Bear Belly Adventures

Hike To Montreal Falls

I woke up and decided to visit Montreal Falls.  The falls are on the Montreal River and are found on the south side of the Peninsula.  South East from High Rock Bay.  It was a 50 minute drive to the trail head that I used.  Roughly at 47° 23 ‘17.1″N 87°49’33.5″W.  There is another trail head that is published on Google Maps.  I was using the Gaia app and didn’t see it.  Gaia showed a trail meeting up at the end of Hoar Lake Rd.  

Later in the hike I learned the other trailhead is in much better condition.  It was wide, blazed and cleared.  I do not believe it offered the same coastal views of Lake Superior that the less traveled trail did.  Who doesn’t want a little more adventure in their life!

There is a small parking area at the start.  This trail goes through a conservation area. Camping or fires are not allowed along the trail.  At the start of the trail there is a 911 Keweenaw County Emergency Locator Trail Number.  In case I get clumsy, I took a picture of the sign.  It pays to be prepared.

The trail meanders for a while through the woods making its way south to the lake shore.  The trail is not much more than a game path.  As mentioned above there are no blazes to mark the trail.  In some areas I took the liberty to make reasonable assumptions as to what was the correct way.  Along this portion of the trail I found many huckleberry and thimbleberry shrubs.  The thimbleberries were not ripe yet. I could not confirm they truly were huckleberries until I was off the trail with internet connection.  To be safe I didn’t try any at this time.

The thimbleberries should be bright red, soft and slough off the core when picked.  They reminded me of soft strawberries.  They have lots of seeds.  They are sweet and mushy.  A good handful makes a great morning snack.  Huckleberries look very much like blueberries. The huckleberries are smaller than blueberries.  They have more seeds than a blueberry and have a more tart/sweet taste.  There are also serviceberries that can be found in the area.  I wasn’t super familiar with the serviceberry.  The guide to edible plants I am reading indicates there are no look-a-likes though.  They are also called juneberries because they historically ripen in June.  Things seemed to be ripening later than usual though.  The seagulls were eating them so I assumed they were ripe.  I picked them off the bush.  I looked for ones that weren’t firm but weren’t mushy either.  I also tried to avoid ones with seagull bites and poop!  There are tiny seeds inside that are edible.  They are sweet but tart.   

The trail led us to the shore.  It had large boulders and rocks.  Nana and I climbed on some of them and sat to listen to the waves crash upon them.  There is something about the sound of moving water that is good for the soul.  I can almost feel the good energy push through as the waves surge against the shore. The bad energy is drawn out as the water recedes back.  I would have liked to stay here longer but the hike had just begun.

The trail follows the shoreline.  Not on the beach, mostly up in the woods with the shore in sight.  The narrow path sneaks around downed trees and flora. There are several opportunities to go down to the shore.  The rocks on the beach are polished by the waves.  I have seen stones polished by waves of the Great Lakes before.  These stones looked like they were polished in a tumbler!  I personally have not seen stones polished so smooth naturally that they are nearly glossy.  I picked up a couple stones I thought would be good for burnishing wood carvings.

We snaked our way through the woods until we finally made it to the falls.  We had the view from the east side of the river.  The falls are not coming from a jaw dropping height but have several levels of rushing water.  It courses through and over the rock bed like a hound with a hare in its sight.  The view was definitely worth the hike.

I don’t think we are done here.  The map shows there is an upper falls section to the river.  We set out to find it.  The trail continues on the west side of the river so a river crossing is needed.  We continued upstream a little more and found a place where the river was a little sleepier and more shallow.  My boots are waterproof but unfortunately they are not taller than the water is deep.  The river bed is strewn with slippery rocks. Although it is much slower here, the sheer volume of water really wanted to push me in for a bath.  The deepest part was just below my knees.  We both made it across safely.  I tried to explain to Nana how it was easier for her because she had four feet on the ground.  All soaking wet she didn’t look convinced.  This side offered a whole new perspective of the river.  It is not as blocked by the foliage.  Several people made their way across a log to stand on a rock in the middle of the falls.  With a dog in tow I am not as confident as they were to cross the log.  We started our way north to find the upper falls.  

The path was mostly visible at the beginning.  The further up the river we went I know this is the path less traveled.  The weeds were up to my chest.  I couldn’t even see Nana under them! Eventually there was no trail.  We were just guessing the best route.  We pushed on for about another ¾ of a mile before my better judgment got the best of me.  We counted out losses to turn back from whence we came.

I was starting to get tired. On the way back my left foot snagged in a root. My body didn’t get the memo that the foot had stopped.  I keep moving forward with my foot still caught.  My right leg decides to be the hero.  It shoots forward in an attempt to stop a generous mass of overweight Jeff from falling.  It misses its mark and over extends.  I do NOT fall down to one knee with a fist punching through the ground in the fashion of a superhero falling from the sky.  Instead I see the trees, shrubbery and my life move past me in slow motion.  I feel the tendons in my right knee stretching as I topple.  I also perceive this in slo-mo.  They keep stretching.  I have never had my knee stretch this far past center.  The nurse in me is waiting for the snap of something inevitably letting go but it doesn’t happen.  Somehow I am able to give a final push forward and relieve some of the tension.  I roll in the weeds, rocks and dirt.  Once the initial shock wears off I do a quick inventory.  I can still bend my knee.  It actually feels a bit looser than it has for a long time.  My dog is sitting there staring at me.  I swear she is looking over her nose with a mocking, sarcastic grin.  I slowly get up and the knee feels a bit wobbley.  We take it slowly back to the Jeep.

Thankfully I wasn’t hurt. I know some people that read this may be concerned.  They may even think I’m a little daft for going out and living this lifestyle by myself with Nana.  For that reason I almost didn’t write about it.  However, I decided that if I omit it I’m not being honest with myself or anyone else.  Accidents are a part of life.  Whether we are at work, at home or living our best life.  Being prepared with knowledge and the right supplies is what makes life foolhardy versus living adventurously.  I have with me two separate portable forms of satellite communication.  I hike with food and water.  I keep a comprehensive first aid kit that includes the typical ouch pouch supplies.  I also have a tourniquet, formable splint and clotting agents.  I feel that in most scenarios, I could manage the situation until help arrives. If I am unable to ambulate myself out, I have a plan. The moral of this story is to live your fullest life.  Shit will happen regardless of what you are doing.  Be prepared with the right tool kit for your life and do it to it!

We’ll be heading back south through Wisconsin.  We’ll probably stop and see my Dad while driving through.  Hiker Trailer (HTC) owners have a Campout in Land Between the Lakes Federal Recreation Area. It starts September 11th.  We will be attending again this year.  I plan on staying in the Hoosier National Forest for the next couple of weeks leading up to HTC.