Porcupine Mountains -- Day 1

After leaving the Brainerd, MN show, I met up with friends, Jimmy and Helen Riley, at the Porcupine Mountain State Park.  This is the fourth year in a row Helen and I have hiked the park.  Jimmy came along this time to be our "yurt chef."  He has bad feet and is not able to do the long hikes, although he did do a couple of shorter solo hikes.  The weather was perfect, the food fantastic (including lobster, shrimp, steak, and lots of sides. 

For our first day we decided to hike back to Buckshot Cabin.  Almost 52 years ago Helen's Aunt Marie brought six kids back to the cabin for five days.  The age range of the kids was 4-12.  Marie was very brave!  The last day at the park we decided to see if the staff still had the log books from that cabin.  Yes they did.  We found the entries they made more than a half century ago.  Truly a time machine experience for Helen!

A week and a half before we arrived, the park received considerable freezing rain/ice followed by a lot of snow.  Many of the trails in the park were closed due to the hundreds of downed trees.  In spots it was a true devastation zone.

Most of the trail we walked on the bluff over Lake Superior.

Wild flowers were popping out every where.  We saw at least ten different types of flowers.

We came across one of the crews cutting out the trees covering the trail.

In many areas along the trails there are boardwalks to keep you out of the mud.

Buckshot Cabin...

The shoreline below the cabin, where we had lunch.

A fish tug traveled by...

Bear clawing damage on a tree...

After the hike we drove up to Lake in the Clouds.

Back at camp....appetizers.

Our yurt.

Jimmy cooking dinner.

Keeping things warm until he was finished cooking.

Dinner.

Heading down the bluff to check out the sunset.