I’ve read that the most dangerous animal in midwestern states like Ohio and Michigan is the white-tailed deer. (Think traffic accidents: The Long Kiss Goodnight, not Red Dawn.)

Evidently, the second most dangerous class of animals is insects. (Think allergic reactions: My Girl, not Starship Troopers.)

Which brings me to the bane of my childhood summers in the north woods of Wisconsin: black flies.

June 2007, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Area, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

We had traveled with my older brother’s family to the Porkies in 2005 and had had such a good time, we invited another brother and his family to join us. We swam at Dave’s Falls in Wisconsin and spent a couple of nights in Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan before heading to the Porkies.

The weather was beautiful.
The scenery was incredible.
The time together with family was wonderful.

We visited the majestic views at the Lake of the Clouds.

When we arrived at the campground near the lakefront, we were amazed at how few spots were taken. It was never like this.

One step outside and we learned why.

The black flies were horrific. We left the lakefront and went for a hike farther inland. No joy.

A ranger explained that some summers, winds out of the south would push the flies from the central Wisconsin dairy farms where they hatched until they reached the shore of Superior. With nowhere else to go, they congregated en masse right where we were camped.

Our teenage boys tried the lake. Within thirty seconds of sticking their heads out of the water, the swarm would find them, so it was dive under, swim away, pop back up, and hope the wind hid their location. (I wish I had a video, but who has time for that when you are swatting away hordes of biting, nasty flies.)

We tried making it a normal night: campfire, s’mores, stories. Honest, we did. But eventually we caved and hid in our RV to watch a movie on a laptop.

The next morning, we broke camp and moved up the coast to McLain State Park. Fortunately, the black flies hadn’t found it.

Sometimes, it’s the little things that get you the most.

What’s the little thing that ruined an otherwise great trip?

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