Mid-September Visitors and More Hikes in the Porkies

Another storm passed followed by winds ranging from 25-45 mph for a couple of days. We are definitely seeing a change from summer to fall here over the last couple of weeks. The mornings can be quite chilly but warm up nicely to the high 60's with sunshine. The winds off the lake always are a bit chilly but feel great on a sunny day hike.

The campground vibe has definitely changed since Labor Day with many more RV's than tent campers. The majority of campers are retired folks from Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota taking a few weeks to enjoy the fall weather and colors. The conversations are longer with these folks and the atmosphere is very relaxed.

One of the camping couples and our friend, Sarah.

Our friend, Sarah, and two of her friends came into the campground for a few days to visit. We met Sarah at Turner Marine when we were living there just before we left Mobile the last time on the boat in 2013. She had come down from Michigan as crew on a sailboat. We ran across each other again along the East Coast a couple of times and again in Mobile later. She now lives in south Michigan in the summers and drove a long distance to see us and meet up with her friends. We had a lovely visit with them all.

I played tour guide and took them to Lake of the Clouds and Presque Isle.

The camp hosting goes on around the fun though with all types of questions and assistance happening each day. One day, a camper bottomed out their van in a ditch. Ed fetched our chain, found Ranger Paul, and they pulled them out with the park's four wheel drive truck. They were lucky to have no damage. 

On our visitors' last night, we had a nice campfire with appetizers supplied by Sarah. Later we all enjoyed a chicken stew from my InstantPot, then Laura brought a birthday cake in for us to all celebrate Gayle's birthday. We miss the socializing like this that came so easily among cruisers but is more rare in the state park campgrounds.

Happy Birthday, Gayle!

We were well past the half way point of our camp hosting but still enjoying it. Ed gets the coffee going as I'm a slow mover in the morning. We have to set the clock for 6:40 to plug in the pot as it takes about 45 minutes to perk. The coffee pots sit on one section of what used to be garbage bin frames. The other two frames were open serving no purpose. We asked one of the rangers about adding a piece of plywood to make a full table, and he responded with one cut, painted and installed so they now have a designated coffee bar. Wish I had my daughter's artistic talent as the wall above is screaming for a mural.

The improved coffee bar and its barista.

Of course, the hiking continued, this time we combined two trails, the Union Spring Trail that intersected with the Government Peak Trail. We ended up on M107 and walked back to the campground--8.5 miles total. We've both decided that six miles is our sweet spot for not needed an Ibuprofen when we finish. Also, walking on pavement is harder on my left foot than hiking the trails, a detail I will never understand, so I whined those last 2 miles.

We came across one of the wilderness cabins when the trail opened up to a meadow. Folks that stay in these have to backpack in with their food, water and bedding. There's an outhouse available in the woods that didn't look back--better than digging a hole, I guess.

Photo of the unoccupied cabin through the window.

A picnic table and firepit for the cabin. Wood is provided for the inside stove, but the outside firewood has to be gathered from dead wood around the area.

We reached the Union Spring overlook.

Clear spring water.

The spring water bubbling up into the pond.

There's so much to see on these forest hikes, especially after rains. We only saw other hikers twice in this whole hike as park short timers go for the more popular scenery. 

Back into the forest.

The recent rains meant parts of the trail were quite muddy.

A little frog squished out when I stepped on a log in the mud.

Kind of hard to see here, but bear claw marks are visible over a chipmonk hole

Woodpecker holes look like footprints up a dead tree.

Google says these are American Cranberries.

Lots of mushrooms after the rains. 

We reached the Carp River and walked along above it for a while.

Then the trail crossed the river. RuhRoh!

Ed led the way for me to make it across dry.

The trail took us high up above the river on the other side.

The river is in the deep gorge.

And near the end, treated to some beautiful fall colors.

We were both tuckered out but happy to have another Porkies trail on our log. We're on the down side of our time here now.