On day 3 we covered the equivalent of 33 road miles. We followed a fairly direct route, so our mileage would be pur'near this figure.
CK5
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Adventures with Big Blue
- Thread starter campfire
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Great job. looks like a fun time! I really appreciate you posting the pics and the narrative.
It was a blast. Yous guys should come up here next time, eh?
Awesome write up Ethan. Makes me want to go next year.
Thanks. Only one of the campsites (the cliff top) would have been cramped with more rigs. Everywhere else had lots of room for additional campers.
Euchre. Mention that around these parts and people look at you like you have a horn growing out of your forehead. Fun to play with a few beers. One of the few things I miss from my Michigan days. First time I played was at a buddy's cabin up on Sage Lake north of Saginaw. Game went on for hours and got pretty cut throat as time and beers progressed. My skill sucked.
Great write up. Good adventure.
Great write up. Good adventure.
Again, great job on the trip report. I'm sure I speak for most that read this, that you inspire us all to get our and grab some adventure!
Mission accomplished!
It sure is a fun time, but I understand how the time & fuel add up. For someone coming a long way, it may be possible to bum a ride with someone (Blazer Bash style). T'would be a shame for someone to miss out simply because the truck is still in pieces (like my preferred rig is) or because 8MPG trucks are an arm and a leg to drive cross-country.
Compared to my 2 runs to the West UP this year, that would only have been about 25% more driving from Dallas. I will probably also have 3 runs to the central UP by November, totaling 4140 miles - 60% more driving than a single trip for you. What's the point? I don't know - just trying to put it in a different perspective.
I'm getting like 12MPG in expedition mode, but 2 of the shorter trips would be closer to 20 in the XL.
I'm getting like 12MPG in expedition mode, but 2 of the shorter trips would be closer to 20 in the XL.
The wind howled all night. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but the canopy blew over and there was some stuff-collecting to do when the sun rose. Back in the sheltered spot we had no issues, but next time we might hafta rig up some anchors for the camping kitchen.
The waves were higher than they had been the night before. The places where I stood to take evening pictures were now regularly drenched.
The water is so amazing to watch. It effortlessly buffets the shoreline with a power and authority completely unlike anything I encounter in "normal" daily life.
Off the shore sits the Gull Rock lighthouse, so I threw on the zoom lens to get a closer look. I should have brought a telescope or binoculars or something. It's almost guaranteed that I'll never visit this light, but it would be neat to see it up close. The gallery looks empty, but it's kinda hard to tell without better optics.
Back at camp, the rain was lighter, so we hung the ponchos up to try to get ahead of the rain.
And then we hit the routes heading around the point.
How's this for a saw?
The waves were higher than they had been the night before. The places where I stood to take evening pictures were now regularly drenched.
The water is so amazing to watch. It effortlessly buffets the shoreline with a power and authority completely unlike anything I encounter in "normal" daily life.
Off the shore sits the Gull Rock lighthouse, so I threw on the zoom lens to get a closer look. I should have brought a telescope or binoculars or something. It's almost guaranteed that I'll never visit this light, but it would be neat to see it up close. The gallery looks empty, but it's kinda hard to tell without better optics.
Back at camp, the rain was lighter, so we hung the ponchos up to try to get ahead of the rain.
And then we hit the routes heading around the point.
How's this for a saw?
We then shuffled passengers around a bit. Luke & I rode in his rig and then my rig, the girls rode opposite. Luke said it was weird seeing his truck in the mirror. 
I know some of this is terrain, but it sure looks like the right side is sagging worse than it was.
I know some of this is terrain, but it sure looks like the right side is sagging worse than it was.
Next stop was Bare Bluff. This sits about 1.5 miles back from the route, but it's well worth the hike. Pictures from the top of the world up at the top of the map.
Also encountered this largish spider out there. Kinda neat.
Also encountered this largish spider out there. Kinda neat.
We then wheeled around to Bete Grise for some swimming time. I had planned on Lake Superior being frigid (40*F is common), so we had not brought any bathing gear. And we had been dumped on all week, so we enjoyed some dry time. Next year maybe we'll hit the waves. 
You-know-who was out of gas again, so we stopped at Lac La Belle to do the tire-unloading dance.
Tank filled, we headed on down the road.
Stopped very briefly to get a shot of this waterfall. I have no idea who is standing up there, but it makes a humorous backdrop.
And then we drove along this nice piece of shoreline lined with trees.
Every few hundred feet the trees would clear out and reveal this.
And then go back to trees again.
While driving this route, Dave fell behind again. He fell behind lots of times during this trip (that's just the nature of winding forest trails), and my custom was to slow down until I had a visual. This time he came up slowly and flashed his lights. I decided that this meant he was waving me onward, so I took off again, and once again there was no Dave. So I pulled over again and waited for him to come up slowly. Slow wasn't normal, everywhere else we went Dave used his big block to catch up rather quickly. So I stayed put and he pulled up and yelled at me "I forgot to pay for my gas back there."
Luke was a ways ahead of us, but he and I had radios, so I relayed the message to him, and he pulled off for a roadside conference. The decision was made to press on and call the station when we returned to areas with cell phone service. So we pressed onward toward the town of Gay.
I still don't know why he was driving slowly, but I did learn 2 things. Flashing headlights could mean many things, we should have established some sort of code ahead of time. But this also would have been easier if Dave had been carrying a radio like Luke and I were. Much easier to relay messages in real time that way.
Tank filled, we headed on down the road.
Stopped very briefly to get a shot of this waterfall. I have no idea who is standing up there, but it makes a humorous backdrop.
And then we drove along this nice piece of shoreline lined with trees.
Every few hundred feet the trees would clear out and reveal this.
And then go back to trees again.
While driving this route, Dave fell behind again. He fell behind lots of times during this trip (that's just the nature of winding forest trails), and my custom was to slow down until I had a visual. This time he came up slowly and flashed his lights. I decided that this meant he was waving me onward, so I took off again, and once again there was no Dave. So I pulled over again and waited for him to come up slowly. Slow wasn't normal, everywhere else we went Dave used his big block to catch up rather quickly. So I stayed put and he pulled up and yelled at me "I forgot to pay for my gas back there."
Luke was a ways ahead of us, but he and I had radios, so I relayed the message to him, and he pulled off for a roadside conference. The decision was made to press on and call the station when we returned to areas with cell phone service. So we pressed onward toward the town of Gay.
I still don't know why he was driving slowly, but I did learn 2 things. Flashing headlights could mean many things, we should have established some sort of code ahead of time. But this also would have been easier if Dave had been carrying a radio like Luke and I were. Much easier to relay messages in real time that way.
Welcome to Gay, the town. Or the Gay town. Your choice.
The Gay beach sits just outside the village and is formed by large piles of stamp sand from the local stamping mill. Unlike the other places we visited, this pile is set up as a scramble region. Fun ensued.
Smokestack from the stamping operation.
It's not sand, it's a fine crushed rock. The kind they use for the roads around here (no coincidence, there's a lot of it lying around). Hard on the feet and the tires, and doesn't cushion the landings as well as normal sand would.
The Gay beach sits just outside the village and is formed by large piles of stamp sand from the local stamping mill. Unlike the other places we visited, this pile is set up as a scramble region. Fun ensued.
Smokestack from the stamping operation.
It's not sand, it's a fine crushed rock. The kind they use for the roads around here (no coincidence, there's a lot of it lying around). Hard on the feet and the tires, and doesn't cushion the landings as well as normal sand would.
Having fun on the beach. 4-low at it's finest.
