As we left the cabin this morning, on our final day in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a light rain was falling. The Porcupine Mountains were shrouded in fog as we headed west on the Park's South Boundary Road. We stopped to take a short loop hike in the morning mist, trudging along muddy paths and weaving through the soggy vegetation; two small but scenic waterfalls, Overlooked Falls and Greenstone Falls, rewarded our perseverance.
In the westernmost section of the Park, we hiked along the magnificent Presque Isle River, stopping to view its three major waterfalls and a cluster of rock-walled potholes, scoured out by the relentless river and its cargo of abrasive sand. From there we headed further west to the Black River Valley, in the Ottawa National Forest, where a family of five bald eagles endured the chilly drizzle in the top of a dead pine; another group of spectacular cascades were spaced along this stream and a beautiful crescent beach stretched northward along Lake Superior from the Black River Harbor.
Despite the gray, damp weather, it was another enjoyable day in this land of water and rock. Heading toward Iron Mountain on Route 2, we traversed a final assault of heavy rain before the clouds pushed to our south and brilliant sunshine ignited the painted autumn forests of the Upper Peninsula. Tomorrow we'll head for Madison, Wisconsin, my wife's college hangout.
