Great Lakes Hikes November 2019 Gathering

In 1999 a small group of people on the old GreatLakesHikes Yahoo! Email group decided to have a gathering the weekend before firearms deer season at the old One-room schoolhouse and former NCATA headquarters in White Cloud, Michigan. Over the past 20 years, 21 Gatherings, people have come and gone but the camaraderie, enjoyment of good food and drink, and good hiking in all types of weather has persisted. This year’s Gathering may well be the last at the Schoolhouse as it is likley the aNCTA will sell it. TAhe Gathering may continue at a new location but that will change it in some ways. However, the core qualities of the Gathering should continue. What follows are a handful of photos from past Gatherings as well as the video for the 2019 Gathering (other videos exist for a few other Gatherings on the YoutTube channel).

Our first Gathering in 1999 was smaller than the first Gathering I could find photos for. Here is probably pretty much everyone (maybe everyone) that was at the second Gathering: November 2000 Photo by Ken Knight

--November 11, 2000 at 11:36:27. , ,

John was one of the people to attend the first Gathering. I am sure some people can tell me exactly where this is but what I recall where the globe-like plants and how remarkably deep the muck off the boardwalk was as John sunk his stick ever deeper into it. 2001 Gathering. Photo by Ken Knight

--November 08, 2002 at 17:30:51. , ,

Traditions or at least things that are kin to traditions formed over the years. Eric wrapping himself up in his colorful blanket and taking a nap during a break on any hike became one such. November 2003. Photo by Ken Knight.

--November 08, 2003 at 13:46:48. , ,

SOme people have been to every Gathering throughout their whole life. Sure Abbey is going to remember the first few Gatherings she attended but she and her younger brother have lived through every Gathering they could. November 2004. Photo by Ken Knight

--November 13, 2004 at 11:36:49. , ,

Food, drink, merriment outside by a campfire and inside the Schoolhouse.November 2010. Photo by Ken Knight

--November 13, 2010 at 17:53:57. White Cloud, MI, United States

We do long and short hikes on Saturday. Sometimes things go a little awry as they did for me and Andy on a long hike where we were also doing some trail mapping.We waited here at McCarthy Lake for the rest of the people on the long hike to finish and come back to pick us up after we made our amusing, in retrospect, goof. November 2011. Photo by Andy Mytys.

--November 12, 2011 at 15:37:26. Irons, MI, United States

Sometimes during a Gathering we do more than just hike. Now and then some or all of us do trail maintenance or other trail building work.. November 2013. Not sure who took this photo.

--November 09, 2013 at 11:21:42. , ,

It isn’t always sunny and warm. We always have had people who decide to camp outside and a far smaller group who decide to sleep inside. Everyone has a good time. November 2017. Photo by Ken Knight

--November 10, 2017 at 08:32:34. White Cloud, MI, United States

Have to have fun while hiking. Steve is having fun. November 2018. Photo by Ken Knight

--November 11, 2018 at 13:47:12. White Cloud, MI, United States

Spending time bya fire during the day or at night is an integral part of time at a Gathering. November 2019. Photo by Ken Knight

--November 10, 2019 at 10:11:48. , ,

VIDEO: NCT Solo Backpacking Trip - August 2019

It has been over 9 years since3 I did a solo backpacking trip. The last one was my second Great Outdoors Challenge trek across Scotland from Mallaig to Stonehaven.  While that was a solo trip it was far from solitary. This hike on the North Country Trail would be solo and likely solitary. I did not expect to see andy other backpackers and few if any day hikers.  While my original plan ended up changing I still think this ended up being a trip to remember. I hope you enjoy this video which should give you at least a sense of what I did over the course of the six day trip.

NCT Solo Hike Part 2

It has been 9 years since I did a solo backpacking trip. That trip was my second Great Outdoors Challenge crossing of Socttland from Mallaig to Stonehaven. While that was a solo trip I probably met people every day and hiked with them at least some of the time. This hike on the North Country Trail would not only be solo but I expected it would be solitary except at major campgrounds. In this two-part series I travel from Mackinaw City, Michigan to Petowskey, Michigan. In some ways it proves to be a great trip; in other ways not so much.

In part 2 I travel from Richard’s property near Levering Road to Petoskey. I also spend some time in Petoskey proper, though I do leave a modest gap, adding a bit more to my totaly milage. All in all I probably hike another 28.5 trail miles along with a modest bit of going to and fro in Petoskey itself. In some ways this segment was less eventful than the first portion but it does have highs and lows and some just plain dull stretches. It is, in other words, prety much what one should expect from a trip: not what you expect.

I hope you enjoy the conclusion to this backpacking trip through the Harbor Springs chapter’s section of trail (and a tiny bit of Grand Traverse chapter).

I think I am actually a bit off the NCT at this point. I went left and think the trail went right. My two-track sure looked like the proper option. I passed this small field of wildflowers as I neared Robinson Road where I popped out a bit west of the trail interesction.

--August 17 2019 at 13:05:52. Harbor Springs, MI, United States

Gazing out upon the river in Petowskey, Michigan (Bear River I suppose). The NCT follows bike paths and sidewalks through the heart of Petowskey. It is particularly nice in the Bear River Valley REcreation Area.

--August 19 2019 at 14:19:26. Petoskey, MI, United States

A bit north of mile marker 603.5 and not far from my end around marker 600. This might actually be a private path to the beach here at Little Traverse Bay but that seems like it should not be so.

--August 19 2019 at 16:34:11. Petoskey, MI, United States

The silo-like structure at the back right of this building is what really clued me in to the fact that this had to be Petowskey Brewing Company. I probably had the most dangerous bit of hiking right here crossing the road.

--August 19 2019 at 18:20:09. Petoskey, MI, United States

Check out this episode

NCT Hike Day 6: Petosksy, Michigan

No stress setting up camp. No stress makinhg a bakcpacking meal for dinner or breakfast. Relax. I may not have slept the blissful sleep I desired but it was pretty good. Breakfast at the Hampton Inn did not appeal to me so I found my way to JW Filmore Diner (think that’s right) and had a very fine omelet with hash browns and slightly-larger-than silver dollar sized pancakes. I arranged for transportation to Traverse City and then back to Detroit and Ann Arbor. I tried to answer the question: what will happen to my packages at the post offices? And then I had the afternoon to do with as I pleased. I had learned by this time that the hotel was about 0.5 miles west of the NCT at about mile marker 607.5 so decided I would hike to the State Park then get a meal at Petoskey Brewing Company. After some confusion near the start of my NCT section I found myself walking through the Bear River Valley Recreation Area.

Gazing out upon the river in Petoskey, Michigan (Bear River I suppose). The NCT follows bike paths and sidewalks through the heart of Petoskey. It is particularly nice in the Bear River Valley Recreation Area.

