Copper Harbor: hiking Estivant Pines


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Friday, July 14th, 2017

The sun is out this morning! A beautiful thing. After breakfast and packing a lunch I hop on the bike to go exploring. It's a joy not to have to break camp and load the motorcycle today.

First stop is at the docs on Copper Harbor to get a good look at it in the sun. It's a picturesque spot.

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They swim right up looking for a handout.
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Copper Harbor.

Steve told me about this old-growth forest so that's my next stop. I have to ride on a couple of miles of muddy road to get there. A bit stressful on the motorcycle, I just take it slow and pray I don't run into a situation I can't get out of.

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The trail through Estivant Pines.
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The old-growth pine trees of Estivant.
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Map of the trail.

It's an easy hike, not much elevation gain, through the pine forest. It doesn't take me but an hour or so.

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I had to ride a muddy dirt road to get to Estivant. Greta is breaking out in a cold sweat right now.
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My little private beach on the lake past Greta.

I hike around a few other places: a path that goes around that lake I'm camped on, a path to some small falls, a path along Lake Superior. I go back to camp for a quick swim in the lake and an early dinner so I can catch the sunset on Brockway Mountain.

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A map of the peninsula.
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"Manganese Falls"
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Lighthouse on Lake Superior.
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The stove turned out to be okay. I just had to pump up the pressure really high to blow out whatever was blocking the line (probably crud from sitting around unused for a couple of years).
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Panorama of Copper Harbor from Brockway Mountain overlook. My campsite is about halfway up the left-hand side of that lake on the right.
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These little turquoise bugs are everywhere. I had never seen bugs this color before.
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Enjoying the view.
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I stumbled upon a wooden cross in the bushes on Brockway Mountain.
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The long-awaited sunset from Brockway Mountain looking west over Lake Superior.
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I just can't get enough of the colors.

Stats for today's hiking:

Miles hiked: 6.1

Time: 1:44:40

Elevation gain: 482 ft