Sharing treasure and discovering new ones!

Yes, it's true! The travel bug bit me hard about 11 years ago on a family trip to Montana/Wyoming to see Glacier NP, Yellowstone NP, and Grand Teton NP. After that, college and more specifically my geology major made it easy for me to continue travel, gain experience, and earn credits all at the same time. Exploring and adventuring around is something I have always done; with friends, with family, alone, etc. Traveling and exploring are wonderful, however there is always something a little more special about the places you find and travel to, when you get to share them with someone else. 

For almost a week we had a guest up north, one of Nate's cousins. In a few short days, we had done a fairly good tour of waterfalls in the area. Some I have shared with you and some that were new to us as well. We logged some serious miles and saw some great waterfalls of northern WI and MI. 

I also read that there was a very good chance to view the aurora borealis, more commonly called the northern lights. We waited the first night, it clouded up and rained. The second night, on a whim I looked out the window. I thought the treeline looked a little odd so I went outside about 11:00pm. The sky was moving! There were waves of light, beams lightening and brightening. I have only seen the northern lights several times, but I knew this one was special. We laid a tarp on the ground and laid there for several hours staring at the sky. The lights were all around us and several times met in the middle of the sky. I can't describe the experience, it truly was surreal. I have no pictures to offer either, I wanted to try but I didn't want to miss anything either. 

All our stops:

Potato River Falls, Potato River near Gurney

Superior Falls, Montreal River near Saxon Harbor

Little Girls Point, Gogebic County MI

Copper Falls State Park, near Mellen

Gabbro Falls, Black Ribver near Black Jack Ski Resort

Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park (MI) including Presque Isle and Lake of the Clouds, near Ontonagon, MI

Bond Falls Scenic Area, Paulding, MI

For more information, look for links on the blog.

Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park

The Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Lake Superior, 15 miles west of Ontonagon. This park is pretty large at approximately 60,000 acres, 21 miles of Lake Superior shoreline, 21 miles of mountain biking, and over 87 miles of backpacking/hiking trails. There is a nice visitor center/shop that has many educational displays, rangers to help plan your day, and a store in case you need a souvenir or good hiking shoes. 

Seeing as we only planned on spending the day, we started on the western end of the park at Presque Isle. We did hiking along the West River Trail and the East River Trail to view the three different waterfalls on the Presque Isle River before it enters Lake Superior. The three water falls are Manabezho Falls, Nawadaha, and Manido. After crossing the bridge over the the river, there is a small loop trail that brings hikers to the Lake Superior shoreline as well. The shoreline in this small cover is a resting place for many old, washed up trees and home to agates if you are lucky enough to find some.

 

The flora and fauna are similar to Wisconsin, however there are some big differences. Thimbleberries, one of my favorite things to look for in July, are everywhere in the Porkies! These thumb sized berries are quite delicate and can be easily brushed off the plants when ripe. They taste like a raspberry but are more tart. There are stands of virgin forest here also, never been logged. There are only few places that remain virgin forest in the Midwest. The park also notifies its visitors that black bears are fairly common in the Porkies, however I have yet to see one. 

The Summit Peak Observation Tower is a worthwhile stop, I have climbed it twice. On a clear day you can see much of the Apostle Islands, the Keweenaw Peninsula, and Lake Superior! It is a 40 foot observation tower at the highest point in the park at 1,958 ft. 

A must see stop is Lake of the Clouds. The road will lead you right to the short wooden trail that will take you out of the forest and to several look out platforms. You can see the tall ski jump of Copper Peak, Lake Superior, and a myriad of trees! It is an amazing sight!

Note! This is a fee area! Vehicle permit required for entering the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park – A Michigan Recreation Passport is $11 for MI residents, $5 for a resident motorcycle pass, $30.50 for a non-resident annual pass and $8.40 for a non-resident one-day pass. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/recreationpassport.

Potato River Falls

Potato River Falls is located near Gurney, WI along hwy 169. Turn on to Potato River Falls Rd (it only goes one way). Follow the gravel road past the farmland and it will veer to the left. There is a small parking lot with a few picnic tables and an outhouse. This is a no fee park/area. 

There is a small trail to a look out for viewing only. A little farther down there is a short easy trail with many stairs going down to another platform. Be careful! The stairs are very uneven. 

View from the upper platform

After descending down the stairs there is a small lookout platform. If you are feeling more adventurous, there is a well worn trail that will lead you down to the water. We have visited these falls many times and have seen the water fluctuate. More recently, the falls have been raging due to all the rain. This is a nice short easy hike, especially if you are near Copper Falls. Dogs are allowed here, unlike Copper. Enjoy!

I like the silky look of the waterfalls!

Saxon Falls and Superior Falls

The unique geology of the Lake Superior region has created so many things, I could go on and on on a geology rant, but I will hold back. I have currently been reading Geology of the Lake Superior Region by Gene LaBerge, a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh emeriti professor in case you wish to indulge yourself. 