--August 19 2019 at 14:19:26. Petoskey, MI, United States

here is why those signs for river access are probably neccessary. Downstream from here the waters flow quickly into Little Traverse Bay past a bunch of rocks.

--August 19 2019 at 15:02:15. Petoskey, MI, United States

This is a lovely area in the heart of town. You walk along bike filled bike paths along the river. The miles you walk as you near the marina and Lake Michigan are quite enjoyable. I was passed by cyclists, a couple walkers, and saw at least one fisherman standing in the river trying his luck. The sounds of city life fade away and you can forget where you are. Very nice. It doesn’t last.

In the heart of what I thought of as the “iffy zone” because it just was a loud annoying section of sidewalk walking. I am standing on a pedestrian bridge taking this photo of Little Traverse Bay. The trail has more sidewalk to follow before entering a neighborhood on its way to Tannery Creek trailhead and then Petowskey State Park.

--August 19 2019 at 15:53:25. Petoskey, MI, United States

Walking along the shoreline is enjoyable enough because you can, to a degree, ignore the busy traffic passing by on your right. But eventually you move away from the bay and the city intrudes more and you feel more like you are just going from point A to B. That stretch was probably about 1.25 miles lng and ends with you entering a neighborhood that drops you off on a path that is closer to the bay (close enough you can hear waves though the bay is hidden from view)once more. You are entering Petoskey State Park at this point: doesn’t look like much. Distant sounds of a campground b the water drift into your awareness fighting with traffic noise. I did not check the State Park out.

A bit north of mile marker 603.5 and not far from my end around marker 600. This might actually be a private path to the beach here at Little Traverse Bay but that seems like it should not be so.

--August 19 2019 at 16:34:11. Petoskey, MI, United States

When I got to mile marker 603 I knew I had to be near Petoskey Brewing Company. There is no good place to cross the fast-moving heavily trafficked road. This is where you take your life into your own hands. People get concerned about what might happen in the forests away from towns and the like but really I bet I ran greater risks crossing roads than I did anywhere in Wilderness State Park. Petoskey Brewing Company is in a big red brick building that looks like it should be part of a castle or maybe some old manufacturing site. Today they manufacture beer. It was nice to sit down in the dimly lit place and have a burger and two beers. It was a fine way to end the afternoon and, essentially, the trip.

The silo-like structure at the back right of this building is what really clued me in to the fact that this had to be Petoskey Brewing Company. I probably had the most dangerous bit of hiking right here crossing the road.

--August 19 2019 at 18:20:09. Petoskey, MI, United States

NCT Hike Day 5: Two Track at 592.3 to Petoskey

I slept in. I think it was about 07:15 when I woke up for real and began breaking down camp. I hoisted my pack around 08:50 on a clear warm morning. In just a few minutes I came to the stream and found a lovely bench and probably a flat enough spot I could have used for camping (admittedly too close to the stream). I still had about 1.5 liters of water which I figured would be more than enough to get me the 10.5 miles to Petowskey so I did not even stop at the stream to snap a photo. The video I took may or may not work out (many in the “not” category).

The next few miles of trail would wind through forest crossing two-tracks and forest roads now and then. I took care not to screw up and overall did pretty well. One modest mess-up around mile 595 but I probably lost only 10 minutes. It gave me an excuse to take a break. During the morning miles on my way to Kipp Road I actually encountered people. A lady jogger and a couple mountain bikers.

While I was doing pretty well during the morning the frustrations of previous days had been mounting up. I wanted a splurge of a night. A nice bed. A stress-free few days. I decided, after a talk with my parents, to get a room at the Hampton Inn. I’d likely have to eat my Petowskey State Park campsite fee. That’s life.

A little past 12:15 I arrived at Kipp Road. From this point on I had a road walk into town. It would be an ugly road walk. The roads are only two lanes (I htink) but the traffic is frequent and zooms on by. Nothing to recommend these final few miles. At least not the first 1.5 miles or so until you get to the rails-to-trails section. By that point it was sprinkling and I had just figured out that the Hampton Inn was closer to mile marker 607.5 than the State Park at 603. I was at about 600.25.

A fellow walked up to me.
“How far is it to Wycamp Lake?”

To which I replied, “Miles and mile away.”

The fellow was Richard K. ; the gentleman who let me stay in his woodshed. He had business in Petowskey and had been hoping to track me down so he could return a left-behind water bottle. He had checked each trail register and seen that I had signed them. In fact, he had treid calling me but I never heard the phone ring as I walked down the busy road buffeted by the wind. He looked down the rails-to-trails path and saw a backpacker and figured it had to be me. It was. Instead of hiking to the State Park and then either getting a taxi to the hotel or walking abouther 7.5 miles I took Richard’s offer to drive me to the Hampton inn. What a treat. Thank you.

I have a few choices now: I can take two zero days and then be on track to get my resupply in Alba, leave Petowskey tomorrow after getting my resupply and push on to Alba, or call it a trip. I am almost certainly going to do the latter. I’ve managed over 50 miles in these 5 days and I think I will be happy with that achievement.

NCT Hike Day 4: Levering Road to Just North of Creek at MI-592.4 (at two-track)

The 

Rain pounded down through very early morning. No doubt it wasn’t quite as hard as it sounded as it slammed against the roof of the former greenhouse and woodshed combination I was settled underneath. I was happy to be here instead of in my tiny tent.

In the morning as the sun slowly rose I got myself organized and looked out to see how wet things looked. Not all that wet; sandy ground absorbs rain well. Richard had warned me the rooster would sound off early and fortunately I was awake when he began his morning calling around 05:45. In time I figured out where Richard’s house was and knocked on the door to say goodbye and thanks. Over the next near-an-hour I found myself talking with Richard and his wife about what I was doing and things related to the trail. Top it off with the eggs and toast, juice and coffee and I had a lovely early morning before I hoisted my too heavy pack around 08:30 to begin my 16 or so mile trek of the day.

The roads you follow for the next several miles are iniitally dirt roads but then 2-lane paved roads with infrequent traffic that is moving at a decent speed without really feeling exceptionally dangerous. It isn’t particularly interesting hiking. Homes with front yards and dogs that bark at you as you walk on by. I think I passed by a church or two. But it is a 6-mile stretch that is not going to live in memory.

You enter the forest, a pine plantation I think, and the sounds of traffic fade and sounds of the woods increase in volume. By this time the morning is well advanced, still overcast, and comparatively speaking cool. The trail winds through the forest, gently rising and falling a bit, and the walking remains pretty easy. Of course, it is also a good place to take a break.

