Windbound...weather or not ?

It was quite a feeling to discover my VHF radio had gotten switched on and had a dead battery. I really was curious if the last forecast I'd listened to just before leaving Grand Marais MI had been updated..hopefully changed. It called for Sunday to have 10 to 15 knot NW winds gusting to 25 with 3 to 5 foot waves. Not the conditions wanted to have a nice paddle along the famed Pictured Rocks. Sunday morning the winds were very light from the north, there were some dark clouds north and east but the sun shined at Beaver Creek. I decided its only a 3 hour paddle to get to Mosquito Creek where I was not supposed to be until Monday night to camp.. But I heard you could get cell signal there so could get a marine forecast off the iPad. I took down my tent and hauled one load of gear down the sand bank. Just as I was about to go back for the rest of it, the weather changed drastically with an increasing NW wind and dark clouds and fog moving in and suddenly the Grand Portal Point which had been glowing in sunlight was hidden in the clouds and it began to rain.. I grabbed a few things and went back up. I had left the tarp up so sat there a while realizing I'll be staying here another night after all. The rain was brief but the wind was here to stay a while...just like the last forecast I'd heard. The 'flies' which had been around the afternoon before though not real bad were now completely gone!
The father and son who'd hiked in the evening before were already packing up to leave. I asked if the might happen to have a weather radio but no such luck. It's only about a 3.6 mile hike to the trailhead and there were just out for the night. The tent that was here when I arrived showed signs of life. It was a nice couple from Ann Arbor who come to this National Lakeshore Park once or twice a year. They were packing up to head home having camped about 6 days. I asked them about having a weather radio but again no such luck. As they continued camping I hauled up more gear and hung my tent to dry..it had been a rainy night. They had the obvious best site at Beaver Creek and I planned to move to it when they left. I was looking at my map wondering about hiking past Grand Portal Point to try for a cell signal for my iPad and noticed a drive-to campground near the trailhead...about 3.6 miles away.. Maybe it had electricity? I asked the couple about it but they had never camped at it but did drive through once and the girl said "I think I saw a sign indicating WiFi at that campground" I figured if it did it must also have electricity. I got my VHF charger and radio and iPad planning to hike there..I'd want to hike anyway being windbound.
As I was waiting for the couple to finish packing these 2 guys came up.. One pretty fit but one quite overweight and soaked in sweat.. They frantically asked if I knew which trail goes to the trailhead.. I said I'd not been there but that couple over there are heading there once they pack. They asked the couple and said thanks as they hiked by. A half hour later the couple were off and wished me luck with the campground electricity quest. I began to set up my camp and grabbed my chart case from my boat down below. I had lunch and was on my way. There were 2 options.. Go inland to Beaver Lake then to the Trailhead/Campground or follow Lake Superior and then head inland.. I figured to do it as a loop..Beaver Lake there, Lake Superior back. It had been at least 2.5 hours since those 2 guys frantically hiked by the campsite.. Heading toward Beaver Lake they encountered me again now both quite sweaty and asked if I could please help them find the parking lot.. I said well I'm going to the campground on Little Beaver Lake but the couple said you just get to a trail split that says .5 to campground and .5 to trailhead.. The had been halfway along Beaver Lake but somehow were convinced it was the wrong way and had backtracked when the ran into me. The fit guy was keeping up with me but the other guy fell behind regularly and then you'd hear...!Joe! !Joe! Joe would shout back I'm here keep coming? Not his real name I can't remember but talking with the fit guy he said the trip was his idea as he thought it might help his friend realize he should maybe get in better shape. I would just stop and take photos of the lake to let his friend catch up. At the trail split they thanked me as if I'd been their guide though some mystical wilderness?
As I arrived at the campground I saw right away that there did not seem to be electricity. I began to ask campers if they might have a weather radio. Soon I added whether they might also have an inverter for 110 volts in there car.. No luck. One girl said there was a weather bulletin on the information board. I had a look but it was not a marine forecast and was old. As I walked around the small drive in campground I figured I may as well see if there is a Verizon Network signal. No signal at all..even Beaver Creek showed one bar but would not connect. That's when I notice the referred to sign indicating maybe the campground had WiFi? It sure looked like one..but I knew what it was.. A short walk into the woods showed that it was an Amphitheater where a Park Naturalist would do programs at times... HaHa. I was about to head back on the trail but one more group of 3 had just come back to camp from a short nature hike. I asked about a radio or inverter and to my happy surprise they did actually have an inverter in their car!! The started up there car and plugged in my VHF radio.. We had a nice conversation and they played music on their iPods with this little speaker and started a fire to roast hotdogs and fed me. It must have been maybe 2 hours of running their car to get a good charge on the radio! I feel so fortunate to have run into them.. Thank you Doug, Stephen and Keirstin!! They were all future doctors.. 3rd year med students. Interestingly as I was telling them of my kayaking around the lake they said they'd just taken a guided kayak tour the day before, Saturday, with Northern Waters in Munising.
Back at camp there were new people. I never got their names but it was two couples and one hiked it later after getting off work. He works Law Enforcement for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It sounded like his main task is search and rescue. I enjoyed taking with him about the frequency of kayakers needing rescue. Sounds like the number of incidents has increased in recent years mainly of clueless people out in the little recreational kayaks.
This is much much longer than most blog posts.. Now for some photos : )

The weather beginning to change

My kayak dragged up high on the beach again .. My new and improved campsite

Hiking over Beaver Creek .. Beaver Lake .. Little Beaver Lake

Interesting rock formations on trail near Little Beaver Lake Campground .. The campground kiosk

Hmmm? Must be WiFi here somewhere?

....or is it this Amphitheater ?

The friendly future doctors who had an inverter to charge my VHF radio. Thank you Doug, Stephen and Keirstin!

Along the hike back .. At Beaver Creek beach again

Near sunset

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Park Ranger (law enforcement) and friends I talked with Sunday evening.

Sunset