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October 7, 2018
For shear beauty, this 12 mile hike
was one of the highlights of my now 81 days in Michigan. The trees are almost in their peak autumn colors and all the mushrooms in the woods along the trail kept me entertained on the 1.2 mile hike to Capel Falls.
Another 1.9 miles and I saw a surreal beauty of the natural world, a white pine, at least 150 years old, perched on a pedestal rock on the edge of 50 plus foot high cliffs on one side and a swift Chapel Creek flowing into Lake Superior and a sandy beach bordered by colorful trees in full autumn colors on the other side.
The tree has a couple of 8 inch diameter umbilical cord-like roots spanning over the space between the pedestal on which it stands to the nutrient rich forest side. This tree is truly a wonder of nature that it has survived the harsh wind and wave extremes that exist on the shoreline of Lake Superior. This tree surely has some mystical powers. When one is in its presence you can only stand awe of its power and perseverance.
Spray Falls can be viewed another 1 7 miles hike along the edge of the cliffs, some maybe 100 plus feet above the lake. You can hear the wave's thundering splashes against the rounded coves formed in the giant walls along the way.
One passes Spray Falls about a third of a mile in order to view it from a bare peninsula jutting out of the cliff walls where one feels vulnerable to all the forces of nature's wind, rain, crevaces, cliff edges and strong waves 75 feet down below.
The falls are shooting a water spout over the cliff's edge makes a memorable scene that you hate to have to leave.
On my way back I paid hommage to the Chapel Tree again and saw another view of its majesty from the mouth of Chapel Creek where its waters briskly flow, adding the forest's perspective to the world's largest area lake. This is where the sandy beach starts that rivals any beach in the world. If you were not sensing the fall's cold air you could imagine it was a tropical paradise from a story about another place and time. I walked the entire third mile to another cliff edge that forms the opposite border of a small bay with Chapel Rock on the opposite shore. It was a cloudy windy day and know this is a sacred place that must be seen in all seasons in many different light shades. It would especially be breathtaking under a clear sunny sky giving the lake a deep blue color to the endless horizon. This is one of the special places on the planet. Definitely make a plan to see it no matter what season.
On the way back I had a choice of two routes, a 3 1 mile trail that paralleled the one that goes by Chapel Falls or a longer 6 mile trek that mostly bordered the shoreline with high cliffs before it led back through the forest to the trailhead where I started. I was running out of daylight so I took the shorter one directly back through the dense woods of mostly maple, birch and fir trees.
This trail is way less traveled since most want to see Chapel Falls. Only one other hiker was seen when I reached where the longer trail and this one met with only 3 tenths of a mile to the trailhead left.
My legs were not feeling fatigue when I reached my land boat. I'm sure the tree had given me some extra strength. Whenever I need a boost of energy i will remember "the tree."
Chris Greyson
The Wandering Voluntaryist
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