The Keweenaw Tour - Part#2 In The U.P.

Brad, Jack, And Me On The Shore Of Lake Superior

It was somewhat of a spur of the moment decision.  By that I mean I had been thinking about it for the last 3 years, but hadn’t been able to take the plunge.  I was still teaching for two of those 3 years, and this last year was too convoluted on both sides to commit to anything. So when my cousin said he was going up to the base of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula to help his son pack up an apartment after his junior year in college, I jumped at the chance to join them; figuring I could both help and visit with them at the same time.

As mentioned in “Think I’m In Love - Part#1 In The U.P.” I spent 24 hours camping and fishing in the Ottawa National Forest of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on my way to Houghton. (Click on the link if you want to catch up with that adventure.)  Once I drove out of the woods and had cell phone reception, I sent out some texts to family members as to where I was and my predicted time of arrival further Up North.  It’s nice to be disconnected from technology when I’m on an adventure, other than using a phone to take pictures, but for those wondering how things are going when I’m camping, it can be a little unsettling.  Apparently my cousins had been wondering back and forth on our common texting thread if I was okay and when I was expected.  In my mind I had said I’d meet up with them in the afternoon, so I’d simply pushed it to the limits to maximize my time outdoors.  My cousin Brad was having to drive from Southern Michigan anyways, so I figured we’d hook up just in time for dinner.  Once contact was made in the early afternoon, the barrage of texts that came through were pretty funny.  My son Todd summed it up best when he stated, “That was exciting to hear updates coming through on my run.  Nothing gets the blood pumping like a lost Dad!”  I’ll admit that I loved the idea of being the “Lost Dad,” especially since I wasn’t.

I met Brad and his son Jack in the Walmart parking lot after descending into Houghton, Michigan.  From there I followed them to the Super 8 Hotel where we were staying; on the Keweenaw Waterway, across from Mont Ripley Ski Area, and next door to Michigan Tech University where Jack attends.  The three of us regrouped and then Jack went into full bore tour guide mode.  It’s something he seemed to enjoy and a trait I was soon to realize he was pretty darn good at too!

First up was a burger and fries at Quincy’s in nearby Laurium.  Although I was still kind of full from my cookout in the campground earlier that day, it’s a meal that I’m always looking forward to having.  The rustic decor was cool, and as promised by Jack, the burger was delicious.

Quincy's Restaurant

From there we drove up to Douglass Houghton Falls.  Its drop is the highest in Michigan at 110 feet.  Looking at it is a little dicey at best right now, but they are in the midst of developing a parking area in lieu of pulling off to the side of the road and are apparently going to build walkways and decks to cut down on erosion and near death experiences.  The views were spectacular and although it did begin to drizzle, we carefully worked our way to the bottom of the ravine to take pictures, explore the rocks, and check out an old mine shaft.  I’m sure the area has gone through many changes over the years, and will continue to do so as they work to make it safe, but it was well worth the visit.  It was getting dark as we left and headed back.

Watch That Last Step
It's A Doozy!

Apparently Jack Had Done This Before
Crazy Kid!

I Was Amazed At The Height
Of The Waterfall

Jack In The Mouth Of The Mine Shaft
That We Had Explored

For The Love Of God, Be Careful Jack : )

At the hotel, Brad and I settled in for the night knowing that the following day would entail working, exploring, and partaking in some sort of an adventure.  His son Jack headed back to his apartment to continue packing.

Early the next morning, Brad and I ran along the shoreline of the Waterway.  The air was chilly, but it was fun to run an unfamiliar route.  We got cleaned up, ate a continental breakfast, and headed over to Jack’s apartment.

Cleaning out Jack’s room, and filling the van that Brad had driven up, didn’t really take too long.  It basically came down to the adage, “Many hands make light work.”  The packing itself resembled the assembly of a jigsaw puzzle; when every piece has its specific place.  Once finished, Jack proudly stood on the rickety old porch so Brad could take one last picture; both to document the occasion, and as proof that the building had once stood somewhat upright - and as of yet was not the pile of rubble it was destined for the next time winter winds blew out of the Northwest.

With a click of our heels, we drove the loaded vehicles back to the hotel parking lot and piled into my Jeep Liberty.  Brad gave up his usual position of riding shotgun so Jack could better help with directions and instead rode in the back seat.  We had the rest of the day to explore whatever and wherever we wanted - so we headed North!  Along the way we stopped by a couple other waterfalls, including a few on the Eagle River.

