Getaway 2020: Day 4

 Jason and I woke early and quietly had coffee and breakfast and prepared for a trail run. There were amazing mountain bike and hiking trails right at our campground and I couldn’t wait to check them out.

The other campers were hardly stirring around us and we quietly made our way to the trailhead. We were greeted almost immediately by three spotted fawns hopping across our path and then mama deer taking it all in from the edge of the woods. 

We made our way through a little farm area which had an amazing fenced garden and some horses, which we of course had to stop and say hello to. 

We passed a little lake and came upon two of the boys who had met fishing the night before and we briefly chatted with them about their fishing struggles. 

And then it was time for the serious trails. They had names like “Stairway to Heaven” and “Here We Go” and “Say Hello” and “Paul's Plunge" and I wanted to try them all! 

The first mile was pretty much straight uphill but we were rewarded at the top with an amazing view of Lake Superior. The trail continued to have lots of ups and downs, and underfoot there were loose rocks, roots and solid stone.  Here and there we traversed little wooden bridges made for the mountain bikers. I think we made the right call getting out there early because we only came across a single biker the entire run.

 We continued on to Lake Manganese and then crossed to the other side of the trail where I immediately saw bear tracks. This was the same area we had seen them yesterday and I’m sure they were hanging out there because the trails were lined with raspberry bushes! 

We carried on down the trail and I was really hoping I’d spot a bear in the distance, but no luck. We found another little waterfall and then it was time to head back. Overall, these trails were phenomenal and technical and I’d give them 100%. 

After returning to camp, we found most of the kids awake and cold, so we left them to build a fire and Jason and I headed out to see what the little tourist area had to offer. In a little over a mile, we found a few cute little shops and restaurants but nothing that really interested us, so we headed back. Hot showers were needed to warm up, and then Greyson made pancakes for breakfast while Jason and I had some oatmeal that tasted way better than it looked!

After we had had enough of sitting around, we loaded into the van to check out the area. A short drive further north led us to an “End of the Road” sign. There was a seasonal dirt road that continued on, so of course we took it. And then, when the road split again, we took the one less traveled. That road was not for the faint of heart, but after a couple miles we ended at a parking area. There was nothing left to do now but park and take the footpath! 

A rocky, rooty trail led us to Horseshoe Harbor and let me tell you, it was well worth the trek. 

The beach was nothing but smooth rocks and the lake breeze was quite warm, despite the cloudy skies. While the kids climbed and explored, I laid down right on the warm rocks. 

Once back at the van, we had the choice of turning right, back towards camp, or turning left, into the unknown.  There had to be something cool and out-of-the-way to the left, right?  Left we went.  The dirt road was really rough, but we took it slow, expecting something breathtaking around every corner.  After a few miles, the road became nothing more than a wide, sandy trail and we were aware that there were no other vehicles around. In fact, there was nothing at all around.  No signs, no electrical poles, nothing.  Of course there was no internet either, but the GPS did manage to give us a little dot location, proving that we were indeed in the middle of nowhere. We had been on this "road" for nearly an hour and it looked like we had a long way to go to get back to civilization.  Should we keep going?  Turn around?  The road had been so bumpy and treacherous and we couldn't imagine going back the way we had come, so we pressed on.  After an hour and a half, the kids stopped complaining.  Everyone was just done.  Somewhere along the way, we did see a group of ORV's coming at us, and clearly they knew this road wasn't for regular traffic.  After a few more deathly slow miles, we started seeing occasional signs warning of logging trucks.  We could barely get through here in our van, how were logging trucks making it happen?!  We didn't actually see any logging trucks, though, which discouraged us further.  Our tiny GPS dot slowly moved back down the peninsula, and we just headed down our trail towards the nearest town.  After more than two hours in the abyss, we came across a dirt road that headed west and we took a chance.  Thankfully, after a couple miles and a very near miss by a logging truck, we hit US-41 and let out sighs of relief.  Our tour of the very tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula was a complete bust. 

Back at camp, the kids spent the afternoon playing cards and hanging out by the campfire.

We decided for dinner to have a mix of everything we had left, and the grill was filled with burgers, brats, chicken, and of course, potatoes.  

After dinner, there was time to get Alayna on the trails here for a little run.  She quickly fell in love with them, as I had, and we came back refreshed and content.

The sun was still shining bright, and Nash did what he had to to make sure he could see his iPad.  

That night, we all trickled into our beds almost before the sun was down, and slept soundly through the chilly night, with our blankets pulled right up to our chins.