Primary Research In The Field: My Wild and Wonderful Summer: Part The Third, "Grand Finale"

Ah, the Keweenaw Peninsula, extending north from Michigan's UP into mighty Lake Superior. A peninsula off a peninsula, beyond the Pictured Rocks, reaching toward Isle Royale. It's a long freaking drive up there (9+ hrs from here) which is probably why I've never been before. So it was with great excitement that I set off to join my paddling and adventure partner from way back, CJ, for a camping/kayaking trip up there we'd been "planning" for (as much as that was possible, which turned out to be approximately zero) throughout the summer.

I originally had grand ideas about kayaking the entire perimeter of the upper portion of the peninsula in a loop utilizing the Keweenaw Waterway, which bisects it about midway down, where the town of Houghton is located, along with the only bridge which allows you onto the upper portion. At that point I clearly had no idea of the scale of the thing, since such a trip would take at least a month or two, assuming you had adequate weather (an impossibility for that length of time straight) and didn't die in any one of various ways. I had somehow assumed that the northwest-facing shore would be all sandy like it is here, and that we would be able to carry our camping gear in our kayaks and just go along the beach camping wherever we wanted as we rounded the point and headed back down the southeast-facing coast, which I kind of pooh-poohed as probably being too sheltered and calm and boring.

Man was I wrong! As our plans and contingency plans continued to evolve it became clear that wasn't going to be possible and we downscaled to taking two vehicles (probably a necessity anyway given all the gear we were packing) and planning to use them to possibly do some point-to-point paddles (where we would leave one car at the take-out point) but that didn't even end up happening because conditions were fairly rough the day we ultimately planned to try that so we aborted and did a day-paddle out-and-back instead, as we had all the other times we were on the water, except one overnight which I'll describe eventually.

The weather did not cooperate greatly, breaking a streak of luck CJ and I had had on previous trips together. But in the end it was a beautiful exploration and I'll take it without complaints.

We left from Petoskey Monday morning Sept 2 but had to wait for the bridge to open following an annual Labor Day walk-across-the-bridge event. By the time we were approaching the peninsula evening was falling but we crossed the bridge onto the north tip and hurried to find a place to camp in our vehicles for the night, which turned out to be a less-than-satisfying wide spot in the road through a forest near Thayer Lake, which was at least public land.

The next day was damp and drizzly and we headed down to the town of Gay (where we had been advised that the Gay Bar was a fun place to visit) and did some touristy exploring. It was quite wild and dramatic despite (or maybe because of ) the wind and occasional rain. This was the southeast coast, and after an initial viewing of the conditions there we continued to revise down our expectations of the paddles we would conquer. I still had hopes of doing a multi-day epic camping point-to-point rounding of the tip of the peninsula at this point but, (spoiler alert) that too was not destined to be.

Because of the wet weather we did not get on the water that day, but drove north stopping frequently to explore and enjoy views and search for future good car-camping and put-in/take-out sites. Eventually we reached Copper Harbor, on the north coast, a very cute and lovely small town. We stopped in at the Keweenaw Adventure Company store there and spoke to the owner who gave us some great advice about where to go and what to do and not do (which was all correct, and which we followed for the most part, except I alone did the 'not do' part, which was driving out the 'difficult' 4WD road to 'High Rock Point'. Which turned out to be neither high, nor a rock, nor a difficult 4WD road, but certainly had less bang for the buck than Horseshoe Harbor and Hunter's Point Park, neither of which we probably wouldn't have known about otherwise. So I'm grateful for that.)

The next day was beautiful and sunny and the winds were forecast to be out of the northwest so the opposite side of the peninsula would be protected so we headed down there looking to do an overnight camping trip east from Smith Fisheries toward Keystone Bay and Keweenaw Point, but arriving at the end of the road just beyond Smith Fisheries we saw that it was not possible to put in there as the coast was a rocky cliff. So necessitated a new plan.