Somewhere around mile marker 583.5 the trail came to a split at what seemed 2 two-tracks. The blaze seemed to suggest the left-hand route and the footing looked better there anyway so off I went. I believe I went the werong way. In time I came out at Robinson Road but was west of the trail crossing and so I began walking the road looking hard for the trail. I walked by it. I overshot by 0.2 miles and retraced my steps. Hurray. I’m guessing my goof added nearly a mile of road walk but in truth probably did not extend my mileage that much.

I think I am actually a bit off the NCT at this point. I went left and think the trail went right. My two-track sure looked like the proper option. I passed this small field of wildflowers as I neared Robinson Road where I popped out a bit west of the trail interesction.

--August 17 2019 at 13:05:52. Harbor Springs, MI, United States

Thank you Harbor Springs NCT Trail Chapter for this water cache. It lies about 10 miles south of the Wycamp Lake boat launch and 7 miles from the water spigot at Pleassantview Township Hall in a section that has no reliable water except at those points.

--August 17 2019 at 13:45:34. Harbor Springs, MI, United States

Finding the water cache where the good people of the Harbor Springs NCT Chapter said it would be was most welcome. 7 jugs, I think all were 1-gallon jugs, sat waiting for thirsty hikers to walk on by. I think they were all full. I got myself a bit more than one liter (spilt only a bit pouring water). The next reliable water would be in about 7 miles at the Pleasantview Township Hall spigot and my campsite would be about 1 mile beyond that. The sun was shining, the temperature sadly soaring, humidity on the upswing, and it was about 14:05.

I am not sure what type of pines are growing in this spot (a plantation I think) but it was a nice place for a break. Shafts of sun pierce down to the forest floor and despite there being a very sandy two-track near by (saw 2 ATV riders) it is a pretty quiet area.

--August 17 2019 at 15:51:25. Harbor Springs, MI, United States

The next several miles were good and bad. The good came first as I moved through pine forest. It is pretty level going. It isn’t the most visually stunning but it is a forest. Too bad it gives way to an open, probably swampy, area where the brush is well over your head and growing right up to, and somewhat over, the trail. You feel hemmed in. The trail seems to narrow and you move through the buggy area only able to see what is directly ahead of you. Now and then you stride along boardwalk. On and on. I would not be surprised if this stretch ran for a mile or more before diving back, though briefly, into a woods before intersecting Stutsmanville Road and the supposedly 0.5 mile walk past the Pleasantview Township Hall building and its water spigot (long half mile).

I was so happy to get to the spigot. More because I needed a break than was craving water. I should have made a hot dinner but instead dove into my big supply of snacks/lunches to make a dinner. I am sure a hot meal would have served me better but I did not want to take the time. I lingered at the township hall for well over 30 minutes (arriving at it around 18:20). I still had at least a mile to go to find a campsite hoppefully near water (I took 3 liters with me just in case).

When you return to the woods you are greeted by a trail that cuts through hills on each side. No camping here. The forest is thick and though sunset is still 90 minutes off the amount of light penetrating the woods to you is meager. I pushed on. I had decided that I would find the best campsite I could by 20:00 or at the first stream I came across. It was just before 20:00 when I crossed the two-track at mile marker 592.2 (or so). I should have gone a bit farther. Instead I dropped my pack at the not-really-flat spot and began to set up camp.

I thought this was a flat spot but it would turn out to be a lousy place to pitch my tent. Perhaps I just did not look hard enough. I was within a couple hundred feet of a stream that would turn out to have a good spot (though granted you should not camp right by the water). Too add insult to injury my stake bag had vanished again so I had to improvise. I actually did acquire a minor injury during the improvisation process, cutting my palm, getting the foraged wood anchors into the ground. In the end I came up with something different and this is the result. The final insult came when I found the bag of tent stakes within a minute or two of tossing my stuff into the just pitched shelter.

--August 17 2019 at 21:00:36. Harbor Springs, MI, United States

It was a lousy campsite. I mislaid my tent stakes, improvised a set up, cut my hand, and then found the stakes. I discovered that a water bladder had a slow leak. I was tired. I was ready to be done. I wanted a good bed and night’s sleep. I really wanted to have a day where I got to camp with plenty of time to spare and therefore little stress.

I crawled into my poorly pitched shelter and lay down on my sloping sleeping pad and went to bed.

PODCAST: NCT Summer Solo Backpacking Trip -Part 1

It has been 9 years since I did a solo backpacking trip. That trip was my second Great Outdoors Challenge crossing of Socttland from Mallaig to Stonehaven. While that was a solo trip I probably met people every day and hiked with them at least some of the time. This hike on the North Country Trail would not only be solo but I expected it would be solitary except at major campgrounds. In this two-part series I travel from Mackinaw City, Michigan to Petowskey, Michigan. In some ways it proves to be a great trip; in other ways not so much.

In part 1 join me for the first 3 days of the hike from Mackinaw City to Levering Road. That is a distance of about 28 trail miles though I actually walked more than that.

The actual North Country Trail (NCT) is running across the Mackinac Bridge behind me. I just dipped my toes in the waters of Lake Huron here at Gary R. Witt Memorial park: close enough to the trail. I’ll eventually walk towards the bridge and thus closer to the trail as I head back towards the trailhead at Mackinaw Crossings. For what it is worth I believe my pack tips the scales at about 31 pounds (though it feels heavier). I am crying. 1 liter of water and , unfortunately, 1 quart denatured alcohol for stove fuel.

--August 14 2019 at 11:53:42. Mackinaw City, MI, United States

Good morning. It is a bit sad that my first campsite had the prettiest morning.

--August 15 2019 at 06:55:56. Mackinaw City, MI, United States

Sunrise at French Farm Lake.

--August 15 2019 at 06:58:29. Mackinaw City, MI, United States

A panoramic view of Ssturgeon Bay at the Lakeview Trailhead beach. I spent a bit more time than neccessary to get and treat water. This was a nice place to pause after the first few miles hiking from the Pines campground in Wilderness State Park.

--August 16 2019 at 13:30:51. Levering, MI, United States

Check out this episode

NCT Hike Day 3: Pines Campsite 242 to Levering Road (sort of)

While I can’t say I had a superb night’s sleep it was better than I expected given the sizze of the campground. I had feared hearing generators all night but I didn’t hear them even during the daylight hours. In fact the loudest thing I heeard were the kids, especially one very young one, riding their bikes and tricycles around the loop road. Around and around and around. I was able to get myself together and on the trail a little before 09:00.

The first few miles of NCT departing Pines campground seem to follow what I suspect is snowmobile trail. It is practically flat and the footing is good so I actually made decent time. If the bugs had not been so persistent it would have been a nearly perfect morning. But I suppose the bugs love this area which is definitely a bit swampy and has streams, like this, and ponds.

