St. Peter's Dome in the spring!

The Mad-English teacher and I decided that we really, REALLY needed to hike.  A stress-relieving, muscle-building, worry-erasing, character-building oops, I mean, day-making sort of a hike.  I think we are characters enough!

View from the top of St. Peter's Dome

So the obvious choice was St. Peter's Dome, which is the toughest by a smidge over the Meyers Beach hike (which we we will be walking sometime this summer) that we have done yet.  Sure there was the possibility that we would be too out of shape to comfortably make it there and back (yay!! WE WERE NOT), but we planned for the day and off we went!  YES FOLKS, we remembered to bring the water AND the mosquito repellant with us!

Bottom of Morgan Falls, shot from across the creek.

We began our day with a light breakfast at the good old Pal Cafe in Park Falls, and were treated to interesting conversation by some of the locals.  And btw, we had a very nice breakfast and then  were on our way north.  Finding the Dome again was pretty easy, especially when your navigator has a good memory- I of course would have relied on the GPS, but that was mostly unnecessary.  We arrived at the Dome sometime around 9:30 and we were delighted to find that we were the only ones in the parking lot!  And the MA will be proud to know that we indeed had our pen with us and were good for the parking envelope.**

Morgan Falls

So we began with a stop at the Morgan Falls area, which is just beautiful.  It had a lot of water this spring, more than the last time, which just added to its charm.  Made it a little trickier to fjord the creek, but we did it.  Ok, so, the Mad-English teacher did it, and then talked me through it!  Rocks and I do not always agree on whether my foot can stay on them, and also my legs are not nearly as long as my companion's..... so sometimes I have to have a literal hand to get where he goes.  I have not found my confidence on those mossy rocks yet at all.

After hiking around and snapping a lot of pictures, we began the journey up the hill.  My Runkeeper tells me that the elevation change (with a little refiguring involved since Runkeeper randomly paused after I took a photo along the way to Morgan Falls) to be around 500 feet.  That is a pretty good hill I think!  The hiking trail is full of rocks and moss and roots and there was a big stretch of all mud.  Though there were a ton of mosquitos around, none were really biting, in an odd turn of events.

View from the top

We made our way up and the view from the top was wonderful! The leaves were just beginning to come out, with enough of the birches and aspen leafing out to give some lovely green and the hardwoods were there for some variation of color.  The day was fairly clear and you could see a long way.

Someone goofing around on the edge!

I mentioned in my previous post that though I was terrified, I had a much easier time with the heights than last fall.  I was still uneasy when Adam was looking over the edge, but I didn't have the stomach churning reaction that I did before.  After many photos and a quick drink of water, we began our descent towards the car.  I did find that I was a lot more confident on the way down, picking through the rocks a little easier, however did manage to slip when we were "off-roading" at one point to look at a hidden lil water fall.  No damage was really done, other than the surprise of being on the ground, which seems to be par for the course this year. (The surprise of being on the ground, that is)

Had we had actual phone reception for the majority of this trip- we could only get service while on top of the hill- there were plenty of tweetable moments that went untweeted.  I wish I could remember some of them!  But alas there is that short term memory thing getting in the way again.

While traveling down hill we encountered many more hikers, and were very glad that we beat them all up there.  It was nice to have the view all to ourselves with no sharing necessary.  At least this time there were no crazy people with bare feet or flip flops..... they would have been very uncomfortable!

Our day finished with a trip up to Ashland for lunch at the Black Cat Coffee House (Red pepper hummus sandwich, anyone?), a quick shopping trip at the Coop and a required visit to Lake Superior. It was SO COLD up in Ashland- 51 air temp, but way colder in the wind.

At one of Ashland's beaches

Nice waves today

It was another lovely Saturday to have an adventure!  And that was certainly a joy!  And just think, one more day of the weekend yet!  YAHOO!!

**so the story behind this and other veiled references is this:  When the three of us amigos went to Morgan Falls last summer, we did not have a pen between us to fill in the information on the parking money envelope.  Which by the way, is a totally unstaffed destination.  Remote one might say.  And to add to that, the metal container was stuffed, as in we had to poke the (unmarked) envelope down with a stick, stuffed.  Anyway, later that day when we got back to my place we **may** have been made fun of by the MA for putting the unmarked envelope in the container.  As in, there was no way for any official to have known if we had actually paid as our car license # was no where to be found.  Implying why did we bother!!  We are honest teachers who believe in the State Park system- HONEY- and we had to pay!  Lol.  What can I say, we couldn't help ourselves. 

You'd think we'd know better by now!

But no.....  we apparently don't- two supposedly intelligent, educated people...  

Sea Caves- People I walked over there 6 months ago.... 

It's not serious, but let me digress.

Don't worry- I did!

