlook built on the side of gorge. I took a few photos before heading back up a
staircase that was exactly one 2x4 short of perfection. From there we completed the loop and returned
to the car.
From there, we drove to the end of the road at Black River Harbor. This particular parking
area requires a voluntary parking fee, for no particular reason. I understand that all parking proceeds will
be used for lumber that will be misplaced.
Christy was pretty beat up from her mountain
bike wreck, so she decided to hang out with Jackson while I hiked to Rainbow
Falls. I had mixed feelings, but at
least it meant that I could do that hike a lot faster. There are two approaches to Rainbow
Falls. The trail on the west side is
short, but it leads to an overlook with a crappy view
of the waterfall. I chose the longer,
more rewarding approach.
A short walk led to a bridge over the river. From there, I followed the North Country
Trail along a bluff above the Black River Gorge. It was maybe a mile to a side trail that led
to a great view of the waterfall. It had
clouded up that afternoon, which made for good photos. There wasn’t a rainbow, but then I question
if there ever is? The waterfall faces
north. Does the sun ever shine on it at the right angle to create a rainbow? Maybe in mid-summer?
I hurried back, and we drove back to the campground. We had a late dinner, and Christy joined us
in the tent, as there was a decent chance of rain that night. Luckily we dodged
the rain, and we were able to pack up the next morning. After breaking camp, we drove to Ironwood and
stopped at Contrast Coffee Company for breakfast. That place was fantastic! The food was very good
and coffee was amazing, which was exactly what we
needed.
I had originally planned to hit some more waterfalls in the area on our
way to Duluth, but we decided to skip them and save time. I’m a little disappointed about that, but it
was the right decision. I’m a chronic overplanner, and I really need to recalibrate my
expectations now that we have a young child.
Back to Michigan
Back to Hiking and Backpacking Trip Reports
Please remember to Leave No Trace!