Porkies camp-n-snow adventures! Part I

Oh ya, my pack loaded the dog truck on Saturday morning with camp gear and we headed west to the Porkies State park.  We do this every fall.   This post will be of the first two days there of five.

On our way to the Porkies, when we got in the high country,
we saw snow. This looks to be my kind of adventure!

No snow on the lake shore but we drove back into it on the
South Boundary Road, in the Porkies.  

As we got higher, the snow got deeper and we spied a hiker with his thumb
out looking for a ride west. Ed has been through-hiking the NCT
from Marquette and headed to Ironwood.
This was quite an added challenge to his trip. 
There may have been a foot of fresh snow here.

Trees, trees and more trees had been pulled down by the snow.
It was like this for maybe 8 miles.

We caught up with another vehicle from Wisconsin trying to head west like us.
They had a hand saw along which we couldn't have made this crossing without.
Why did Arly leave his 50 tree cutting tools at home??

As we began to descend down the other side, we spied a car stuck
in the road.

We all pushed and got him turned around.
Within a 1/2 of a mile of here, the snow was gone.
This fellow was from Marenesco and close to where our friendly hiker Ed
wanted to go, so he hopped in with him.  Bye bye Ed! Good luck!

This is where we parked and yes, at a lower elevation,
was darn little snow.

What a way to start my 5 day Porkies adventure! Although,
the real fun started now.

We hadn't been on Pinkerton Trail in many years.
We were glad for all the puncheon to keep us up off the mud.

 

The old Pinkerton Creek bridge is still hanging in there.

Oh hooray! Friendly hikers.
These fellas from Peoria IL were staying at the Little Carp cabin,
up on the bluff.

 

The 2" of rain Friday and today's snow melt has the creeks way up.
This was an improvised crossing on the lake shore.

Finally, we arrived to the Big Carp River.

And our favorite Carptown cabin!

We love the 6 bunk.

The next morning, I had the good fortune of having my kibble out on
the snowy porch.

Then I hunted while I waited on those slow-pokes.

We hiked west, and along the way got to meet the friendly cabin dwellers
at Lake Superior cabin. These Wisconsin girls had propped that log
across the creek that we crossed yesterday!

West on Lake Superior Trail we go.

At the Little Carp River.  Could it get any prettier than this?

Creek crossing farther west. Pinkerton?? We don't know.

This creek crossing was used by someone else before us today.
Smells like a raccoon to me...

The tracks were spotted on the snow covered log seen behind her.

Almost to Speaker's Cabin!

This past spring, Speaker's Creek washed the bank out enough,
the Park had to move the cabin about 20" farther away from the edge.

The ice storm and heavy winds last April took many,
many large trees down throughout the park.

Another view of the Little Carp. We had such a nice hike here today.