The Eagle River Timber Arch Bridge

The Same River - Looking The Other Way

As we drove, Jack pointed out the local sheriff’s house and other points of interest; commenting once that he couldn’t believe that someone had exchanged their Camaro for a Charger of which he wasn’t too keen.  I asked him if he was familiar with these people and how he knew this information.  He nonchalantly said he didn’t, and added something along the lines of he just paid attention to things that he saw.  I was beginning to feel as if the world I knew was turning a bit upside down; which was kind of spooky considering that I myself am alert and observant to the small details that slip by most others.  Jack’s attention to detail, however, was teetering on a different level.

After visiting the famously small Jampot bakery, we made a quick roadside stop at the Great Sand Bay Trailhead.  Brad, who typically is reserved and a man of few words, got out to randomly talk to an unknown guy who had been working to stake property lines in the woods east of there and was putting away his gear.  Apparently, through talking, they soon realized that they both knew fellow surveyors.  When he returned to the Jeep and reported on what he had learned, Jack commented that you had to be careful back in that area the guy had been surveying - as the ground was marshy and full of sink holes.  Seriously, what was happening to my world?  Who were these people and what had they done to my cousins?  Brad was breaking out of the norm of what I’d come to expect the last 50+ years, and how did Jack know these things?

Continuing up M-26, we passed Eagle Harbor and pulled into the boat launch for Lake Bailey.  Over sixty years ago my Dad had camped on the island in the middle of that lake with his friend Tom Royce.  They took a side trip in the midst of their adventure and spent the night up on nearby Mount Baldy, by throwing their sleeping bags on top of juniper bushes for cushioning.  After taking a few pictures of the lake for my Dad to see later, we snapped some branches from a recently fallen dead tree to use as firewood before driving a few miles up to Esrey Park on the shores of Lake Superior.  It was a beautiful setting despite the overcast skies and cool temperature.  Choppy waves crashed on the rocks beside us.

Because we’ve always wanted to, we scooped water from the world’s largest fresh water lake into a pot, and set it over the fire we had started in the grill.  We boiled the heck out of it to use for Brad’s coffee and the hot chocolate for Jack and me.  Next to the pot of water we placed the two brook trout I had caught the afternoon prior - while on an overnight camping trip.  The flaky, pink, meat would be the perfect light lunch prior to finishing our drive to the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Scooping Water From Lake Superior

Boiling Water & Cooking Brook Trout
At Esrey Park

Once we were finished and had climbed around on the rocks, we backtracked a hair and got on the Brockway Mountain Drive.  It rides the backbone of the peninsula and allows you to see a grand vista of Lake Superior and its rugged shoreline.  We stopped at the observation area and took several pictures that included the area we had visited earlier around Lake Bailey, a freighter out on the big lake, and later the little town of Copper Harbor.  The skies cooperated and opened up enough that we were able to see the rough outline of Isle Royale National Park; far to the North as an island on the horizon.

Lake Bailey, The Island & Mount Baldy
On The Horizon

A Close-up Of Lake Bailey's Island

Copper Harbor

Copper Harbor And Lake Fanny Hooe.
Fort Wilkins State Park Is Located
On The Strip Of Land
Between The Lake And Harbor.

After descending into Copper Harbor, we drove straight through the town and into Fort Wilkins State Park on the shore of Lake Fanny Hooe.  We purchased a daily sticker and looked around the East campground.  It was a trip down memory lane for me personally, as my wife and I had twice brought our kids here to camp when they were young (2004 & 2007).  I found our old campsites, as well as the old cedar tree we had sat on for our family picture.  Remembering such times made me reflective and somber.  I love where we’re at with our family of adults, but how fun would it be to go back, for just a day, and enjoy everything that made your kids your kids?!

Jodi & Todd - 2004

Old Cedar Trunks Out
Over Lake Fanny Hooe - 2025

Our Family On The Same Trunks - 2007

Neither Brad or Jack had ever visited the old fort in the park, so we walked over to tour the various buildings.  We didn’t just walk through, however, we went into every single building - and if I’m not mistaken, read every single sign explaining the life and times when Fort Wilkins was an outpost in the northern wilderness.  All of us immersed ourselves in the history of it for about an hour.

Jodi And Todd At The Fort - 2007

We then swung over to check out the rocky beach that overlooked the lighthouse in the harbor.  It was super calm since the last time I was there with my family back in 2007; when thunderous waves had crashed and boomed into the rocky shore.  We skipped stones like kids ourselves.

