Re: The "Porkies" Trip Report

On Fri, 13 Sep 2024 16:20:12 -0500,
  sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:

 Got back from the Porkies and have to say it's a wonderful
 place.  The whole UP is just one big beautiful forest and small
 lake after lake. Keep going and you run into Lake Superior,
 which I have to say was warmer than I expected.  Probably about
 60F, which for Superior is pretty good.
 
 We stayed at the Union Bay Campground which is in the Porcupine
 Mountains Wilderness Area State Park.  The place was pretty
 busy and we got lucky and got a good spot, not right on the
 lake but close enough. Electric hookups were fine.  Water was
 close if you needed some, but you had to carry it as it would
 not take a hose hookup.  Had plenty of clean bathroom
 facilities and showers, though I didn't use them.  They did
 have a dump station.  There is a boat ramp right on the grounds
 if that's your thing, but we only saw one power boat.  Mostly
 people were kayaking.
 
 As usual, we were interested in hiking.  First day we did 14.2
 miles from the campground to the end of the Escarpment trail
 which runs the ridge above the Lake of the Clouds and back. 
 1632 feet of ascent during the hike and I was pretty spent
 after that day.  It's tough keeping up with a younger wife
 sometimes.  We got rained on with no where to escape, but it
 actually felt good because it was so hot.  The bugs were out as
 expected in the forested parts of the wilderness, but once you
 got up on the ridge the wind was blowing pretty good at about
 15-20 mph so it kept them off you mostly.  The campground was
 another story.  The biting flies were pretty nasty.  Better
 than it is up there is June or July, but if you're not prepared
 for them it can ruin your trip.  It was 10-15 degrees warmer
 than usual up there with temps in the mid 80's and humid.  The
 lake felt good after a long sweaty hike!
 
 Here's a gallery with a few images:
 
<https://postimg.cc/gallery/TTkP43J>
 
 The people we met were all very nice and friendly.  Seemed
 everyone was taking advantage of the unusual weather trying to
 get in as much camping as possible.
 
 Oh, and the little Weber Q grill works great.  Super easy to
 control and cook on, and not a big gas hog.

Thanks for the greart report, I enjoyed it!

Also, you guys are more robust hikers than we are.  After about
five miles I start to wear down.  At 68 (soon 69), I'm not all
that old, either.

--
Ted Heise      <theise@panix.com>       West Lafayette, IN, USA