Backpacking the Porcupine Mountains

On July 7th, Scouting America Troop 304 from Comstock Park, Michigan left Presque Isle campground to begin hiking in the Porcupine Mountains. The party included eight youth and four adults, including myself. We set out on a journey that would prove to be extremely difficult, but we had prepared for it by getting new gear, exchanging gear, and testing the gear. Then we began to prepare for the trails. We looked for any local trails that might compare to the steep elevation changes, trails with roots, rocks, sand, and any other rough terrain that we could find. One of the local trails we found was at Luton Park by Rockford, MI. This trail let you choose how challenging and extensive you wanted to get. It has a main blue trail that you can follow that is relatively easy for almost two miles, but you can branch off onto other trails that get increasingly more difficult, the green, orange, yellow, red, and the black trail being the most difficult. You can do this for up to nine miles, but be warned that the trail is a multi-use trail and mountain bikers are more frequent than hikers. The other trail that we used was Crahen Valley Park on the northeast side of Grand Rapids. This trail had multiple routes that intersected each other, so you could take a different route each time. It offered some of the steep elevation changes we were looking for. Of course, we would pack our backpacks, try them on, and weigh them for each practice hike. Each time, we would repack them and do the cycle all over again. We did this until just moments before we took our first steps into the Porcupine Mountains.

The first morning of our journey, we started off in the Lake Superior Trailhead parking lot, having had a large breakfast that we wouldn’t be able to replicate for some time. The trail began easily enough with a partially paved path and a wooden deck overlooking the Manabezho Falls and stairs leading along the Presque Isle River. However, the ease of the hike was short-lived, as the wooden stairs and paved path soon gave way to muddy slip-and-slides and vertical drops. The trail was littered with fallen trees that we had to maneuver over, under, or around. We followed the Lake Superior Trail, traveling up and down and up again as we crossed the small tributaries of Lake Superior. Stepping stones, broken boards, and fallen trees were our bridges. We stopped for lunch at Pinkerton Creek. Everyone had packed their own food for the trip, and backpacking stoves and fuel canisters started to appear. Some chose Ramen or freeze-dried meals, while others had pouch chicken in a tortilla wrap, trail mix, and beef jerky. Everything was shelf-stable, quick, and easy. Some of the boys took off their shoes to wade into the water. We soon discovered that we weren't alone: sucker fish were all over the creek, in water that wouldn’t go much higher than our ankles. We couldn’t step anywhere without startling a group of them and seeing water splash everywhere as they tried to get away. After cleaning up our lunch, we continued on the trail, eventually reaching Little Carp River and after that, Big Carp River. We spent some time on the large rock that jetted out into Big Carp River to rest and recoup. We then turned away from Lake Superior and followed Big Carp Trail inland. This is when our climb began. We gained 250 feet in elevation over the next mile and a half until we reached our campsite for the night. It was down near Big Carp River, just past the Shining Cloud Falls. We set up our tents and hammocks, fixed our dinner, hung our bear bag and our smellables on the pole. Some of the boys even played in the shallow water of Big Carp River before eventually going to bed. That night, it rained.

We woke the next morning to find that some of us had gotten wet during the night, and the river was now higher and a dingy brown color, full of the sediment that the rain had brought downstream. We had our breakfast, packed up our camp, and began on our way again. Some of us were carrying more weight than before because of the gear that had been saturated by the rain. And some of us were a little short on water, having not filled up the night before and not wanting to fill with the dirty water that currently flowed down the river. Today was a slow but steady incline up to the highest points that we would reach on this trip. The trail was still muddy with the fresh rain, and the trees continued to block our path. Today we had to forge the Big Carp River not once, but twice. Pants changed to shorts, and hiking boots changed to water shoes and Crocs. The first crossing was up to our knees and cold but refreshing. The second crossing was just over a mile later and high enough to get the bottom of our shorts wet. We stopped

for lunch at the second crossing, some having crossed and some still yet to cross. The river

had cleared of the sediment, so we filled our water bottles and hydration packs and

continued on. From here, we climbed higher and higher; we would gain 850 feet in elevation before the day was over. The incline was difficult, and we fought our way to the top. When we stepped out of the trees onto the summit, there was no question that it was time to rest and take in the natural beauty. The breeze in our faces and the view were both majestic and awe-inspiring. From there, we could see the Lake of the Clouds, our destination for the night. This reenergized us, and we continued on. At the Lake of the Clouds, we met up with our support team and had dinner with them as we set up camp. We hung the gear that had been soaked from the night before out to dry. In the morning, we would get our resupply.

