Today opens beautifully. Just barren country roads winding northward along side a bright sunrise on my right and low clouds to my left. All around live the yellows, browns, reds and green of a north woods fall. However, the lake-effect clouds continue to build up and a great thunderhead cloud looms in the north. Radioman reads a weather forecast that calls for rain or even snow in "the higher elevations". Isn't that exactly where I'm headed?

Beaver pond south-west of Mount Avron.

Speeding around a turn and the road ahead straightens out. Ahead lies a road-kill animal, surrounded by crows. Coming closer I see, majestically standing on the dead beast, a bald eagle, stately fending off the other birds. My approach scatters the crows, quickly taking to the air and moving quickly about. The larger eagle suddenly notices me, and launches his bulk into the air, slowly but powerfully beating his wings. I barely register all this before I'm next to the scene, and the eagle cuts directly across my windshield. I can get a sharp fleeting image of individual feathers, sharp and defined claws, and a powerful flap of wings.

Rain came, off and on again as I reached L'Anse. Michigan's highest point is often considered one of the hardest to find, as you navigate a maze of logging roads. However, the only turn I missed on the entire drive was Main Street in L'Anse. As I cruised into town on Board Street, Main turned out to be the only cross street not marked. As soon as I crossed Main, I knew it had to be that road, as it looked like a "main" street. After doubling back and a few hundred yards down Main Street the local phone company's office address confirmed by choice.

Route finding through the logging roads to Mount Arvon I used only the map and directions in the Holms book. I headed as much "straight" through the gravel pit as I could and when the road split in a "Y", took the left fork and quickly went over a bridge and saw a blue "Mount Arvon" marker.

In a world of rain and yellow at Mount Avron.

My main impression of Michigan's highest point was "yellow". Seemed everything was yellow unless it was a rock or tree trunk. Found the survey marker and took a self-portrait.

Drove back to Wisconsin and spent another night camped at the Nicolet National Forest. Tomorrow I'd wake up to a light dusting of snow and drive back to Chicago to watch my brother's run the Chicago marathon.

Many thanks to Alan Ritter for sending me his maps.