As on previous visits to Copper Harbor, I’ve found myself at the Mariner North for dinner. There are only a few restaurants here, after all. I think their menu has gotten more affordable; I remember this being a what-the-heck-it’s-only-one-meal extravagance, but there were plenty of affordable options. One difference is that they are now serving (and recommending) the local craft brews; I indulged in the 22oz. IPA. The campground is only half a mile away, with almost no traffic.

I’ve been carrying a couple of freeze-dried dinners an a couple baggies of oatmeal, so today I bought my lunches and trail snacks at the general store in Copper Harbor. It’s dried meat sticks, granola bars, and Snickers bars… Not exactly fine dining, but it should be enough I keep me going for a couple days.

The weather forecast for tomorrow isn’t getting any better. It’s 90F and sunny up on Brockway Mountain right now – yes, Flash II made it up there, no way I would’ve tried it on Flash I – but heavy rain on Isle Royale tomorrow is a statistical certainty, and the nighttime temp is supposed to drop below 50F. With the added hoodie, I am seriously considering not even bringing the shorts, to make room. I seriously don’t think I’ll need them.

I am getting the what-the-hell-am-I-getting-myself-into feeling about this, but I’ve gotten this far, and there really isn’t much else I can do instead, short of checking into a motel or going home. As long as I can make it through tomorrow’s deluge, and stay warm enough (and I’ve managed worse before) I should be OK.

I am seriously considering the 3-day exit option, however. Instead of taking three days to get to Manitowoc, I could do it in two. (The third day is the short ride home from Ludington.) It would mean skipping some of the scenic riding I have planned, but if the weather’s rainy (and the forecast leans toward “it will be”) that’s not really a loss. All I’d have to do is change one Michigan state park reservation to another location (small fee), skip the one in Wisconsin, and change my Badger ticket to the previous night. It’d be a lot like what I did five years ago to end that ride a day early. Still just an idea at this point.

It’s official: the forecast for Thunder Bay (you can see it from the northeast shore of the island) on Tuesday is 100% chance of rain. Clearing (read: getting cold) Tuesday night. So I have one mission for tomorrow: stay dry.

Update… Radar at 8pm Monday:

FYI: I’m not getting a cell signal here, just wifi by the state park restrooms. So don’t expect to see much between now and after I return from Isle Royale on Thursday evening.

After leaving Gay I continued up the east coast of Keweenaw, toward Lac LaBelle. That was easy riding (though the road is littered with potholes… apparently lacking money to fix them, they put up a sign saying “rough road”). Turning inland fro there is another story. This was one of the spots that I wasn’t sure my 50cc scooter could handle. It starts with a very steep climb up from lake level; with a running start it would’ve done OK. Slowly. But it continues more gradually uphill for a mile or more beyond that, and I could see it overheating. Especially today. My 125cc handled it fine though.

Eventually I reached US 41, which for the last 10 miles into Copper Harbor is just a delight to ride. It twists and bounces like a gentle rollercoaster through the trees. Sorry, no photos; I was having too much fun riding.

The long descent into Copper Harbor also would’ve been too much for my 50cc to do in the other direction, but I anticipated that problem, and planned to take M26 along the lakeshore instead when I leave.

I got here early enough to do laundry; it was either before or after the island, and this works a little better.

I’m having lunch at the Gay Bar, because of course I am. It’s the only establishment in the town of Gay, Michigan, on the east coast of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Which just happens to be one of the scenic routes to Copper Harbor. (Disclaimer: all of the routes are scenic.) I took a detour to here when I came through by car before, but didn’t have time to stop for more than a photo outside.

So far I haven’t encountered any roads that a 50cc couldn’t handle. But “handling” would have meant “slowly” for some. A few of the streets in Houghton would’ve been a struggle (though I did see several moped-class scooters here and there downtown, so they must manage). Roads such as US 41 would have been possible, albeit more… tense. But the toughest roads are all ahead of me.

I left US41 and took local roads up the interior of the Keweenaw to Houghton. That means fewer views of the bay, but almost no other vehicles and a pleasant ride through woods and farmland.

It’s 80F and mostly sunny (some haze and clouds) here in Houghton, so now snow. I can’t imagine trying to get around downtown when there is snow, because the city is practically built into the edge of a cliff. Every building in the business district has a walk-out basement the next block over.

I’m a little nervous about crossing the bridge to Hancock and points north; I can hear the vehicles buzzing on the grate. But it’s shorter than Mackinac (by a few miles) so I think I’ll manage.

The route I had printed for today begins “turn left onto US-41, and go 41.4 miles”. Such is navigation in a land of few roads.

I stopped a few times along the way, however, just because. Once was a roadside park conveniently located just as a double-trailer truck was coming up behind me. I hate getting passed by those… almost as much as I hate having them not pass me. But traffic has actually been pretty light; every few minutes a vehicle will creep up behind me, and usually pass immediately or after a short wait.

I’ve stopped now in the bayside village of L’Anse, which of course is French for “the anse”. It’s the first quaint harbor town I’ve seen since leaving Ludington (Green Bay doesn’t count). In compliance with state law for such municipalities, it has a piece of public art base on an old anchor.

The nice 3G cell service I’d been getting out of Marquette has been replaced by EDGE (2G) service here. I expect to return to 2010 technology in Houghton, but don’t know what to expect in Copper Harbor. I know I’ll be offline on the island.