I drove up to Walkie’s in the morning. He told me to come back if my check engine light came on, and it was. The truck was running a lot better. It sounded good and was getting better gas mileage.
He wasn’t there, so I poked around the yard for a while. It’s always fun to see old abandoned vehicles. One old Ford sat without an engine. A cool, old Jeep truck sat waiting for a total restore. Engines that had been removed were lined up. Transmissions rested on a wall. I figured Walkie had other business, so I headed back to camp. I stopped into Peterson’s Foods for a few essentials. I counted 19 turkeys on the way.
We decided to go to Cornucopia and visit the General Store. It is a cool store, very neatly kept. We poked around a while, then went across the street to Siskowit Farmhouse for lunch. They had a very good fish chowder and we split a chicken frittata.
Martha called Walkie. He had been helping his mother do some things, but said he would be at the garage all afternoon. Discussing the options, we decided to take a reasonably quick hike. At Myer’s Beach is a Sea Caves hike, so we drove back north.
First we had to pay, going online to get a pass to leave in the truck. Well, that took a precious 15 minutes. The hike is very pretty, and on a nice afternoon, it attracted a number of hikers. Mushrooms were everywhere. I could have spent the day photographing them. An hour later we came to the first sea cave.
Martha once again got close enough to the edge that I got nervous. It was no doubt cool. There were mora ahead, but if we were to get back to Walkie’s, we had best turn around.
We arrived at Walkie’s about 3:30. There were four other trucks being evaluated. A lady paced in front of a Ford, while her husband was watching Walkie work. Walkie saw us and said, “Let me go help Gary (Greg), because that won’t take a minute.
He grabbed his code reader and plugged it in. Whenever the check engine light comes on, it is almost always a …… problem. You won’t get throttled back or anything. He did something and then reset the code. He and the fellow with the Ford advised me on code readers and which ones would work. “It’s a good thing to have, so you can see what the problem is.”
I reached for my wallet, and he refused any payment. “You paid more than you needed the other day.” They leave Wednesday for Richmond, Virginia for their niece’s wedding. “Maybe we’ll pass you.” Looking around, he said, “I got an international business today. We got one from Wyoming, one from Florida and you from Virginia.” I went inside to get Martha and left $60 on the bench. It might have gotten a little oil on it, but he won’t mind.
At first I thought this was an Ojibwe sign, but it was Brooke’s cat making its own litter box beside our trailer. Very neat though. Brooke and John are our great campground hosts. They went for a float trip down the Brule River. I asked how the float was, and she replied, “Good.”
From Wikipedia: In 1928, United States President Calvin Coolidge maintained a summer residence, known as the “Summer White House”, at the Cedar Island Lodge, located on the upper Bois Brule River. Since then, the property has been purchased by the founders of 3M, the Ordways.[2]
The river is known for its trout fishing and white-water canoeing, and is revered by fly fishermen for its prolific mayfly and stone fly hatches. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has a fish hatchery and a ranger station that operates the state forest and nearby campgrounds
It was a foggy, rainy night and morning. We drove into town for the 1:15 Cruise. They told us in the office to go down to the yellow line on the docks. We were early, but wanting to sit on the upper deck, we walked down, getting behind a nice family. Soon others lined up. Standing there with raincoat, sweater, a backpack with an extra lens, I got hot. The sun had come out. We felt a bit silly. Others had on shorts and t-shirts.
A cruise lady came down like a cheerleader, asking if we were excited. She said we might be warm now, but it is at least 10 degrees cooler as soon as you get out of the harbor. As the boat came in, the people looked pretty chilly.
We got good seats on the left, front and settled in. Captain Don greeted us and said he was going to tell us probably more than we wanted, but he wanted us to know all about this wonderful place. He is an engineer and has retired three times, but he loves this job and this wonderful place.
There was Madeline Island, the only inhabited island. Well, people still have houses or cabins on other islands. When it was turned into a national park, they bought properties at market prices. If people wanted to stay, they could for their lifetime or that of their children.
Brownstone quarry
Sentinel Rock
All of the islands were timbered, including Basswood Island. Native Americans used inner parts of basswood to make ropes, mats and baskets. Europeans used it for carving, models, prototypes, blinds, puppets and toys.
Hermit Island was inhabited by William Wilson, who didn’t get along well with people. It is also the site of a large brownstone quarry. After the Chicago fire, people were looking for stronger building materials. Brownstone was used locally, like the current Apostle Islands National Park headquarters. It was shipped to new York where it was used for many buildings.
Michigan Island was named because it was closest to Michigan. Stockton Island is a large island of 10,000 acres with a diverse ecosystem of bogs, dunes and beaches. It has many trails, beaches, blueberries and campsites. It also has a lot of bears. The park, in trying to determine how many bears there were, tagged some of them. One especially large male would swim to other islands. In trying to determine why, a young park ranger suggested it is because he had girl friends on other islands.
