Amy Packer

Monday was the day that Nate planned out during our stint in Munising. During his climbing research he found a place up the road in Marquette that looked to be a promising spot where we could also take a nice hike for a good view of Lake Superior.

We drove about an hour to Sugar Loaf Mountain just west of Marquette. We didn't get there until about lunch time, so grabbed a quick picnic lunch before hitting the trail. It was nice to be back to the land of shaded trails. Holden was not thrilled with the uphill portions -- which was the entire first half of the trail, but with enough bribery & good spirited challenges ("Holden, there's no way you can scramble up those rocks faster than I can climb up those stairs!") and encouragement from hikers on their way down who promised the view was worth it, he begrudgingly soldiered on. The hike was maybe 3 miles roundtrip.

And even our reluctant hiker acknowledged that the view at the top was worth the effort to get there. The view to the north at the top was Lake Superior and several beaches. The blue waters of the lake blended to blue-green and eventually bright green pockets against the limestone bluffs. If I didn't know better, I would've assumed this shoreline belonged to a place in the tropics. To the other direction were forested hills for miles.

Once we got back to the parking lot, we loaded up with climbing gear and headed to the climbing spot Nate had researched. It was a nice little spot that gave us all a lot of Tennessee vibes, minus the prolific poison ivy. Everett led a couple of climbs and even Holden got into the spirit, making his way up a 5.4 and a 5.7 route. Nate also really enjoyed the routes he got on and led.

Before heading back, Nate suggested one more stop so we could cool off. While it wasn't hot by Tennessee standards, we all worked up a pretty good sweat hiking. So off we headed to Black Rocks. As we walked along the black rocks along the waterside, I had flashes back to my trip to the black sand beaches and the coastline of Big Island in Hawaii. I never thought a trip to Michigan would remind me of Hawaii, but if anything, this trip has reminded me that surprises will always await if you venture out far enough.

Our final destination wasn't a beach, but a gorgeous green-blue cove with amazing cliffs to jump from. The boys were game to jump and intellectually we all knew the water would be cold, but holy smokes, the absolute full-body shock that hit me when I landed in the 58° Lake Superior is unlike anything I've ever experienced. I could barely breathe even after surfacing. Even writing this now, my breathing stops just thinking about it. To be honest I can't believe the boys didn't sink when they jumped in -- although Holden might have if Nate hadn't already been in the water waiting for him.

Despite that FRIGID shock, we all went back for more. None of the subsequent jumps were as arresting as the first, but it certainly never got warm. Although, this was one of those rare times when it felt warmer to be out of the water than within it.

We each ended the day with a handful of jumps in our back pocket and the memory of the absolute thrill of those jumps. Once they were done jumping, the boys played on the rocks and found tiny tide pools to warm their feet in.

We ended the day with a prolonged hunt for dinner -- who knew Marquette's restaurants would be so packed? But eventually found a spot where Nate and I got delicious battered whitefish - the local catch - and the boys were happy with nachos.

It was a very, very good day for our last full day in the area.

Next stop: Tahquahoma Falls State Park.Read more