Not so sure it’s Paradise

Thursday June 12, 2014
Tahquamenon Falls State Park
PARADISE, Michigan

 

We begin swatting as soon as we get up.

 

We’re using every weapon we have including the skillet. We have an arsenal of sprays but I can’t use them in the house except for the “natural” ones which only discourage the mosquitoes for about 30 minutes before having to be reapplied.

 

 

 

 

Time to see the falls, that’s the main thing we came for.

Although there seem to be several really nice trails and some great kayaking as well.  The mosquitoes seem to be worse in the house than outside. Maybe it’s the warmer weather inside and lack of wind that attracts them. We get geared up to go see the famous falls.

 

 

 

 

We take the lovely wooded path from the campground to the lower falls trail. The campground is located right on the Tahquamenon River, source of the falls. We’re hoping for some good paddling. The park has been highly recommended to us as a great place for hiking and kayaking.

 

 

 

 

 

The lower falls do not disappoint.

Their iron color is from the tannin in the river.

 

 

 

The park has a dock from which they rent boats so you can paddle over to the island in the center of the river and hike its perimeter trail which gives you great views of both the upper and lower falls from angles you can get no other way. Unfortunately the concessionaire won’t let you launch from there but we think perhaps we can put in at the campground and paddle down the river to this spot and then paddle over and dock.

 

 

The employees here are walking around in t-shirts and shorts. We are dressed in long pants, long sleeves, gloves, hats and mosquito face nets. How do they do it? Repel. But it’s 40% Deet. It’s the only thing that works they tell me and just be glad there aren’t any black flies. Well that’s comforting.

 

 

 

 

The map shows the location of the campground, the lower falls, the river and the island we’d love to kayak over to. The boat launch is the You are Here star. Our campground is on the lower right.  We’ll have to investigate whether there really is another possible put in other than the “private” boat dock.

 

 

 

 

Sure wish we could take the trail from the lower to the upper falls.

Given the mosquitoes, we decide not to hike the 4 mile trail from the upper falls to the lower falls.  Normally we would do the 8 miles round trip but after fighting mosquitoes inside we decide to just take the lazy way and drive up.  I’m told that July and August are really the months to come to the UP.  It’s true that’s when everyone comes but that’s also when the bugs are supposedly fewer.  Although this year they say is particularly bad due to all the snow and rain they’ve had for the past 2 months.   We make a quick stop in the store where we find tourist gifts galore.  These two are my favorites.  Just can’t decide which of the animals would fit on the bed next to Winnie the Pooh.

 

 

 

 

The shop is located right next to a brew pub.  Now when was the last time you found a brew pub at the end of a 4 mile hike?  David thinks hiking up from the lower falls, having a brew before seeing the upper falls and then hiking back sounds like the perfect way to relax between 4 mile hikes.  Had he known this, he might have felt differently about braving the mosquitoes on that trail.  HA!

 

 

 

We get sneak peaks of the falls all along the boardwalk which is really well done and protects the habitat perfectly from the millions of people who would climb all over it.  As we walk, people coming back comment about how well prepared we are in our long pants, long sleeves, gloves and mosquito head nets. They are swatting in T-shirts and long pants.

 

 

 

 

 

The Upper falls has a flow of 3037 gallons per second.  This falls is second only to Niagara as the largest in the country.  The US Geological Survey maintains a gauging station that measures water flow and the height of the river.  Peak flow usually occurs in Mid April when warm sunny days combined with rain melt the snow pack , producing millions of gallons of water that tumble over the falls.  As of this sign, the Record flow was 52,228 gallons per second May 10, 1960 but after this year, I think may rival that record.  In May many of the trails and bridges on them were washed out due to the river level being three times higher than normal. The water was at 10.36 feet on May 10.

The river begins about 70 miles north of here as a small creek.  It gains momentum as water from higher elevations drain into the river.  Its watershed is 80 square miles.

 

It’s 94 steps down to the view at the falls.  David contemplates.  That’s actually 188 steps he says and half of them are up.

 

But the view is fabulous.  The park has done a wonderful job of boardwalks to several different great viewing locations for these huge falls.  We can feel the spray here.

 

 

I do so love water falls.  I just can’t get enough of them.  From every angle.  I could stay here all day and with the spray from the water, the bugs are minimal.

 

 

doesn’t it look like lace close up?

 

We always see funny things which I sometimes am not able to photograph since they almost always involve other people.  But this time I could sneak a picture of another use for duct tape, clothing repair.  I’ve actually done some shoe repair with it on some old farm clogs but this just made me laugh.

 

 

After David drug me away from what I thought was the last view of the falls, we remembered there is a trail to the gorge.  More distant views all along the path.  Some made a little closer by my camera’s zoom lens.

 

 

We arrive at the steps to the gorge which are right next to the end of the 4 mile River Trail between the two falls that we’ll put on our return trip in early September some future year. Doesn’t it look fabulous?   Actually this trail was heavily damaged by the snow melt and rains that caused the river to flood taking out numerous bridges and closing the trail in May.  They must have done a hurry up job of repair because it was not closed today although we were told it was very muddy.  Wet and muddy means even more mosquitoes in my book.

 

 

But it looks like the 232 steps down and up to the gorge will be a hike of their own.

 

 

We find ourselves walking along the river with a straight on view of the falls in front of us.  It’s a fairly long way back toward the falls.   Much more than just the steps.  When we are returning, we pass a group who asks us, “how much further is it”?

 

 

From here we can see the platform at the top of the falls from which we have just come.

 

 

We trade pictures in front of the falls with a couple.  My camera makes the falls look much further away than they were in this shot.  We couldn’t feel the spray but we were facing right into them.  Signs were on the water about paddling no closer than this.   Notice I have my gloves off and we both have the nets off of our faces.

 

 

We both agree when we get back to the top of this boardwalk that it must have been less steep than the one with 94 steps that we climbed to the top of the falls.   Or that one put us in better shape to do this one.   Our trip back to the parking lot was on the fern and bluet covered nature trail.   We had to put the mosquito gear all on for that walk.

 

 

 

Back at Winnona the mosquitoes are still here.  David goes back to the brew pub while I swat mosquitoes and try to work on the blog in my protective netting since they seem to like most to fly into my face.  I have a Cherry Republic Boom Chugga Lugga Cherry Soda Pop as my reward. Talk about sweet soda pop!  Wow even my sweet buds are jumping!

 

 

He chooses the Black Bear Stout which to quote him “seemed unremarkable to me, flat and thin.” 
I think I had the better of the drinks. with my boon Chugga Lugga.

 

 

 

 

When he returns, it’s back to the mosquito wars full time unfortunately.  Here is the kill for less than an hour tonight.  We haven’t used the thermacell inside since they are very specific in saying don’t use it.  I suspect no one can even imagine having this many mosquitoes inside their RV.    So what’s your guess?  Can we eliminate them?  This is our 2nd of 4 nights that we’ve paid for by earlier reservation.  Wish us luck.