On a day when the clouds looked of promising rain, we ventured about an hour northeast to the border of Wisconsin and Michigan to the Montreal River. We pulled in to the trailhead and found a group of three younger people standing in the parking lot. They were brainstorming and soon after scouring the woods for large sticks and debris to protect a mother snapper turtle laying her eggs. We stood and talked with them while she laid her white ping pong-like eggs into a hole in the sand. They made a protective structure around the hole and one girl announced she would alert the forest service. I snapped a few pictures from a safe distance and then we continued on to the Saxon Falls trail. 

After walking on some metal grates mounted on large 7' tall pipes crossing the river, we reached a fork; upper falls or lower falls. We walked the dirt trail to the upper falls through mixed hardwoods and evergreens. The forest floor was carpeted with ferns and spring wildflowers. We reached the top and watched the gushing water begin it's 100 ft. fall.

We followed the trail back to the fork where we followed the trail on top of more pipes, only the metal was replaced with wooden planks. It led us to a ladder to climb down, followed by metal stairs leading to a bridge overlooking the lower falls. Kobi had to be carefully slid/carried down the pipe because he is not proficient in ascending or descending ladders. 

Once on the bridge the lower falls were in view and the river split in three separate falls cascading over large rocks. There were kayakers putting in right below the falls; they were ready with their helmets to battle the rapids. They practicing several maneuvers before they began their descent to Lake Superior. 

I had fun taking pics of the kayakers!

We watched for some time enjoying the cool mist from the raging falls and then followed our steps back the way we came. Kobi had to be lifted back up onto the pipe, he wasn't a fan. He also still has a great dislike for metal grates, but he loves running and being outside too much to let it stop him. 

The Montreal River also has another impressive falls some 4 miles closer to Lake Superior. The trailhead for Superior Falls begins with a sharp decline on some rugged granite asphalt that looks like it would be painfully awful to fall on. At the bottom, Lake Superior is in full view. The beach is all driftwood and wave tumbled rocks. Superior Falls are located along the river about 100 yards. There is some neat geology along the way and with the help of a friend, it is the Freda Formation. 

Both of these waterfalls are the source of hydroelectric power with Xcel Energy. On their website, statistics for the waterfalls are listed as well as resources about all types of energy. They even offer and energy school with references for students and teachers. It is awesome that these private lands are open to the public, especially since trails were created to access such fantastic views. You can check their stats here: Saxon Falls, 

Superior Falls.

These waterfalls are both located north of Saxon, WI near Saxon Harbor on the Montreal River. Access to these falls are clearly marked on Hwy 122 off US 2. Both recommended highly!!!

Last stop of the day, Little Girl's Point. This is in Upper Michigan in Gogebic County on Route 505. This was just a short distance from the waterfalls and Saxon Harbor. This is a prime spot on Lake Superior for a nice day at a the beach (although rocky) and agate collecting!

Copper Falls State Park, Mellen, WI

It is fair to say, Copper Falls is one of the more popular state parks in Wisconsin and for good reason! The falls are beautiful and big! There is a rich history here; many different Native American tribes, copper mining, and the CCC and WPA. There are nice hiking trails, two different campgrounds, and a beach. What's not to love? 

This Wisconsin gem is located just northeast of Mellen, WI. It might be a bit of a haul, but definitely worth the drive. Once you get to the area, there are endless hiking opportunities in the nearby Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest; beaches, ATV routes, biking, camping, birding, etc. 

My favorite hike at Copper Falls is the Red Granite Falls hike. This is the one I frequent most because it is the only dog friendly hike in the park. This is a 2.5 mile trail that contains two different loops which is great because for the most part you are experiencing something new. This trail is less populated and not quite as popular as the Doughboys' Nature Trail which takes you around the big falls. 

Red Granite Falls hike begins near the parking lot at the beach by Loon Lake. It traverses up into the woods on crushed granite and soft mud/grass. There are small spurs coming off the main trail to allow hikers to get a better look at the falls. You can climb up on the rocks, watch the water gush through, feel the spray, or just take a breather. The trail continues up and down past small pond, large glacial erratics, and through the mixed hardwood forest. After a rain there are many different kinds of fungi that pop up among the various wildflowers. Keep a look out for butterflies and other beautifully winged insects. 

The Doughboys' Nature Trail is a 1.7 mile trail that offers scenic views of Copper Falls, Tyler Forks, the Bad River, and Brownstone Falls. This trail is more popular and also has educational signage discussing the unique geology of the area as well other nature and history facts. If you are good on your hike and bring a few dollars, you can visit the concession stand for the ride home or back to your campsite. I recommend the ice cream!

The North Country National Scenic Trail also runs through segments of Copper Falls, in case you feel like hiking a ways.