I Hiked Six Miles in the Rain to Chapel Rock on Lake Superior. Worth it.
WE DECIDED TO HIKE THE PICTURED ROCKS on our way to Marquette. The trailhead was deep in the forests of the Upper Peninsula down a very long, unmaintained road. There was a yellow sign indicating “rough road”—an almost comical understatement. The road was checkered with potholes and large puddles of water, although perhaps ‘pits’ would be a more accurate word, since we had no idea how deep they were as we tenderly drove through them. We drove about 10 miles down this road, bouncing all over the place as our stuff flew around the car, until we finally reached the trailhead. It was cloudy and felt like the rain. It was six miles out to Chapel Rock. We knew we could make it.
We passed by beautiful waterfalls and calming streams. There was hardly anyone else on the trail. We trudged through miles of slippery, wet-concrete-like mud in the wrong shoes—a mistake we will never make again. We finally reached the lakeshore—our first view of Lake Superior—and stopped for a moment to take it all in. Chapel Rock is a remnant of Cambrian age sandstone that was carved by the lake thousands of years ago. There is a lone white pine sitting on top that’s estimated to be almost 300 years old. This is a legendary spot, beloved by writers from around the world, but it takes real effort to get here. We ate PB&Js and watched the waves crash around it. A storm started rolling in as we finished, so we quickly snapped a few shots before heading back. The double exposure was not intentional, I miswound my film in our rush to beat the storm.
We did not beat the storm, not even close. A freezing rain started almost the moment we set foot back on the trail. It had taken us almost three hours to get out here, but nothing motivates quite like the threat of hypothermia. We made it back to the car in just under 45 minutes, soaking wet and out of breath, deeply thankful for the heat and change of clothes inside our car. As if it had been waiting for us, it began to snow, and wouldn’t stop for a few days.
