a dreamy weekend in the Porcupine Mountains

+ feeling like a wimp & bailing on my shakeout trip

Backpacking is type 2 fun. It’s not always enjoyable at the moment, but in retrospect it’s pretty dang fun. I love type 2 fun. Backpacking reminds me that I can do hard things. “Do hard things” and “miles & smiles” have become my mantras during thru-hike training. My recent trip to the Porkies was full of smiles and only a few hard moments. BUT–before I get into my glorious weekend in the Porkies, I need to fill you in on how I bailed on my shakeout trip.

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I can do hard things… can’t I?

A shakeout trip is typically a short, practice hike used to test gear, practice techniques, and refine the game plan before a larger, more serious backpacking adventure. I was confident in my gear, but thought it would be good to make sure nothing broke over the winter, and I wanted to pack/unpack the gear a few times as there is truly an art to packing a 35L pack. In true Julia fashion, I made my “short” shakeout trip a 20+ mile adventure. When I left Baraboo the weather was looking great and I was very excited. I was going to hike some of my favorite IAT segments in the Southern Kettle Moraine and camp at a DCA on the Waterville Segment. I wasn’t even 7 miles in when a storm rolled in. It started with a whole lot of lightning and was quickly followed by a whole lot of rain. Not long after that, my phone buzzed to let me know there was a severe thunderstorm in my area. So I did what I always do when I need to shut down my worries—I called Hayden.

Hayden informed me that he was also tracking the thunderstorms and said that he thought it would be over in a few hours if I could find somewhere to wait it out, but then we saw the 30MPH winds that were expected overnight. Hayden offered to come and get me because I was now almost 8 miles from my car. I knew that would be ridiculous—I was an hour and a half from home. Thankfully my mom was not up at the cabin in Lake Delton and was at their home Waukesha. I made it to the Scuppernong Trailhead and waited under the shelter for my mom to come pick me up. Thanks, Mom!

I felt like such a wimp. I couldn’t make it through a little rain? I adore the Southern KM, why can’t I stick it out? I sent a voice memo to my coach, Chellie, telling her all of this. I was feeling like a wimp and couldn’t believe I was bailing. I can do hard things… can’t I?

She so graciously reminded me that just because I could have made it through the storm & 30+ MPH winds doesn’t mean I need to. There is nothing wrong with asking for help and prioritizing safety. She was right, of course, but it was still hard to swallow.

The night ended up being fabulous nonetheless. My mom took me back to my car and we enjoyed the amazing fish fry at Nite Cap Inn in Palmyra (a new IAT community!) before heading back to my parents’ for a movie night.

The Porkies

My time in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, however, was basically the most romanticized backpacking trip. Over memorial day weekend, I did a 2 night, 36 mile trip with my big sister, Haley. The Prokies are in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and known for the beautiful shoreline along Lake Superior and challenging hiking trails along some steep ridges. The area is also known for lots and lots of bugs.

Thankfully, when I say this was a romanticized backpacking trip I mean it. We had no bugs. None. We didn’t see a single tick or mosquito. (Maybe it was the permethrin?) I couldn’t believe it. We had great mild weather— in the upper 50s during the day and the mid 30s at night. Lastly, for a holiday weekend, the trails were surprisingly not busy. It was wild! I seriously couldn’t have dreamt it any better!!

Another cool thing about the Prokies is they have a bunch of backcountry cabins– the one we peeked into had 2 sets of bunk beds and a dining table. I think all of the cabins we passed were on a body of water and most of them had canoes for renters to use. Most also had a nearby privy! These would make for a glamorous backpacking trip. Some can even be accessed with less than 3 miles of hiking! I hope to go back and stay in one of these.

All backcountry cabins and campsites must be reserved ahead of time online. You can book 6 months in advance. When we got our permits we were told all, but one site was booked for the night. It was a holiday weekend, but I would recommend planning early so you can do the route you want.

Now for our itinerary: I found this route on AllTrails and used it to plan the trip.

Day 1 - Lake of the Clouds to South Mirror Lake (12.5 miles) We arrived at the Porkies and checked in to get our backpacking permit. We made our way to Lake of the Clouds where we would be leaving the car. We headed out for the Escarpment Trail (around 12:30 pm) which provided us with great views and photo ops of Lake of the Clouds.

From the Escarpment Trail we followed Government Peak Trail which would have lots of elevation for us to climb. It was challenging, but nothing unbearable. We would make our last turn and head for Mirror Lake. Mirror Lake is beautiful. The South Mirror Lake campsites have a bear pole, bear boxes, a backcountry privy (that was shockingly gross for this early in the season– I preferred a hole) and a gorgeous place to watch the sun rise/set. We camped at SML4. Sites SML 1-3 are right on the water. SML4, where we were, is up a short, but very steep hill. Although the privacy was nice, it wasn’t fun to go up and down this hill in camp shoes to get water and put the food away in the bear bin.

This would be our hardest day of hiking, but it was beautiful the whole day.

Alternate route: We could have taken the North Mirror Lake Trail from Lake of the Clouds for a ~4 mile hike this day. That would skip the challenging Government Peak Trail. However, I wanted miles on my feet/under my pack and to see as much of this beautiful wilderness as I could.

Day 2 - South Mirror Lake to Lake Superior via Little Carp River (10.7 miles) After a leisure morning at camp we set out on the Little Carp River Trail. This would make for such a fun day! The river was beautiful. We ate lunch around 5 miles in, right below the Greenstone Falls Cabin, at a beautiful spot on the river. We had 3 water crossings– 1 we were able to rock hop & 2 were shoes off, sandals on.

Another very beautiful day of hiking, but with much easier trails.

We camped at LC11. There are quite a few sites right on the shores of Lake Superior, but after camping on Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior (x3) last summer, I prefer a site slightly off the water to have some protection from wind. LC-11 is perfectly off the water, but close enough you can still see the lake. The beach, just a short walk from camp, is amazing for watching the sunset! Highly recommend staying up for it.

Day 3 - Little Carp River to Lake of the Clouds (11.3 miles) I really liked this day. We left camp and hiked the Lake Superior Trail all the way out. You walk along the water on a rocky beach and up and down ridges in a gorgeous forest. After a while there was some significant mud/water on the trail, but nothing impassable. At the end you have a steep climb to the Lake Superior Trail Trailhead. From there, you can drop your pack and do the 1 mile road walk back to the Lake of the Clouds parking lot. This road walk is STEEP and scary if there is traffic, so if you see anyone at the Lake Superior Trail Trailhead I would ask for a ride.

This day on the beautiful trail along the lake was so special. It really had me feeling like a backpacking baddie!

Reminder: hike your own hike

No matter who you are hiking with, I would encourage you to hike your own hike. I love my sister, she is my best friend, but we hike at very different paces. It’s okay to hike at your own pace, just make sure everyone knows where they are going (has a map and knows how to use it) and have a set meeting spot. The first day we did the first 6 miles together before going at our own paces. We hiked the whole second day together and the whole third day apart. We both had a great time!

It can be frustrating for one person to slow their pace and exhausting for another trying to keep up. I recommend setting realistic expectations and just being a good communicator. You may need to express your needs, or set a boundary.

Hike your own hike. It is so worth it!

Up next: What I do about ticks + homemade/grocery store backpacking meals