Our day’s itinerary called for hiking from Little Garlic Falls back to Marquette City Tourist Park. In the morning, the Eckerts said they’d decided to do their own thing today. Bruce needed new trekking poles, for one, as one of his broke the other day, And Amy needed to take more photos for a writing assignment. So Ed and I headed out alone.
The trailhead at Little Garlic Falls looked decidedly unspectacular, so we feared the trail would be mediocre. However, we were pleased to find it a lovely path running north along the Little Garlic River. The weather was great, too, and the bugs were behaving.
The next section tumbled southeast toward Marquette, but this stretch was nasty. The mosquitoes began biting fiercely and there was a lot of overgrown, wet vegetation that quickly soaked our socks and shoes. Not good at the start of the day.
Heading Toward Marquette
Luckily, we had just an hour or so of that nastiness. The trail then shot us toward Lake Superior and Little Presque Isle State Recreation Area on an amazing path of cushy pine needles. We enjoyed fresh breezes from Lake Superior and no more mosquitoes! We stopped for lunch at a lovely spot overlooking the lake.
Once through this area, the trail led us southwest to the Sugarloaf and Hogback Mountain areas. It was hilly here, but there were huge, rocky outcrops that offered up prime views of the countryside. It was beautiful!
Next up was a rocky and rooty section that was difficult to hike in. After that, we were hoping that the last few miles into Marquette would be along a paved trail.
The Big Finish
Wrong! The trail got even rockier and more difficult as we neared Marquette. Luckily, Bruce hiked in to meet us, and then Amy. Having their company these last few miles helped us finish strong.
Tonight we enjoyed a meal at the Holiday Inn, where we’re staying. It was nothing special, but we were glad to have an easy dinner option, both because we were beat and because of COVID.
Tomorrow we head out for three nights’ camping. There may be rain one day. I’m just hoping for great scenery, experiences and companionship. I know I won’t be disappointed.
Snowshoe
MI NCT miles today: 19.2 (30.9 km)
MI NCT miles to date: 266.2 (428.4 km)
Total NCT miles to date: 1,029.4 (1,656.7 km)
Total NCT miles to go: 3,570.6 (5,746.3 km)
Disclosure: This entry contains affiliate links (among regular links) to products I own and like, or which I think you might like. This means that, at no extra cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
