Day 3 Old Dogs on the Yellow Dog!
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Mike and Bone arose early had a big day planned on hiking the Yellow Dog River, so and they wanted a reasonable breakfast!
A Finnish Breakfast, to Finish their Houghton Stop
There was certainly not a lot of options in Houghton, so Mike and Bone watched where the locals were going Downtown. Of the two open restaurants, there was no one in the Mexican Restaurant, Armando's, but there was a line for the Finnish restaurant Suomi, so the Boys got in line for "aamiainen" (Finnish for breakfast!)
Mike and Bone passed on the Finnish specialty Pannukakku (oven-made pancakes) and had a standard breakfast, with Finnish toast. All in all, it wasn't awesome, but wasn't the worst. Pretty much like the whole stay in the Houghton Hancock Area!
Now, on to the Yellow Dog River , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , sorta, maybe.
A Head Slamming Good Time Ride!
First, a little background on the Yellow Dog River. Mike read about the Yellow Dog River. Read about and joined the Yellow Dog River Watershed Preserve, and organization that is dedicated to helping conserve the area for perpetuity.
The Yellow Dog River Watershed lies in eastern Baraga and western Marquette Counties in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Because of Porkies the Yellow Dog runs 52 miles and drops 1096 feet at an average rate of 1:150ft through granite gorges, open plains, and hemlock forests to end in Lake Independence. The terrain is very hilly (some flatlanders might even say mountainous) with high ridges and low valleys giving a spectacular view. The highest point in the watershed is over 1600ft. Not only can you see the river and forests from the hilltops but also Lake Superior. Wetlands abound and the forest type varies from old growth pine groves to aspen regeneration to stands of hardwood/conifer mix.
The Yellow Dog River is considered one of the cleanest and least contaminated rivers in Michigan. The problem was, where was it?! Mike and Sherrie had tried 5 years before to find it. The area is too remote for the Google to work well and the road at that time was pretty chopped up with boulders. So after a blown tire, they abandoned the attempt. The goal was to find an western route from Marquette, to the Yellow Dog River area. Which ..... was a very interesting ride!
Low Sparks of High-Healed Toys!
The road the Boys took was:
A. Off the Google Grid.
B. Sort of a road!
For a better part of an hour, the Boys went up hill, down ruts through some of the most interesting boulder-ridden mess of a road on any map!
A Bridge Too Far ?!
The high point of this path, was physically the low point. The road had a poorly built bridge, essentially a bunch of two by fours nailed together. The problem was it was mostly now sunk in the River! The Boys stopped, looked over the sunken bridge, and in typical Mike and Bone fashion said " Funk It! (paraphrased) and drove over, did not sink, or tip over, and soon found themselves at the Yellow Dog River Trail Head.
The Yellow Dog Falls Trailhead "C'Mon Bone!"
At this point of the year there are bugs everywhere, sweat a little bit and they swarm. The Boys made sure they had covered up with jackets and hat, on got on the road, or more accurately on the trail!
Trekkin' along the Yellow Dog Falls Trail
The first half of the trail was a bucolic, untouched forest with mature hardwoods and pines, with a bubbling tea-colored river. As the first half of the hike was along a well defined path, the second half, not so much.
Yellow Dog Falls Trail?! Not really
The well defined trail fell off along the river and soon Mike and Bone were scrambling over moss-covered boulders, slip-sliding precariously 20 feet over the river through branches and fallen logs.
"Turn Around Bone! I can't carry Your Fat Ass!" Mike
As the terrain grew increasingly dicey, Mike told Bone to wait, and not to go any further because if he slipped and broke something Mike could not drag his carcass out!
Success! Yellow Dog Falls!!!
Fortunately for both, soon through the bugs, moss, slanted boulders and branches everywhere, there was the unmistakable roar of the Yellow Dog Falls!!
Snapping a few pics (at an angle no less!) was somewhat challenging, hanging at a 45 degree angle to shrubs and tree limbs. Getting out proved every bit exciting as getting in, with each step tested and tried gingerly to not slip and fall on their behinds. Fortunately after a challenging 20 minutes the faint path along the river appeared and it was now a race to the car!
Well sort of: Bone tried his damned'nest to keep up with the much more trail tested Mike. In addition, the day was getting warmer and stickier. So by the time Bone reached the car and Mike he had pools of sweat literally running as twin streams from his jacket! Taking of their jackets, and getting on the road the Yellow Dog River Trekkers celebrated from the faux Hall of Shame with a coupla of well deserved IPA's! By now it was around 2:00 PM. The Boys wanted to get down into the Harbor Springs/Petoskey area to drive through the "Tunnel of Trees on M-119 along Lake Michigan, and stretch their legs at !
Mighty Mac! A Bridge not in danger of collapsing with the Weight of Mike and Bone
The Boys made relatively good time driving from the upper part of the Upper Peninsula across the Mighty Mac, They pulled into the little town of Cross Village, whose primary reason for exists is the famous Michigan landmark, the Legs Inn!
Getting a Legs Up at the Legs Inn!
The Legs Inn is considered one of the top 3 "Michigan Landmarks" The restaurant is named after the stove legs that line the roof of the building. Founded by Stanley Smolak, a Polish immigrant who creatively worked on the inn using local timber and stone with local “Ottawa Indian craftsman.
The Amazing Back Patio of the Legs Inn
The Restaurant was packed, and closed in 15 minutes. With typical Mike and Bone luck, one of the owners, the Grandson of Stanley Smolak, told the host. "Don't Worry, I gotta table for these guys!" Steve (the grandson) chit chatted with the Boys as he sat them at a table with an amazing view on the back patio. The restaurant is only open for about 5 months a year and the Family lives in Chicagoland. They come up every spring to open up the Restaurant and lives in the upper floor during Summer. The Menu is classic Polish. Mike and Bone have a history in Hamtramck, were very much Polish food "cunning sewers" (or connoisseurs.) Their server was a petite young lady from Poland who was working the Summer in the States. Her recommendations were spot on and the dinners were amazing. Full and happy, Mike and Bone bid adieu to a very cool restaurant.
Sun Set on Lake M!
Afterwards Mike and Bone took a leisurely drive down the "Tunnel of Trees on M-119 checking out the amazing evening scene along the sandy bluffs of the deep blue fresh water ocean called Lake Michigan! Soon enough the Sun was down and they roled into Petosky, where they got a Hotel from a grumpy A-hole of a clerk. Wanting to celebrate a great day they headed out for a evening nightcap, which ironically was the same waterhole used by Ernest Hemingway!!!
Chasing Hemingway
The City Park Grill is a Petoskey landmark that was constructed in 1879. Hemingway is reported to have enjoyed playing billiards here back in the early 1920's when it was called the Annex.
Interestingly Papa (Ernest's name by his friends) had good taste. He like Mike and Bones other Global haunts such as Sloppy Joes in Key West, and Harry's New York in Paris!
Bone Mike and Papa!
In classic Mike and Bone style they ordered some drinks and immediately jumped into a conversation with a couple from North Carolina, both of whom were very fond of the Outer Banks. After a few drinks the night began to get long and the Boys bid their new friends safe travels and headed to the Hotel.
Trip, Postscript
The next morning Mike drove Bone had breafast then drove around the "Mushroom Houses" of Charlevoix.
Earl Young was the famous eccentric builder/architect who lined the Park Avenue stretch in front of Michigan Beach Park with four distinct houses that could come straight from "Lord of the Rings!" Afterwards Mike finished the trek back to GR, and Bone headed back to Baserkely. All in all, good first Mike and Bone trip back from Covid!