--August 16 2019 at 10:34:17. Carp Lake, MI, United States

I thought finding the NCT from the campground would be tricky but that turned out not to be a problem. I found the campground entrance and from there it was pretty clear where I had to go. The chained off dirt roads (snowmobile trails?) give one pause but it was clear I had to pass the barriers: so I did. It is easy going. A bit buggy but easy going. I can’t really say it is lovely hiking but the woods are pleassant enough. You meander through the rest of Wilderness State Park and strong hikers will no doubt zoom through the region. I think I reached the Lakeview trailhead around 13:00.

A panoramic view of Ssturgeon Bay at the Lakeview Trailhead beach. I spent a bit more time than neccessary to get and treat water. This was a nice place to pause after the first few miles hiking from the Pines campground in Wilderness State Park.

--August 16 2019 at 13:30:51. Levering, MI, United States

That is a nice spot with a lovely beach. I found several cars parked but only saw one family at the beach near me. Not sure where everyone else was: not on the NCT. I spent a little more time there than strictly needed to just get water. I still had 8 miles to go.

I think this is the highpoint in the Lakeview to Sturgeon Bay section: msybe 130 feet above Lake Michigan. Lots of hills in this area. I’m not sure why Sturgeon Bay even comes up because you certsinly are never near water (I suppose you could walk northwrst on Lakeshore Road and get to Lake Michigan in 0.5 milrs).

--August 16 2019 at 14:56:34. Levering, MI, United States

The trail between Lakeview and Sturgeon Bay trailhead is full of hills. They aren’t that high but they are numerous. I am confident my pack still weighs more than 30 pounds, far more than I want (I packed too much food), and that slowed me down as the heat and bugs got to me. You’re moving through forest with limited views. The view I found at a bench was nice but I thought I’d see the bay from that highpoint: no.

It should have been an easier last stretch around Wycamp Lake but navigation faux-pas ruined that. When the NCT pops out on a two-track just north of Wycamp Lake (MI-572.25 or so) it uses the two-track for a moment and then veers closer to the lake on its own trail. I missed that turn and followed the road (looking at where I turned around later I think I could have followed a road to the dam). Seemed to make sense. Eventually I realized my error and backtracked, tried to bushwhack to the trail but that was a no go, and then got in touch with Andy. He helped orient me and in way too much time, though maybe not as much as it felt, I found the NCT and then the dam that crossed the creek that flows out of Wycamp Lake. If my troubles had ended there I would have been fine but I got burned again by two-tack/trail junctions. Once again Andy was helpful and between him, me, a couple different map tools (Avenza, GaiaGPS, Apple) I worked my way along two-tracks instead of the NCT to the boat launch on Wycamp Lake. It was definitely past 20:15 when I got there. I was annoyed. I did not even snap a photo of the pretty calm, though dimpled with a bit of rain, Wycamp Lake. I just plopped my backpack on the grassy verge and began to set up camp.

While I did that a lone boat was puttering back to the launch and the lone pickup truck there. When the fellow and his little (though very nice) dog got out I was just starting to pitch the Solplex. It was sprinkling and he asked if I’d like to stay at his property under a roof in his wood shed (more than that it would turn out). I accepted. Richard K was a wonderful host. His family, and I gather it is a big one with lots and lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles, live in the area. He knows the area well but did not really know much about the NCT except that it exists and he would see a traveller once every now and then. He got me settled in the woodshed which is also a place to do serious wood cutting and other stuff. He gave me a gallon jug of water, a couple bananas, and homemade by his wife oatmeal cherry cookies: a superb host.

I was frustrated by my troulbe with finding the trail. I was annoyed that I failed to take more photos and video. Maybe the trail wasn’t that picturesque but I could have done more. I am also grateful for the kindness of a local fellow who saw someone who he felt he might be able to help improve things a bit. Purists will probably complain that I skipped about 1.0 mile of trail but I don’t care. I spent plenty of extra miles exploring, unwillingly, the back roads around Wycamp Lake.

NCT Hike Day 2: French Farm Lake to Pines Campground, Wilderness State Park

This was supposed to be about an 8.75 miles long day. Nope. The hike along French Faarm Lake was nice. Not so nice that I stopped to take photos. Maybe I should have. My excuse was the sun was too much in the picture blowing it out. I enjoyed the hiking and by early afternoon I was well into Wilderness State Park. I was also sleepy. The last couple nights I had not slept well and I was feeling it. I found a spot on the trail, stepped off, put my pack down, and closed my eyes for a sort of power-nap for 25 minutes. Had I gone 100-200 feet farther I would have found an actual campsite that would have been ideal for the nap (just alittle southeast of mile MI-559.5 on the Avenza map).

good morning from French Farm Lake. My campsite may not be official but it was a nice site with easy access to water.

--August 15 2019 at 06:55:56. Mackinaw City, MI, United States

French Farm Lake did not look like much last night but with the morning light it looks a bit better.

--August 15 2019 at 06:58:29. Mackinaw City, MI, United States

My rest did seem to help. My eyes weren’t closing of their own volition anymore. I went on through the forests of Wilderness State Park. I found the Mount Nebo Trail and eventually the NCT veers off to the west (Red Pines Trail) and I took that. I figured that I would be able to arrange a campsite at Goose Pond. Boy was I wrong.

It is a huge campground. It is one of many. The camp host was nowhere to be found. I thought I could call someone but that did not work. A couple asked what I was looking for and the gentleman offered to drive me down to the registration office, a good mile and a half away (I think). Hurray. Of course I had already spent time wandering about trying to figure things out. It must have been almost 17:00 when I got my permit and began the trudge along the road to Pines campgorund. Which, you guessed it, I did not find right off. It was pushing 19:00 when I popped out from a pathway into campsite 247 and found two younger fellow enjoying a fire and a beer. They asked what I was doing and I told them searching for campsite 242. Just a couple sites to your left. They had stories and they wanted to hear what I was doing backpacking, something not often seen on the NCT around here, so instead of going to my camp and setting up and cooking dinner I sat down with them and drank 2 Founders Mosaic Promise beers while we talked for a good hour. By the time I got to my caampsite, set up, and found important places like the bathroom I was not at all interested in cooking dinner. I have lots of snacks..

I certainly added at least 2 miles to my day. I was tired. I was annoyed with the campsite issues (probably my fault). But meeting Eric and Mark certainly made up for a lot of woe. But I was not going to explore - even go across the road to the so close by Lake Michigan. I went to sleep around 22:00.

Distance: supposed to be 8.75 miles but was likely over 11.
Weather: Buggy at times, warm and sunny.

