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It was harder to get up this morning. A combination of some light insomnia and early morning work nightmares. I let myself stay in bed a little longer before heading off to my planned trailhead. It’s a half-hour drive away but I’m still on the trail by quarter to ten. Actually, it’s the same trailhead as Monday, but I’m taking a different loop this time: a 4.5-mile hike by Mosquito Falls and onto Mosquito Beach. Luckily we’re past the season where actual mosquitos are a problem.

I have the trail to myself again and start a new audiobook Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros which has been highly recommended to me by a friend. For good reason, I am immediately hooked.

Mosquito Falls is a meandering waterfall on the Mosquito River, like a gentle secret in the forest. I take the path around it slowly, a dash of oasis from all angles before moving on.

Mosquito Falls

When I arrive at Mosquito Beach, I pause and sit for a while. I watch another hiker skip stones a ways down the beach and try my own hand at it. There are perfect flat stones and every one I choose skips over the small bay.

Mosquito Beach

By the time I’m done with my morning hike though I’m hungry and nursing a headache. Blame interrupted sleep or not hydrating as much as I thought I was . . . or maybe a few days of being outside so much in the cold has shocked my body. I stop at the Bear Trap Inn again for lunch and journal while I nurse my headache.

Before heading back to Munising, I make another stop at Miners Castle and Miners Falls, two other landmarks on the Pictured Rocks lakeshore. Miners Castle is a rock formation that juts out from the coast, there’s a great overlook that gets up close and as I approach the sun comes out for the first time in days. It lights the world anew and cures my headache (okay, the water and aspirin might have helped). It’s rejuvenating. And the mineral-stained bluffs are more brilliant and vibrant in the sun.

Miners Castle

I stay awhile by Miners Castle and journal in their picnic area, soaking up the last warmth of fall. It’s nice to write for myself, words that are only for me. I like writing on this platform but writing freehand, working through my thoughts, is therapeutic.

Miners Falls is a mile or so inland and only a short half-mile hike from the parking lot along a wide forest path. This is a powerful waterfall and once again I find a few minutes alone on the platform in between groups of visitors. I take so many pictures all day but it’s impossible to capture the depth and scale. After over three days here, I’d definitely recommend the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore to anyone who enjoys nature and hiking . . . there’s so much more to explore that I didn’t fit in, though I’m proud of myself for getting to so many places.

Miners Falls

I arrive back to the B&B in the late afternoon, ready to wash up and rest . . . and listen to a comedy podcast while I handle an hour or so of work to see if I can kill that anxiety I woke up with. I’m efficient, I don’t get distracted by other emails or even open Slack and I hope the burst of productivity does the trick and lets me relax.

I start a new book this evening, one I bought years ago, but fifty pages in and I’m not sure it’s for me . . . it should be in theory . . . historical, ships, I think it’s queer . . . but I can’t get into the writing or characters. I heard once that Oprah gives a book fifty pages before putting it down and I think I’m going to put this one down. I brought a whole mini-library with me, no need to get stuck on one book.

Besides, I really just want to listen to more Fourth Wing so I’ll probably listen tonight and play solitaire to keep my hands busy.

Tomorrow I’m leaving Munising and headed for the Keweenaw Peninsula. I’m planning to stop in Marquette for a hike on the way, but we’ll see how the day goes — it’s supposed to be a rainy one. I’m leaving a little bit of luxury behind, too — this B&B has ended up being private and comfortable (deep bathtub, king-sized bed, comfy armchairs looking out at the lake). I’ll be staying at a small town lodge for the next few nights that won’t have any of those things, but I figured it was healthy to change up the pace and explore a new area.

However, I am far less confident about decent internet access. I plan to still write here every day, but if I don’t publish don’t panic. I’ll write the drafts and publish them later if needed, but fingers crossed it won’t be an issue.

With Love,
Natalie