Coves Group to Mosquito River
▶️ Play Backpacking Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - May 30, 2021
Our pattern of alternating short and longer days continues. Nancy and Tim were up and headed out of camp well over an hour before the rest of us. That is there way. Slower hiking with times for lots of short breaks to observe their surroundings and talk with everyone they pass at least for a moment. The rest of us hauled our backpacks onto our around 09:20. The sky was clear blue and the temperature was steadily warming and promising a wonderful day.
This section of trail provides perhaps the greatest number of views of the picturesque rocks that lend themselves to the name of this park and the glorious color-changing Lake Superior. Sometimes, as was the case on the first day, the lake appear sullen and gray with even the admittedly small waves with whitecaps appearing angry as they crash against the shore. Over times you walk along the beach or stare from above and can see how clear the water is as the color shades from the tan sandy visible bottom near the hsore into shades of turquoise, green, and blue as you raise your gaze out to sea. Today vibrant blue-green to deep blue from high above plus lighter shades when at the shoreline itself would be our visual treat. Add in the auditory treat of many species of birds from black capped Chickedees, Ravens, woodpeckers, robins, and much more and you find yourself walking through a lovely world. Just watch your step. The trail has been re-routed from old eroded to almost nothing and beyond sections in many places. But there are places where a slight step to the side would result in your foot dangling over emtpy space and a fall would certainly result in injury if not death. To be sure those segments are almost always just a handful of strides long but they are still present.
Spray Fall. The sandy bluff we stand atop to view Spray Fall is, I think, shrinking. It’s a reminder that these cliffs are sand and sandstone and sometimes more the former than is probably truly safe. But it is always aa pretty sight.
--May 30, 2021 at 10:16 AM. Grand Marais, MI, United States
Birch trees always stand out.
--May 30, 2021 at 10:52 AM. Grand Marais, MI, United States
Grand Portal. While the portal is something to see I think what really catches the eye are the cliffs and the water especially when it shows off as richly emerald green as it does in this photo. Of course, there is also no denying the power being shown off as you gaze at the cliffs and the Grand Portal: wind, waves, weather combining to scuplt the land.
--May 30, 2021 at 2:13 PM. Grand Marais, MI, United States
I must have been engrossed in some thought or other because I walked by the turn-off to the sandy cliff that provides you with a look at Spray Falls. El called me back. That would have been a shame to miss. To be sure the area you can stand is getting smaller and smaller as the years go by but the falls are still worth peering out across an emerald green cove. I am always a bit surprised that there is so much water because the stream you soon cross a stout wooden bridge seems small. We were fortunate that while we stood and watched the water spray down to be alone with just ourselves. That would change as we neared Chapel Beach but we knew it would.
Chapel Beach can be lovely and awful. It is a pretty place and has active, sometimes amusing, wildlife. It can be awful crowded with too loud people too. Some people may boat in and feel compelled to do obnoxious things like play volleyball and leave trash on the beach. Hikers can be just as loud and also leave trash behind. Today we just had to deal with people who felt it was perfectly fine and safe to jump safety fences and climb where they should not. Between the two visits Gail and Rick had here over two days Gail encountered people with 4 dogs. Not good. But I was able to ignore the people and the amusing wildlife didn’t steal any food or make a nuisance of itself so that did not veer into the realm of awfulness either. A lazy hour and some time was spent just relaxing at a campsite though I wish I had spent some of that time (more than I did) at the beach if for no other reason than I could have used a bit more water.
From Chapel to Mosquito River you have many chances to zip off the trail to what Andy calls sky beaches. Sandy overlooks that are sometiems quite large. Too bad some were swarming with loud people who so often seemed to want to get as close to the edge as possible. Well if they fall off I guess they fall off. Stupid, but human. Eventually Andy zoomed ahead. Gail, Rick, El, and I were much slower. We all figured Tim and Nancy would reach camp well before us. We enjoyed a break now and then at an overlook but still arrived a bit before 17:00. Surprisingly Tim and Nancy were not there. We missed them overlook hopping. They had settled at one, likely the one swarming with people (the big one), that we did not go visit. Add in the fact that they, maybe really it is mostly Tim, can’t resist at least asking everyone they meet where they are going and where they are from and you can see how time zips by for them. Never in a hurry I guess but they get where they need to be.
The clear skies had been banished by clouds and I did not expect to get much of a sunset. The momentary arrival of a few raindrops caused Andy and I to pitch my Hammock Gear Hex (DCF) Tarp. I have the 11’ long version and that provided big enough for us to both cook under comfortably and later for everyone to pretty much sit under during a very slight and short drizzle. While the cloud cover didn’t really lift we had hints of sun as the time for sunset approached and so most of us went down to the beach. For those with good vision that proved a great decision as they got to watch a bald eagle circle and soar and perch in the pine trees across the Mosquito River mouth from us. Maybe the bird was hoping to do some fishing. But eventually the light and color, what there was of it, faded away and we trooped back to camp. Fires are not allowed at Mosquito River Campground so everyone went to sleep early.
This bald eeagle was flying over the mouth of Mosquito River at sunset for some time. Was the eagle hoping to catch a rising fish?
--May 30, 2021 at 9:33 PM. Grand Marais, MI, United States
This boat is taking people on the sunset cruise. They are heading back to their dock in Munising.
--May 30, 2021 at 9:35 PM. Grand Marais, MI, United States
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