NCT Hike Day 1: Mackinaw City to French Farm Lake

It is time to put any doubts aside. Through the aid of the North Country Trail Hiking Community group on Facebook I was able to arange a shuttle from Pellston airport to Mackinaw City. That went perfectly. I was able to buy alcohol stove fuel but only in a 1-quart container with a safety lid (this becomes important later). Dennis then dropped me off at the trailhead parking lot which is behind the Mackinaw Crossing shopping center. So far; so good. Now I weighed my pack before I left and thought it registered about 28.5 pounds without fuel and water. With those added it should have weighed about 32 pounds which is pretty heavy for me. As I write this journal on the fifth day (yes, dear reader, I did not do it as I went but you will se why), with no water and about 10 ounces of fuel (was able to give a lot away) I swear it is still over - well over - 30 pounds. Ugh. But that is just a mass I have to bear up under. Too much food and the “not hiking” clothing can be blamed (sure this keyboard weighs 7 ounces but that’s just 7 ounces).

The actual North Country Trail (NCT) is running across the Mackinac Bridge behind me. I just dipped my toes in the waters of Lake Huron here at Gary R. Witt Memorial park: close enough to the trail. I’ll eventually walk towards the bridge and thus closer to the trail as I head back towards the trailhead at Mackinaw Crossings. For what it is worth I believe my pack tips the scales at about 31 pounds (though it feels heavier). I am crying. 1 liter of water and , unfortunately, 1 quart denatured alcohol for stove fuel.

--August 14 2019 at 11:53:42. Mackinaw City, MI, United States

After dealing with purchases and saying goodbye to Dennis I had to try and find the shore of Lake Huron so I could say I saw it and maybe even dip a toe in. I did not step on the actual trail but got near to it at the Gary R. Witt Memorial Park. Before I could plan to get a toe wet Lake Huron flooded my shoe for me. Well the water was warm enough and the day was warm enough so not really a problem. Besides I had to have lunch so things would dry before the hiking started.

Between one thing and another lunch took a while and I didn’t start hiking, really hiking I’d already been on part of the trail, until about 14:30. The rails to trails segment is nice enough. Hard on the feet but easy to follow. Easy until you walk by the turn-off for the NCT. Walk back. Walk Past. Walk back. Find post marking turn but no obvious trail. Ponder. Muse. Look at the map. Get info from Andy. Look some more. A runner points out the big blue arrow and there is the trail. A rather faint trail. There goes 30-40 minutes.

Yes, this is a big blaze marking the trail. But appearently size does not matter as I failed to see the trail here. It is, as far as I am concerned, faint. In fact, the trail through the forest here is a bit hard to see and undergrowth is certainly encroaching on boardwalks you trod through parts of this first 1.5 or so miles of forest trail off the rails to trails (which is also about 1.5 miles).

--August 14 2019 at 16:34:35. Mackinaw City, MI, United States

This faint trail feels right underfoot but seems a bit narrow. It also has a few blowdowns to climb over but I suppose they will get dealt with in time. Dense forest. Buggy too. Then you pop out in an open space for a moment before returning to the woods. In time after more hill walking you come to your first campsite on French Farm Lake. A lone little site with fire ring and some camping related stuff at it bu no car. No people either. I moved on and the next site had a couple vehicles and tents and people. Repeat a few more times. All full. I found what may be a legal site, comfy enough though no fire ring, and set up there. It was well after 19:00 and by the time camp chores and such were done the sun was definitely setting. A long day for a short hike and I did not really get any photos of the lake.

I got to the campsites here at French Farm Lake well before I took this picture. The first lonely site was right on the trail. The next, with people, was nice enough but occupied (I checked some options behind them but am glad I did not pick them). The third was also occupied as was the fourth. I found this, likely unofficial, site with easy access to the lake.

--August 14 2019 at 18:58:59. Mackinaw City, MI, United States

Distance hiked: Closer to 6 miles than 5 with my navigation mix ups. COuld be even more than that since I took long way to get to Lake Huron and back to trailhead.
Weather: sunny, clear, probably about 80F

Alaska Day 10 - Russian RIver Falls and Kenai River Float

It is sunny again. Our last two days have been sunny though today is a bit hazier than yesterday. This is our last full day in Alaska. Tomorrow we will drive back to Anchorage for an afternoon flight to Seattle where we will stay the night before returning home. Right now I am sitting in a sunny spot in the dining room of our guesthouse realizing that we still have a solid 5 hours of light left in this final day. Our last day has been a pretty sedate one though we still managed to do a few things and see more wildlife, at least by the numbers, than we may have any other day so far. At least it felt that way.

We planned to do a raft river float on the Kenai River during the afternoon which left us with the morning to fill. We had first thought we could hike to Crescent Lake from the other end but the notes in the guide suggested that the trail could be difficult and overgrown. Another option specifically said the trail would be overgrown if it hadn’t been maintained recently and given what we had already encountered an executive decision (Mom) was made to skip Crescent Lake trail. We settled on what promised to be a simple easy hike to the Russian Lakes Trail to a waterfalls on the Russian RIver on a trail that anyone can walk and should be in superb shape. It is a totally accessible trail which means a good surface, wide, gently graded, no overgrowing foliage to push back. It sounded perfect for a 4.8 or so mile morning hike that would leave us with plenty of time to have lunch and then find the river rafters.

We had a bit of a surprise at the entry fee into this National Forest managed area. The full fee just to park is $11.00. We have both Golden Eagle and Golden Access passes which cuts the price in half. We thought most National Forests were free. We found a parking spot in the small pretty full lot and hoisted our day packs at about 09:10 under hazy blue skies with a temperature of about 60F and steadily rising. We strolled easily through the forest. Surprisingly few wildflowers were blooming or even really visible along the trail. The forest was often dense except where we passed through a valley where a forest fire had cleared brush out 50 years ago. In that stretch it felt more open. I can’t tell you what trees we saw just that they were abundant. After the 2.4 miles of easy walking with a few little ups and downs that would total about 180 feet up and down (one way) we reached the waterfall overlooks (a trail heads off to the right for another 600 yards to a place sport fisherman can get into the river and try their hand at catching the hundreds, if not more, of salmon that are swimming up stream to breed).

The waterfalls are pretty enough. What helps make them special are the salmon that you can see trying to work their way up stream. Mom and Dad both saw a few jumping trying to get up the falls. In a pool just below the waterfalls countless salmon seemed to be laying at rest. They looked like reddish rocks laying there. Signs along the trail talk about bear activity and it is easy to imagine bears being plentiful here trying to catch salmon as they swim by. If you are fishing you definitely have to pay attention to your surroundings in case a bear decides that the fish you just caught is their fish and not your fish.

I realize this is probably a gull which makes it nothing really special but it is still wildlife we saw. I wonder if it is waiting for a salmon , tired after some jumps up the lower part of this waterfall, to appear and become a tasty meal.

