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A Few Muses from the Hike - 

This is a hike that many folks do in 3 days/ 2 nights.   And that is immanently doable - but I think you might miss the point of this hike if you speed through it.  In other words, there is something to say about stopping to ‘smell the roses (or views)’ on this hike.   But, hey, ‘Hike your own hike’.

The bugs were not an issue for us.  Sure, they were there but we did suffer as everyone warns.  Why?  I don’t know - maybe we were lucky.  The fact that there was always a breeze seemed to help.  But, we did always wear long pants and long sleeves.   

The weather was spectacular and if you time things well, you can get a private beach all to yourself in the wilderness to enjoy.  Even the one day of rain was not horrible - as we had so many other great days on the trail.  

Doing the hike with friends and family was a new thing for me - and I think I might have found a perfect hiking partner with my best friend.  And, a long stretch in a tiny tent is a real relationship tester (grin).   

Any cold lunch option from Packit Gourmet is a winner.  They were a complete winner on the trail for all parties.   

For dinner, the Good to Go options were not tasty - over spicy and salty.  They were a miss.  Mary Jane’s Farms made some great dinners and would do eat their food anytime.  And, lastly, from AlpineAire - Forever Young Mac & Cheese was a home run.  

This my third coast hike - Olympic National Park, the West Coast Trail, and now Pictured Rocks and they all have this unique flavor to them that sets them apart.  One nice thing about Lake Superior vs. the Pacific Ocean is the water is always cold and easy to filter (grin).

You will not get cell service on the trail.  That is a good thing.  

The trail is very well marked and maintained.   A real credit to the NPS and AmeriCorps folks that keep things ready for all of us.   

Even though I did not prepare physically at all, I did finish the hike - but then again that seems to be a theme for me that ‘blowing up’ my body is part of the fun-factor for my vacations.   

Hiked the last two miles of the trail with a couple of ‘locals’ out for their daily hike and small town America is alive and well.  Gracious, generous, and unfailingly polite - even agreed not to share any news from the week as we had enjoyed the respite for our oppressive media.   

One thing I would suggest if I were to do it again would be to get up early and do some early night hiking so you can stop on the beach and watch the sun come up.  I ran into a group that did it once and enjoyed it so much they got up and did it twice it was so special.  

This hike is beautiful - and seems to be a bit of a secret in the broader hiking community.   It is not to be missed - 

Lastly, do not miss the chance to have a very cold beverage at the By George Brew Pub in Munising.  The Root Beer is brilliant.   And the perfect place to celebrate the finish of your hike.  

Day 5 - Beaver Creek to Chapel Beach

As things go, the entire itinerary for the trip was built around staying at this location.  It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful.   And, I am sure it is if rain is not your destiny (grin).   

This 5.6 mile day was a bit longer hiking than normal.  We got started at 9:30am and finished at 12:30pm.  The trail had a few more ups and downs - nothing like the Sierra - but not the usual flat bits.  Also, the trail was muddy, loamy, and sandy all the way along.  However, what takes more time in this section is that every time you turn to the lake you are blessed with stunning views.  You just lose time because you are taking pictures the entire time.  

We did get there in a timely fashion.  One thing to know is that there is a day hike that loops out to Chapel Beach, plus the beach has pontoon boats and kayakers - which makes it a little less than secluded.  Can you blame them?  This is a beautiful spot - even in the rain.   

This day ended early with us buttoned up in our tents by 3pm as the serious rain came in to challenge our commitment.  If you want to test a marriage try eating a Dark Chocolate Cheesecake meal at 6pm in the tent, make a mess of it, then make sure you get the trash and such into the bear box so you can all sleep soundly in an area where there were a lot of black bear warnings - oh and do it in a ultra-light weight that says it is for two folks but really is just for 1 big person (funny only in hindsight - haha).  But it rained hard all night.  

Chapel Rock - See beach beyond it.  

Now, think about 5 nights in this tent with your best friend!!

Day 6 - Chapel Beach to Potato Patch

 A bit of a late start as we needed some time to dry out in the morning.   Started at Noon and finished by 4:00pm for the 7.5 miles.   We did do lunch at Mosquito Beach and this is another loop junction so a fairly crowded trail between Chapel and Mosquito.  One good up, then mostly flat trail with bits of sand to trudge through along the way.    

At this point, we are starting to drag a bit and knowing that Potato was our last night on the trail made everything seem a bit wistful as the end was coming to our trail.   The camp at Potato Patch is in the woods and very buggy.  Though, I found the pit toilet to feel like a throne with a fine view of the meadow.  At this point, any food is fair game and I found my companions more than happy to raid my snacks and meals as they were hungry and I was too blown-up to eat anyways.   There is no water at Potato - so you need to camel up before you get there - it is not a huge issue.  

Pro Tip - At the fork to the Potato campground, you turn left.  And in the morning you will come back continue on the trail downhill.  It is literally 0.5 miles down that stretch of the trail to Miners Beach.  To do it over again, skip Potato - do the down and camp on the beach.  Water is easy, the breeze keeps the bugs away, and there is even a porta-potty.  A significantly better option.   

Potato Patch - Site 3

Miners Beach - right side.  There is a long sandy beach to the left.   

