The Softies Hike in the spring of 2006 completed the trek started in 1992 by Shirley LaBonte, Jan Lindstrom Wester, and Del Parshall across the UP via the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT). The hike took place on Friday May 26, Saturday May 27, and Sunday May 28. Sixteen hikers (including Shirley LaBonte and Jan Lindstrom Wester) and road support personnel took part. We began off South Boundary Road in the Porcupine Mountains and headed towards Speaker's Cabin where the hike from the fall of 2005 ended. We traversed a total of approximately 20 miles on the NCT to the Trailhead sign on Copper Peak Road north of Bessemer where we held a ceremony to honor Del Parshall who passed away this past year. Our ground crew drove us to Copper Peak where we celebrated the completion of the Softies Hike across the UP.
The Softies left Marquette on Friday, May 26. Jim and Norma Matteson drove and transported Kathy Davis. Mary Beals drove with passenger Ayleen Van Beynen. Denise Herron transported Cliff Stammer and Bruce Schwenke. Marge and John Forslin drove with passengers Lorana Jinkerson and Jan Lindstrom Wester. We were supposed to rendezvous at 3:00 pm CDT 2.25 miles east of CR 519 on South Boundary Road in the Porcupine Mountains State Park. But we all arrived early and John and Marge provided us with daily State Park permits. Eleven of us departed the parking area at 2:40 pm CDT with overcast skies and a temperature of 62 degrees. John stayed behind to monitor the radio and pick us up at the end of the hike.
We walked Speaker's Trail north and west until it joined the NCT. The trail was well marked but ha not had any maintenance this year. There were several large trees across the trail. Jim Matteson used his hiking pole for flicking brush and branches off the trail. We removed small trees from the trail. The forest was primarily hemlock, maple, and yellow birch. We had several steep up and down crossings of small creeks and streams. We walked about 2.8 miles to the Presque Isle River viewing rapids and water falls upstream. We crossed a dry riverbed and then crossed the main channel of the river on a suspension bridge. After crossing the river we had two choices. We could go up above the river or take a long series of boardwalks and stairs upstream. There were no blue blazes so we ascended to walk above the river. As we walked on the higher bank we realized the boardwalk and stairs came back up to the main trail so we descended and back-tracked to get a better view of the rapids and falls. We then found blue markers and followed the trail a long the river viewing Manabezho and Hanido Falls. With all the rain the falls were spectacular. We walked along the river for about .7 miles to the South Boundary Road. This was about 5:40 pm CDT.
This was the spot we were beginning on Saturday. We looked at the trail on the other side (south) of South Boundary Road and the trail was overgrown with raspberry bushes and the stairs down to the river ended on a steep slope.
John ferried the drivers back to the starting point and they came back and picked us up and we drove to Bessemer to check into the Bluffs Inn. We arrived at the motel and were greeted by Kristen Olsen and Wayne Dunifon from Minneapolis. friends of Marge and John Forslin. We drove to Don and GG's Restaurant in Ironwood for dinner. By this time Shirley LaBonte and her sister, Pavie Rasmussen-Donnelley had arrived and joined us for dinner. After dinner John followed Mary and Denise who spotted their cars at Rainbow Falls and returned to the motel.
by Kathy Davis