Now the question is: how do you celebrate a birthday while you are on the trail? One person in our group had that answer, with freeze-dried ice cream and candy by way of our resupply. They would get a chance to properly celebrate after the trip is done. After breakfast, packing up camp, and getting our resupply, we continued on. The two hardest and longest days were behind us. From here, it is literally downhill. It should be easy, right? I will say that it was easier, but going downhill compared to uphill is just a different set of muscles being used. The trail wasn’t muddy, and the trees were fewer, but the trail was loose rock and

steep declines. We stopped at an overlook of Lake Superior for lunch. We were headed over the mountain to connect back up with the Lake Superior Trail. We dropped 750 feet in elevation before we hit Lake Superior. From there, we turned southwest, and we were officially on our way back. We started to see more of what we had seen the first couple days with mud and fallen trees. There were boards that had been placed over wet areas that were now dry, and stepping stones through the mud. After a mile and a half of following the lakeshore, we came to our camp for the night. Tonight, we camped on Lake Superior. The boys swam in the frigid waters to a large rock that was about 75 yards offshore. The ones that brought hammocks set up as close to the beach as possible and left the rainfly off so they could see the stars.

The next morning, we woke to the fog rolling in on the still lake to the point that you couldn’t tell where the lake ended and the sky began; the only sign was the loons playing offshore. We packed up camp, had our breakfast, and started off on the last full day of our journey. The trail stayed relatively flat, not changing more than 100 feet in elevation either way. There were a few steep inclines that we came across. We followed the Lake Superior shoreline, with much of the same terrain that we had encountered before. We came across swampy marsh areas that had boards laid out to cross and bridges that were uniquely engineered for the tributaries that they crossed. Some of

these bridges were broken and in disrepair to the point that we had to cross one at a time for fear that it would not be able to hold much weight. We found an opening onto Lake Superior and had lunch on the rocky beach. We crossed over Big Carp River once more and made it to camp just off Little Carp River by mid-afternoon. We took the opportunity to rest

and relax. Some of the boys played in Lake Superior, others took naps on the nearby rocks,

while the adults sat in the shallow river where the water was warmer. During this trip, mosquitoes were abundant, and some of the boys had hundreds of bites to prove it, but on that day, the mosquitoes were not the problem. Black flies began to move in off the lake. They never really swarmed, but they were biting enough to be a nuisance. We stayed in the river as long as we dared before moving up to the camp and enjoying the fire. That night, we spent our last night on the trail.

The next morning, we woke, had our breakfast, and packed up. We made our way to Pinkerton Creek Trail and followed it, passing by Traders Falls and to our final destination at the Pinkerton Trailhead. That morning, we left the trail behind us and would go on to Union Bay Campground, where our support team was, and we would celebrate with showers and a steak dinner. This trip was more than just a scout campout. It was an adventure that will leave lasting memories for everyone involved. There will be inside jokes and phrases that will be used later on like "nice for ice" and "just two more minutes." The obstacles and challenges that we faced brought us together and made us closer as a group. This accomplishment is something that can never be taken from these boys. They did something that few adults would even attempt, and even fewer would accomplish. For that, I am proud.

I want to thank everyone that had a part in this trip: The parents and grandparents that brought the boys to the practice hikes and the endless pack checks; all the adults that took the time to go on this trip, including the support team that was there as we started our journey, resupplied us and as we came off the trail; and the ones that made the journey. Without all of you, this would not have been possible.