Calm Enough To Skip Stones - 2025

2007

At Jack’s suggestion, we all got a “Portside” sandwich for dinner at the Mariner North restaurant.  The sandwich of shaved beef and fries hit the spot!  Before leaving town we stopped in the Minnetonka Resort after driving along the waterfront near the Isle Royale ferry.  The woman in the resort’s gift shop was unpacking boxes to stock the shelves for the summer rush of tourists but stopped for a while to talk to us.  Both Brad and I commented afterwards that we’d have loved to sit down and listen to her talk more about Isle Royale.  We had found out that she’s on a committee for the island and has taken countless groups there over the years.  It’s a place that Brad and I, along with his twin brother Brian, have talked about visiting since we were wee lads.  She sounded like the kind of person that could answer any questions we’d have that would perhaps someday help us step foot on its shore; she was someone with valuable firsthand knowledge.  I bought a T-shirt and two stickers from her to add to the back window of my Jeep.

Leaving town, we made one more stop at Hunter’s Point Park.  Cindy and I had walked the trails with our kids soon after it had originally opened.  Trails were now marked with signage and started from a developed trailhead.  For once on this trip, I knew an area of the North Country a hair bit better than Jack.  Not that it was a competition, but it was funny how knowledgeable he was on most of what we had visited.  We hiked to the point on the narrow strip of land that creates the western arm for Copper Harbor; talking, looking at rocks, and listening to the waves on the northern shore as we went.  Arriving at the tip, we wished that it was warmer so we could wade the gap to Porters Island.  Instead we posed for a picture and once again skipped rocks.  On our way back to the Jeep we scared out a deer that had been hiding right next to us and just off the trail.

Hunter's Point - 2007

Driving the return trip to Houghton, we talked as men who were content.  It had been a great day spent together as family members!  We stopped twice more before coming into our hotel after dark.  Once was for ice cream in a waffle cone at “Sundae In The Park” located in the small town of Mohawk, and then at F.J. McLain State Park to watch an awesome sunset over the pier and light house.

That evening, Brad and Jack slept in the beds of the hotel, and I crashed on the floor - sandwiched between my two wool blankets that I’d had for camping.  I was so tired that I slept solid throughout the entire night!  We woke early though, packed our gear, and had breakfast at the “Copper Range Depot” to fuel up for our drives home, but not before picking up some Cornish pasties at Roy’s for Cindy and me.  With one final picture to commemorate our time together, we went our separate ways; Brad and Jack - each in their own vehicles headed back to Jackson County, Michigan and me to the Illinois-Wisconsin stateline border.  It had been quite a tour of the Keweenaw Peninsula and one we’d long remember!

See you along The Way…

Jack, Me, & Brad
Saying Goodbye to Houghton, Michigan
At The Base Of The
Keweenaw Peninsula

Living The Dream And Pulling The Trigger (Part#1 Of 3)

 

It’s a common phrase, for those who want to give a quick, flippant response to anyone asking them how they’re doing, when they say, “I’m living the dream!”  In reality they may or may not be living their actual dream.  Perhaps they are, or maybe the dream is closer to stating, “It is what it is” and they’re life at this point simply amounts to trying to survive and make it from one day to the next.  Regardless, it’s our dreams, linked to our hopes, passions, and interests that provide the fuel that drives us as much as anything will; perhaps even motivating us to try and live out the pictures in our mind’s eye.

I suppose I come by the ability to visualize things into fruition as naturally as anybody.  As a young boy, my Dad drew a picture that eventually became what our farm looked like as my sisters and I were growing up; complete with goats and a family sketched around a barnyard.  I remember seeing that picture once and felt an immediate connection to it.  Similarly, as a young girl my Mom drew a picture of a cabin type house that had a gambrel pitched (barn-style) roof, a picket fence, and several trees of different sizes.  She still has it somewhere, and although we didn’t have a picket fence, my Dad and I did erect a rail fence that bordered the east and south sides of the front yard of the home my parents had built within the pines and hardwoods above Sparr valley.  Our family often joked that we had a barn with a house shaped roof, and a house with a barn shaped roof.

It’s no secret that I love the outdoors; having grown up on that small farm in the Northwoods.  I love the diversity of trees in the forest, the mossy swamps where headwater streams bubble forth, and rolling hills that help give depth and perspective to the layers of land and water begging to be explored.  Getting out to hike, fish, and camp in such environments binds my love of such places with the mental image I have of myself.

