Some hikes...

Hiking here on Annette Island is an interesting beast. In my month of experience, hikes generally fall into 1 of 2 categories:
1-100% groomed, complete with a wooden walkway and wooden staircases;
2-There is no path. Rock-climbing and bush-whacking are a given. (What's the origin of the term "bush-whacking" by the way? I think you're supposed to be whacking down the bushes to make your path, but I generally find that it's the bushes that are whacking you...)

Unfortunately, many of the "hikes" that people here talk about as though they're standard minimum exploration for anyone who has 2 functioning legs have fallen into category 2. Last week I hiked Purple Mountain, which is always mentioned in the same breath as Yellow Hill (2 most common, must-do hikes). Yellow Hill is a 20 minute walk in category 1, unless you want to rock-climb on your own trail, which I did try. However, the Purple Mountain "trail" ended abruptly half-way up, and rock-climbing on loose stones over steep drops became the norm. Fortunately the dietitian who was visiting the island/clinic wanted to come with me, or I would have gone alone, so at least someone would have been able to call for help after I fell off a rock here.

Today I decided to try Purple Lake. I had also heard about this one, and assumed it was found on the Purple Mountain trail. After I did Purple Mountain and didn't see it, I learned that apparently it actually has a separate trailhead that leaves from 2-3 miles away from the other (Trailhead being a very loose term here). I asked several people about it, and learned that it was a "half-mile, 30-40 minute" walk just off a (gravel) road. This sounded very doable. One or two people mentioned that it was "somewhat overgrown."

Step 1: Searching for the "trailhead." I asked someone who was fishing nearby the supposed "parking" spot, and got a seemingly good answer about the trail going straight uphill, under a pipeline, from the power grid. (The lake fuels a hydroelectric plant.) I went to the power grid. I didn't really see a trail. I saw a possible trail, climbed up a yard or 2, saw nothing. Returned to the road. Walked further, and saw some promising shoe-marks in the mud heading literally straight uphill. I climbed and found a fairly cleared, although somewhat slick, trail. This seemed good. About 5-10 minutes further, the trail ended. I was just 5 yards from a stream, and it looked kind of like a clearing was up ahead on the other side of the stream. I worked my way through some trees and bushes, crossed the stream, climbed through some more trees up to the clearing (definitely no trail here). Turns out the clearing was for a powerline that ran straight along the side of the hill. I searched for a trail uphill from here. None. I thought maybe I could follow the powerline back to the "pipeline" I was supposed to be following up hill. Then I realize that I am walking on soft, squishy, muskeg. There's a clearing because no tall trees can grow in muskeg. And it is getting squishier. I remember a tour guide talking about how muskeg can cover holes in the ground that are 50-100 feet deep, and hikers can fall in them. Crap. I am alone with no phone. This seems dangerous. After slowly backing out and returning to the road, I go back to the power grid and try the other "trail" again. It dead-ends at a running stream-bed. I decide the stream bed must be the "trail."

Stream beds can be tricky to walk in anywhere, but especially in the rainforest, where they're constantly running and all rocks are covered in slick moss. After successfully negotiating the stream bed for a distance, miraculously keeping my balance, I find myself in the dirt on what does actually seem to be a trail. A few feet further...whack. A tree branch hits me in the face. Tall thorny branches catch my shirt and poke through my pants. The "overgrowth" gets so thick that I can't see where I'm putting my feet (on this slick rocky/muddy trail). At a "clearing" (bushes only waist-high) I see the mysterious pipeline and feel encouraged that I'm on the right track. (This would be my only glimpse.) For a good distance, I have to walk hunched over with my chest practically touching my knees to stay under the thick thorny bushes.

Finally (2 hrs after the initial start-out) I did emerge from this wilderness adventure to find a view of Purple Lake (crystal blue water ringed by a couple of purplish mountains). Since most of the mountains on the island are purplish, I've already seen a pretty similar view on multiple different hikes. Fortunately, I was also rewarded with tons of ripe, wild blueberries. Next adventure hike on Annette Island will involve a weed-whacker (or at least some gators).