Trip Reports: Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park Summer 2023
During the early morning of July 9th, I headed to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (U.P.). While this trip is one I’ve made solo a couple of times, I’ve never headed to the U.P. in the middle of Summer. I’ve heard the horror stories of massive black flies, rabid mosquitoes, and overgrown wilderness that overtakes the U.P. during the summer months. I spent some time researching locations that I wanted to visit, some off which where off the grid and too remote to help alleviate my fears of a summer U.P. trip. After changing my plan multiple times, I decided to venture to a familiar location. I headed west to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. My goal was to spend around five full days (July 9th-July 14th) further exploring familiar locations and spending some time backpacking into the interior of the park. This is a day by day account of my Summer 2023 trip to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.
Day One: Sunday July 9th, 2023
Day one began at 4am as I departed for the 8-hour drive to the Porcupine Mountains or commonly referred to as “The Porkies”. I’ve recently started to compartmentalize the drives to some locations I frequently visit. By mentally telling myself that the drive can be broken up into different chunks, it makes the drive go by much faster. Couple this with an arsenal of freshly downloaded podcasts and music and it’s not an unbearable drive. I also challenged myself not to use maps to get to the Porkies, which worked out until I stopped in Marquette.
I arrived in the Porkies around 3pm, checked in, and headed to Union River Outpost. For the first two nights, I reserved spots at two established campsites instead of backcountry sites. From my spot at Union River Outpost, I could walk along the Union River and visit scenes that I first visited during my Fall 2022 trip. This area has a handful of smaller scenes with numerous waterfalls, cascades, bedrock formations, and small tracts of old-growth forest. I did create one image while visiting a scene I previously shot. “Sculpted” demonstrates the power of the Union River as it rushes and weaves through moss-covered bedrock formations.
Day Two: Monday July 10th, 2023
I woke up on Monday to the sound of rain. After the light rain subsided, I left camp to try to find a waterfall that eluded me during my last trip to the Porkies. As I made my way down the trail that hugs the Union River I became introduced to the mosquitoes that would become my nemesis during the rest of this trip. I was covered head to toe with my heavy-duty rain jacket on that I usually only use as a hardshell during the winter and coated in a fresh layer of Deet. I still managed to get bit during this short hike. To make matters worse, I did not find the waterfall, took a tumble and got water in my Muck Boots, and lost my Nalgene back in the canyon I was scouring for the waterfall. Dejected, wet, and covered in a cocktail of sweat and Deet, I backtracked and found my Nalgene (which did improve my mood slightly). I did not make any images this first morning, but did come back to camp with a dozen fresh mosquito bites!
I packed up camp around noon, and headed to the Presque Isle area at the west end of the park. After setting up camp I spent the afternoon scouting the Presque Isle River for images that would work closer to sunset or early the following morning. The one problem with summer photography is that the days are long, and the sun is higher in the sky than in the fall and winter. Couple this with blue skies and an overload of green colors it was difficult to find a scene with good light and natural contrast. I did not make any images on my first full day in the Porkies but was optimistic for the photographic opportunities to come in the following days.
Day Three: Tuesday July 11th, 2023
On the morning of day three the temperature was 51 degrees (Fahrenheit). This was a welcome change as for a moment the mosquitoes were nowhere to be seen. As I packed up my camera gear for the morning, I noticed that between every finger on my right hand there were mosquito bites and every time I moved my fingers I could feel the bites rubbing against each other. Definitely a sign of things to come as the week progressed. I started day three by walking along the boardwalk to the waterfalls that are found throughout the Presque Isle area. I visited some old scenes that I had photographed before and made a few images that I am looking forward to refining in the fall.
After exploring some of the North Country Trail along the western boundary of the park (and experiencing more mosquitoes) I headed up to Lake of the Clouds to start the backpacking portion of the trip. I initially packed my bag for 2.5 days of hiking and headed out to my first site at Government Peak #2 (GP-2). The hike along the Big Carp River Valley’s escarpment was quite difficult, with elevation changes that made my knees thankful for trekking poles. It was quite warm and despite the slight breeze at the higher elevation, the mosquitoes were still present. During my trek, I made note of some images that would look great adorned with fall color. After getting to GP-2, I setup camp, made dinner, filtered some water, and hung my food bag on the bear pole away from my tent before going to bed.