Day 7 - Potato Patch to Munising Falls Visitor Center

Last day.   And, yes, we could all use a shower.   We got started at 9:30am, then hiked down to Miners Beach and over to Miners River to camel up with some water.   We finished the last 8.9 miles of the trail by 2:00pm.   

This stretch of the trail starts with a big up.  And then the trail alternates between loamy and mostly muddy.   The mud makes things a bit tricky but you did pay for the hiking shoes...ha.    The last 2.7 miles of the trail between Sand Point and Munising Visitor Center is another example of the beauty of the Upper Penninsula with water falls at every turn.   Also, the loop between Sand Point and Munising is a popular day hike, so you will start to see clean people that definatly want to manage to social distancing guidelines (grin).  

So, with that we finished.   5 nights/ 6 days.  42.5 miles.   Great hike and something I would recommend for anyone.  Ultimately, it is just about getting out there.    So - do it.  

Day 1 - Getting There.   

While the act of packing, ordering food, safety gear, and all the other assorted stuff can take a while - I did start with almost all the necessary bits to get the four of us ready to go.    

The best local town to start this hike is Munising, MI in the Upper Peninsula.  It was a 6 hour drive for us get to Munising where we had the pleasure of staying at the most expensive Holiday Inn in the history of the world at $280 per night (grin).  It was clean and a brilliant property - but goodness.   

We needed to get there the night before so that we could catch the shuttle to the trail head at 8am in the morning the next day.   There are other options for sleeping in Munising that are not as pricey and had I been doing it solo I would have just slept in my car...haha.   

They have a couple of great brew pubs in town.  By George makes some crazy good beer and the Pizza Place across the street is incredible.  And, because it is the Midwest everyone is just flat out hospitable.   What a joy.  

So, drove, drank, ate, and then slept - in that order.   

Day 2 - Grand Marais to Au Sable East

As we decided to hike from East to West, we dropped our car at Munising Falls Visitor Center at met the shuttle at 8am.  The shuttle took up to Grand Marais Visitor Center - took about 90 minutes for the trip.   The goal for the day was to hike 7.1 miles to Au Sable East campground.   To net it out - we started at 10am and got to the campsite at 1:30pm.  This includes all breaks and such.  

The hike is a mostly smooth, comfortable hike on a loamy soft trail.  There is one big down after Masse campground - but nothing challenging.   The campground is very clean and well maintained.  Pro Tip - pick a campsite towards the west end of the site so you get the breeze and can hear the waves crashing all night.  

Just 0.5 miles from the campground is the Au Sable Lighthouse.  We hung out in the sun at the lighthouse, had lunch, took a nap, and took in the views.  You get a tremendous shot of the Dunes to the East from the Lighthouse.   Pro Tip - they have potable water at the lighthouse.  Camel up here as it is just easy.   

Day 3 - Au Sable East to Seven Mile Creek

This is an easy day for hiking.  Mostly flat if not just some slightly rolling hills.  The trail is road, loamy trail, and just a bit of sand.   We stopped and had lunch at Twelve Mile campground.  This is perfect as they have real toilets and picnic tables for you to relax at while you are eating lunch.  

We started at 11:30am and finished by 3:00pm with a total of 7.3 miles of hiking.  This is a quick day.  Seven Mile Creek is a good site - they lack a pit toilet so you will need to dig a cat-hole.  Look for sites 4 & 5 right on the river.  

Day 4 - Seven Mile Creek to Beaver Creek

Only did 6 miles this day.  We could have pushed on to Chapel Rock, but one of the things about Pictured Rocks is your reservation dictates your site itinerary.  So, Beaver Creek it was.   Started at 10:30am and finished 1:15pm.  A bit of a sandy trail, but largely enjoyable rolling trail through the forest.   

The bonus about the short day is the natural swimming hole at Beaver Creek where it meets Lake Superior.   This is one of the wonders that you stumble upon that makes it all worth it.   The river is warm and the lake is cold - it could not be more refreshing if you paid for it at a 5-Star Resort.   We swam, sunbathed, napped and just enjoyed the glorious gift of the day.  The campsites are up on the bluff, so you get a great breeze, and open enough to see the stars as you look up from your tent at night.   

It was time.

Those of you that know me by my trail name, Plow Horse, recognize that I will take a backpacking trip for a week or more every year to try and get my head / heart back to center from the daily craziness of my world.   Ah, but circumstances seemed determined to stand in the way this year:  1) This was my first trip in two years due to double knee replacement;  2)  I was doing this on new knees; 3) Covid made everything odd; and 4) I had let myself get a bit sloppy from too many cheese curds and not enough sit-ups - making my physical capabilities suspect to everyone.  

Nothing was going to stop me this year - I was focused.   While solo is my preferred way to backpack, I ended up with my wife, daughter, and daughter’s boyfriend joining the trip.  And, it turned out to be a great addition to the entire experience.    

Pictured Rocks is a gem in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  And for those of us forever in search of the ‘flat trail’ this one does come darn close.  The Pictured Rocks National Park is section of the larger North Trail.  It is 42.5 miles long and you can do it in 3 days, but I think you miss out a bit as the views are stunning all along the trail.   We did it in 5 nights and six days.  Not too aggressive by any means, but considering my physical shape, I think I was counting on mind over reality to finish.   We did it - on time and to schedule.   

So enough set-up.   Let’s tell the story.