--July 18 2019 at 10:14. Cooper Landing, AK, United States

They are hard to see. They look like grayish (maybe with a slight red tint) rocks. How they can move is a bit of a mystery. In this pool just below the waterfall are who knows how many salmon. They have already run a gauntlet of fishermen and fisher women on the Kenai River and Russian River. They have probably avoided the jaws of bears too. Somewhere up stream are the places most of them were surely born and they are returning there to spawn the next generation.

--July 18 2019 at 10:20. Cooper Landing, AK, United States

As we hiked back we saw even more people heading out than we had on the way in. Quite a few of them were wearing their fishing waders and other fishing apparel. That clothing must be heavy and rather warm to wear. I think it would be hard work to just carry the apparel in a backpack. We had a pleasant 2 and a quarter hours on this trail in the Kenai-Russian River Confluence (I believe it’s part of Chugach National Forest ).

The river float is run by Alaska Wildland Adventures which seems to do a lot more than just short river floats on the Kenai River. They bundled us up in heavy-duty rain pants and boots. If the weather is iffy, as it was our first full day in Moose Pass, you would certainly want to wear the rain gear. Today the temperature was probably edging towards 70F when we boarded our 12-passenger raft. Amanda, the guide, was the sole person with oars. She was using oars in a rowing fashion but she was facing forward. I think she was mostly using them to control our direction as the river was flowing pretty well. We had a 10 river mile float and 2 hours to do it.

Mom and Dad in their rain boots (calf high) and rain bibs.

--July 18 2019 at 12:39. Cooper Landing, AK, United States

Dad and Ken in our rain gear provided by the rafting company. Given the weather this afternoon, sunny but hazy with an air temperature easily in the upper 60s (yes the river is quite a bit cooler as far as the air goes) I think we would have been fine not wearing this stuff. You would, of course, get very cold feet getting in and out of the raft but that would have been tolerable enough. Photo by Judy.

--July 18 2019 at 12:39. Cooper Landing, AK, United States

--July 18 2019 13at 39:53. Cooper Landing, AK, United States

It is definitely a scenic float if you are looking for wildlife to see. The river itself is not that special except for its gray-green tinged color caused by all the glacial silt suspended in the water. The Kenai River is glacially fed from the Snow Glacier. The section we floated has a few riffles and some rapids a raft like ours should avoid because they have rather large pointy rocks but I doubt the rapids are Class II and easily avoided entirely. If you want excitement this trip is not the one to take. We did find ourselves wishing for a bit more of an energetic trip. However, there were plenty of opportunities to spot salmon trying to get to the Russian River.

Even I managed to see a bald eagle briefly as we floated on by. The little girl sitting in front of us counted 16 sightings of bald eagles (I think most mature though we did see at least a couple juveniles). Gulls were present along with several merganser ducks. As we passed by dozens of fisherman we now and then saw a salmon jump too.

Just one batch of people fishing the Kenai River. We saw quite a few as we floated towards Jim’s Landing.

--July 18 2019 at 14:06. Cooper Landing, AK, United States

Look carefully and you will see a bald eagle in the upper center right of the picture. This is one of 16, mostly mature, bald eagles people saw either perhaps perched on branches or flying over the river. Photo by Judy.

--July 18 2019 at 14:39. Cooper Landing, AK, United States

A sedate trip where all we had to do was sit and look out. Probably worth doing to get another glimpse of Alaska but if we had been a bit more involved that would have been a good thing for all of us. After we shuttled back to our car we felt it was time for an ice cream. We had learned earlier that the convenience store in Cooper Landing had good ice cream. Dad had bought a scoop of Umpqua Strawberry: a rather big scoop for $3.75. Mom and I tried the mint chocolate chip and espresso madness. The strawberry was the best of the bunch but Umpqua, out of Oregon, makes some good ice cream.

With that our day pretty much come to an end. We have all packed up and are relaxing in various ways before going to bed. This trip has had its ups and downs and we have seen a fair bit of each. There is a staggering amount we did not see and if we were to do it again I think we would likely do things a bit differently. For example, there is probably something to be said for the various tours that are available if you are willing to pay the extra money. I don’t think we can say that this visit to Alaska has knocked our socks off or will live quite as well in memory as some trips have done. Above average but not stellar.

Alaska Day 9 - Crusing in Kenai Fjords National Park

<p>Blue skies. We woke up and found something missing: clouds. The sun shown down and just a few puffy clouds drifted along in the dusky blue sky. It is the first time we have seen the sun in the morning this trip. The forecast promised we would see the sun all day long. Today was our day to take a cruise through the fjords of Kenai Fjords National Park. We drove into Seward to get on the Glacier Express for a 7.5 hour cruise.</p>

<p><img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-0748.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 07:48 " />&

Blue skies. We woke up and found something missing: clouds. The sun shown down and just a few puffy clouds drifted along in the dusky blue sky. It is the first time we have seen the sun in the morning this trip. The forecast promised we would see the sun all day long. Today was our day to take a cruise through the fjords of Kenai Fjords National Park. We drove into Seward to get on the Glacier Express for a 7.5 hour cruise.

This is a first for the trip, ho[pefully not a last, sunshine in the morning. Looking northerly towards some mountains just across the field from our guesthouse.

--July 17 2019 at 07:48. Moose Pass, AK, United States

Unless you have a long zoom lens you aren’t going to get good images of the animals swimming in the sea or flying through the air. This is, I think, a sea otter I was lucky enough to catch. Nothing ever got that close to our boat. I’d not be surprised if this animal was well over 100 yards away.

--July 17 2019 at 12:22. , AK, United States

We were just 3 amongst 190 passengers served by a crew of, I think, 5 people including the captain (Nicole). There was also a park ranger, Maia, on board to provide educational information about the things we would see and the places we were visiting. We pulled away from the peer at 10:00 moving across glass-smooth waters of Resurrection Bay out towards the Gulf of Alaska and then beyond. I think it is best if I just show off the best photos I took at this point. They’ll convey much more of a sense of what we saw. At least they manage that feat for larger objects. Since I did not have a long zoom lens I couldn’t really take pictures of the puffins, cormorants, gulls, and other birds that flew on by now and then. Nor could I really capture the humpback seals, Steller Sea Lions, Humback whales, or sea otters that we sometimes saw as more than small dark or light objects in the camera view.

If you were ever prone to think of glaciers as smooth look at the wrinkles in this ice here. I’ve no doubt the top of the glacier, if you could walk across it, is loaded with cracks, crevices, and bumps too.

--July 17 2019 at 12:51. , AK, United States

Holgate Glacier is about 0.5 miles wide, 400 feet tall, and extends back 5 miles to the Harding Ice Field. We are about 0.25 miles away sitting in very calm water that is a gray-green tinged color from the glacial silt that the glacier deposits. Bits of ice from the glacier drift by as we float here.

