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Point Abbaye had lured me out many years ago during some of my first adventures east of L'Anse. The long peninsula separated Keweenaw and Huron Bay and looked like a tiny version of the great Keweenaw Peninsula itself, stretching out into Lake Suprior like a crooked finger. Also, it promised (and…
A cold breeze drifted up from the small bay and through the trees. Finally. All day I had been hiking through stifling heat of the forest near Mount Benison, unseasonal heat that had sapped the energy out of me, and even the narrow waterway of Huron Bay offered some relief. With a grateful sigh I…
The last leg of the Chapel Loop is a relatively easy jaunt from Mosquito Beach back to the trailhead. There are two possible paths, one on each side of Mosquito River, with the longer western option darting over to Mosquito Falls before looping back up. Of the three sides of the lopsided triangle…
My legs dangled off the edge of Grand Portal Point, the ice and water of Lake Superior some two hundred feet below my feet. I relished the thrill of danger that coursed through me as I sat on the gritty rock. It had taken me all morning and more to reach the point, hiking through puddles and snow…
Returning to Chapel Rock was a tedious venture. The sun had continued to rise, warming the woods and melting the snow, and the trail of mud, slush, and water made for a tiresome slog. I tried to remember the longer sections of snow from the walk out to strap on snowshoes for, just so I could walk a…
Early morning slowly filtered through the winter-bare trees, bringing light and little warmth to the narrow dirt road. I was on Chapel Road, a two-track of Pictured Rocks, and it was still below freezing on this mid-April dawn. The road was plowed, a pleasant surprise to find, though there was…
The narrow road weaved and bucked between piles of snow under the thick pines. I began to wonder just how far I'd have to drive along this county road. I was east of 550, in the narrow chunk of land between it and Lake Superior, and was surprised at just how windy and out-of-the-way this destination…
I stared at the stone monument, reading yet not comprehending the words etched on the smooth finish. 'Tumbles of Tlapak' was the title of the thing, maybe a paragraph or two, about odd lifeforms and extra dimensions and Kcymaerxthaereal. It reminded me of something from Lovecraft. An odd little…
Trying to hide my nervousness I glanced around at the snowy trees and hills around us. Emily and I were driving up M-26 towards Atlantic Mine, one of the most notorious stretches of winter roads this side of the Mackinaw. Sputtering snow and strong winds cut down our visibility and kept our…
Familiar green woods pressed around me. I was on my way out to Black Rock Point, a place north of Big Bay that I had visited several times before. A few discussions with a fellow hiker, Joel, had sparked my interest in the cliff base here. It was late in the evening and the sun had less than an hour…