Road trip north!

What a perfectly lovely, albeit cold, day this was!  If we have to have cold temperatures, the sun makes all the difference in the world.

Lost Creek Falls

The Mad-English teacher and I have decided that we need to get back into hiking and biking shape for the year (damn you elbows) and he discovered a waterfall that needed investigating.  So we decided to head on up to Cornucopia via Washburn and Bayfield (I know, shocking, right?) After our requisite stop for bread at Coco's, and then for a scone and coffee/hot chocolate in Bayfield, we headed up north on Highway 13.  

Bayfield docks

The weather was quite chilly today, but the sun was out and that was all we needed.  It was fun to walk out onto the Bayfield city dock and watch a little boat cut through the ice between Madeline Island and Bayfield.  The ice was crunching and it was just so fun to watch.  There were all sorts of little vessels around that you never see during the summer.  Love seeing the differences in the seasons like that.  We were fortified with an exquisite chocolate chip and lavender scone with crunchy sugar chunks on top, and our preferred hot beverage and off we went to the north.

Lost Creek

After a little driving around, we found the entrance to the path to Lost Creek waterfall- and it isn't much of an entrance.  It is an ATV trail that is marked with a yellow gate across it.  No real indication that it leads anywhere at all.  It was pretty easy walking for the most part.  Rough with stones and later tree roots and the dreaded ice patches, but overall it was not heavy hiking.  We may have gone a little too far **coughahalfmileahem** but I checked the internet when I actually got a bar or two, and we realized the trail that we looked at longingly was indeed the one we were looking for.  So back we went, avoiding holes and slippery pine needles as we journeyed.  Once we got off the ATV trail, the hiking actually began.  It was covered with the afore mentioned pine-needles and got narrow and rocky and rough- but regardless once we discovered that lovely thing, we picked out way down the  ravine.

Lost Creek Falls

That water fall is divine!  And we were there at just the right time- there was running water and ice in different shapes and forms.  It was beautiful!  We did some rock hopping and I managed to get across without falling into the water, so that was good!!

Meyers Beach

Ice Caves in the distance

Next stop in the journey, you know because we were driving right past it, was a stop at Meyers Beach.  We walked down the beach towards where the ice caves are, enjoying the really different look of the Lake in the early spring.  It is still frozen, but there is so much wood and snow and ice piled up.... sandy colored in places, many layers of white and blue and tan.  It was just gorgeous.  It is interesting hiking on the beach in hiking boots- especially when a lot of it is frozen.  

Meyers Beach

By this time, the ME and I are getting a tad tired, but we had planned to stop at Houghton Falls as well.  You know, sometimes you drive by something that seems interesting but you never stop- and that is one of those places. It is just north of Washburn a few miles and we have driven past many times.  Originally we were going to go there only, until we discovered that it isn't a very long walk. Less than a mile one way!  So, we stopped here on the way out.  While the falls aren't all that much to see- at least for us - still frozen, not that great, there is a dells and then the end point is an outlook above Lake Superior and that was worth the walk!  Tired as we were.....  

Beautiful reflections in Lake Superior

Houghton Falls area- Lake Superior

Houghton Falls 

So this all finds us at 2 pm and starving so of COURSE we stopped at Coco's for lunch.  I mean, what else could be done??  After a delicious lunch- I had the dal with pickled cabbage and raita sauce wrapped in flatbread with a wonderful sweet potato and pecan salad, AND we may have had a cookie to go... we then headed down to Ashland to shop a little here and there.  After which we collapsed into the car and drove home.  Whew!

The pictures speak for themselves, it was a great day for hiking and photography!  And finding my joy!