May 15 thru 19, 2024, Copper Harbor, MI and Isle Royal National Park

Our drive to Copper Harbor was 219 miles entirely on secondary highways. I don't think I ever reached 60 mph. As the roads became narrower, I drove even slower. I knew we were headed to the end of the Keweenaw peninsula but I was surprised that the last 30 miles of Highway 41 was so exciting. 

We set up in Fort Wilkins State Park. Joani reserved a site near the park internet. Without it, we would have been completely isolated. There was no cell phone service anywhere, even in Copper Harbor. Our first drive took us up Brockway Mountain Drive. Signs told us it was a rough road - they were not wrong but the views overlooking the town were worth the effort.

We continued another 10 miles west to Eagle Harbor, another nice small town on the shores of Lake Superior. Of course, they had their own lighthouse.

We took the ferry to Isle Royal National Park on Friday. The morning was overcast as we started our 3-hour 45-minute cruise across the inland sea known as Lake Superior. We were fortunate to have little wind and the smooth sailing meant there were no incidents of "seasickness."

We were greeted at the National Park dock by rangers who suggested, with our limited time, we should hike the Stoll trail.

The park certainly had a rustic appeal. Many fellow passengers planned on staying a week or more. I think backpacking around rugged backcountry is for younger folk although there was a couple about our age planning a 29-night stay. 

We stuck to the trail and took no chances that might lead to a twisted ankle. The boat was leaving on schedule whether everyone was there or not so we made sure we were back to the dock early. I finished my book on the way back and suspect I might have napped a bit. I did catch the Copper Harbor lighthouse as we headed back to the dock. This was as close as we could get - there was no driving or hiking option to this lighthouse this early in the season.

The staff at the Harbor Haus restaurant always stage a homecoming dance and wave as the Archipelago returns from the sea.

I had always wondered about Isle Royal, the least visited (but we were told it's the most revisited) National Park in the lower 48 states. Now I can say we hiked there, we have the stamp in our National Park passport and bragging rights.

The next day we stayed closer to home and walked next door to the Fort Wilkins State Historic Site. The fort was built in 1844 to provide an army presence to maintain order between miners and the Ojibwa during the copper rush in the area. It wasn't really needed since the miners were law abiding and the Ojibwa were welcoming, so two years later the soldiers left to fight in the Mexican-American war. It was re-occupied for a few years after the Civil War but was finally abandoned after 1870. It was restored by the state of Michigan and outfitted as well as any I have seen.

Attention to detail was evident everywhere - even the flag was correct for the period with 26 stars.

In the summer, the fort has more than 40 actors dressed in historic costumes to play the roles of real people who lived at the fort during the 1870s.

Inside the armory, displays of weapons and stores appeared very authentic. Displays inside every building gave a good idea of life in the fort long ago. Soldiers quarters, officers and enlisted, the kitchens and mess, the hospital, the quartermasters all were outfitted as they might have been originally.

We stayed busy on our last day. Up early and out to Horseshoe Bay for some rockhounding. I knew the road was unpaved and it started out well.

It quickly degraded to the point Joani was very concerned about getting stuck in the mud and said let's just turn around and forget it.

We made it to the parking lot where we then had to hike another quarter mile to the beach. Joani, of course, is in her hiking flip-flops.

We had the beach to ourselves, but alas, we did not find that elusive, museum-quality Lake Superior agate.

Next up, we explored the Delaware Copper Mine. The docent was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We were the only visitors when we arrived so he was happy to answer all our questions.

The tour was self-guided so we were on our own in the cold damp tunnels. It was a bit unnerving to think about the nine flooded levels below us. I don't mind saying, I was ready to get back to the surface.

I heard the docent say the nine levels below won't drain until the ice plug melts at the base of the hill.

According to the National Park Service: "The Delaware Mine was in operation for forty years but never turned a profit for its investors. Despite this, it stands today as a prime example of mining in the Keweenaw during the 1800s."

100 stairsteps down into mine.

It was cold in the mine, approximately 45 degrees, year-round, but this shimmering white stuff baffled us. It looked exactly like frost but it was not cold. We found out later it was a type of harmless fungus that grows in the tunnels. 

I had fun watching my breath swirl in the beam of my flashlight.

The remains of two rather large buildings top-side hinted at the true size of this operation. These buildings housed the air pumps for machinery. Lift engines to pull the ore up, and pumps to keep the mine shafts dry.

We headed back to the coach by way of Eagle Harbor again where we had a nice lunch at a place recommended by the docents. They told Joani about a shortcut that was unpaved but freshly graded. We rounded a corner and found a tree down across the road. Fortunately, someone with a chainsaw had cut away just enough that our car fit through with only a little bit of rubbing.

We had time to stop at one more beach to hunt agates again. Hunter's Point Park was just off Highway 26 so it was more popular. We were told we had arrived before the mosquitos and biting black flies but the itching red welts on my neck and arms say we were not so lucky after all.

So we wave a fond farewell to Copper Harbor and the Keweenaw peninsula.