These islands are not so close together, and signs warn tourists about misjudging distances. People will try to kayak to an island, but they may not be in shape to paddle long distances, or they can’t get back. One sign warned of turning over in 47 degree water. Maybe I should take that kayak roll class again.
Oak Island is the highest island in the park. It has 11.5 miles of trails, diverse sandstone formations, bluffs and sandy beaches, including a unique overlook called Sentinel Rock. It has the highest concentration of black bears in the park. Ojibwe people used the island for maple syrup. There is a shuttle from Bayfiels.(supplemented from Google AI).
Devil’s Island lighthouse
We went by Manitou Island, known for its historic Fish Camp. In the 1800’s it was too far for commercial fishing boats to travel every day, so they made a camp on Manitou Island. It has been preserved for visitors to explore. It has a unique ecosystem, featuring boreal forests, spruce bogs and alder wetlands, a result of the absence of deer and moose. (Google AI)
Ironwood Island was known for its very hard wood used for tool handles and mallets. There are no trails, but kayakers can find a single primitive campsite on a sandspit with a food locker and fire ring. Kayakers can explore sea caves and fishing.
Devil’s Island may be the most interesting, being the furtherest north into the vast Lake Superior. There is a beautiful lighthouse that has recently been restored. It is also known for its sea caves. It is named for the sounds of waves booming in the sea caves, interpreted by the Ojibwe as evil spirits. (Google AI). Being so far out, the ice is not frozen solid in winter, so it sloshes against the shores, digging out these unique caves. Captain Don got me on this one asking, “Who wants to see the ice caves? …. Well you will have to come back in winter to see them.”
There are many pictures of these caves frozen and dripping icicles. Who comes out here in the dead of winter? Well, some people do. It made me think about the lighthouse keepers and their families who lived here. To be here in “the storms of November” would be daunting. Ice breakers would deliver supplies….. if they could.
On the way back, Captain Don (I think that was his name) talked about the Ice Highway. When the great lake freezes in winter, the ferry doesn’t run to Madeline Island, so kids can’t go to high school on the mainland and people can’t get supplies. But when the ice freezes enough, they build an ice highway. “You should come and drive it.” Don said. “It can be a bit unsettling to hear the ice crack and see ice bubbles scoot ahead of you, but don’t worry. It is entirely safe. They have been doing this for years, and they don’t open it until it is safe. Toward the end of the season, they close it, but there is always someone who thinks they know better.”
“They might get half way across before their car sinks into the ice, and they can’t get it out. It’s only 2.5 miles across, so they can walk back to safety. But what happens to the car? The state wants to preserve the purity of the lake, so you have to remove the car. Insurance doesn’t pay for it, because you were driving on a closed road. You will have to hire a barge to get it out and dispose of it, and that can be expensive. Now there is a sled with an airplane propeller on the back to ferry folks back and forth. But you should come back in winter and drive the Ice Highway.”
It was a great tour. Captain Don and the crew were great, and the scenery was great. It was so full of information, I couldn’t remember it all. How he drives and talks so much at the same time is impressive. We skirted a couple of squalls, but had to go through another. It was interesting to see how he went around one, then waited for another to pass. We got wet and cold going through one, although we should have retreated downstairs, but we did stand under an overhanging roof behind the cabin, which was heated.
Crazy weather seems common on Lake Superior. It was foggy and dripping rain all morning. The sun came out while we waited for the cruise on the docks. There were rain squalls all around us. Then we hit patches of sun. Yet through it all, it was beautiful, and the clouds were amazing. We were lucky the water was dead calm. Don said it was unusual to be so calm around Devil’s Island.
I talked with the captain as we slowly disembarked. I complimented him on the great job he did. His love for the lake and the islands was evident. Having retired three times, he said, “It’s great to have a job you love and live in a place you love.” We were lucky to spend a couple of great hours with him.
Martha loves a farmer’s market, so we went to Bayfield. It had been cloudy and a bit of rain, but by the time we got there, it was a sunny, beautiful day. It was a nice, little market with about 12 booths. Martha bought a couple of different mushrooms, a candle and ……
Every week a different musician comes to play
We walked down to the water and sat on a little dock, admiring the view. We decided to take the ferry over to Madeline Island. It runs every hour on the hour, returning on the half hour. It is the only inhabited island of the 21 Apostle Islands, named by Jesuit priests for the 12 apostles.
I love walking the docks, looking at the boats. As we walked the Bayfield docks, every boat was a winner. The Apostle Islands make for great sailing, so there were a lot of sailboats. Lots of people were scurrying around, loading coolers, some with music playing. Turns out there was a two-day regatta.
Maritime Museum
We put our things in the truck, got a sandwich at a little shop and walked a few blocks to the ferry. Since they do this all day, every day, they were very efficient. It’s about a 15-minute ride across the bay. With a clear blue sky and sailboats headed for Hermit Island, it made for a pleasant ride.
