The holiday decorations are up all year here in Christmas. We are feeling like we got a great present when we pulled into a shaded site and plugged into that free electricity! Merry Christmas to us!
Free electricity is nice, but the real reason we are here is the Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore, just a few miles down the road. We visited the national park ranger station to get more advice on things to do along this beautiful shoreline. The first advice was to hike to Munising Falls.
We know that waterfalls are best in the spring when the snow is melting and swelling the rivers. By August, many of the rivers that feed the waterfalls are down to a trickle. Today we found that trickle at Munising Falls.
The other recommendation we got was a ten-mile loop hike that included a nice stretch of Lake Superior's southern coast line that has made this area famous.
But to get to that coastline, we have a 3.5-mile walk first. So we headed to the Chapel Rock trail for a little exercise. As proof that this is a popular hike, the closest parking space was close to a half-mile from the trail head. Temperatures were in the low 70s, and it was a very comfortable hike in the shade for that section. We had a nice stop at Chapel Falls along the way.
After walking more than an hour in the complete shade of the forest, the path suddenly opened up and we saw Chapel Rock for the first time.
There's a lone tree on top of the rock. It survives because its roots stretch across the chasm that separates Chapel Rock from the cliff wall.
Mark was pretty sure he could walk across those roots so he could stand on top of Chapel Rock. Denisa was pretty sure he should not, and for once he listened to the voice of reason.
We took several pictures of the lovely rock formation, and took pictures for fellow hikers. It was fun to watch as new hikers first approached this area and let out little gasps as they took in the beauty of the rocks and the water for the first time.
We have witnessed the sparkling blue waters of Lake Superior before, but today it reminded us of the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.
After we pulled ourselves away from the views from high above the water, it was time to make the descent to the beach. From down here we could get a different angle of Chapel Rock and its lone tree.
We had packed a picnic, and we found a beautiful spot in the shade to eat today.
We also have a special lunch. We stopped by a local cafe to buy a pasty. This is one of the U.P.'s signature foods, and it made a great picnic lunch. First made for the immigrants that were working in the iron mines all day, it is a balanced meal of meat and potatoes and vegetables baked inside pie crust. It worked as a hearty meal for a miner, and it could be held in one hand. It also worked as a hearty meal for a couple hikers. It was delicious, and tasted like hand-held chicken pot pie.
Chapel Beach is covered with fine white sand. But about a foot from the wave line, the sand turns to stones.
After an hour of beach time, the hiking boots are back on and we're ready for the second section of our hike.
Our hike continued for a 4.3-mile stretch along the cliffs over-looking pictured rocks.
We easily stretched this into five miles because we kept leaving the trail to see the views along the edge of the cliffs.
These tall white cliffs make a dramatic statement next to the clear blue water.
The crowds have thinned considerably, as fewer people will take the time to hike the entire loop. We're glad that we're blessed with the time to take the long hikes because this was where we found the best views.
The cliffs get taller and steeper as we continue. You can barely see Mark standing on the tree-lined edge of this white cliff.
We make friends with fellow hikers, as we exchange photo-taking duties in this beautiful playground. We have now hiked to the Grand Portal, where the white rocks stretch far over the lake.
It is so grand that we can take turns taking pictures of each other standing at the edge of the cliff. Denisa is taking a picture of Mark on the edge . . .
while Mark takes a picture of Denisa standing on the cliff on the other side. While we both feel very safe where we are standing, it makes us nervous to see how steep and tall that cliff face is beneath our spouse.
Far in the distance, we can see the silhouette of an arch.
We keep hiking along the trail, peeking out to the cliffs to see that the arch is getting bigger as we draw closer.
We have definitely wandered into another of God's wonders today, and we've been blessed with the perfect weather as well.
The cruise boats far below us are getting a nice view, but we think ours might even be better.
We take one more look at that beautiful clear water as we arrive at Mosquito Beach. Not our favorite name for such a pretty place, but we're glad to say we haven't been bothered by bugs at all today. A fellow hiker told us that August is the perfect time to visit here--after the stable flies of July are gone.
From above, we watch as kayakers glide through "Lover's Leap," the second arch we've seen today.
After such an epic hike along the coast, it's anti-climactic to turn away from the water for the trip back to the car. We're now on the 3-mile section through the woods to get back to the parking at the trail head. It's a walk filled with trees and ferns on this boring part of the trail.
We had read that the 10-mile loop on the ranger's map is really closer to 12-miles in actual steps. With all our extra steps to see additional views and steps spent exploring the beach, we went way over that. Plus, remember that we had to park almost a half-mile from the trail head because of all the other cars. Denisa was glad that Mark volunteered to make that trip to the car, and pick her up at the trail head. Denisa's old beat-up Garmin often exaggerates, but her tired legs won't argue that it felt like 14.91 miles--a very long hike!
No matter how far, it was an epic hike. We've been blessed today--it was another great Christmas present while we're living here in Christmas, Michigan.
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