June 14, 2024
Satisfying And Delicious
Porcupine Mountains Union Lake/Big Bear Campground
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The next most interesting fact was the one about the lake containing approximately three quadrillion gallons of water. That's such a mind-boggling number that I had to look up how to write it numerically. Here it is: 3,000,000,000,000,000. That's more gallons than all the gallons of beer my friends and I drank in college.
"Man does not exist for cycling alone. Verily, I say unto you, 'experience the great outdoors in a multitude of ways.'" Thus spoke Greggarceau.
Accordingly, I started my day--after coffee of course--by hiking to the scenic highlight of the eastern side of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness. I was pretty pumped up about seeing the Falls of the Presque Isle River.
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2 months ago
Part Two: The Cycling Part
Back at the civilized, yet rustic campground, I packed up all my camping gear, changed into my biking costume, pumped some fresh water from the well, and started the bike tripping portion of my day. It was another pleasant one, that's for sure.
It was also another festival of view-blockers. I'm talking about 29 straight miles of nothing but trees on both sides of the road. The Ottawa National Forest's view-blockers were on the right, and The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park's view-blockers were on the left.
To be honest, there were a lot of ferns and wildflowers too, but they don't block the view.
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I had stopped for a snack & water break when I took the above picture. That's where I suffered my first attack from a horde of mosquitoes. At first, I took it like a man and continued to chug water and eat spoonfuls of peanut butter. When I could take it no longer, I started pedaling again, thinking I could outrace them.
It was on a four-mile ascent, so I was wrong. Those savages were as fast as me. I didn't count the number of mosquito bites I got before I finally dug out the 100% DEET, but I'd say it was at least 40. I'll also say I didn't get another bite after that.
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It's a bit of a shock to the senses when you ride out of a 29-mile gauntlet of view-blockers and suddenly you come to T-intersection and there is nothing in front of you but the freedom of a gigantic expanse of blue water. Where nothing obstructs your view except a road sign.
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2 months ago
2 months ago
I know Hawaii has some famous beaches. So do a lot of states along the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. I've even heard the Mediterranean Riviera and Coastal Australia have some popular ones. So do a lot of other countries.
As for me, you can have them! I'll take these beautiful Lake Superior beaches any time. Sure, the water is only 40-degrees (F), but that only makes the U.P. beaches more adventurous. Feeling hot? A jump into Lake Superior will cool you off faster than a jump into any of the above-named waters.
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2 months ago
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Part Three: Where Things Advanced From Pleasant to Fantastic
The beach was right in front of the campground, so I walked down there frequently to check on the advancement of the sun toward the lake. I wanted to see the sun set into the greatest and most beautiful lake in the world.
I was pretty tired, but I had to be patient. Somewhere along today's ride I had crossed into the Eastern Time Zone. Here on the very western edge of the Eastern Time Zone, the sun doesn't set until almost 10:00 p.m.
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2 months ago
Part Four: What Beer Does
Have you ever had the pleasure of consuming two (update: three) cans of Two Hearted Ale while writing in a notebook at a campsite picnic table? If not, I'm here to tell you it's “satisfying and delicious.” It was as if Michigan's own Bell's Brewery “mixes it with love and makes the world taste good.”
Not only am I good at ripping off lyrics from a silly song made famous by Sammy Davis, Jr., but I'm also good at sharing Ernest Hemingway trivia—like this gem: Michigan's own Bell's Brewing Company got the name for its signature IPA from a famous Hemingway short story called “The Big Two Hearted River.” The story is about a dude who just returned from the trenches of World War I and went to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to unwind. I can relate to that. His way to unwind was to hike, camp, and hook trout with grasshoppers. MY way to unwind is to bike, camp, and search for bears and mooses.
I'm sure you've noticed how his story and my journal share the same theme concerning the redemptive powers of nature. I don't claim to be the Hemingway of bicycle touring journals but, well, the proof is in the pasty. The only difference between us is that he won a Pulitzer Prize and, so far, I haven't.
Today's ride: 32 miles (51 km)
Total: 115 miles (185 km)
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Comment on this entry | Comment | 4 |
And I shall keep my fingers crossed for you that you come away from the tour without tick-borne or mozzie-borne illness!
2 months ago
I do kind of worry about the mosquitoes. I know they carry diseases and I've heard they kill more people than any other animal on earth.
2 months ago
2 months ago
I agree, those wide open spaces of Arizona make it one of my favorite states.
2 months ago