The new plan was to put in at the Lac La Belle channel (the closest actual possibility at that point, and which we'd scouted the day before) and paddle out into Bete Grise bay and down the coast looking for a place to camp, which we did, and which turned out to be beautiful. We paddled around in the channel area a bit first and out onto Lac La Belle before heading into L. Superior and finding a lovely sandy shore upon which to camp. Even though it was a moderate paddle overall, we had passed the put-in point on our way out of Lac La Belle through the channel so in the end we did not end up very far from our vehicles at all, which turned out to be convenient for me when I realized I'd forgotten two fairly critical items in my packing - my sleeping bag and the s'more stuff - and decided to go back for them. I figured I could have made it through the night just bundled in all my clothes, but I definitely wanted the s'more stuff! I bet CJ that I could make the round trip in 30 min or less and I made it (barely) even though I tipped over while trying to land on a steepish sand bank and thus had to change my swimsuit and t-shirt at the car in addition to gathering the sleeping bag and s'more stuff.

So that was our one and only tent camping night, but it was really beautiful and the next morning was likewise gorgeous and we took an early morning paddle out onto the big lake, on the placid bay, as far as we ever made it from the coast, then returned and packed up our stuff and took the short paddle back to our cars. We rewarded ourselves for completing our big adventure by going to the Bear Belly Bar and Grill (which had also been recommended) for bloodies and brunch.

Next it was back to Copper Harbor, because based on the forecast we had other places to explore on the north coast and we wanted to try to chat with the kayaking expert at Keweenaw Adventure Co. who had not been available on our earlier visit there. He still wasn't, and we never crossed paths with him, so ultimately we had to make it all up with the printed and online resources we had, plus our own two sets of eyes and ears. This ultimately worked quite well.

While in Copper Harbor we did another paddle (two in one day!) out into the harbor and around Porter's Island, then found a lovely little car-camping place (#VanLIFE!) at Hebard roadside park. Technically it said 'no camping' but we wondered for a while while actually constitutes camping, e.g. is overnight parking considered camping?, until we actually eventually found a sign defining it as sleeping in your car, anytime. Nonetheless we decided to risk it, especially since we had not seen any po-po anywhere north of the Waterway, and it was off-season, and the Keweenaw Adventure Co. owner had pointed out to us (when we asked her) that generally if we behaved in a respectful manner no one was likely to bother us.

Conditions on the N. shore were not conducive to kayaking the next day, (a strong on-shore wind with waves crashing against giant rocks and cliffs) so we headed back to the (that day) protected southern side again and investigated Traverse Bay. Found a nice place to camp. Next day paddled on Little Traverse Bay after putting in at a vacant church property beach.

Continued to find nice camping and paddling places, including Esrey Park, Great Sand Bay, and Gratiot River park, where we both camped and took our final paddle. Also notable was the delicious fare and yummy drinks at Fitzgerald's (in Eagle River) and the Eagle Harbor Inn.

We had been hoping to do a point-to-point trip along the northern coast but prudence won out (yay Prudence!) due to the sketchy conditions and rocky shore so we settled for several out-and-back lovely day paddles, then decided to head back when an extended period of rain and wind was forecast.

On the way back, after saying goodbye to CJ in Petoskey, I took the long and exploratory route south along the coast and found a couple really nice spots, including one where I spent the night just south of Manistee and north of the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area just north of Ludington. This is the perfect #VanLife camping spot, wide open and deserted amongst the towering pines, with fabulous back dunes leading to a virgin stretch of L. Michigan beach a short walk away. I will be back there for sure. Not so sure about Keweenaw, though, unless it's to get on a ferry to Isle Royale.

On arrival in Gay. The Gay Bar in the background. A few days later we stopped in there but were not impressed, despite having been recommended to us.

Conditions as we first found them on what I had originally considered the namby-pamby 'protected' southern shore.

Tobacco Falls, on the Tobacco River, at a roadside park just outside of Gay.

More Falls, on Haven Creek, at a nice little roadside park.

Our first real sighting of the north coast, at Hunters Point Park on the western edge of Copper Harbor.

Guess what, Chris? This is not like the L. Michigan shoreline you're used to and were expecting.

The 'cobble beach' was made of rocks (albeit smooth ones) ranging in size from kiwi fruit to oranges to grapefruits, with the larger rocks further up the shore. It was awe-inspiring to imagine the size of the waves that would throw those up there.