--July 17 2019 at 12:52. , AK, United States

I do not know what the name of these waterfalls is or if they are named at all. They’re plummeting several hundred feet down to the water and I suspect are even bigger than they appear given they’re not particularly close to us.

--July 17 2019 at 13:01. , AK, United States

The star in this photo is the ice both in the Holgate Glacier and the growlers that are flooating towards our position (doubt any are big enough to be Bertie bits). It doesn’t show up as well in this image but sections of the glacier are deep blue. That happens when ice is compressed forcing air out and changing the shape of the crystals. The result is longer wavelengths of light are absorbed leaving the shorter (blue) wavelengths to bounce back to our eyes. Photo by Jonathan.

--July 17 2019 at 13:09. , AK, United States

The glaciers are, in many way, the stars of the tour. It is a pleasure to see the animals but it is hard to see them and sometimes you only get a glimpse of one if you are lucky. THe glaciers are impossible to miss. The only thing we could not really sense about them, and only because we were not close enough, was the no doubt cool air flowing off their faces. But you can’t miss seeing a wall of ice 400 feet tall and a half a mile wide when you look at the Holgate Glacier. The Aialik Glacier is about as tall and even wider at a good mile. Of course, you can’t tell from the boat’s-eye view that the Holgate flows back 5 miles and Aialik over 8 miles. You can see the wrinkles in the ice, grooves that must be deeper than you think given the size of the ice wall and the fact that we float about a quarter of a mile away. Ice caves can be seen and must be equally huge. Floating in front of the glacier are recently calved bits of ice from tiny chunks called growlers of less than 3 feet; Bergie bits that run from 3 to 16 feet; and then icebergs which are 16 feet and up in size. I’m not sure I saw any icebergs floating by but everything else was. Now and then a huge cracking sound would be heard. Once, and for some lucky to be looking in the right direction, a huge block fell into the water - certainly an iceberg. About one second later a truly staggering boom rolled over us and in time an almost as big echo bounced back from somewhere off fjords walls.

The Aialik Glacier is a mile wide, over 300 feet tall (maybe 400), and extends back at least 8 miles to the Harding Ice Field.

--July 17 2019 at 13:56. , AK, United States

We are leaving the Aialik Glacier behind. YOu can clearly see it, its face anyway, in full glory now.

--July 17 2019 at 14:17. , AK, United States

We should not forget what the glaciers have left behind and are leaving behind. The fjords cliff walls tower hundreds of feet into the air and plunge several hundred feet below the surface of the light gray-green waters. The glaciers have been carving out these U-shaped fjords for millennia. Today the silt laden water is placid as we float in the center of the fjord watching the glacier and hoping to spot an occasional animal like a harbor seal basking on an ice floe or a seabird wheeling through the air.

The shore of one of the Chiswell Islands. They are lush and we saw quite a few birds of various species as we moved through the islands.

--July 17 2019 at 15:25. , AK, United States

For all I can tell these birds could be nothing more than gulls in the water but I prefer to hope that they were Horned PUffins get ready to dive deep for fish.

--July 17 2019 at 15:28. , AK, United States

The Chiswell Islands are in the Alaska Managements National wildlife REfuge. I’ve no idea how many islands exists but in the little area we ventured their were certainly quite a few some with just the tiniest gaps of water between them.

--July 17 2019 at 15:34. , AK, United States

There is more in the the area besides the national park. A vast wildlife refuge managed by the US Forest lies adjacent to the park. It is a vast area dotted with innumerable islands and islets. We had a chance to sail through the Chiswell Islands. We gathered from Nicole, the captain, that not all cruises get to do this. I am guessing when the weather is questionable they skip the islands. On these rocky sheer-sided islands you can see Sitka spruce and mountain hemlock (I think) but I am not at all sure any deciduous trees are growing. I imagine the underbrush is quite thick. Horned and Tuffted Puffins, Common Murres, gulls, and other birds are here. Some people saw more Steller Sea Lions. I bet sea otters were about too. These are islands that are thriving in this frequently harsh and rather wet environment.

A Humpback Whale surfaces, spouts, spends a couple moments at the surface perhaps showing its back and maybe slapping the water with a tail fluke, all within a few seconds. I am pretty sure I never saw any of the whales but Mom and Dad did. Mom was fortunate enough to snap this picture of a Humpback Whale as we returned to Seward. Photo by Judy.

--July 17 2019 at 15:48. , AK, United States

After the cruise and an adequate dinner we zipped over to the Exit Glacier. While I would have liked to go all the way to the Glacier Overlook, adding about 1.2 miles to a mile long hike, we ended up not doing that. We were tired, the bugs were out, and Mom and Dad did not want to go the last bit on the totally accessible trail. Oh well. We did see the glacier at a distance but never quite got to the edge of the moraine which could have been interesting to see if it matched my admittedly vague memories from 17 years ago. We are all a bit sleepy now. Even though it was has a sedentary day it was still a long one.

The REssurection River flows by as we look out towards the Exit Glacier. We are strolling along a totally accessible loop that is about 1 mile long. If you take the spur trail to the Glacier Overlook you’ll add 1.2 miles to your hike but it is all accessible trail. We were ready for the day to end and the bugs were annoying us so we did not go out to the overlook. I am a bit sad that we did not as it would have been interesting to see if I remembered it from 17 years ago.

--July 17 2019 at 19:28. Seward, AK, United States

lt;/p>

<blockquote>

<p>This is a first for the trip, ho[pefully not a last, sunshine in the morning. Looking northerly towards some mountains just across the field from our guesthouse. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 07:48.  Moose Pass, AK, United States  </p>

</blockquote>

<p><img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-1222.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 12:22 " /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>Unless you have a long zoom lens you aren’t going to get good images of the animals swimming in the sea or flying through the air. This is, I think, a sea otter I was lucky enough to catch. Nothing ever got that close to our boat. I’d not be surprised if this animal was well over 100 yards away. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 12:22.  , AK, United States  </p>

</blockquote>

<p>We were just 3 amongst 190 passengers served by a crew of, I think, 5 people  including the captain (Nicole). There was also a park ranger, Maia, on board to provide educational information about the things we would see and the places we were visiting. We pulled away from the peer at 10:00 moving across glass-smooth waters of   Resurrection Bay out towards the Gulf of Alaska and then beyond.  I think it is best if I just show off the best photos I took at this point. They’ll convey much more of a sense of what we saw. At least they manage that feat for larger objects. Since I did not have a long zoom lens I couldn’t really take pictures of the puffins, cormorants, gulls, and other birds that flew on by now and then. Nor could I really capture the humpback seals, Steller Sea Lions, Humback whales, or sea otters that we sometimes saw as more than small dark or light objects in the camera view.</p>

