A Keweenaw Bushwhack

Once a summer, I reunite with one of my oldest friends to go exploring in the Keweenaw. Our goals are simple: find a waterfall, or a pond that we’ve never been to before. Easy enough, right?

Easy on paper maybe… but the Keweenaw is anything but easy when you step out of the truck and head off into the bush.

Walking thru the forest is more of a slow motion kung fu battle against bracken, bushes, branches, logs, spider webs, rocks, and roots and mayhem. It’s hard to walk a straight course, but if you think like a snake, you can usually slither your way through.

It’s called “bushwhackin’” locally.

We did find the pond and the waterfall we were looking for. What we didn’t find, was any fish, or copper in the creek we followed. But, those are just bonuses. The real gold was all in the details.

Fog and Still Pond

Layers of Reflected Foliage

Portrait of a Mushroom

Sleeping Slug

Fetching Roadway

The Underside of a Mushroom

Droplet Detail

Droplets on Maple Leaf

Black Hole

I said hello, and asked this frog to just stay still. I told it I wouldn’t get closer than twelve inches away, and I wouldn’t disturb it. That frog held perfectly still.

Bell Cluster

Red Head

It was a good day for bushwhackin’. We were tired, drenched, hungry, yet happy by the end of it. We went four miles in about four hours. Not exactly a speed record, but the mission was accomplished. Go play outside.