Porcupine Mountains 2023 Day 4

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Beachside camping again tonight at perhaps the best site thus far, right on the beach and spacious yet secluded.

Trees & fire pit as seen from my hammock, with Lake Superior in the background
View from my hammock. Just beyond the trees is Lake Superior
Fire pit with makeshift stone furniture surrounding it. Trees & Lake Superior in the background.
Featured at this campsite: a stone sectional sofa with fire pit & wood storage

The hike here was shorter than yesterday, only about 8 miles. I can understand why people don’t like the Lake Superior Trail. If we weren’t here at the perfect time of year, the mud and bugs would be too much. A lot of it was pretty unpleasant due to the swampiness and near overgrowth. But at other times we enjoyed walking along the beach and through the diverse woods on paths of granite, basalt, and shale stones.

Hiking trail covered with smooth, moderately sized stones of shale, granite, and basalt

Birch trees are common in this area and share the woods with maples, oaks, firs, pines, and other species. We found a fallen birch tree near the path down to our campsite and made some nice logs out of it.

Freshly cut birch logs
Fire of birch & pine logs

Porcupine Mountains 2023 Day 3

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Jalapeño, bacon, and cheddar grits in a stainless steel mug
Breakfast
Lily Pond
Lily Pond
A tree trunk marked with both a blue-painted metal square (one corner stuck in the bark and oriented vertically) and a blue spot of spray paint
Blue blazes mark the trail
One of Little Carp River‘s many waterfalls
Lake Superior

Breakfast of jalapeño, bacon, and cheddar grits. A 12-mile hike past Lily Pond and along Little Carp and its many waterfalls. Camping on the rocky shores of Lake Superior.

Porcupine Mountains 2023 Day 2

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Mirror Lake & me
Me on the Correction Line Trail
Little Carp River water being gravity-fed from a collapsible bladder through a Sawyer Squeeze Micro into a water bottle
Me enjoying a cocktail at our campsite with the Little Carp River in the background

A long hike through beautiful pine forest (Big Carp River Trail) followed by a long hike over many ridges and valleys (Correction Line Trail). About 10 miles (6 km). A stop at Mirror Lake. Camping near the Little Carp River and filtering of same using the Squeeze Micro from Sawyer, a company that helps communities in less developed areas get clean water, financing those operations by selling their products to thirsty backpackers.

Capped the evening off with a Planter’s Punch.

Porcupine Mountains 2023 Day 1

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My friend Tom invited me backpacking. My only previous experience was two nights in the backpacking campground at Shades State Park, which is two miles from parking. So four nights at Porcupine Mountains State Park in the U.P. would be more of a challenge.

The drive to get there was long, so our first campsite was only a couple of miles from the Big Carp River trailhead. The views from atop the ridge were breathtaking.

View from the ridge above of the Big Carp River and surrounding trees in various stages of color change

We were both trying out sleeping in hammocks for the first time. It’s more complicated than tent camping, but I found it much easier to relax in a hammock than a tent during the day. And when it rained later that night, I was happy to be suspended above any wetness on the ground.

Me in my hammock with the woods behind me

Prague 2023 Day 7

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Remains of a Černá Svině 13° from Slovanské lípy
Inside the Žižkovský Tunnel
Žižkovský Tunnel
Me standing in front of the north entrance to Žižkovský Tunnel
North entrance to Žižkovský Tunnel

My real hobby is not beer but pedestrian tunnels with beer at either end.

Prague 2023 Day 6

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On my last full day in Prague, I met up with my friend and esteemed brewing colleague, Ric. We had a great day visiting many pubs:

  1. Vinohradský: Very modern, with a variety of traditional and craft styles. Pleased to see an amber lager.
  2. Pivovarský Dům Benedict: Also quite modern with an excellent dark lager
  3. Cvikovský: More traditional but with many varieties, including an 8º
  4. Zlatého Tygra: The Golden Tiger, a favorite, serving Urquell
  5. Lokál U Bílé kuželky: Ultra-fresh tank Urquell with a nice view of the tanks in the basement
  6. Hostomická nalévárna: The highlight of the day, traditional Czech pale lagers with fresh grain character, distinct hops, subdued diacetyl

It wasn’t all beer. I did stop at Perníkový panáček to get some gingerbread to bring home to the kids, and we strolled through the grounds of the Franz Kafka museum.

Prague 2023 Day 5

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Third-liter of Radegast 10° lager on ledge overlooking southern neighborhood of Prague
Bicycle underpass at Vyšehrad
Rotunda of St. Martin at Vyšehrad

Na Hradbách beer garden at Vyšehrad castle. Beer is the excellent Radegast 10° amber lager.

Half liter glass mug of Pilsner Urquell with tram in background

Then, took the tram to the last station, which is also a pub.

What happened to Days 3 and 4? I had work dinners that ran very late, after one of which we went to a trendy cocktail bar with overpriced, overly sweet drinks. Finally, I steered the group toward Mysliš? (Think?), which had a great selection.

Prague 2023 Day 2

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Street scene outside Lokál U Jiráta
Street scene outside Lokál U Jiráta

Managed four pubs this evening:

  1. U Flecků: Obligatory visit for their dark lager and atmosphere, and to introduce colleagues to this landmark
  2. Jelínkova Pizeñská pivnice: Very fresh Pilsner Urquell in a delightfully tiny pub
  3. Lokál U Jiráta: Some unnamed Tankovna beer
  4. Craft House: More like an upscale US craft beer bar, with a diverse selection

Prague 2023 Day 1

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Half liter glass mug of Kamenická 10; chalkboard beer menu

Late flight arrival allowed for only two pubs. One whose name I won’t mention was smoky and used dirty glassware. Pivní laborator U Rumlik was much nicer, with a good beer selection. The Kamenice beer is a Sládek and Premiant hop cannon. Fresh grain flavors and a big hop flavor punch.