I’m told that “Yooper” is the technical term for a resident of the U.P. Every Yooper I met was friendly and eclectic. I guess they need to be both good-natured and a touch batty to put up with the summertime biting insects and the winter cold.

The U.P. is largely flat, forested, and peaceful. The staple of the local economy seems to be a meat pie product called a “pasty.” Pasties are for sale on every corner and even in the “one street towns” that are too small to have corners.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is known for its beautiful sandstone ledges and cliffs. Some of the formations reminded me of southern Utah. Of course, the fundamental difference between Munising and Moab is the presence of an enormous lake.

Lake Superior is home to unique brook trout known as “coasters.” Coasters are potadromous, meaning they run into rivers from large bodies of fresh water, just like anadromous fish run up from the ocean. Like other lake-run salmonids, coasters grow BIG.

Mention monster brookies and the angler thinks of Canada. We still have a few brook trout that are best measured in pounds on this side of the border as well. Unfortunately, over-fishing, habitat degradation, and the introduction of competitive salmon have extirpated most of our coaster brookies. Small populations still exist in a few streams in Northern Wisconsin, the U.P., and Isle Royale and TU is actively involved on both the local and national level with restoration efforts (click here to read more).

I hiked down Mosquito Creek, a small stream that flows through Pictured Rocks, to see the park as well as the coasters’ native habitat. Just about every little creek on the U.P. holds landlocked brookies and Mosquito is no exception. I didn’t pester any of these little guys with my fly rod, but ample opportunities to do so exist.

In addition to the sandstone rock, the area is known for waterfalls. Interestingly, the rivers and streams on the south shore of Lake Superior are lower gradient in the headwaters and higher gradient near the mouth. This is the reverse of the “textbook” river system and it is attributed to the unique glacial history in the area. As a result, there are numerous waterfalls close to the big lake, a phenomenon appreciated by visiting photographers and sight-seers.

My time on the U.P. reminded me that I am heading westward. I saw a Wells Fargo bank for the first time since April. As mundane as it sounds, it was fortuitous because my checking account was almost empty and I needed to make a deposit. My last evening in the area, another camper’s mutt barked incessantly, drawing in every coyote in the county. Listening to the coyotes warbling from a dozen yards away, I knew I would be home soon.

Before crossing the sulfur-PMD divide, I still have a few great days ahead of me in Wisconsin. Come back soon for tales of wily spring creek browns, enormous mayflies, and world-class conservation efforts in America’s Dairyland.

To see my photos, please click HERE.

To read more about coaster brook trout click this link:
http://www.tu.org/site/pp.asp?c=7dJEKTNuFmG&b=277893