We had no idea what to do on Madeline Island, so we sat in a gazebo, ate our lunch and looked at the town map. I was surprised at all the cars and trucks on the ferry. There was also a group of bikers. Somehow I envisioned a more remote atmosphere. It’s a relatively large town with the usual things. We opted for the museum first. We could have rented bikes, but it’s a big island. This might be the occasion for an electric bike.
The museum was surprisingly good. A pretty, young lady and an Objibwe man greeted us. We asked for two senior tickets. She asked is we were veterans. Martha said I was, but I don’t carry a card. The young lady said, “That’s OK, we don’t check ID’s anyway.” My phone battery was about drained, so Martha asked if they had a charge cord. The man rummaged around in the back and found one.
I charged it as we watched a fast paced movie of the history of the island. The Ojibwe people had some disagreement and the tribe split, half migrating west, ending up in these islands. They built their beautiful birchbark canoes, sliding through a great marsh while thrashing wild rice into the boats. Fishing and hunting were great.
The white men came, trading furs. The Jesuit priests came, and then the tourists came in summers. Like most museums, it’s hard to take it all in, but I was intrigued by the boats. There were tools, starting with the Ojibwe, then the early European settlers. I liked the coffee roaster.
Walking back to the original museum, a man dressed in early settler attire, greeted us. This building was like an old cabin. Actually, the man said, it was three buildings combined – a cabin, the original jail, and something else that was brought in.
I asked what the difference was between the Chippewa and Ojibwe. He said they are the same people, but the Chippewa had a different way of sewing their moccasins. Hanging on one room was a sleigh, older than ours, but very similar. It’s a great museum. We thanked them and put a 20 in the donation box.
We walked a couple of blocks to the bike shop. A very large crowd gathered at a municipal building. It seemed like the whole town was there. A couple of doors down was another crowded place with a different atmosphere.
At the bike shop, mopeds and electric bikes were lined up outside, but the door was locked. Martha went next door to ask. They said there was a funeral that many people in town were attending. That accounted for one of the large gatherings we had seen. This seemed a great way to see the island. Perhaps another day.
The town map showed a trail across part of the island, so we walked up the main road with yellow lines down the middle and a fair amount of traffic. Heck, it was as large at the Trans-Canada highway!
It took us 20 minutes to get to the Capser Trail, a well-maintained trail through a pretty forest. A couple of loops would make a longer hike, but we weren’t up for that. Early on, it went through a beautiful stand of big white birch trees, and later what I thought were black birch, but my plant identifier app said they were big quaking aspen.
We came out to another road and followed it to the ferry. Our timing was good. There was only a short wait. We sat next to a gregarious couple. They were celebrating his 80th birthday with their children, and had been to Tom’s Burned Down Cafe. Tom’s is apparently a famous place, but it burned down. After some time, Tom bought a trailer and opened back up, saying, “I ain’t done yet.”
They had been drinking Bloody Marys, and although not drunk by any measure, he was talkative. They have been coming here from the St. Croix area for years. They had a sailboat and love sailing these islands. “Best place to sail in the world!” He pointed out a boat in the distance that they sailed yesterday. The boats were sailing against the wind now, moving slowly.
The wife asked us where we had been and where we were going. She suggested following the Mississippi River south. She said it is quite pretty, and there is a lot of history. I thanked her and said I would look into that. She also said to go to the little town of Cornucopia, just west of our campground.
Back on land, we walked back up through the busy, little town of Bayfield to the truck. It was only 2:30, so we drove to Cornucopia just to get a preview. There is a busy marina on the north side of the highway. We turned left to find a “town” composed of 5 buildings. the interesting one was a very large general store. I’m quite sure that would be interesting, but having gotten up this morning at 3:00, I was pretty tired.
We turned left at the stop sign to see the rest of the town, but there wasn’t any. We were getting ready to turn around when we saw a sign for Siskiwit Waterfall. We were the only ones in the parking lot, but as we walked down a pretty, little trail, we saw people on the other side on another trail.
It was a very unique cascading waterfall over solid rock. I don’t know how far this goes, but we followed it for 300 yards. A sign posted limits for trout and salmon. The river was crystal clear and depth would be measured in inches. Looking up the name later, I would find a site for “18 Waterfall Hikes Near Cornucopia!”
Heading back to camp, we stopped at Myer’s Beach in Apostle Islands National Park. Cars had filled the parking lot and spilled out along the entrance road. It was Saturday, sunny and warm, but hardly swimming weather. A large sign warned of the dangers of kayaking here. If you turn over, you have limited time to get upright. In 30 minutes your hands and feet will get numb. In an hour you will lose consciousness. Martha read another warning for the current lake water temperature. It was 47 degrees!
But another part of the sign showed the attraction, and a large part of the attraction of the Apostle Islands – sea caves, arches and tunnels. Several kayaks were returning from their trip. The beach is very long and pretty.
The drive back to camp didn’t seem so long, and we saw 6 more turkeys. Now I was very tired. Martha made a very nice dinner of pork chops and cooked the mushrooms with peas in butter. Yum!
