October Backpacking in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - Part 1

In this three-part series join me for my first multi-day backpacking trip since I broke my leg last April. I have been to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore numerous times over the past 25 years. However, this is the first time I have been there in October. With luck I’ll get to see a grant spectacle of leafy color contrasting against Lake Superior and the cliff lined shoreline. While I am driving up with John and Andy they’re tackling a much lengthier challenge so this will also be the first time I visit Pictured Rocks by myself.
In part 1 we journey towards the start of our trip. It’s an enjoyable colorful drive. Had the winds not been chill and fierce in St. Ignace I expect I would have filmed us devouring our pasties. The weather improved in Munising but I didn’t film there either. My trip truly starts just after sunset when John and Andy drop me off at Twelvemile Beach and I head east to Benchmark Campground while they depart for their own adventure starting in Seney, Michigan at the southern terminus of the Fox River Pathway.
After a nice night around a campfire and an adequate sleep I begin my first full day on the Lakeshore Trail. The hike today features trails, blowdowns, some struggles here and there, a walk along the beach, and my arrival at Pine Bluff Campground. A decent day would come to an end around another campfire and some good conversations.