Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Started the day out in sort of a lazy, lackadaisical fashion. As we were finishing up breakfast we could hear some commotion across the way at the landing. (Never ceases to amaze me how sound travels across a lake) Apparently another trio of adventurers braved the fabled trail and made their way up to Gogebic. It was only 8:00, so they must've gotten a fairly early start this morning? It quickly became evident that they were merely on a day trip to do some fishing. They paddled around the lake for an hour or two before heading back down.

After a leisurely breakfast, we all hopped in the "Red Bell Pepper" and headed for the landing. It was shaping up to be another absolutely beautiful day & we decided to do some hiking along the BRT. Studying my Voyageur map, there appeared to be an overlook a few miles up the trail. So, with that as our hopeful destination, we headed off.

Initially the trail hugs the shoreline of Gogebic lake. Along the way there were several openings where a person could fairly easily walk right out to the lakeshore. I'm sure that there are hikers who use these to get a better perspective when viewing the lake. But, IMHO, I believe the main purpose they serve is for fishermen who didn't want to lug a canoe up the trail.[paragraph break]

Before too long we entered the other campsite on Gogebic.

It is nestled in a nice grove of trees right in the middle of the trail. The ground was a little damp. But, really not too bad considering all the recent rains. You'd really have to know what you're looking for if trying to locate this site from the lake as there isn't much of a landing. The trail for the latrine ran up a steep hill behind camp.

Just before the BRT starts to pull away from Gogebic lake you must cross over an old beaver dam. This was really the only spot we encountered where there wasn't an excellent footpath.

A little caution was needed to keep our feet dry & avoid some brush. Otherwise, no real worries here.

Once around the swamp the inevitable climb began. Somewhat to my surprise the trail itself was in excellent condition. About what you might expect at a state park. Of the several miles we hiked. There was only ONE spot that required any special maneuvering.

The climb was long & steady. But, was never overly steep.

It seemed we were passing through the Garden of Eden. Many variety of flowers were in bloom just off the trail. Which served to take our minds off the climb as we passed by.

At last the trail began to level off. There were a couple of nice openings, but no overlook. After, the trail veered south. We hiked in this direction for awhile until finally surmising that we had already passed, what I thought may have been, the overlook. We stopped, sat down, grabbed our various snacks & took a break.

Feeling refreshed we retraced our steps. Upon closer inspection, there were a few spots where West Pike lake could be seen through the trees. But, it was so overgrown with trees & shrubs that the view left alot to be desired. We tried bushwhacking a bit but, never did get a good clear view.

Once we were back along the shores of Gogebic, I noticed a neat tree I must've missed on our way up.

I wouldn't have guessed it but, the section of the trail that ran around the lake was actually the most difficult to traverse. It was level. But, there were an abundance of annoying roots & rocks to negotiate. Back at the landing, I snapped a picture of our campsite.

Once back in camp we discovered that we were being over run with dragonflies that were molting.

These are my wife's absolute favorite. And, I must admit, I kinda like having 'em around too. As they do a wonderful job keeping the annoying bugs away.

We spent the better part of the late afternoon relaxing in the hammocks & playing cribbage. We even devised a seperate penalty for the loser of each game. That person would saw & split firewood until the next game was complete. Then whomever had just lost, would take his place. This scenario repeated itself for a couple hours.

It was a beautiful day. And it didn't take much to work up a sweat. First Kelly, then Ross, hopped in the lake to rinse off & cool down. With the early thaw, the lakes have had plenty of time to warm up. But, the recent cool weather & seemingly steady rain had, for my tastes, kept the water a bit on the cool side. Judge for yourself.

After supper, Ross & I headed out to try some fishing. It was yet another picture perfect evening. A gentle breeze, incredible scenery, & no bugs! What more could you ask for? Gratefully, we indulged ourselves, soaking up this intoxicating wilderness atmosphere as if it were a magic elixir. Knowing full well, that it doesn't always play out like this.

Gogebic Lake