<p><img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-1251.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 12:51 " /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>If you were ever prone to think of glaciers as smooth look at the wrinkles in this ice here. I’ve no doubt the top of the glacier, if you could walk across it, is loaded with cracks, crevices, and bumps too. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 12:51.  , AK, United States  </p>

</blockquote>

<p><img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-1252.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 12:52 " /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>Holgate Glacier is about 0.5 miles wide, 400 feet tall, and extends back 5 miles to the Harding Ice Field. We are about 0.25 miles away sitting in very calm water that is a gray-green tinged color from the glacial silt that the glacier deposits. Bits of ice from the glacier drift by as we float here. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 12:52.  , AK, United States  </p>

</blockquote>

<p><img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-1301.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 13:01 " /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>I do not know what the name of these waterfalls is or if they are named at all. They’re plummeting several hundred feet down to the water and I suspect are even bigger than they appear given they’re not particularly close to us. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 13:01.  , AK, United States  </p>

</blockquote>

<p><img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-1309.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 13:09 " /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>The star in this photo is the ice both in the Holgate Glacier and the growlers that are flooating towards our position (doubt any are big enough to be Bertie bits). It doesn’t show up as well in this image but sections of the glacier are deep blue. That happens when ice is compressed forcing air out and changing the shape of the crystals. The result is longer wavelengths of light are absorbed leaving the shorter (blue) wavelengths to bounce back to our eyes. Photo by Jonathan. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 13:09.  , AK, United States  </p>

</blockquote>

<p>The glaciers are, in many way, the stars of the tour. It is a pleasure to see the animals but it is hard to see them and sometimes you only get a glimpse of one if you are lucky. THe glaciers are impossible to miss. The only thing we could not really sense about them, and only because we were not close enough, was the no doubt cool air flowing off their faces. But you can’t miss seeing a wall of ice 400 feet tall and a half a mile wide when you look at the Holgate Glacier. The Aialik Glacier is about as tall and even wider at a good mile. Of course, you can’t tell from the boat’s-eye view that the Holgate flows back 5 miles and Aialik over 8 miles. You can see the wrinkles in the ice, grooves that must be deeper than you think given the size of the ice wall and the fact that we float about a quarter of a mile away. Ice caves can be seen and must be equally huge. Floating in front of the glacier are recently calved bits of ice from tiny chunks called growlers of less than 3 feet; Bergie bits that run from 3 to 16 feet; and then icebergs which are 16 feet and up in size. I’m not sure I saw any icebergs floating by but everything else was. Now and then a huge cracking sound would be heard. Once, and for some lucky to be looking in the right direction, a huge block fell into the water - certainly an iceberg. About one second later a truly staggering boom rolled over us and in time an almost as big echo bounced back from somewhere off fjords walls. </p>

<p><img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-1356.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 13:56 " /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>The Aialik Glacier is a mile wide, over 300 feet tall (maybe 400), and extends back at least 8 miles to the Harding Ice Field. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 13:56.  , AK, United States  </p>

</blockquote>

<p><img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-1417.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 14:17 " /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>We are leaving the Aialik Glacier behind. YOu can clearly see it, its face anyway, in full glory now. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 14:17.  , AK, United States  </p>

</blockquote>

<p>We should not forget what the glaciers have left behind and are leaving behind.  The fjords cliff walls tower hundreds of feet into the air and plunge several hundred feet below the surface of the light gray-green waters. The glaciers have been carving out these U-shaped fjords for millennia.  Today the silt laden water is placid as we float in the center of the fjord watching the glacier and hoping to spot an occasional animal like a harbor seal basking on an ice floe or a seabird wheeling through the air. </p>

<p><img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-1525.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 15:25 " /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>The shore of one of the Chiswell Islands. They are lush and we saw quite a few birds of various species as we moved through the islands. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 15:25.  , AK, United States  </p>

</blockquote>

<p><img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-1528.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 15:28 " /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>For all I can tell these birds could be nothing more than gulls in the water but I prefer to hope that they were Horned PUffins get ready to dive deep for fish. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 15:28.  , AK, United States  </p>

</blockquote>

<p><img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-1534.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 15:34 " /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>The Chiswell Islands are in the Alaska Managements National wildlife REfuge. I’ve no idea how many islands exists but in the little area we ventured their were certainly quite a few some with just the tiniest gaps of water between them. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 15:34.  , AK, United States  </p>

</blockquote>

<p>There is more in the the area besides the national park. A vast wildlife refuge managed by the US Forest  lies adjacent to the park. It is a vast area dotted with innumerable islands and islets. We had a chance to sail through the Chiswell Islands. We gathered from Nicole, the captain, that not all cruises get to do this. I am guessing when the weather is questionable they skip the islands. On these rocky sheer-sided islands you can see Sitka spruce and mountain hemlock (I think) but I am not at all sure any deciduous trees are growing. I imagine the underbrush is quite thick. Horned and Tuffted Puffins, Common Murres, gulls, and other birds are here. Some  people saw more Steller Sea Lions. I bet sea otters were about too. These are islands that are thriving in this frequently harsh and rather wet environment.</p>

<p><img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-1548.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 15:48 " /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>A Humpback Whale surfaces, spouts, spends a couple moments at the surface perhaps showing its back and maybe slapping the water with a tail fluke, all within a few seconds. I am pretty sure I never saw any of the whales but Mom and Dad did. Mom was fortunate enough to snap this picture of a Humpback Whale as we returned to Seward. Photo by Judy. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 15:48.  , AK, United States  </p>

</blockquote>

<p>After the cruise and an adequate dinner we zipped over to the Exit Glacier. While I would have liked to go all the way to the Glacier Overlook, adding about 1.2 miles to a mile long hike, we ended up not doing that. We were tired, the bugs were out, and Mom and Dad did not want to go the last bit on the totally accessible trail. Oh well. We did see the glacier at a distance but never quite got to the edge of the moraine which could have been interesting to see if it matched my admittedly vague memories from 17 years ago. We are all a bit sleepy now. Even though it  was has a sedentary day it was still a long one. <br />

<img style="width: 800px; height: auto" src="https://assets.libsyn.com/images/wanderingknight/July-17-2019-1928.jpeg" alt="Photo  taken July 17 2019 at 19:28 " /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>The REssurection River flows by as we look out towards the Exit Glacier. We are strolling along a totally accessible loop that is about 1 mile long. If you take the spur trail to the Glacier Overlook you’ll add 1.2 miles to your hike but it is all accessible trail. We were ready for the day to end and the bugs were annoying us so we did not go out to the overlook. I am a bit sad that we did not as it would have been interesting to see if I remembered it from 17 years ago. <br /><br />

--July 17 2019 at 19:28.  Seward, AK, United States  </p>

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