Lake of the Clouds and a Forest Hike
OK, here’s another post about our trip in July to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. One day we decided to see the Lake in the Clouds in the Porcupine Mountains, about a 45 minute drive from our cabin. We found parking at the trail head, and then it was a short walk to an escarpment with a view of the lake.
Lake of the Clouds is at about a 1,000 foot elevation. Light blue sky, deep blue water, and the intense forest green.
We could look down and see the Carp River, snaking its way through the woods.
Here’s a wider view.
After we had gotten our fill of views, we decided to head to a nearby trail and take a short hike.
I wish I could remember the name of the trail we hiked that day. What I can remember is that it was quite soggy. Wooden boards were helpfully laid down to keep hikers from losing their shoes in the mud.
Sometimes I felt like I was wearing green-tinted glasses. The Porcupine Mountains have the largest remaining stand of old growth forest in the Midwest. Ferns thrive in the moist shade. For decades the Upper Peninsula was logging country, but a few farsighted souls managed to protect this area and a few others.
We saw a number of frogs. Judy couldn’t quite get a clear shot of this critter.
There was plenty of Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) growing in the understory. I grow its cousin, Purple-Flowering Raspberry (Rubus odoratus), in our garden. Thimbleberry is the more shade tolerant of the two, which makes sense when you look at those broad leaves.
This place was a moss-lovers paradise. Sadly I know almost nothing about moss. I’m guessing one of my readers can identify this particular species.
Though we were Lichen (get it?) our hike, we had exceeded our daily quota of mosquito bites and it was time to head back to the cabin.
I’m glad this small remnant of the North Woods remains. It is one of few places within a day’s drive of Chicago that offers a degree of solitude and a hint of the old forests that once covered vast expanses in this part of North America. Judy and I should make a point of visiting again.
It is wonderful to see such an area of wilderness within an hour of Chicago…something I would not have expected, and as you say, it gives you a hint of the expanse of old forests from times gone by. I like the flower and the name Thimbleberry….lovely.
It’s more like an 8 hour drive, but something you can travel in a day.
Sounds like and looks like it was bliss until the mosquitoes took over. I have never seen the hawkweed in our area. I don’t doubt it will pop up here sometime. Like the teasel that I used to only see further north. It is now invading our ditch rows.
The Hawkweed seems to like places with cooler summers.
Looks beautiful.
Thanks.
We live in the woods so I know all about mosquitoes and how irritating they can be.Still, the beauty and the abundant life in the forest is a joy to behold, as your post so beautifully shows.
I loved the lushness with all the moss and ferns.
If you want to hike in mosquito territory, Avon’s ‘Skin-So-Soft’ is a very effective repellant. It doesn’t keep them from whining about your ears to make you crazy but you would be amazed at the absence of actual bites.
Thanks for the tip! We have used standard repellents like deet. Somewhat effective, though they smell awful.
What a peaceful (except for the mosquitoes) and beautiful hike. I hope you and Judy do return so that I can vicariously enjoy this again. Is the park open in winter? Might be interesting to see how it looks covered in white.
I’m not sure. Though there is a lot of winter tourism in the UP, for snowmobiling (yuck) and skiing (mostly xcountry).
That’s a beautiful place!
The moss is actually a club moss and it looks like shining club moss (Huperzia lucidula.)
It looks like the frog’s left front leg was very near to an orchid, which I’m guessing wasn’t blooming.
Thanks for the ID. So is a club moss not the same as a moss?
No, a clubmoss is a vascular plant and a true moss is not.
OK, thanks for the clarification.
Those views are amazing! I’ve not been to that part of Michigan before. I’ll have to put it on my list of places to visit. All those ferns are dreamy!
You’d probably enjoy the UP. Just be prepared for mosquitoes (also black flies, depending on time of year).
I was really taken by how many different types of moss there are when we walked a trail in British Columbia. Don’t know much about them either, but they certainly are intriguing & beautiful.
Agreed. They give everything a soft, fairly tale quality.
I’ve also enjoyed that part of the UP and can’t wait to go back even though it is more than a day’s drive from central Ohio. Thimbleberry is a wonderful plant. Monks in the UP make jelly from it.
I didn’t know about Thimbleberry jelly – sounds excellent.
Lichen the woods — you should be ashamed of yourself! But thank you for the smile.
I find a good pun to be irresistable – and a bad pun even more so.
I’m with you on both.
Oeange Hawkweed is a rare naive in most of the UK now and so we get excited when we spot it. It is a beautiful plant but invasive if it gets into your garden as we have found out. We are struggling with a patch now.
Beautiful place! The overhead view of the Carp river going through the woods reminds me a little of pictures of the Amazon, but of course on a much smaller scale! It sure is lush there!
I guess that rivers take that snaky shape when the land is very flat and wet.
This is incredible. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome!