• Saturday-What'sUP June 19 - 09:35 am

Tagging along on a hike in the Porcupine Mountains has never been easier, thanks to a great slideshow provided by Nate Alwine. You might call it desk-chair hiking, since you won't even have to stand up to join in! Nate takes us on the Lake Superior Trail, a 17.1 mile challenging trek, along a wooden walkway, up a stairway for a break with Dad and the Uncles, then a pleasant stroll along the Little Carp River. So many adventures to be had traveling such a trail as this, I might just have to do it for real one of these days!

Don't miss the adventure today at Bridgefest, Seafood Fest and the Chain Drive Festival in Houghton-Hancock. And don't miss the adventure in Calumet 2 weeks from today. Pasty Fest 2005 is the place to be if you want to engage in plenty of fun and good grub. The fun starts out with a parade, plus there will be music during the day and games for the kids. The grub to eat, will be free pasties to the first 400 folks who show up for the festivities, with the coupon from the Gazette or the Finnish-American Reporter. I'm thinking the ideal job would be one of the judges for the Pasty Bake-Off Contest, tasting all those delicious U.P. Pasties!

Am I FIRST today?

Wow, do I miss the UP, but via the PASTYCAM - I'm back for a few moments everyday. Thanks for the great work.

Oooooo, what I'd give for that hike.

Nate, wonderful pictures of your hiking trip in the Porkies. Made me feel as though I was there.

Photos like this really make me miss Michigan! Thanks for such a wonderful website.

Great pictures, I will have to go this fall again. I enjoy the hiking, and in the fall there is less people.

I'm planning on taking a fall color tour of the Porky's this October... now I can see a little of what I have to look forward to. Thanks for the pictures.

How're the bugs this year? I remember last year at this time they were plentiful!

It has rained allot and that equals LOTS of bugs this year......at least in the Hubbell Rice Lake area......ticks are really bad this year!!

I have never been to the Porkies......the pictures are beautiful....kinda like if you could only step into the screen you would be right there!!!!

Thanks

Hiking and hanging out in the woods in the Keweenaw....great
memories, but in all my growing-up years I don't remember ever
dealing with ticks. Did we not have them back then, or was I
oblivious, more concerned about catching those brookies and
rainbow in the Tobacco and Traprock rivers?

I don't remember ticks being around years ago either. Too busy having fun outdoors. Guess that wasn't much of a concern other than being bit by a bee or a wasp. OUCH!!!

Be sure to take in the Bridgefest in Houghton this weekend. The weather is beautiful for it! I just home from working at our church's booth and it was fun watching the kids on the rock climbing wall, other vendors, lots of people, and listening to the live music from the bandstand.

Ticks have been around since the start of time. I remember every time I came back from brook trout fishing, my mother checked my whole body for ticks, before she let me in the house.(1950's; western end of the U.P.).
The ticks were so bad this year, I stopped fishing and went into town to a Vet. I got some powerful tick repellent for the dog. What is new, is we now have deer ticks. Lyme disease bad stuff!

Ticks ... I agree with the others. I grew up in Houghton County in the 60's and 70's and NEVER saw a tick. My frineds and I were very outdoorsy types and we were contantly in the woods. If there had been ticks, we would have seen them. It wasn't until about 1983 that I got a tick on me during a vacation trip back to the CC. We did get ticks when we camped in Iron or Delta county.

I am sorry; my mistake. Misquoto's, black flies in Houghton County; but not ticks. Please report this miracle to the DNR for an explanation. And I said I wouldn't turn this site into a chat room. I apologize.

Wooden trails........? Stairs.......? I know we have to provide marked trails, but armchair hiking it is.......My memory of Little Traverse was a gal on the back of my Honda 750 and a little meander into the mossy outback..
Flew in a 1928 Ford TriMotor today in Ohio. WOW

It's been years since I've been to the Porkies.
Is it possible to see the Apostle Islands from
there? (Forgive me if this is a really ignorant
question.) I think I'll make it a mission to get
to the Porkies this summer. And maybe get to
the Apostle Islands too. I just finished a novel
study with my class based on Louise
Erdrich's book "The Birchbark House." It's a
wonderful book, and looking at a map with my
students, I got to wondering if it would be
possible to see the islands from the Porkies.

Cully Gage wrote a series of UP books like the "Northwoods Reader." They are "gold" to people who like this site. His real name was Charles Van Riper and his father was a doctor south of Lanse who had a state park named after him. If you read one of his books.....YOU WILL READ THEM ALL.......Cully died in 1994, but his stories will read on for all the folks like us. Read "Tioga Tales" or any of his books once....YOU WILL READ THEM ALL........Americana at it's very best..........(you owe me)

kosk,

Yes you can see the Apostle Islands from the Porkies. I know you can see the Apostle's from overlooks on Green Mountain, and from Summit Peak. There is also a spot on a bluff near the mouth of the Big Carp River that you can see the islands on a clear day.

Nate

flyin da mooney,

I used to think that all the bridges and stairs and board walks were ruining the Porkies. When I was little and we went hiking in the Porkies I remember loving the challenge of finding a way to cross the river (because there were no bridges at that time) I don't know how many people remember the log that spanned the Big Carp River near its mouth for most of the 80's, but it was such a thrill to cross the river on it. Having a pack on, and balancing your way across. I remember falling in one time when I didn't know how to swim. It was over my head and I learned the doggie paddle real fast!

However, when I was younger backpacking was not as popular as it is now. On some of our trips we could hike around the park for a whole week and not see a single other person. Today you can't hike 10 minutes without seeing someone. The amount of traffic is taking its toll on the park, and some of these items are needed to protect the environment. Though I do agree that the Porkies has taken it to extremes lately. Most notable is the HUGE board walk they built at Lake of the Clouds. I think you might be able to see that thing from outer space!

That being said there's still a lot of places in the Porkies to explore where there are no trails, and are truely wild. My latest challenge has been to climb every single peak in the Park. Considering that most of them are without trails this gives lots of satisfying adventure and some very rewarding views.

You should also check out the Trap Hills, which has some cool trails that don't have all the frills. I guess the great thing about the Upper Peninsula is that there is something for everyone here!

Nate

I like the Cully Gage books overall, but I really dislike his
negative potrayals of Finns as dumb and trampy and lazy.
So untrue!

Why is the bridge down?

I think the bridge is down due to this weekend being BRIDGE FEST and there is probably more traffic between Houghton & Hancock because of it so this accomadates more. Also have to say I LOVE your spam blocker software. Now that I have seen it I too have it. We never quit learning from PASTY. NET THANK YOU!

Beautiful pictures and a very nice slide show. I sooo need a vacation!! I don't think I can wait 5 more weeks!!!!

Dear Nate, Mi.

Thanks for that info. I'll pass it on to my class
tomorrow. Believe it or not, school doesn't
end until the 29th of June. On June 30th
kosk in Toronto will be heading for the U.P.
Yeah!

kosk,

Hang in there, just 10 more days to go!