Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Pt. 1

It was about a nine hour drive up to the Porkies. Pretty uneventful, but about five hours into it, you start encountering rolling hills, lakes, and rivers all around you as you drive through the Ottawa National Forest. A quiet and scenic drive.


Road into the park.

After getting to the park, it was too late to start hiking. I set up shop in the Lake of the Clouds parking lot to go over my gear, figuring I would start my hike from there the next day anyway.


Avoiding actual confrontations with bears is easy, but protecting your food is a different story. I've heard stories of bears cutting supporting ropes, finding and retrieving water-submerged stashes, or even sending their cubs up trees to climb branches unable to support an adult.

I spent some time walking around the nearby area to stretch my legs and enjoy the few remaining hours of sunlight. Near the parking lot were a couple scenic views of the surrounding park and the famous Lake of the Clouds:


A popular view of the Lake of the Clouds. It is a huge lake surrounded by old growth forests, resting in a valley between two small mountains. I spent some time on the various ledges soaking it in.

After I finished checking out the immediate area, I backtracked about 10 miles to make my dinner on the beach and watch the sunset.


This was the only night I was able to get a clear view of the sky. The weather took an abrupt turn for the worse the next day.

I eventually decided to head back to the parking lot to recheck my gear, pack it in, and try to get some uncomfortable sleep in my car before heading out the next morning.