While I have made fires countless times using flint and steel with a small scrap of char cloth, it was shortly after the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 that I started collecting information from various websites and videos so I could learn how to make fire from a bow and drill.  I have several journal pages of notes; complete with sketches and lists of necessary materials.  It was through that process that I would later stumble upon Joe Robinet.  In fact, according to one of my journals, it was on Saturday, November 28th, 2020 after typing up “solo adventures” in the search bar on YouTube, that I watched my first video of his entitled, "Alone in the Wild - A 5 Day Solo Excursion.”  Since then I’ve watched every single adventure and bushcraft video Joe has ever posted.  Once I exhausted his library of available content, I moved over to Xander Budnick.  He too has subject matter linked to adventure trips, and you can follow the learning process he goes through as he connects with his new found passion of hiking and paddling the North.  While I have slowly and surely watched all of Xander’s videos, I’m not one to quickly jump from one video personality to another.  Once the algorithm picks up your interests, however, they throw every possible post in your direction, hoping you’ll get hooked to a common theme.  There's a lot of garbage out there under the guise of outdoor adventure; people trying to make a fast buck (I guess) by pushing products, poor quality videos and content, or individuals selling their souls as scantily dressed people out in the wilderness.  The Northland I know, while beautiful, would chew those people up and spit them out.  And although I’ll admit I have stumbled down a rabbit hole or two, I backed out of those “nature videos” as quickly as I could to save myself.  Besides, there’s that balance between watching someone else doing something you’re interested in and then pulling the trigger to live that dream yourself!

This spring, as I was finishing the last of Budnick’s past videos, one did pop up from someone who was just getting started with YouTube and adventure paddling.  Robinet and Budnick’s videos are cool to be sure, and I’d love to try some of their paddle and camping trips, but at least for right now, the locations for those adventures are beyond my means and grasp.  Both young men live in Canada and have access to vast acres in provincial parks and what’s referred to as “crown land.”  The new adventurer I’ve enjoyed watching is a woman that goes by the name of Woodsy.  Although she is apparently fairly new to camping and heading out solo into the wilds, she is humble and gives you honest dialogue of what she’s learning.  What I like most, however, is the fact that (at least so far), she’s headed out to various places within my home state of Michigan where I grew up.  While I am familiar with some of the wild areas she’s gone to, and have even gone to a few of those locations in the past, she has introduced some settings I never even knew existed.  That helped open up some attainable possibilities for me.

Enter this spring, summer, and fall.  I retired from teaching, spent a lot of time going through and cleaning out my classroom, and then researching outdoor gear.  Research can be both exciting and exhausting.  After a while, and upon reading a freight train load of descriptions, reviews, and comparisons for the different brands that are available for each individual piece of equipment, it leans closer to just plain exhaustion.  In short order you simply want to have the decision made.  For me personally, it’s difficult to pull the trigger and make a decision to purchase something, especially when items can be expensive.  Sometimes a review says it’s a great product, and you like it, but then several people will comment that they've had issues with the zippers or something along those lines.  In the end you just want to get your money’s worth and purchase something of quality.

Fortunately for me, I did have some gift certificates to use, and found other items on sale.  I also asked questions to obtain feedback that would help with my decision making.  Of course I already had camping gear that I use when I head out to the river or woods for several days at a time.  It’s gear I can haul in my old Silver Jeep or load into my barge of an aluminum canoe.  It all works great, and I’ve refined it into simplicity as our family got older and branched out on their own.  However, for me to pursue the dream of going out solo on a trip where I would need to paddle and portage from one water source to another, it was going to require a somewhat different array of ingredients other than what I had; gear that was lighter in weight, smaller, and able to keep me warm in colder temperatures.

I started looking more seriously in August when I invited my Dad to travel up to Madison, Wisconsin with me to Rutabaga Paddlesports.  After taking a screenshot of Woodsy’s canoe and asking her a few questions about it, Rutabaga staff member Connie set me up to test paddle that brand and a couple others by that same manufacturer.  At the end of that day, I still wanted to do some more thinking before pulling the trigger, for although I loved the material it was made of for durability, I was worried about which length to go with and the overall weight of the canoe.  It was nowhere near the crazy weight of my aluminum canoe that I’ve soloed with on multiple river trips, but I still wasn’t sure I’d be able to adequately lift this newer one, with gear, and carry it over land as I portaged into nearby bodies of water.

