I’ve been feeling a little stuck in Madison this winter. I’ve been doing a lot of cross country skiing since I (foolishly?) signed up for the 55km Birkie ski race, but I’ve been lacking in backcountry adventures.

Luckily, my uncle suggested we try the McKeever cabin in the UP. It’s only a 1.33 miles snowshoe back to the cabin but it’s a great cure for my backcountry craving. Wide open skies, freshly groomed trails, toasty fires and backcountry bloodies, it’s even better than I expected.

I wasn’t sure what to expect on the ski front, it says groomed on the website but you just never know. Turns out they were excellent! They are groomed approx. once a week. We were lucky enough to have that day fall on our first day there. Not a huge trail system but three nice loops kept me satisfied. The cabin is situated in the middle of them, which means a mid-ski stop for snacks and a bloody mary.

The cabin itself is small, has four bunks and a nice woodburning stove. It’s similar to the ones in the Porcupine Mountains on the other side of the peninsula. The stove is either on full blast or not on so it’s a bit a of a trick getting it just right. The best is there is an old hand water pump that works in the winter. A huge bonus. No melting snow for water. We met a ranger who stopped by to test the water, which they do every month, and she confirmed it was safe to drink unfiltered.

I also go to dust off the pulk I built for a Thanksgiving Hut trip a few years back. It was much easier to pull on the mostly level trail vs up the side of a mountain in Colorado. Shocking.

I credit my uncle for inspiring my love of the outdoors, especially backcountry pursuits. He taught me many skills but also to not to take it too seriously. And never, ever, skimp on food. For this trip we had bloodies, ribs and a smorgasbord of other delights. On past trips we’ve had backcountry surf & turf and tacos. It’s always great to get out there with him (and my cousin!). He’s 68 and still crushing it. Champion.

If you go:

The North Country Trail through the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is one of my favorite stretches of trail. Part of that is due to the scenery and part is due to the fact that I’ve been coming up here since before I can remember.

Last year I did the whole 43 mile stretch in one go for the first time. This year we’re doing 36.4 miles from Miners Castle to Au Sable Falls. There is a hiker shuttle that runs between Munising and Grand Marais, but with a group the car shuttle is pretty easy, the trailheads are only about an hour apart.

We got started just after lunch and headed the 5 miles to Mosquito Beach Campground. The next morning we broke camp and started the walk by climbing to the top of the Pictured Rocks themselves. The forecast called for a front coming in from the north sometime in the late morning. Sure enough around 10am a bank of clouds started building to the northwest. For the next hour we watched the clouds inch closer until suddenly they were upon us. The temps dropped about 20 degrees and the winds picked up to gale force, it was awesome.

Sure I’d prefer the warmer, sunnier temps but witnessing the sudden transition really reminds you who is in control. The wind continued through the rest of the day and made for a dramatic sunset over the lake at the Beaver Creek Campground where we spent night 2.

It was a cool and drizzly morning on day 3. Last year I had the pleasure of calm weather and was able to walk a large stretch of twelvemile mile beach along the beach itself. This time around we stuck to the forest.

The highlight of the day was the surprise that I knew was coming. For the most part the trail stays a few miles off the main road through the park but near the Au Sable Lighthouse the trail nears the road. Before meeting with 2 members of our group a friend and I managed to stash some beers under a log just off the trail. Nearing the end of our day the team was tired, hungry and wet. When I told my unsuspecting friend to “see what’s under that log...” I got a death stare. But after some coaxing he obliged me and gleefully pulled the bag of beers out. Definitely a morale booster to walk the last two miles of the day with a beer in hand.

The sun came out for our final day and we had good views climbing up to the top of the dunes and down through the forest to our car at Au Sable Falls. We made a beeline for the Dunes Saloon in Grand Marais for a well earned burger and beer before heading back home.

If you go:

Miners Castle TH (start) / Au Sable Falls TH (end)
Trail Map
Pictured Rocks Backcountry Planner
Al Train Hiker Shuttle
Dunes Saloon in Grand Marais