A drizzly grey day but I'm in heaven.

That beach just went on and on.

Until it didn't anymore.

Porter's Island (which we would later circumnavigate (it took all of about 20 minutes, but still, at least something we could actually point to) from Hunter's Point Park.

This was a flowering type bush which reminded me of a picture of some weird berries Owen took when he and Max were out here over Labor Day last year. There was another similar kind of flower, but a flowering tree, which we later learned was called a Mountain Ash Berry. According to the guy we talked to, the conventional wisdom was when the Mountain Ash Berry was heavily laden it would be a rough winter, in which case this should be a rough winter on the peninsula.

Selfie at 'High Rock Point'. Manitou Island (yet another one) can just be seen over my head as a low thick line on the horizon. It's about 2-3 miles off the eastern tip of the peninsula, which is right here.

The most challenging part of the so-called 4WD road out there were the numerous large puddles, which given the muddy nature of the water meant you just had to sort of drive blind through them. No harm done ultimately.

On the way back to meet CJ in Copper Harbor I stopped at Horseshoe Harbor, with the Keweenaw Adventure Company owner had told us about. Along with Hunter's Point Park (which she also told us about) these were probably the two most spectacular bits of coastline I saw.

Now here's something cool to think about: On our drive north across the peninsula to Copper Harbor we had passed by several smaller and one fairly large lake, smack dab in the middle of the peninsula. While clambering around on this rock shutting up out of the lake with the water on both sides at some points, it came to me that this particular rock on the edge of the peninsula was like the peninsula as a whole in microcosm, fractal-like if you will, and the small puddle in the depression on the top of the rock was like the largish lake we had driven past while traversing the peninsula from one shore to the other.

Conditions were pretty rugged!

Like a pig in mud!

This sign points out that Hwy 41 starts here at the tip of the peninsula and continues all the way south, along the western edge of L. Michigan, through Chicago and several southern cities, and eventually all the way to Miami, FL. Kinda cool.

Wow, that's a lot of pictures and now it's only day 2 on the peninsula (day 3 of the trip overall as the first day was spent just driving). Here we are setting off for our overnight camping expedition and doing some preliminary paddling around in Lac La Belle.

Mt. Bohemia, the highest point on the peninsula, where they have a ski hill, in the background.

Is this a perfect camping beach or what?

The water was even warm and I soon went for my first swim in L. Superior in may a year (I think 10 actually, since our Pictured Rocks trip in '09).

Lovely Bete Grise Bay

Evening falls.

And then it's the next dawn. Not my usual time to be up taking pictures but this was too good to pass up.

CJ's son owns a couple coffee shops in the Petoskey area and roasts his own coffee under the brand "Lake Charlevoix." I had gotten some when passing through Petoskey and agreed to try to stage a potential advertising photo showing the coffee as part of a serene morning ritual so if you look at the full set of pictures of this trip, available through the link at the end of this post, you will see many variations on this theme.

With our kayaks empty of camping gear (which was all still on the beach) we went for an early morning (for me anyway) paddle.

On this paddle we ventured to our furthest point from the shore, taking advantage of the perfect conditions.

Having returned to the beach, loaded up our kayaks again, and made the short paddle back to our cars, unloaded everything again, packed it all back in the cars and gotten the boats back on the roofs, we headed to the Bear Belly, on the shore of Lac La Belle, for a well-deserved celebration.

Now we are back at Copper Harbor on the north shore again, doing a little paddle around the bay

These are some little rocks just east of Porter's Island, which itself is just east of Hunter's Park Point, where I'd taken a picture of it a few days before. In this pic we're looking west past Porter's Island back toward the park where we'd initially hiked along the north shore.

Hebard roadside park had a nice place to camp a little removed from the road.

Jacob's Falls near the Great Sand Bay (on the northern coast).

In a restaurant restroom they had a painting celebrating the 'glory days' of the peninsula, when it had a booming mining economy and evidently put in an electrified trolley somewhere! I suppose it goes without saying that I like it better the way it is now.

