LAKE OF THE CLOUDS

The next day was a free day. No packing or unpacking required! My primary goal was to revisit the Lake of the Clouds. It had been my favorite hike on our previous trip to the UP, and I was eager to see it again. Meanwhile, Christy was itching to go mountain biking. She found an appealing route that she could do while I hiked with Jackson. She dropped us off at the Government Peak Trailhead that morning and headed off to do her ride.

The hike to Lake of the Clouds is all uphill from the Government Peak Trailhead, and it was a hot, humid day. The climb was a struggle with Jackson on my back, but it was worth it. My plan for this hike was a lot less ambitious than what I had tackled on my previous visit. I planned to hike the Escarpment Trail above the Big Carp River and Lake of the Clouds. After Christy finished mountain biking, she would drive over to the tourist parking lot and do the short hike up to the main Lake of the Clouds overlook. We would meet there.

A long, rocky, hot climb brought me to the top of the escarpment. The hike improved considerably from there. The grade eased, there was a nice breeze, and the views of the Big Carp River valley and the surrounding mountains were fantastic. Those views got better and better as I approached the Lake of the Clouds. The lake is a stunning sight from the cliffs above. It is nestled down in a rugged bowl, with Lake Superior visible in the distance. Honestly, it was hard to believe that I was in Michigan. It looked like a scene from the Rockies.

Eventually I spotted a nice overlook, where we stopped for a break. I had a snack and Jackson had a bottle before we resumed the hike. The stretch of trail paralleling the lake is a little less exciting, but still nice. We did pass a campsite on the escarpment. It looked like a cool spot to camp, but I don’t know where the nearest water source is. I did see a scramble path heading steeply down towards the lake, but that is a LONG way down.

I was way behind schedule, but I was able to text Christy and let her know. I would eventually learn that carrying Jackson really slows me down! I finally found Christy near the main overlook a short distance from the parking lot. The view from there is nice, but nowhere near as spectacular as what I’d seen earlier. We had a late lunch, and Christy told me all about her mountain bike ride. It had been on trails designed for snowmobiles, and predictably, had ended in a wreck. She was a little banged up, but there didn’t seem to be any major damage.

It was still early afternoon, which meant that we had a few hours of free time aside from driving back to the campground. What to do?

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