My first time in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was for my 30th birthday. I was blown away by the UP and couldn’t believe it took me so long to make it up there as a Michigan native. It only made sense that my long-anticipated, first-ever overnight backpacking trip would be along the shores of Lake Superior.
The Pictured Rock National Lakeshore stretches along the Northern coast of the UP from Grand Marais to Munising, just over 42 miles in total. As Alex and I were planning our 2-night, 3-day hike of the entire stretch, I remember wondering to myself if that was too much mileage for my first trip. Nah…Alex has done this before, he knows what we are capable of. So we applied for our campsites and the route was decided!
Day 1 – Park at Sand Point, pick up the pre-arranged shuttle, get dropped off at the Grand Sable Visitors Center, and hike 14.4 miles to Sevenmile Creek campground.
Day 2 – Hike 11.6 miles to Chapel Beach campground
Day 3 – Hike the remaining 13.5 miles back to our car
Map referenced from: https://www.nps.gov/piro/planyourvisit/upload/Backcountry-Map-Regulations-Mileage-accessible.pdf
Day 1: Grand Sable Visitors Center to Sevenmile Creek (14.4mi)
The morning of our departure was cold and gray with a threat of wet snow in the afternoon. When we booked this trip, we thought we would be safe to plan it for the end of April. We learned a lot.
Regardless of the weather, I was excited to set off! I felt so equipped. I had been accumulating gear for what felt like years and obsessively planning our meals for months. TWO breakfasts, THREE lunches, TWO dinners. Check, check, check.
We started our hike into the woods and trekked along comfortably for about 5 miles. It was about then that I really started feeling how heavy my pack was – time for a lunch break! Alex’s lunch contribution was a giant ‘chunky veal & pork’ sausage from his favorite Hamtramck Polish grocer. It was seriously 3 feet long and 2 inches in diameter. This thing was HEAVY, so of course he insisted we eat it first. That was the first and the last time we brought chunky veal and pork sausage on a hiking trip.
Damn, it felt good to take a break with my pack off – but onward we must go! We moved along at a steady pace for another 4-5 miles when a light snow started coming down. Uh-oh, time to start moving. We hauled ass the remaining 4 miles to our campsite. By the time we got there, we were being showered in wet, heavy snow.
We unpacked our backpacks, set up our tent, and crammed inside as quickly as we possibly could. We made it! Albeit a bit wet. At this point, the snow was really starting to accumulate and we knew we were in the tent for the night. I turned on my phone to check the time…it was 3:00pm.
Day 2: Sevenmile Beach to Chapel Beach (11.6mi)
The night was cold, but I remember sleeping well. Fourteen miles with 30 pounds on my back really took it out of me. The snow had stopped sometime in the night, so we were able to pack up with clear skies. Our tent was damp and the ground accumulation was starting to melt – it would be completely melted by midday creating a wet, muddy hike.
As we hiked along, the views of Lake Superior got more and more spectacular. The vastness of the lake is really breathtaking and there wasn’t any sign of human life as far as the eye could see. At times it felt like we could be the only people on Earth, a humbling sense of how small I am washes over me. I love this feeling, it often hits me in remote places. It’s one thing that keeps me coming back to nature.
Today’s hike was more relaxed (and shorter) than the day before with no inclement weather looming in the afternoon. I enjoyed the trail, it had a nice variety of heavy wooded areas and beautiful lakeshore views. As we were very early in the season, we had to climb over a ton of down trees over the path – made me feel like a true outdoorswoman.
I really liked our second night’s campsite at Chapel Beach. We camped right alongside a creek, I love dozing to the sound of the babbling water.
Day 3: Chapel Beach to Sand Point Junction (13.5mi)
When I woke up in the morning for our final day of hiking it really struck me how sore I was. Holy hell was I sore. I was feeling it yesterday, but it relaxed as the day went on. Today’s soreness did not feel walk-offable. Oh well, nothing I can do but power through!
It was sprinkling when we woke up that morning. A healthy storm had rolled through in the night and our tent was soaked – there was no sign of the rain letting up to give it a chance to dry out. Today I learn how to pack up in the rain! I also learn that I can feel every ounce of extra weight in my pack – a wet tent is a heavy tent. The rain doesn’t worry me – I have a rain jacket, rain pants, and a pack cover. Let’s do this.
We start the day with more incredible views and today the color of the water really strikes me. The greens and blues are so vibrant, I feel myself turning into a true UP advocate!
The last few miles of the hike are inland away from the lakeshore and are super muddy. We are literally trudging through mud, trying to hop from fallen branch to fallen branch, and our pace has really slowed. We were essentially out of food at this point and I was HUNGRY. The backpacking meals we tested on this trip left a lot to be desired for dinner, so we had to supplement with some of the food we brought for lunches. Without the beautiful views as a distraction, the hike starts to feel grueling. All I could think about was how much my body hurt and how badly I wanted a fried chicken sandwich with french fries.
Finally, after hoping for hours that our end point was juuuust around the next corner, I see the road. The relief is intense. We get to our car and drive straight to Eh! Burger for – you guessed it – a fried chicken sandwich and french fries. Or maybe it was tater tots. Doesn’t matter. We also treated ourselves to a celebratory beer.
After recounting the trip, I realized how much I learned! For some, the snow, rain, soreness, mud, and hunger may have turned them off to backpacking for life. I didn’t feel that way at all. If anything, I was invigorated by it! I learned more about how to prepare for the next trip – more food, less mileage. And I was able to really put my gear to the test – our tent kept us dry, my sleeping bag/pad kept me warm and comfortable. Fending for myself in the elements was super rewarding and experiencing some discomfort really made that cozy bed and chicken sandwich feel that much more amazing. Overall, I felt that the trip was a major success!
Wandering Between Meals 
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