There is no better way to start your day than with a sunrise kayak ride on beautiful Lake Superior. So that is exactly what Rob and I did to start day two before we headed out for our hike through the Porcupine Mountains.
After our kayak ride we headed out to the Porcupine Mountain State Park.
The Porcupine Mountains State Park is 60,000 acres and is one of the few remaining large wilderness areas in the Midwest. Towering virgin timber, secluded lakes, and miles of wild rivers and streams. And to top that off there is more than 90 waterfalls!
Neither of us had ever been here so we had no idea what to expect. Our first stop was the Lake in the Clouds overlook.
When I think about William Cronon's quote about being on a mountain top and seeing God everywhere this is what I picture. I picture being up on that ledge that day in the Porcupine Mountains and knowing that there is nothing I have ever seen that compares to it. It was absolutely mesmerizing. And this was just the beginning!
This is the view from a second overlook point we checked out. It literally looked like we were in a painting.
Next on our list of places we wanted to see was Mirror Lake. To get to this lake we had to hike 3 miles to it, and 3 miles back to the car. And half of that was up a mountain {2000 feet elevation}. I kept saying to myself "This lake better be gorgeous for all this walking we have to do!". When we finally got there it definitely exceeded my expectations. It's name speaks for itself. It was worth every step it took to get there.
Here's a few photos I snapped on the way.
Did I mention it was a LONG way to that lake?? Stopping to rest was essential.
Almost there! [Well, we hoped so...] Just like Pictured Rocks from the day before there were no signs so you had no idea if you were almost there or if you had actually gone 5 miles in the wrong direction. But I was still smiling because I had a feeling we were getting close.
FINALLY we made it! And like I said before, it was worth EVERY step.
Our final stop for the day before heading back to our beach cottage was Presque Isle River. It was time to see some waterfalls.
The first waterfall we saw was Manabezho Falls. With a drop of approximately 25 feet and a crest of 150 feet, it is the largest of the waterfalls on the river. It is below Manido Falls and Nawadaha Falls. The name Manabezho refers to an Ojibway spirit god. A view of the falls is easily accessible by trail. But since we have a history of being adventurous we ventured off the trail and climbed down some steep rocks to the base of the waterfall.
Manido Falls was the second one we visited. It is the smallest of the Presque Isle River falls.
This is the third waterfall we saw but I have no idea what the name of it was or if it even has one.
After a spectacular day of hiking and seeing so much beauty we headed back to our cottage just in time for a magnificent sunset. I took the kayak out on the lake so I could get a better picture of it.
Sitting out in the middle of the lake, alone, taking in that dazzling sunset was without a doubt the most serene, incredible moment of my life. I really want to get my own kayak now so I can try and relive that instant again.
That was definitely a day I will remember for the rest of my life.
Stay tuned for my next blog post about Day 3 [the final day of our trip].
Happy Monday!
