the porcupine mountains option

Hello, hello, potential future hikers! I am just getting to look through the stuff that Uncle Bruce sent me, so this will be the first installment of info on hiking options. He suggested either the Porcupine Mountains or...um, don't remember, but those will be next. Here are some options for the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park hikes. Let me know what (if anything) sounds interesting! Some of it may be mixed up some, since I'm not quite sure how to read some of the maps/books, but I'm sure Uncle Bruce can fill us in and correct anything I may have wrong.

Three Day Hikes

South Mirror Lake Trailhead (17 miles)

• Day 1: South Mirror Lake Trail to Mirror Lake (2.5 miles) - Trail climbs 200 feet (elevation 1,760 feet) before gently descending, first as a forest road and then as a foot path. After crossing a small stream, the trail climbs to 1,640 feet, crosses a ridge, then descends to the Little Carp River. The backcountry campsites are nearby, as is Mirror Lake. Mirror Lake is "surrounded by rugged bluffs and ridges, many of which can be climbed for views of the area, while towering pines dominate much of the shoreline" (DuFresne).
• Day 2: North Mirror Lake Trail to Big Carp River shelter (9.0 miles) - Trail starts with a four-mile trek that usually takes hikers three hours to walk and is often muddy from heavy use. After four miles, the trail begins a gentle ascent. After passing some ridges, a gentle descent begins but soon becomes "one of the steepest climbs in the park. In 0.75 mile, you descend from 1,640 feet to 1,160 through a gorge-like area" (DuFresne). After bottoming out, the trail continues three and a half more miles to the west end of the lake. It continues, skirting the lake, and there is a half-mile, steep uphill climb. We will turn southwest to the Big Carp River Trail, which is "truly one of the most incredible hikes in the Porkies" because of its variety of scenery (DuFresne). The trail heads into the woods and then begins a steady ascent of 100 feet. The trail follows a bluff for a mile and a half and then descends into a valley. The trail then leads hikers through a cool, dry forest and then over the bridge for the Big Carp River.
• Day 3: Correction Line Trail to Summit Peak Road Trailhead (5.5 miles) - The first part of this trail is through a low-lying forest that is often muddy, even in good weather. After crossing two creeks, the trail begins a steep climb and levels out in a hollow with "impressive rock bluffs. The only thing more impressive is the mud. It gets deeper still" (DuFresne). Next is a half-mile climb and then rapid descent to Mirror Lake's north shoreline. Next comes a steady climb to some viewing platforms with benches and, eventually, the third highest point in Michigan. When we at last descend, it will be "a straight drop off the peak, with some sections being extremely steep" (DuFresne).

Government Peak Trailhead on M-107 (16 miles)

• Day 1: Government Peak Trail to Trap Falls Area (2 miles) - The first half of this trail is very scenic. It begins with a steep climb, levels out, and then descends within the first mile. It continues through a low-lying, muddy, forest. It eventually reaches a scenic gorge-like area on the Upper Carp River, where it climbs along the river and several scenic pools, including Trap Falls. Trap Falls is less than a quarter mile from that night's camping site.
• Day 2: Government Peak Trail to Mirror Lake (6 miles) - This trail climbs for the first mile and then levels out and breaks out into an open marsh that is known as a good spot to see wildlife. The trail then climbs another half mile, steep at times, before descending to a level woods walk.
• Day 3: North Mirror Lake Trail to M-107 Trailhead (8 miles) - Same as above, but we don't continue on the Big Carp River Trail; we end instead.

Lake Superior Trailhead on M-107 (19 miles)

• Day 1: Lake Superior Trail to Buckshot Landing (2.5 miles) - The trail runs through a pine forest, gradually ascending and offering glimpses of Lake Superior. It begins a descent, gentle and then "knee-bending," finally bottoming out in a stand of hardwoods not far from the lake.
• Day 2: Lake Superior Trail to Shining Falls area (8 miles) - The first 6.5 miles is the most level of the trails in the park and is the easiest stretch of the shoreline route. It runs through the forest offering occasional glimpses of the lake. The last couple of miles offer a continual view of the lake and does not involve any climbing. We continue to the next trail, which ascends to a bluff. It hugs the bluff for half a mile then makes a steep descent to "Bathtub Falls," a series of one-foot drops and pools. After climbing into a gorge that is full of cascades, we will reach a backcountry campsite close to Shining Falls, "a pair of cascades that make a 30- to 35-foot drop and are enclosed on one side by stone walls.
• Day 3: Big Carp River Trail to Lake of the Clouds Overlook (8.5 miles) - This trail begins with a level stroll through a gorge. After two miles, we will walk through a forest before making a steep descent. We will cross the river and then continue along the bluffs until we cross a wet area into low-lying ground. Then we will continue the Big Carp River Trail route described under the first hike (day 2), only backwards.

Two Day Hikes

South Mirror Lake Trailhead (9 miles)

• Day 1: South Mirror Lake Trail to Mirror Lake (2.5 miles) - See above.
• Day 2: Little Carp River Trail to Trailhead via Lily Pond (6.5 miles) - The trail skirts the Little Carp River and is very scenic. After going through a stand of white pine, the trail begins a gentle climb, with only one steep, stint. The trail then begins a steady half-mile descent before it makes a gentler, mile-long descent.

Government Peak Trailhead on M-107 (6.5 miles)

• Day 1: Government Peak Trail to Trap Falls Area (2 miles) - See above.
• Day 2: Backtrack via Overlook Trail to M-107 Trailhead (4.5 miles) - This trail loops from the Government Peak Trail and back to it about a half-mile or mile south of it. It is "a challenging trek with long steep climbs and poor footings in many places" (DuFresne). It does, however, have two viewing areas into the heart of the Porkies. We would head back via the Government Peak Trail.

Well, those are our Porcupine Mountain choices. Let me know if any of them sound do-able, and I'll work on putting together more info. The sleeping arrangements are usually 4-6 bunk cabins (with wooden bunks, no mattresses), which we'd have to reserve ahead of time, or backcountry camping areas (I'm assuming sleeping out in the open) for others. I don't think the cabins are always completely walled in--three wall cabins were mentioned in one area of the book. That's it for now!

The information in this blog comes from Jim DuFresne's Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park: A Backcountry Guide for Hikers, Backpackers, Campers and Winter Visitors, 2nd Edition. Holt, MI: Thunder Bay Press, 1999.