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After
surviving a thirteen mile hike with no food and barely any water on
their first visit in 1984, Mike and Aimee followed up with
significantly more preparation before their second trip made in 1985.
To cover ground more efficiently, Mike planned a twelve mile circle or
loop hike of the North
Mirror Lake, Correction Line, and Big Carp River Trails. The hike began
at the parking lot at the end of Route M-107, where the North Mirror
Lake
Trail initially rises to the elevation of the escarpment, then drops
approximately
200 to 300 feet to the valley just west of Lake of the Clouds.
The trail crosses the Big Carp River on a wooden
bridge at this point, about 3/4 mile from the parking lot trailhead.
The spectacular scene of Lake of the Clouds visible from the escarpment
is reduced to a view of a swampy area where the river exits the lake.
There are some views of portions of the lake itself before and after
the bridge. Following the bridge, the trail ascends at a slight rate
over a divide then back down to
cross Scott Creek, a tributary of the Big Carp River.
After crossing the creek, the trail ascends at a
moderate rate over the next mile or so, with the steepest climb
occuring at first. This is the segment to which the trail guide alludes
with the statement, "Hikers should be in good physical condition to
test this trail as most of the southbound route is uphill." In 1985,
Aimee and Mike found this warning to be a bit overblown. In 1988,
however, the two of them along with Mike's brother Mark did this trail
following the Escarpment Trail as part of a
different loop hike. It did seem like a tough climb after five miles
including
several climbs along the Escarpment Trail. In 1999, Mike and Maria did
the hike in the downhill northbound direction. As the trail climbs or
descends
the hill, it's a bit tricky to follow it. There are some campsites and
enough open dirt to make it hard to discern a specific path. That was
true
in 1985, with the old-style red diamond markers, and it's even more
true
in 1999, with the new blue markers which seem to be less frequent. This
is one spot in the park where some extra trail markers, closely spaced,
would
really help hikers.
At one point during the ascent, the trail (or maybe
not the trail, but the campsite vicinity) follows along a bluff
overlooking a stream. The stream doesn't show at all on the park map,
but a USGS topo map
indicates it is NOT Scott Creek, but an unnamed tributary of Scott
Creek. It is a nice vista.
Once the ascent is complete and the trail flattens
out, it becomes rather muddy over its remaining distance to the
Government Peak Trail intersection. This is 3/4 of the way to Mirror
Lake from M-107. (In 1988, Mike, Aimee, and Mark continued their loop
hike along Government Peak Trail.)
Continuing southbound on North Mirror Lake Trail, it
climbs slightly through a muddy area then follows one of the lengthiest
sections of wooden board causeway in the park through mud and swamp
before descending to Mirror Lake. In 1999, Maria really enjoyed hiking
this section on her own two feet following a snack break at Mirror Lake
-- she and Mike were doing the trail in the northbound direction, and
he'd carried her in the backpack
for the first 2 1/2 miles of the hike on the South Mirror Lake Trail.
She
enjoyed it until she got so giddy that she stumbled off the board and
into
the mud in what was fortunately one of the less wet sections over which
the
causeway passed. Even so, 1 1/4 miles on her own two feet, over a few
small
rises (30 to 40 ft), was a splendid effort for someone just a few weeks
past
her 4th birthday!
As the trail drops for its final approach to Mirror
Lake, there are a few views of the lake. The trail then runs just above
the lake shore for about 1/4 mile to its end at the Correction Line
Trail intersection. It doesn't really end at that point -- if you
continue straight ahead, it just changes its name to the South Mirror
Lake Trail. In 1985, Mike and Aimee turned right at this intersection
to continue their loop hike on the Correction Line Trail. In 1999, Mike
and Maria had come northbound on
the South Mirror Lake Trail and continued straight ahead on the North
Mirror Lake Trail to meet Aimee with the car at M-107.
One thing to remember: This trail makes a good
combination with others for a one-way, 6 1/2 mile hike from the M-107
parking lot to Summit Peak Road, a 12 mile loop hike beginning at the
M-107 parking lot, or a 15 mile loop hike beginning at either the M-107
parking lot or the Government Peak trailhead on M-107. Just avoid doing
the 15 mile hike on a record
hot and humid Memorial Day weekend in the Western U.P.!
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 Mike's
brother Mark (hard to see, look for a green shirt) standing on the
bridge which carries the North Mirror Lake Trail over the Big Carp
River just downstream from the point where it exits Lake of the Clouds.
The large hill in the background is the Lake of the Clouds overlook
accessible from M-107. The trail had just descended from that area.
This photo was taken on Memorial Day weekend, 1988.
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Here's
another view of the Lake of the Clouds
overlook and escarpment, taken on July 17, 1999, from the bridge over
the Big Carp River just downstream from Lake of the Clouds. A person
with decent eyesight can see the people standing at the overlook, but
they aren't clear in the photo much less in the .jpg file.
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You don't get a spectacular view of Lake of the
Clouds from the North Mirror Lake Trail bridge over the Big Carp River.
Although the bridge is only a few hundred feet from the point where the
river exits the lake, all you can see is a swampy area. There are good
views of the lake and access points on either side of the bridge.
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Maria is enjoying a chance to hike on her own two
feet instead of Dad's backpack carrier. This followed a snack break
near the shore of Mirror Lake on July 17, 1999. Maria hiked over a mile
including some slight uphill segments, and she especially enjoyed the
boardwalk through muddy and swampy areas
between Mirror Lake and the junction with Government Peak Trail.
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When you're four years old, those downed logs across
the trail are REALLY big! Maria's hiking northbound on the North Mirror
Lake Trail, just north of and a couple dozen feet uphill from Mirror
Lake, on July 17, 1999.
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