September 6, 2021
Middleville, MI
I have two hikes planned for this park, but failed to look up where the trails actually begin. I pass the first one without realizing it, and park 10 minutes away at the second hike. This is one problem with squeezing 7 state parks into a single weekend. Gob and I are both exhausted and I for one am contemplating skipping this park entirely to hit another day. But we are already here. And I must stick to the itinerary. Because I am a type A individual who cannot deviate from the plan. Still, we end up skipping the first hike because back tracking sounds like a lot of effort.
In the parking lot as I unload a well mannered Gob, a child complains about dogs on the trail. I contemplate educating him on how disruptive I find children on trails to be. With the constant chatter, running ahead of their parents, wandering off trail…sounds a lot like a dog, right? Good dogs, much like well behaved children, are often overshadowed by the blunders of their poorly mannered counterparts. Instead of ranting, Gob leads by example, walking calmly beside me and paying this child no mind. He is better than me in many ways. And clearly, I need more coffee.
Our trail takes us to Hall Lake and something called the Devil’s Soup Bowl. Gob, of course, takes a dip in the lake. I warn him that he cannot climb into the soup bowl once we get there. He pretends not to hear me.
The Devil’s Soup Bowl overlook leaves something to be desired. Perhaps a dash of salt or some Tabasco would do the trick. The overlook is over grown with vines and bushes, preventing us from seeing into the bowl of soup. But at least Gob has learned how to use an overlook.
As we hike back from the Devil’s Soup Bowl, I ponder how many hikes I have completed are named after the fallen angel or his objects. Just yesterday we found ourselves traversing through his kitchen. I have also been to his lake. His bathtub. Little Devil’s Tower. Perhaps I need to choose better paths…
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Check out my other Michigan State Park adventures!
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