2 August 2017, Wednesday

We wake this morning and exit Wglwof, our Marmot tent (‘Marmot” when viewed upside down while lying on the tent floor looks like wglwof) to bake spiced fruit and nut muffins for breakfast. Next we are off on Forest Road H58 on a scenic drive to Grand Marais MI. Here we visit Lake Superior Brewing Company for lunch accompanied by a Granite Brown ale and Cabin Fever ESB. Both beers are delicious.

The road from Munising to Grand Marais is winding and the 55 mile drive takes almost two hours, so we do not have time to stop for any of the side hikes on the way back. We have a reservation for a Pictured Rocks cruise at 5 pm. We arrive at cruise headquarters shortly after 4, only to discover that all cruises for the day have been cancelled due to high winds. Waves out on Lake Superior are reported at 7-9 feet, and a small craft advisory has been posted. We reschedule for tomorrow morning and visit the local bookstore and cafe to console ourselves with a Munising Marvel, a sundae with chocolate brownie, dark chocolate and cappuccino ice cream and hot fudge. We are consoled!

We spend the rest of the evening exploring the area around Miner’s Castle, (a rock formation on lake’s edge) Miner’s Beach and Miner’s Falls. As we walk up to the Miner’s Castle lookout we can see the afternoon sun striking Pictured Rocks in the distance. A young mom with a three year old in tow exclaims, “Oh, it’s absolutely beautiful!” With just as much conviction, her daughter replies, “No it’s not!” O and I share some chuckles as we consider various futures for the little girl.

Back at camp we strike our tarp while it is dry. There is a 100% chance of rain tomorrow evening. We hope to pack Wglwof dry in the morning and sleep in Vincent tomorrow night.