Porcupine Mountain Wilderness, UP Michig an

“Because you're going down one ridge and up another and looping back around, there will be ball-busters in both directions. I've only done those trails in the clockwise direction.”

“sunshine how can it be a ballbuster without any balls?”

“Escarpment Trail is just that. It follows the ridge so there isn't any major gains or losses. Government Peak trail goes down into a valley and then up to Government Peak. North Mirror Lake trail will drop you back down to Lake of the Clouds where you will then climb UP to the escarpment trail which you will follow out.”

“Now, SC, who said we have to break "our" balls. Hee, hee! That's what we bring the guys along for. We women can handle anything.”

“Aint that the truth sistuh!”

“Un oh. I am in for a real estrogen-fest ain't I? (chuckle)”

“SC: Is your profile email address correct? If so then you will have mail soon re your ride to and from the trip.”

“Yeah, I got it ;)


:D


It will be fun. I wonder if crashing at your place will equal another bag night? I really will have to consult nowslimmer on the rules again...

PS. I hope elvis doesnt eat me ;)
last edited: 4/06/06 9:11:27 PM”

“Is it the 20th yet?”

“Elvis will adore you. He is a big dope. I ran this all past the spousal unit and she approved (of course). She said she looks forward to meeting you. Now Luna I don't know about. The kids will be sleeping, so you will miss the little brutes.

I am really very glad you are able to come on this trip. I am hoping we can find you a nice walnut tree to sleep under this trip! ;)”

“hey ya'll say there are a lotta bears up them thar, is it ok if I bring my bear can instead of hangin'?”

“Yes, but you get to retrieve it if the bears use it for hacky sack. ;o)

They have bear poles which can be a pain to use because the pole used to raise the food bag up is heavy BUT I've had bears in the porcupine mountains manage to get our bags that were hung high and out. Clever creatures they are.”

“Hungry bears are clever, check your email Sunshine.”

“Ive had bears check out my bear canister and they never took off with it so I think it will be ok LOL!”

“Question: When hanging a bear bag is there a specific "food bag" that must also be used, or will any old stuff sack work? I have never camped in bear country, but this will be good info, as I am going to the porkies in Aug.”

“meangreen- I know you can buy special oder blocking plastic bags for bear cans, you could probebly use the same to line a regular stuff sack as well. The less we tempt the bears, the less chance of having trouble with em.

Also, in bear country--- No deodorant! no scented baby wipes, no miny tooth paste (use baking soda away from your camp) Everything that has even the slightest scent, garbage, food, gum, toothpaste, toilettries MUST also be hung.
last edited: 4/08/06 1:32:02 PM”

“Aahhh... I see. Thanks.”

“Is it that weekend yet?”

“I don't use a special bag. Mine is actually mesh. I use toothpaste and deodorant. I put my toiletry stuff sack in the food bag and hang them. I can hardly wait!



THANKS jflotsam! LOL That is what I'm talking about. Clever, clever bears. :)”

“so will the stuff sack from my tent or sleeping bag work? That is what I was planning to use.”

“Yes, meangreen, both would work.”

“Thank you. I was worried I was gonna have to shell out MORE cash... LOL!
Who'da though "roughing it" took so much money. I have car/4 wheeler etc. camped for years, and I never spent this much on gear. 8-)”

“I bring a small stuff sack I use strictly for carrying food, toothpaste, etc... I also keep a small garbage bag in it for my garbage and hang the bag at night.

I try to keep in mind that the more money I spend on unneeded gear the more I have to carry. Seems to help”

“I studied the topo map tonight and I don't see anything wrong with the current route as I have it posted. I am inclined to leave it be. I'll get an update on the trail conditions the week of the hike and post the news here.”

“I cant wait!!!!”

“Good read for about another groups experience in May of 2004.

http://briansplace.ynt1.com/backpack/2004pm/2004pm_1.php

Lots of good links on the last page of the series as well.

Enjoy!

Makes me wish I had a few more days for this trip. It's such a rich area.”

“I read the trip report. Awesome! That was the same route I took for my first backpacking trip in the Porkies back in 2000. We didn't have to follow Lake Superior "River" Trail because it was the beginning of June but it was a MUD river. Lots of soft mud and many downed trees, etc.
We did that trip in three days. THAT is the route I suggested at the beginning of this thread. Gotta love those river crossings! Heee, heee! We wore shorts and didn't have bug nets. We looked a mess when we came out. All scratched up and eaten up. Goooood times! We saw two bears on that trip. I CAN'T WAIT!!”

“You'll remember this part of Ken's trip report when you hike south on N.Mirror Lake trail....


" The trail crested a ridge a short distance past the intersection with the Government Peak Trail. From this point the trail began a long, steep descent of approximately 500 feet in elevation over roughly ½-¾ mile. We were glad to be heading north on the trail because coming from the south would have definitely been a quad-searing ascent. Not only was the trail steep in this area it was also covered with slippery mud, exposed tree roots and jagged, loose rock. Together, these conditions made for an interesting route down. Even though quite a few sections of trail in the park were wet and muddy this section took the cake because it combined all the normal nuisances with a very steep grade. This steep descent was approximately 1-1½ miles from Lake of the Clouds. On the way downhill we passed a deep gorge several yards off the trail to the west that was probably 30-40 feet deep. Scott Creek, a branch of the Big Carp River, flowed through the chiseled gorge and created a nice waterfall as it rushed over the jagged rocks at the bottom - it was quite a sight! "
last edited: 4/09/06 7:23:58 AM”

“yeah mud hills all the things I backpack for. If I wanted a motel I would not own a backpack. Bring it on floods, pestilence and plauge I'm in. some muddy trail and wind thru the trees is just what the good docter ordered”

“This is from the Government Peak Trail description in the Jim DuFresne book:

The trail, however, can be combined with North Mirror and the Escarpment trails to form a 16-mile loop with nights spent near Trap Falls and Mirror Lake. If you are contemplating this scenic trek, begin with Government Peak and follow North Mirror Lake Trail downhill to Lake of the Clouds, by far the easiest way to hike this trail.

and from the North Mirror Lake Trail description:

If coming from the Lake of the Clouds overlook , you will find this is one of the steepest climbs in the park.”

“You gys are scareing me! I'm probebly gonna die out there LOL

Well, they say tghe best way to get fit for backpacking....is to backpack.

Expect me to be the last one in camp LOL

LOL Bring it on!
last edited: 4/09/06 9:55:30 AM”

“I learned to hike steep hills like mountain climbers...take a step, bring the other foot up next to it, not in front of it, repeat...slow but you can control your heartbeat and it's surprising how long you can hike without a rest...

I kinda wish we hadn't said anything about the steepness of N.Mirror Lake south...now, when you come back, we'll have to listen to all your lies about how easy it was...LOL...”

“But it WILL be easy. Dang it, climbing all those flights of stairs at work will make it a breeze B)”

“I am glad to hear that people aren’t taking the warnings of hills, mud, rain, cold, snow, swollen streams, bears, and overall difficult conditions lightly. This will be a fairly rugged trip and I don’t want anyone to feel like they were misled. It’s fine with me if the group wants to reverse the route of the trip. Here is what I was thinking when I did the re-routing:

I wanted to put the more difficult hiking up front and make the hike out as easy as possible. This way we would be taking on the real hard stuff up front when we were fresh, our minds were sharp, and we were ready for the challenge.

The first day to Lake of the Clouds was a trail I hiked last year. It was a challenge, but I hiked it with a group of non-hikers including a 7 year old and my friend who carried his 3 year old daughter in a child carrier. I carried a full pack for training purposes. I honestly didn’t think it was THAT hard. Seasonal conditions may make this more difficult, but that applies to every trail on the entire trip.

The second day is a BASE of 5 miles and there are indeed some fairly tough and rugged segments. Once at the intersection of Mirror Lake Trail and Government Peak Trail (3 hard miles into the day) people can decide how far they want to push on. Two more hilly miles puts you at the camp at Government Peak from here. If you want more you can hike Little Carp River Trail as far as you please or conditions permit and then return-hike to camp at Government Peak.

The third day is the hike from Government Peak out to the car, and this looked like a relatively easy hike, at least compared to the first two days.

By the way, I don’t see 500 feet of elevation gain in 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile on Mirror Lake Trail. Looking at the topographic map it goes up 150 feet over that section of trail. Yes, it’s a very steep grade for sure but I don’t see it’s as steep as described in that trip report. I have no doubt the condition of the trail will play a major factor here and that sections will be a challenge, but after day-hiking out of the Grand Canyon from river to rim on the Hermit Trail last month I am hardly intimidated. Can you hear the testosterone pumping? ;)
last edited: 4/09/06 11:13:44 AM”

“You're right JimmySan...it doesn't climb 500 feet in 3/4 of a mile...


Here's a quote from The Porcupine Companion by Michael Rafferty..."From the bridge, the North Mirror Lake Trail climbs over a low ridge, crosses Scott Creek, then climbs 500 feet to reach Mirror Lake, 3 1/2 miles from here." "Here" being the Lake of the Clouds bridge...

Lake of the Clouds parking area sits at 1320'..Big Carp River, which flows into LofC is 1020'... NML trail goes up a small ridge which tops out at 1200'...it then goes down a bit to cross Scott Creek then begins it's 1 mile climb...the steepest portion is the first half climbing nearly 300 feet...turn around when you stop to breath as you can see the escarpment on the way up...it tops out at 1640'..you then hike down a bit to the Government Peak Trail Jct..up a bit and Mirror Lake sits at 1532'...

No one is trying to be discouraging...

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=46.7833&lon=-89.7511&s=50&size=l&symshow=n&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25


I also think it's smart to do the hardest first...and you'll have bragging rights! LOL....
last edited: 4/09/06 12:19:24 PM”

“Ha! You are right. It's around 500 feet on the map. I misread it.”

“




Im gonna camp out in my front yard tonight to see if I got this right this time....

Maybe A tornado or other strong wind will come by so I can test it out.

Plus, im sneaking in a bag night :D”

“hey pick up the trash across the street, sheesh”

“Spirit Coyote, we are still waiting for a trip report for the Front Yard '06 trip!”

“It got kinda chilly...about 30 degrees and I was comfy. The damn big rigs kept wakin' me up and in the morning some the gay guy down the street with two dogs were sniffing around, and the hispanic kids were gawking, adn my neighbor with the baby as starring, disbelieveing I was camped out there.”

“If you can put up with that you'll have no problem with the bears(and spalpeen) sniffing and gawking on the trip! ;)”

“only when sunshine is sleeping”

“I want to touch a bear...and a spalpeen.”

“I am so ready to go it's not even funny.”

“I have my gear sprawled all over the couch and the living room....my hubby cant wait to get me and the "mess" on the trail LOL!”

“I'm with ya! Gonna fire up the WhisperLite and clean the water filter out this weekend. Guess it's time to tell the wife I'm going backpacking next weekend too.”

“I was going to play with the alcohol stove tomorrow as it is my day off. Im actually considering bringing a stove this time!”

“rut-roh! You're in trouble SC. I've been referred to by some as a sleeping machine. :o)”

“A stove would be a good thing. When it's wet and cold, it's nice to have something hot to eat and drink.”

“heck with the stove, something warm and cuddlely! and sc I am untouchable. lets get this hike going!”