Wisconsin NCT: Day Six

 Thursday, September 11, 2025

Porcupine Lake Wilderness Area to Reynard Lake Rd. Approximately 16 miles

We slept in a little bit on our last day on the trail.  16 miles to hike seemed like a lot less than the 20 per day we had been doing!  Again, it had rained a bit in the night, and our gear was wet.  This weather sure was different than what we had expected!  Our little tent village was packed away, and soon we were ready to get back to the trail.

The spur trail we had taken was nearly a half mile, and we were glad to finally to see that North Country Trail sign!

The threat of rain was still in the air, so our packs were covered, but it was quite comfortable temperature-wise.  I continued to admire the mushrooms as we hiked.

Then it was time to sign another logbook.  It seemed like there were a lot of logs this week!  Sometimes I feel lucky if we see one in a 30-40 mile stretch!

We also came upon this not alive snake, later identified as a Northern Ring-necked Snake.

Today's hike took us past many lakes: Overby Lake, Essox Lake, Mirror Lake and Nelson Lake.  We stopped for a mid-morning break beside a very peaceful lake, thankful the rain was holding off.  This whole area felt like northern lower Michigan, with its pine trees, ferns and berries.

We continued down the trail, my thoughts drifting towards that finish line every now and then.  One thing I love about hiking over running is that I get to see so much more on the trail.  If I was running, I never would have seen this little creature taking a break on a mushroom.

And if you know me, you know I'm going to tell you to stick your hand in there.

For much of the day, we were wading through this very tall grass. It was very wet, making us very wet.  And because it was wet and warm, the mosquitoes wanted to party.  Check out Matt's million bug bites!

There continued to be lakes along our left side all day, and we took one final break before heading for the finish.  I was so glad I had my bug net with me!  The mosquitoes were literally out for blood.

The last few miles were quite eventful.  First, we stopped for a celebratory Fireball shot.  Then, we came across a potential wolf print, although it could have been a large coyote.  Finally, after all those miles, we saw our first bear poop!  So exciting!  Haha! Maybe next time we will get lucky and see a bear!

And then, we were hustling towards the finish.  The mosquitoes were unbelievably bad, and I couldn't wait for the safety of my truck to get away from them!  Finally, we were there.  We had done it!  We had covered half of the North Country Trail in Wisconsin in five days!  

My last order of business was delivering Matt and Tanya back to their car at Copper Falls State Park.  Once there, I used their facilities to clean up and change clothes before hitting the road.  I didn't know where I was going to sleep that night, but I knew I couldn't make it all the way home.  I traveled back through eastern Wisconsin, crossed back into Michigan, through Ironwood, Bessemer and all the towns I had come through just six days ago.  When I came through Ishpeming at at 7:42pm, I snapped this picture of blue skies and the sunset behind me. 

At 7:58pm, as I entered Marquette, I was hit with a wall of white.  At first, I thought something was on fire.  Then I realized it was fog!  I had never seen fog this thick.  Cars slowed to crawling.  

When I got into town, I pulled over for some ice cream.  For some reason, I was not tired at all.  If I could see to drive, I'd like to keep going!  I filled up my gas tank and proceeded with caution.  I had driven this stretch many, many times so I was familiar with the lay of the land.  As soon as I hit the Marquette city limits, the fog immediately cleared!  It was unbelievable!  I had smooth sailing the rest of my trip.  I managed to make it to the cabin in Gaylord by midnight, where I tucked myself into bed and slept.

We plan to return to Wisconsin next fall to complete the state, but in the meantime, we will be doing more sections in Ohio through the winter.  And you know me, there will also be some adventuring on the Appalachian Trail as well!