Over Labor Day weekend I ordered a lightweight solo tent on sale from REI.  Following that purchase I put things on the back burner for a while as I instead invested time alongside my wife and family, during the decline and passing of my beloved mother-in-law.  Those were important times to stay in a holding pattern, and simply be present in the moment.  Life can be an adventure, but life can also be difficult in all its various facets.  Throughout her life my mother-in-law was vibrant, positive, and loved to gather people.  She took a vested interest in others while inquiring how a person was doing.  Her visitation was a reflection of those traits as people came together to celebrate her around an outdoor pavilion; flowers and her photo albums on display.  She would have absolutely loved that beautiful fall morning and you could almost imagine her going from one group of people to another, making sure that everyone was enjoying themselves.

Once the first week of October came along, I went up to Cabela’s in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin to use the gift cards given to me upon my retirement.  I spent a lot of time in a very small section of that store; literally only 4 or 5 aisles.  While there, I used my phone to research brands before putting several items into my cart…and then proceeded to take several items out of my cart; once again proving that it’s hard to pull the trigger on a purchase, even when it’s considered “free”.  I didn’t know 100% if these were going to be the best options, but it’s what was available at the store where I could use those cards.  Oh the frugality of a bargain shopper!  During that visit I purchased a foam pad, water filtration system, a couple of dry bags (one to use as a backpack), and then threw in a few variations of my favorite pike lure.  Online I purchased a Big Agnes sleeping mat, a MEC sleeping bag (the Canadian Version of REI), and the Boundary Waters Journal aluminum fry pan.

On Friday, October 11th I fittingly went back to Rutabaga in Madison to try to make a decision on a canoe.  I had a trip planned in less than a week, so I hooked up with staff member Brandon who spent the better part of the day with me.  We narrowed the search to the Nova Craft Prospector.  While I liked the one that was a blue steel color as it was made from a mixture of carbon and lightweight synthetic fiber, the one they had in stock lacked a good yoke that you use to carry the canoe on your shoulders.  In addition, it weighed a bit more, had wooden gunwales, and still had to come from their warehouse an hour away.  None of those were deal breakers.  It simply helped me make a decision according to what I was looking for.  Instead I chose the Prospector 14 aramid lite clear.  It was lightweight, had the yoke that you could attach, and was plenty long enough at 14 feet to haul me and my gear.  My days of wrestling heavy canoes onto my vehicle were over.  I’ll save my aluminum canoe for trips with (strong) friends!

Brandon was patient with my questions and decision making, and after getting some Thule pads for my roof rack, helped me set it up and load the new canoe onto my Silver Jeep.  At first I told him that I had some old straps and loops up under the engine I could use to attach the canoe, but after I explained this to him, and pulled on them to show their durability, we literally watched them explode into a cloud of dust.  I suddenly thought better of the situation and purchased the Thule system.  Especially as I eyed the brand new canoe sitting off to the side.  I didn’t need anything going haywire on my way home.  I’ve seen old hay bales that had been bound with wire and know what the wires look like after they’ve been cut!  The term "kattywompus" comes to mind!

Me And Brandon - At Rutabaga
Later I Noticed That I Was Wearing
Robinet's "Exploring" T-shirt
And Had Budnick's Brand
Of Canoe On My Jeep.
Coincidence?

Over the weekend I typed up a packing list and went over it multiple times.  Within it I included brand names of various equipment items because I ended up sharing it with some family members.  With the brand labels typed out they would at least have a starting point in case they had a desire to begin researching gear on their own.  With the trigger pulled, and my major purchases taken care of, I decided that I would simply fill the gaps with what I already had and make do.  I knew that some things would probably be scratched off the list or switched out after this first trip.  It would be a reasonable response when a particular piece of equipment doesn’t get used, doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do, or is too heavy.

Unfortunately the day before my inaugural excursion I called and learned that my cold weather sleeping bag that hadn’t shown up, had been shipped from British Columbia to Los Angeles, and then from L.A. to Chicago, but according to the tracking information, was being shipped back to MEC for some unknown reason.  I was assured that I would be refunded with a credit to my charge card.  So on a day that I needed to organize my gear and begin packing, I had to run back to Madison to find a lightweight, cold weather, sleeping bag.  Fortunately I found one that would work, that I was happy with, and that I could test out in the REI store.

Whew!  That was close.  The nights were predicted to be on the chilly side, and I needed something to keep me warm.  I spent the rest of that night going through my packing list and preparing for the trip that was to begin the following morning.  I was on the eve of living the dream and breathing life into that picture of adventure that had been floating around inside my head; in my mind’s eye.  It’s the dream where I would begin by setting the alarm to get up early (as if I’d need it), throw any remaining gear in my Jeep, and head for the wilds of the North before the sun peeked over the horizon.  What would come next? Big Island Lake Wilderness Area!

See you along The Way…