Day Four: Wednesday July 12th, 2023
Day four was almost a breaking point. When I woke up at GP-2 the mosquitoes were relentless. I had been bitten so frequently that my shoulders were covered in bumps and bites, and the buzzing around my face (thankful for my head net) was becoming quite an annoyance at this point. After having breakfast and packing up camp I headed up the Government Peak Trail towards Trap Falls. After getting to Trap Falls, I scouted around for images that would look great in the fall. I found a few new scenes I quite enjoyed and pressed onward towards Government Peak (the second highest point in the park). After getting to Government Peak, I reassessed my planned hiking route.
I was planning on taking a 30-mile loop around the interior of the park. This route could be done in three days and had a long 16-mile day on Thursday. After three days of no showers except for a continual reapplication of Deet, and a relationship with the mosquitoes that was not friendly, I decided to head back to the Lake of the Clouds parking area and drive to the trailheads closest to my reserved backcountry sites instead of my planned 30 mile odyssey.
After having lunch at the Lake of the Clouds parking area, I headed towards the Little Carp River trailhead. This location was a favorite of mine back in the fall. This trail has numerous cascades and is home to some very large old-growth hardwoods. Before hiking into Little Carp #2 (LC-2), I made a few images that would look much better with fall color and would benefit from more time for refinement (cue mosquito attack). Once getting to LC-2, I made camp and dinner. This camp was next to the biggest Red Pine I’ve ever seen. This tree had another tree growing out of it’s roots and at one point used to be taller as the top of the tree split off some time ago. While going to filter water I slipped on this tree’s root that was exposed. I landed on my back with some force (almost knocking the wind out of me) and had a black and blue bruise on my right hip and upper back. Definitely a humbling moment and a reminder that if not careful, nature will get the best of you.
Day Five: Thursday July 13th, 2023
On the morning of day five I hiked out of LC-2 early enough to catch the morning light peering into the forest. During this hike out I made the image “Green Manalishi”. This image is my favorite of the trip and showcases the beautiful chaos of the Porkies old-growth forests. The term “Manalishi” is found within the music of various artists (Fleetwood Mac, Judas Priest) and the “Green Manalishi” means the “devil manifested as a wad of cash”. I like this title as it relates well to old-growth forests. Today there are only so many old-growth areas left in the world. Some of these areas are protected (like the Porkies) and some are not. Those who look to log these old-growth areas only see these majestic woodlands as dollar signs seeking to only make money off an ecosystem that greatly benefits our planet. The “Green Manalishi” unfortunately is present today throughout the world’s oldest woodlands. I think this image showcases the beauty and uniqueness of these ancient woodlands that we must strive to protect and ensure their survival for future generations to come.
I spent the rest of day five exploring various sections of the park. I spent some time relaxing along the shore of Lake Superior before heading to Government Peak trailhead to make the climb up to my final backcountry site Escarpment #1 (ES-1). ES-1 is one of the best sites in the park, with sprawling views of the Big Carp River Valley below. This site has no water sources, so I carried six liters of water up to ES-1. This was a difficult hike with a heavy pack, so I took my time. Once getting to ES-1, I made camp, relaxed with all my mosquito friends, and looked for potential images. As the day turned to night, the light never really materialized and I ended up not making images from ES-1. I enjoyed the sights and sounds of the Porkies and reflected on the past week.
From the strenuous hiking to the blood-thirsty mosquito horde, this trip wasn’t easy. It was a humbling experience that built a new appreciation for a place I highly revere. When I woke up on the morning of July 14th, I was greeted by the familiar buzz of mosquitoes. I packed up camp and headed back to the car at the Government Peak trailhead. As this trip came to an end, I looked forward to autumn and exploring the valleys, rivers, waterfalls, and old-growth forests of the Porcupine Mountains once more.
With no Mosquitoes…
Thanks for reading and supporting my work,
Josh