I have been on a hiking kick lately.  A couple weeks ago, I went on an apple run to Bayfield and I REALLY wanted to stop at St. Peter's Dome and take some fall pictures.  I had heard about this place a few years ago, and now finally I got the opportunity to see it.  Only issue was-- it was 80 degrees that day! It was freaking HOT for September.  But the leaves were perfect.  I can't even show you any pix of myself because I took no selfies that are suitable for viewing. I was red and sweaty and very much spent.  It was lovely with color, but that hike up the dome- holy smokers.  It was a couple miles of uneven terrain, roots and streams and stones and a lot of climbing!  And then it opens up into a terrifying, though glorious. view of the northern half of Ashland county, and if you use your imagination- you can see Lake Superior!  :)  I spent some time clinging to the trees and the edge of this overlook- ugh- it gives me anxiety to think about it.  THANK heaven we had the presence of mind to take water with us.

My hiking buddy and partner in crime is the Mad English Teacher who enjoys a bit of adventure and Bayfield, just like me. Our other partner in these journeys- the Mad-Science teacher, Laurie was occupied with company both days. Bummer!!!  We missed her!

NOT an easy trail

While we had had a great breakfast that day (A frittata at Coco's?? Why yes I think I will!) but by the time we got through our final jaunt on the ferry **sniffle** and our standing on the dock staring at the water and me getting coffee and all the other things that go with these trips, we were wishing that we had had a little more to eat.  That is one tiring walk.

AND this is why I wanted to go there- Beauty!

Let me quickly interject here the CRAZY foot wear I saw people in for hiking up this thing!  FLIP FLOPS are NOT for hiking!!  Goodness.  I also saw one group in bare feet- we discussed the possibility of whether they had "interesting refreshments" shall we say.....  you can imagine whatever you want in that particular statement.

Part of the trail

Not part of the trail, but those roots continued through the trail

The creek that flows from Morgan Falls

More of the view!

Morgan Falls- the Morgan Falls route at this particular place is pretty easy and fun.  It is not very far and is really an awesome thing to see.  It's like a little fairy land there, really dark and fascinating.  The St. Peter's Dome route is NOT easy.

Fast forward to this past weekend----

A nice little clearing for the powerline that gives a great view

I am considering working on a special project with some of my students and so I wanted to check out some good hiking areas.  2 of the places suggested to me were Mount Ashwabay and I thought of Meyer's Beach, as well!!  

Bayfield, Lake Superior and Madeline Island in the distance

Our day began at Mount Ashwabay (our day actually began at Coco's North in Washburn, but that is just a fabulous bonus

) where we hiked around the trails around the ski hill.  I am not sure if this is really much of a ski hill, or maybe it is a tubing hill.....  It's not all that huge, but there is a tow rope, so there is that.

NO FILTER on these leaves- no edit, straight from the camera- there were amazing colors

A phantom self portrait in an old abandoned shack on top of the ski hill

The map and the trails were a bit confusing- we ended up never going where we thought.  Which was fine- we hiked a bit over 3 miles and it was not SUPER tiring.  There are ways to hike that aren't real steep, but we did hike up the hill...... which was tiring and steep.  Going up was not bad, but once up there my fear of heights kicked in, and things were slightly more terrifying than I anticipated.   It isn't really dangerous at all, just the appearance of a cliff which is an illusion.

Commercial break: enjoy the sights of Bayfield......

The Madeline docked, waiting for it's passengers

Beautiful downtown Bayfield as seen from the dock

Flapping flags and lovely trees- fall at it's finest

Our next stop, after some fine coffee and a scone (THANK YOU Big Water Coffee Roasters), we drove up through the orchards and got some yummy apples again  (remember this later) and headed up to the northern shore of Wisconsin.  Last January we had been on this beach, frozen as it was, and I must say, this was a bit more comfortable.  

Another season

colder days

The first thing order of business was to walk the beach pretty much as far we could before the beach disappeared and the caves began.  Our goal, though, was to walk the trail above the Sea Caves.  This trail begins deceptively easily- with a board walk for heavens sakes.  It was pretty awesome.

Map of the sea caves  hiking area

Well after .7 miles, you lose the board walk and things get serious.  It was very much like the Dome walk.  Lots of BIG steps up, rocks, roots, up hills and down hills, over streams and wet areas...  yep, hiking at it's best.  I don't mind it, it is pretty fun in reality, but when you don't know what you are in for- well then it is interesting.

Ok, so remember that last trip?  It was 80 that day, and we had some water??  It was about 45 Saturday- perfect hiking weather.  And wouldn't one think that when you are hiking at not one but two different places that you would have some sort of liquid with??  Anything??  And maybe a snack??Especially since there was not only 2 water bottles in the car but also say there was- say here's an idea- APPLES FROM BAYFIELD.  Now wouldn't that have been a portable wonderful thirst quencher??  My goodness.  You'd think we were 12 year olds or something.

 So we were a mite thirsty by the time we returned from our little journey.



  Ah, yes, this was probably  my last trip to Bayfield until the Book Across the Bay in February.  It will be a different sight then, that is for sure.

Some of the caves

A jut out over the lake

This is just a glorious place to hike, but it takes a while!  Not quite as tricky as St. Peter's Dome,  but challenging all the same.

The weather is going to be getting colder and soon it will be snowing and icy. It is so nice to have gotten in another look at fall.  Fall is so lovely and ours came fast and didn't stay too long.   Apparently the lake moderates the weather and the leaves don't turn so fast in the farthest northern counties.  Very good thing to know to make your autumn joys last longer.

Until next time, find your joys in unexpected ways!