Its been one month. I left Burlington Vermont what seems forever ago, but has actually only been about 30 days. I feel far away, and yet I feel like I have barely gone anywhere. As I type this, I have pedaled my bike about 1,700 miles. From the green mountains of Vermont, along the Erie Canal and Mohawk valley of New York, through Niagara falls, along the northern shores of Lake Erie in Ontario Canada, crossed the St Clare river to Michigan, battled weather crossing the dreary midlands of Michigan only to find salvation at lake Michigan. I followed the fabled M 22, vising my first national park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake shore. I followed the shores through the wine country of Traverse, along M 199 and the tunnel of tree, to Mackinaw, the end of the lower peninsula. I crossed the 3rd largest suspension bridge to the upper peninsula, and learned what a sparsely populated place it really is. I rode against the winds for two days to find my way to the largest, and my last, great lake, Superior. I visited my second national park, Painted Rocks National Lake shore, and I visited Marquette, the university city in the UP. In all, I have cycled pretty much a 1,000 miles in Michigan alone. As I leave this state that I have come to know for new states, new roads, new adventures, I say farewell to a land that has been both kind and cruel as I have made my way. I have meet many amazing people, not the least of them my fabulous warmshower and couchsurfing hosts. I now venture into Wisconsin and Minnesota. From there...who knows.
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| The lake shore of Lake Michigan for me began in Manistee, where I spent the night at Orchard Beach State Campground and meet my first bicycle tourers. Two college age kids roaming around Michigan for 10 days. I spotted their nomad from afar, and we spent the rest of the evening talking and watching the sunset. I then got onto the M-22, which has a aura of its own around Michigan. It follows the coastline all the way back to Traverse City. Went up to Platte lake to stay with a warmshower host and then attended my first ever Asparagus Festival in Empire. Asparagus bread, Asparagus beer, and raw asparagus too. Good times. I then entered Sleeping Bear Dune National Lake shore (There are 4 national lake shores and 2 of them are in Michigan). I rode the 7.5 miles of the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive which has a stop on top of the big dune that towers more than 450 feet, nearly vertical. Then I climbed up a dune and was told it would be a 3 hour hike up and over dunes to get to the lake, so I did just one dune. Spent the night at DH Day campground, and from there continued on the M-22. The road went up and around the peninsula and, spending a night outside Suttons Bay, headed into Traverse City. |
Another wonderful night with a warmshower host and I was on my way, following still the Lake Michigan shoreline to the Petosky State Park. Had a roaring fire on a cold night and the next day, despite a 15 mile accidental turn south, rode along the Tunnel of Trees, M-119 to Mackinaw City. I spent the night at the Headlands, an abandoned beach house that has been turned into a public park. Of course, it also seemed to be the home of the worlds most annoying porcupine. Sometime at night, I heard a scratching on my nomad. Bleary eyes and tired, I shone my light and I beheld a porcupine. Well, I shooed him away but he only went into a corner and turned his spiky quilled behind at me. Went back into the tent and tried to forget him. 20 minutes later scratch scratch scratch. Ugggg. Scared him off good only for him to come back an hour later, this time somehow playing with my spokes. Scarred him off so well that he came back an hour later. We repeated this a few times until I suppose at some point I fell asleep or he stopped coming back. Either way, I awoke groggy and grumpy.
That morning I crossed the Mackinaw Bridge. I have now paid $3.50 in tolls since leaving Vermont. After being dropped on the side of the highway, I realized I was finally in the Upper Peninsula, or UP. Got myself some killer maps and started biking, to quickly learn that while the UP is 1/3 the land mass of Michigan, its 3% of the population. Biked for nearly 25 miles without a house, a town, anything. Just wetlands, woods, and the occasional car. This place is vast and empty. Very rugged. Had a good night sleep at the Luce County Park and made my way to Pictured Rocks National Lake shore in Munising and also my first view of Lake Superior. Took a 3 hour boat ride that covered 15 miles of the lake shore, where you can see the various colors and shapes of the eroded soft and hard exposed sandstone. Very beautiful. The next day, I had the pleasure of a steady rain and 40 degrees. Biked 40 miles to Marquette, the largest city in the UP and home to Northern Michigan University. And here I am, couchsurfing for the weekend, taking a day off biking for the first time in over 12 days. I'm at 1,600 miles, and in a few days I will have biked 1,000 miles in Michigan alone. As the month comes to a close, I can look back to the various weather, the various people, the places and things I have seen. But I am more looking forward to the continued unknown that lays before me. Here are some stats though for the stat keepers:
May 3rd – May 29th: 1,620.7 miles. Longest day 105.98 miles, shortest day 32.20. I have biked for 139 hours, 40 minutes and 45 seconds. I have stayed with 7 warmshower hosts, 2 couchsurfing hosts, one friends family. I have wild (free) camped 11 nights and have paid 3 nights. Two days I did not ride. My fastest speed so far is 36.6 mph. New York took me 7 days to cross, Ontario 2, and I have been in Michigan for 16 days thus far.
As always, keep pedaling.
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