Clips

See glowing plankton, mushrooms, and bugs on these brilliant adventures.

Missed bioluminescence in biology class? Here are three wild places to see this phenomenon–a chemical reaction of an enzyme called luciferin and oxygen that lights up sea life, insects, and mushrooms.

San Juan Island, WA | Big South Fork, TN/KY | Porcupine Mountains, MI

San Juan Island, WA
Sea kayak in shimmering waters.

Watch trails of liquid moonlight follow your boat as you paddle the waters around San Juan Island. Bioluminescent plankton are found all over the world's oceans, but gather in abundance here, where strong currents upwell nutrients into the chilly waters. Launch at Jackson Beach, in Friday Harbor, and follow the North Bay shoreline east. After about 300 yards, duck into the first of several shallow coves to the north; they're protected from wind, which makes for better bioluminescence spotting. The water becomes silvery-blue when agitated. Before rounding the peninsula, at about one mile, turn back–currents rip beyond here. Take a guided tour with Discovery Sea Kayaking (866-461-2559; discoveryseakayak.com).

The Afterglow
Create your own shine with a bottle of 1979 Don PX Gran Reserva dessert wine at Steps Wine Bar and Café in Friday Harbor. stepswinebarandcafe.com

The Way
From Seattle, drive 80 miles north on I-5 to WA 20. Head 9.8 miles to Anacortes and follow the signs to the San Juan Islands Ferry.

Big South Fork, TN/KY
Follow fireflies to sandstone arches.

During the day, hikers come to the Big South Fork for its deep, winding gorges and imposing sandstone bluffs. But on summer nights with a new moon, the main attraction is something much more dazzling: fireflies. From the Twin Arches trailhead, hike south .7 mile to the Twin Arches–North and South Arch (51 and 70 feet tall, respectively), two of the largest natural bridges in the east. Watch the fireflies light up the sandstone walls. They don't blink randomly; different patterns and sequences indicate species, gender, territoriality, and even mating status. Continue east on the 4.6-mile Twin Arches Loop Trail, passing rustic Charit Creek Lodge as you close the loop. (423) 286-7275; nps.gov/biso

The Afterglow
Enjoy midhike milk and cookies on the Charit Creek Lodge porch. Call ahead. (865) 429-5704; charitcreek.com.

The Way
From Oneida, TN, take TN 297 west 19 miles to TN 154, turn right, and drive 1.5 miles to Divide Road. Turn right again, and make another quick right onto Twin Arches Rd. It's two miles to the trailhead.

Porcupine Mountains, MI
Link a path of glowing mushrooms.
Known as foxfire, bioluminescent fungi is found throughout temperate zones in wet, rotting bark. Scientists don't know why some fungi glow and not others. One hypothesis: The glow attracts insects, and they spread the mushrooms' spores. Bring a headlamp (with a red filter, if you have one, to preserve your night vision) and head north from the Pinkerton trailhead through old-growth conifers toward Lake Superior on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Look for soggy, downed trees on this 5.2-mile out-and-back, and agitate chunks of bark to oxidize the mushroom's enzymes and reveal a light blue glow. (906) 885-5275; michigan.gov/dnr

The Afterglow
Recharge with BBQ ribs and bread pudding at Foot Hills Restaurant (906-885-5246) in Ontonagon (five miles from Silver City).

The Way
From Silver City, MI, drive west 2.6 miles on MI 107. Turn left onto South Boundary Rd. and drive 20.5 miles to the Pinkerton trailhead.

Backpacker May 2009

Basecamp: Solve the riddle of the Sphinx
Rising 10,876 feet, Sphinx Mountain stands guard over the same wildlife that call Yellowstone home. Viewing the peak from the Madison Valley, the reddish brown fortress stands out amongst its peers and practically begs to be climbed. Pitch your tent at the Bear Creek Campground (free, no reservations). Then, get an early start hiking along Trail 326 for two miles, until it joins Trail 325. Stay left for three miles to the saddle between the Helmet and Sphinx Mountain. Stay right, heading for the big obvious gully. Scramble up the gully until you sight the summit plateau. As the plateau levels out, look for the ridgeline about 400 feet above on the right. The true summit is at the northeast end of the ridge.

Kayak: Dodge trees while communing with the spirits
Rent a kayak from Paddle On Adventures ($45/day single, $70/day tandem, 406-209-7452) and while plying the now still waters of Earthquake Lake consider that in 1959 a massive earthquake caused nearby Hebgen Lake to tip and slosh its contents from one shore to another. Eventually these twenty-foot waves (called seiches) overtopped Hebgen Dam and rushed downstream forming Quake Lake. A landslide traveling down the south flank of Sheep Mountain (at an estimated 100 miles per hour) killed 28 people who were camping along the shores of Hebgen Lake and the Madison River. After kayaking, visit the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center ($3/car, 406-823-6961) overlooking the lake and slide and learn more about the quake.

Backpack: Hear the call of the wild (again) on Echo Peak
Echo Peak, the third highest peak in the Madison Range (and a technically easy scramble), lords over the high-altitude, lake-filled Hilgard Basin. Starting at Potamogeton Park on the Beaver Creek Road, follow Sentinel Creek Trail 7 miles to a trail junction in the narrow basin east of Expedition Pass. Turn left and head up and then down into Hilgard Basin. Set up camp anywhere in the Basin (choose one of the already established campsites to reduce wear on this fragile area) and take a chilly dip in one of the eight lakes. The next morning, follow a bench southwest to Thunderbolt Lake and clamber up the north ridge of 11,214-foot Echo Peak. USGS quads: Pika Point, Hilgard Peak

March 07, 2008
Backpacker Magazine