Hiking Gooseberry...

We have just about hiked every trail that Gooseberry Falls State Park has to offer, most of the trails we've hiked them many times, but that doesn't stop us from continuing to hike...

We woke up Sunday morning, pretty early and still wearing the same close as the day before, but we took off from the campground to the falls area anyway...

We had been on this trail two days earlier and had no problems...

When we got to a bridge over a little waterway, we noticed the water was much higher than 36 hours prior...

It hadn't rained, but the water was over the trail...it was at least six inches deep at it's deepest point...

We didn't give it much thought why the water was higher, we just doubled back and took a higher trail back to the visitors center...

Once there, we detoured across the river...making the hike longer, but no one really seemed to care...

The view of the Upper Falls from the bridge is kind of cool...

We decided to take the Hiking Club trail, even though we've done it many times...

It's a short, one-mile loop, that gives great views of the lake...

From one of these overlooks, we figured out why the water was so high in the river...

The strong northeast winds had thrown some much rock up on the point bar at the river's mouth that it completely blocked the river.  The river was basically impounded...remember that picnic table from several posts back?  It was halfway underwater...

We also found the password to the trail...no we're not going to tell you what it is...

But finally, we got to the Falls Loop hike, which puts you extremely high above the river...

But it also gives you looks of the river and falls that most people don't take the time to see...

And there are some nice overlooks from this trail...

Like Lukie says...peace out...till next time...

Camplife...

After treating Lex's hair for lice as well as I could while camping, the trip didn't stop, we still had things to do.  So later that afternoon we took off for the lake again, the wind was still blowing and the waves would be building...

That's Lukie off in the distance throwing rocks...

Lex had to join him...

Of course, one of the best parts of any camping trip is hanging around the fire...Lex likes to make s'mores...Lukie tolerates them...

They made several batches...

But then Lukie said he just wanted to hangout in the hammock (I think he was trying to avoid lice)...

We bought the product that makes your campfire different colors again...it's kind of mesmerizing watching it...

But eventually, Lukie and Lex headed for the tent and left me watching the fire...

That's one of their flashlights in the tent, past the fire...the next day was going to be busy...

Tettegouche State Park...

After a brief rest following the hike to the Fifth Falls at Gooseberry, Luke wanted to drive up to Tettegouche and do some hiking there...

Our first stop was at Palisade Head, the highest point located on Lake Superior's shoreline...it's a long way down if Lukie walks much farther...

Lex kept her distance from the edge, preferring to stay closer to the tower, which is a very tall tower...

From the top of Palisade Head, you get some great views of Shovel Point in the distance and can watch rock climbers doing their thing...

But upon getting to the park proper, we took off for the High Falls of the Baptism River, the tallest waterfall completely within the state's borders...

The first overlook showed us the fall from above...

Then we had to cross the river on this bridge that moves quite a bit as you're walking...

Once across the river, there are a lot of steps to the bottom (and you will take them back to the top), but the view is worth it...

Moments before the picture below was taken, Lukie and I discovered something at essentially the same time.  It takes a lot of work to get to the base of the falls, it was in the 60s and we were working up some body heat & sweat.  At this point, Lukie and I both noticed bugs crawling on Lex's headband...we (I) removed 6-8 adult lice from the outside of the headband...note that I was doing a poor job smiling and Lukie kept me between him and Lex...

After visiting the rest area at the park, we hiked a bit out onto Shovel Point to view Palisade Head in the distance...notice that Lukie is keeping his distance from Lex...

Lice treatment at home is one thing, lice treatment at camp is another.  First, it's hard to find a place in this area that sells lice treatment (shampoo, nit combs, etc.).  Second, you're at camp, in a tent, with other people.  But eventually, after finding the Lice/egg killing shampoo and Lex taking a shower, we spent over an hour using that nit comb to remove the adults, the larvae, the nits...there were lots...when we got back on Monday, we repeated the treatment for Lex and both Lukie & I went through the treatment (as we will all do again in 3-4 days to hopefully make sure we're done with lice).  Can now cross that off my bucket list...lice on a camping trip...

Fifth Falls Trail...

We woke up on Saturday morning at Gooseberry and took off on a new hike for Lukie and Lex, to the Fifth Falls.  This set of falls is about a mile or so above the Highway 61 bridge that crosses the river.  Kieran and I had been there some years back, but this was the first time for Lukie and Lex...

Before we left though, we saw this little squirrel enjoying breakfast without a care in the world...

But then it was time to hike, they had to check out the river just above the middle falls...

This trail takes you past the Upper Falls...

And we have to stop to take a picture...

But if you look the other way, you get a nice view looking under the bridge towards the lake...

And if you've never seen this part of the river, you have to check it out...it must be different the the lower Gooseberry...right?

Just to remember which trail we were on...

We could see the falls from a distance, but due to river levels, we couldn't go out on the rocks beneath this waterfall...

This waterfall is just above the one in the picture above, obviously, we could get out on these rocks...

I was resting on a bench when Lukie and Lex went out on the bridge.  I thought it was a good picture, so I had to get them to stop throwing rocks into the river to get it...

When I caught up to them, Lukie wanted a picture (he was not pleased Lex stepped in...we had to take one just him and I to please him)...

And they even found some tadpoles...

Of course they had to catch some...

Near the end of the trail it takes you to an overlook of the Upper Falls.  This overlook is about 50 vertical feet above some of the early pictures in this post...

Lukie and I didn't think anything of getting close to Lex in some of these pictures...that would change about four hours later (that story will come in the next post)...

After a brief rest period back at camp, we took off to Tettegouche State Park for some more waterfalls and hiking...that post will come later...