PORKIES
We
arrived at the Union Bay Campground in Porcupine Mountains State Park early on
Wednesday evening. We had reservations,
and it was a good thing, as the campground was full. In fact, I’d made the reservations more than
two months in advance, and there had only been a few spots remaining. Because of this, we ended up with a site
directly across from the central bathroom.
We were in a very busy area, but truthfully, the whole campground was
very busy. It was far more crowded than
I would’ve preferred, but it wasn’t terrible.
At least the facilities were nice, including hot showers.
Like
most campgrounds in Michigan, the campsite didn’t have a grill. For dinner we wrapped chicken, potatoes, and
veggies in foil and cooked the packets on the charcoal. It was late when we finally ate dinner, and we
went to bed shortly thereafter.
I
did a serious hike the next day. Christy
dropped me off at the Government Peak Trailhead at 9am, with plans to pick me
up at Summit Peak later that afternoon.
My plan was to hike up the Government Peak Trail to the Overlook
Trail. I’d hike the Overlook Trail,
which is about a 3-mile loop. Then I’d
backtrack a short distance on the Government Peak Trail to the Escarpment
Trail. I’d follow the Escarpment Trail
to Lake of the Clouds. From there I’d
hike south to Mirror Lake and on to Summit Peak. Summit Peak, at 1,958’, is the highest
mountain in the park. The hike would be
about 13 miles, with several substantial climbs.
The
weather forecast called for a sunny morning with some afternoon clouds. Instead, we got an overcast morning, with
some light rain that afternoon. Late
that afternoon the sun finally made an appearance.
The
hike started with an uphill slog on the Government Peak Trail, which is an old,
rocky roadbed. The hike improved
considerably on the Overlook Trail, which is a lovely footpath through a
gorgeous forest. Ironically, the
Overlook Trail features only two views, and the first is quite modest. The second is nicer, but the best part of
this trail is the forest it passes through.
The
Escarpment Trail was a different story.
Early on I passed the remains of an old mine, before climbing up to a
rocky ridgeline high above the Upper Carp River. There were lots of blueberries and summer
wildflowers along this stretch of trail.
Before long I reached the first of numerous viewpoints. The vistas kept getting better as I headed
west. When the Lake of the Clouds finally
came into view, I was blown away. The
lake, river, and surrounding mountains are beautiful. The lake is tucked into a lovely basin, and
while the mountains are modest, the entire area is extremely scenic. It reminded me quite a bit of Maine.
I
stopped for lunch at one of the overlooks high above The Lake of the
Clouds. There was a campsite near here,
which would be an amazing place to spend the night. Eventually I resumed the hike. I continued west, but began to descend
towards the lake just before reaching the Lake of the Clouds parking area. The trail had been very quiet to this point,
but this area was quite busy, no doubt due to the proximity of the road.
I
descended to cross a bridge over the Big Carp River. Just beyond, I followed a spur trail towards
campsites along the Lake of the Clouds.
I wanted a closer look at the lake, but this trail was one mud hole
after another. Eventually I found a
faint path leading towards the lakeshore.
Unfortunately, the area is extremely marshy. I hunted for a route that would get me to
point where I could see the lake without getting my feet wet. I eventually found one, but my progress was
stopped by a Garter Snake clinging to a branch.
He eventually scooted off, and I fought my way out to a spot where I
could see the lake and the cliffs of the Escarpment Trail. The view was ok, but nothing compared to the
views I’d been treated to higher up. The
mosquitoes were vicious down there, too.
I was ultimately rewarded for my efforts with a misstep that resulted in
dunking a boot in the swamp.
I
returned to the Mirror Lake Trail. The
Mirror Lake Trail was a wet, muddy, eroded mess. It gets a lot of traffic, and so many people
have walked around the mud holes that the trail is 20-30’ wide in many
places. Needless to say, that only made
things worse. The mud finally ended when
I began a steep climb up along a narrow, rocky ravine.
The
climb eventually eased, and I arrived at Mirror Lake. Mirror Lake is lovely, too. It’s surrounded by another beautiful
forest. There are several cabins along
the lake that can be rented from the park.
Each comes with either rowboats or canoes. I took a break there before beginning the
final climb to Summit Peak.
I
ran into quite a few other hikers along here, too. I set a fast pace on the final stretch, as
the mosquitoes were vicious.
I
met Christy at the top of the Summit Peak observation tower at 5pm. I was surprised she’d climbed the steps, but
I suppose the view was worth it. We were
treated to a broad view of the park, but the vista wasn’t nearly as grand as
what I’d seen on the Escarpment Trail.
From there we headed back down to the parking area.
Christy
had a busy day. She’d driven back into
town and picked up some more groceries.
Then she’d driven back to the Lake of the Clouds parking area and done a
short hike along the Big Carp River Trail.
That trail had given her nice views of Lake of the Clouds, and led her
to the site of an old mine.
We
returned to camp, where we enjoyed dinner, a campfire, Smores,
and a few beers. The next day I hoped to
visit a couple of waterfalls in the area.
After that, we weren’t sure where we were going. The original plan would’ve sent us north,
towards Isle Royale National Park. Since
we’d cancelled that, we would have to decide how to spend the last few days of
the trip.
Back to Michigan
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