Thursday August 31, 2017

Morning View

We can’t believe that it is the last day of August. Only another 3 weeks or so left in our journey. We wake up to mostly sunny skies so that is a good sign. There is an island visible across the water and my map says it is Amygdaloid Island, something I am glad to write and not say. We spoil ourselves with another cooked breakfast, breakfast skillet which we put in a tortilla. It is nice to be able to have a warm meal in comparison to our cold pop tart PCT fare. Big difference when you are not having to rush out of camp so you can hike 15 to 20 miles. I think we get hiking around 10:30. Reverse of yesterday, we walk the planks first and then start the long climb back up to the ridge. With fresh morning legs, we do pretty well and take a nice break when we top back out on the ridge.

Large White Fungi

From here, it is mostly downhill to the 3 Mile camp. Guess what I see on the side of the trail. Another mushroom, this one pure white and saucer size. It looks edible but I am not an expert on fungi, so I leave it be. The going is fairly easy with some wet areas that are easy to navigate through and around. Before we know it, we hit the camp and since it is early in the afternoon, our luck is good. There is a shelter available right by the water’s edge with a picnic table and a wonderful rock that we can sunbathe on. No need to look for anything else, we have found our home for tonight and it is not even 2 o’clock.

Our Spa Boulder

The sun is shining and we take advantage of this beautiful day. The large boulder by our shelter is perfect for laying on and has absorbed some of the days heat making for a nice heated back support. We watch the world float by which entails several canoes, seagulls, and some loons. Speaking of loons, I warm up enough that I decide that I must go swim in my second Great Lake. The water is clear and I would like to say warm, but than that would be a great big lie.

Lake Superior Loon

It is very refreshing and exhilarating so after warming up again, I opt for a second short swim. Now I really need to use my heated rock. It is starting to cool down and we cook dinner before the sun leaves the table. We meet our neighbors from one shelter over and chat for a while before heading inside to prepare our bedding. The door is not even closed for 10 minutes before a very large mouse decides to hang out on the screened front for a short while. The lack of mouse droppings inside makes us super confident that all is secure..hopefully! It has been a great day in this beautiful spot. Tomorrow, we have splurged and will have a bed, shower, and a cooked meal at the Rock Harbor Lodge. That thought should make for sweet dreams.