A couple weekends ago I got to venture out of the harbor AGAIN!
I met up with my love in Hancock, and on Sunday morning we drank coffee and planned our day's adventure. When you live here, you have take all aspects into account.
The snow was pretty decent for a ski, so that was our plan... but where?
The wind was 22mph out of the WNW, so we scratched out McLain State Park. Instead, we decided to venture to the opposite canal entry point.
White City!
I haven't been there in years, and never in the winter. We planned to ski along the beach. Doesn't that sound awesome?
It sure did! The drive through Bootjack and Dreamland was so fun. We were curious like kids, pointing and gawking, as we don't go that way often. But when we got to the beach we couldn't ski!
White City was not white! It was sand!
We first walked the breakwall that you see stretching through the middle of the picture. From the start, it looks like this.
The couple spots of sun were encouraging because the further we walked out, the more we were pelted with the wind -- the wind we tried to avoid on the opposite shore!
That walk always feels longer than it looks. But is sure is fun!
This was us when we made it to the end. So windy!
The way back was BRUTAL! But we hunkered down and bullied through. Then we walked the beach!
I mean, who can resist a lovely walk on the sandy beach in winter? Ha! Walking that beach reminds me of walking the Keystone beach and looking at the point of the peninsula... probably because it's the same shore going the same direction. Just 50 miles north!
I was curious about the history of White City, and I found this article in the MTU archives. It was fascinating! A carousel and dance hall at White City??? Now it's just a beach!
After all that frolicking, we were hungry! Esa suggested the Dreamland restaurant because we drive right past it. I had never been there, so we had to do it! Definitely a cute little family-owned place.
As we headed out to leave, Esa spotted a friend, and they chatted for a bit. When he told his friend where we just were, the friend said, "And you can do Douglas Houghton Falls on your way back!"
We let that idea roll around with our full bellies. I had never been there either! Whaaaat???
We pulled up to the upper parking area, grabbed our snow cleats, and headed toward the falls. I had no idea what to expect.
We meandered along a stream for a bit until BAM!
The gorge!
It was GORGEous!!!
My heart did a flip, and I wondered why the heck nobody thought to show me this place until now. I had heard of it, but I didn't know how to get there. Esa knew!
At the top, it was stunning and awesome, but we knew we had to get to the bottom in order to really see the whole picture. Someone tied a rope from a root to a tree at the bottom of the well-trodden path. (Thank you!) I don't know the pitch of the gorge path, but here's how I got down: I put my hands under my buns and screamed like I was on a roller coaster! That path was ice! It was like a luge!
I went so fast that I almost shot up a bump at the bottom like a ramp. I grabbed a branch or whatever I could to stop myself from launching into the gorge.
Wow!
That was the most organic excitement I've had in a while! When it's so fun, yet you could really hurt yourself?
That's true fun.
When Esa joined me at the bottom, he was still laughing at my antics. He put his cleats on before descending.
Then we saw... a cave!
So we went inside!
Geez, I never expected spelunking to be part of our unraveling adventure!
We got out and I took the sketchy path around to the bottom of the frozen falls. I took this picture for you.
Really! I thought of you when I took it!
Around the same time, Esa took a picture of me right where I took that picture for you.
This is a great shot. You can see size proportion of the valley and the mouth of the cave we explored! I hightly recommend a visit to these falls. I will even bring people myself because it's a wonder that needs to be shared!
The falls itself was visibly running on the right side of the very top and the right side at the bottom. But, that ice tho!
Thanks for coming with us! What a magical day!
If you want some more magic, make sure to check out our latest podcast episode! Ned Huwatschek's family started Smith Bros. Fisheries in Lac La Belle in the 1930's, and we just captured a bunch of his stories! What a swell guy.
If you're curious about the old fishery, I found this old video on Youtube.
Take care!