Off on another exploring adventure by myself while CJ suns at our next campsite at Schoolcraft Township Park on Traverse Bay (yes, another Traverse Bay) back on the S. side of the penn. I encounter more puddles.

This is the next day as we search for a put-in on Little Traverse Bay. I guess we won't be putting in here.

On the horizon is either Rabbit Island or Traverse Island (both according to Google Maps) depending, I guess, on whether you're viewing it from Rabbit Bay or Little Traverse Bay. So it's Traverse Island for us.

Eventually we finagled a put-in on the northern edge of Little Traverse Bay and set off to the east to investigate the point, around which we believed conditions would be a little less serene due to the NE wind.

The hard shoreline reflects waves and makes the water a little more choppy than I'm used to on L. Michigan so I felt a little dicey about taking pictures. The closer to Traverse Bay we got around the point the stronger the wind became and the bigger the waves and eventually we said 'good enough' and headed back.

Once again we headed back north across the peninsula to camp at Esrey Park, another gem of a roadside park, in anticipation of no wind from the north the next day and a possible opportunity to do a 5 mile point-to-point paddle down to Eagle Harbor. We found dramatic conditions the night before though.

Esrey Park, a good #VanLife site if you're willing to ignore the 'no camping' sign.

The next morning, despite the lack of wind, there were still big waves coming onto the shore from the northeast so we decided against trying the 5 mile unprotected paddle to Eagle Harbor and drove west along the coast looking for a more sheltered spot for a day paddle. The Great Sand Bay turned out to be perfect.

Preparing to launch on the Great Sand Bay

Paddling along the protected eastern edge to the point.

The water was clear and beautiful everywhere.

Looking back toward where we'd launched.

There was also a nice nature preserve nearby where we took a nice hike through the back dunes.

And saw some cool trees.

Returning to our vehicles, parked on the road with L. Superior behind them.

Now we are at Gratiot River Park for our final night on the peninsula. This too was supposed to be a rough 4WD road, and primitive camping, but on arrival we found the road had been upgraded and the entire site recently developed with pit toilets and as-yet-unused bbq grills, benches, and picnic tables, along with the everpresent (and routinely ignored) 'no camping' sign.

Our final paddle on the trip, from Gratiot River Park to 7-mile Point (about 2.5 miles one way) and back.

The weather was so cool and cloudy as we started out that I wore my light hoodie (thanks, Reid!) and didn't even take my hat.

Having rounded 7-mile Point (on the horizon to the west) I had to pull into the beach for a pit-stop.

I soon found that I got very warm in the hoodie and I needed some sun protection. Hmm, what to do?

Rounding the point to the west this time, heading back.

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Taking the inside passage.

Dig that beautiful clear water!

By now we've already packed up and driven off the peninsula, heading home but looking for a place to spend one more night on the road. This was a roadside park we decided not to stop at but I took a picture of the Fall foliage.

Final campsite, an unmarked turnoff of the main highway you would only find if you were an experienced seeker of hidden roadside gems.

The next day, heading back south across the Mackinac (Mackinaw?) bridge.

On my own now I stopped at gorgeous Norwood Park at the mouth of Grand Traverse Bay.

Ah, it's good to be back on L. Michigan.

Continuing to explore I discover the Little Manistee River Weir, where they capture salmon by tricking them into jumping up the little waterfalls into holding pens and then harvest their eggs, presumably to stock them somewhere eventually.

Eventually I found my new favorite #VanLife site, part of a large undeveloped and unmarked bit of public land north of Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area (itself just north of Ludington).

Yeah, Baby! This is the spot! Only about 1000' from the beach, accessible by a trail through the gorgeous back dunes.

Heading toward the beach.

What's this? Oh my goodness, a huge sandy hill to go down

So down I go.

Looking back from whence I'd come.

Too beautiful not to go for a swim.

Nothing to the north.

Nothing to the south. Just a big beautiful endless deserted beach. Primo primordial L. Michigan conditions! If it wasn't for the lack of any cottages, and Sea Fever sticking out into the water, you might think you were at our cottage just as the lake level started to rise.