After months of deliberation, we've finally decided on our 2013 summer plans. I can't recall a winter in which we spent so many hours working on a trip, only to run into a dead end and have to start over. Issues such as permit availability, timing of snow melt and the availability of mass transit in certain parks have derailed our plans multiple times. The plan usually starts out as a grandiose trip idea, and then as I learn about the destinations, I decide that each one needs more time to be fully explored. The trips get paired down into something more manageable this way. Now that we are only three weeks away - we have settled on some destinations.
We will head out of town on June 7th and race the sunset to the west in our Jeep. We'll make the long drive to Zion National Park in Utah. After Zion, the trip will take us gradually east, allowing us to explore Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. We'll do some front-country camping and day hiking in each park, along with some backpack trips in most of the parks. I'll beginning to learn about hiking and camping in a desert environment and preparing myself for the first scorpion or rattlesnake sighting!
All told, we'll spend six weeks out west, before returning home for a night. We'll head north to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for a week of relaxed camping on the shores of Lake Leeland with family. Next, we'll head further north, to the cold waters and quiet forests of Lake Superior Provincial Park in Ontario. The plan is to take a five day paddle trip on Lake Miji, in the park's interior.
On the drive home, we'll meet up with some more family in St. Ignace for a couple of days, including a visit to Mackinaw Island. We'll be home for a full week while I teach a high school band camp, before heading out again. Our last destination of the year will be to Vermont for the next 100 miles of the Long Trail. This section will take us from Sherburne Pass to Smuggler's Notch - arguably the most challenging and most scenic stretch of the nation's oldest thru-hike.
I'll be blogging about all of it, of course. I hope you'll follow along, as we trek from high desert mesas to dark slot canyons, across wildflower-covered meadows beneath snow-capped peaks and along calm, quiet waterways in the paths of loons and otters. All the way to the summit of Mount Mansfield in Vermont, it should be a grand adventure!
Showing posts with label backpacking. Hiking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label backpacking. Hiking. Show all posts
Friday, May 17, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Maple Hill
We slept in Monday morning, enjoying the quiet of St. Ignace in the off-season. There is always something alluring and peaceful about being in a tourist town when the tourists are all gone. The waterfront seemed quieter than usual and the water shimmered in the morning light. We paid a visit to Java Joe's for some Nutella Crepes and a few leisurely cups of coffee.
After our late breakfast we headed north on I-75 for the final hike on our trip. Near the town of Moran there is a dolomite reef set in a maple forest that is called Maple Hill. I have been meaning to check this strange geological formation out for a while, but by the time we reach St. Ignace we are usually returning from the far north woods and eager for the comforts of civilization. Monday seemed like the perfect day.
The drive out of Moran followed a wide, dusty dirt road for about 9 miles. By the time we reached the trailhead it was hard to imagine anyone had ever been here before us. The air was a solid twenty degrees warmer inland than it was near the water. Loading up my daypack on the side of a hot, dusty road in the mid-day heat really made it feel like summer. A yellow-rumped warbler hopped from branch to branch of a nearby tree while we put on sunscreen and prepared for our hike.
The trail from the forest road to Maple Hill follows a stretch of the North Country Trail. The NCT is a nationally-recognized scenic trail, like the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail, among others. However, the NCT is a more recent idea, and as such it is still under development. It runs from Lake Champlain in eastern New York, through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota. Many stretches of it still require road walking, and only a few hardy souls have undertaken a thru-hike on this trail.
The word "trail" was really an exaggeration for this section. The only evidence of a route through the forest were the occasional blue blazes painted onto the maple trees. The blazes were frequent enough that as long as we were vigilant in looking for the next blaze before proceeding, we weren't really in any danger of getting lost. The surface of the trail, however, was the forest floor, with no visible path. Trillium covered the forest in all directions, although not in bloom yet. In another week this looked to be a fabulous wildflower hike! The forest was completely deciduous. Most of the trees had a colorful splash of buds growing, but no leaves yet. This created an open, airy feeling, and made the sun feel as it if was beating down directly on us. Occasionally, the forest floor would be flooded, making it necessary to pick our way over downed trees and other obstacles to stay dry.
The trail crossed a few forest roads as it ambled north-east. We heard the load hammering of a pileated woodpecker several times during our hike. A little over four miles into our hike the trail climbed gradually, reaching the escarpment of Maple Hill. This formation was more impressive in person that pictures can convey. It ran for about a half-mile, climbing 15-20 feet over the trail. The air up against the rock formation was noticeably cooler. This dolomite reef is part of the Niagara Escarpment, a formation that runs from Niagara Falls in the East, all the way to the edge of the plains in the West. This section really was reminiscent of the parts of the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore that move inland, away from the water. Similar low cliffs set in a deciduous forest predominate that area as well.
We took a few picture before beginning the return hike. The dolomite reef was worth the excursion, but the rest of the hike was a bit monotonous. The scenery seldom changed, and the forest was hot without the shade from leave cover. We returned to the Jeep a little less than four hours after we had left, not bad for an 8.6 mile hike. We decided to take a scenic route back to St. Ignace, driving along Brevort Lake and and Lake Michigan along US-2. The skies were bright blue and the sun hot overhead. It really felt like summer had arrived.
After a stop for dinner at the Mackinaw Grille we made the crossing over the bridge. The sun was still high in the sky to the west, and Lake Michigan shimmered in a golden light, the water calm and inviting. It is always hard to drive south across the bridge, but at least in the spring we know that we won't have to wait long to return! For the moment, it was time to head home and finish our summer planning. The end of the school year is right around the corner, and we have a bunch of plans to finish.
After our late breakfast we headed north on I-75 for the final hike on our trip. Near the town of Moran there is a dolomite reef set in a maple forest that is called Maple Hill. I have been meaning to check this strange geological formation out for a while, but by the time we reach St. Ignace we are usually returning from the far north woods and eager for the comforts of civilization. Monday seemed like the perfect day.
The drive out of Moran followed a wide, dusty dirt road for about 9 miles. By the time we reached the trailhead it was hard to imagine anyone had ever been here before us. The air was a solid twenty degrees warmer inland than it was near the water. Loading up my daypack on the side of a hot, dusty road in the mid-day heat really made it feel like summer. A yellow-rumped warbler hopped from branch to branch of a nearby tree while we put on sunscreen and prepared for our hike.
The trail from the forest road to Maple Hill follows a stretch of the North Country Trail. The NCT is a nationally-recognized scenic trail, like the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail, among others. However, the NCT is a more recent idea, and as such it is still under development. It runs from Lake Champlain in eastern New York, through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota. Many stretches of it still require road walking, and only a few hardy souls have undertaken a thru-hike on this trail.
The word "trail" was really an exaggeration for this section. The only evidence of a route through the forest were the occasional blue blazes painted onto the maple trees. The blazes were frequent enough that as long as we were vigilant in looking for the next blaze before proceeding, we weren't really in any danger of getting lost. The surface of the trail, however, was the forest floor, with no visible path. Trillium covered the forest in all directions, although not in bloom yet. In another week this looked to be a fabulous wildflower hike! The forest was completely deciduous. Most of the trees had a colorful splash of buds growing, but no leaves yet. This created an open, airy feeling, and made the sun feel as it if was beating down directly on us. Occasionally, the forest floor would be flooded, making it necessary to pick our way over downed trees and other obstacles to stay dry.
The trail crossed a few forest roads as it ambled north-east. We heard the load hammering of a pileated woodpecker several times during our hike. A little over four miles into our hike the trail climbed gradually, reaching the escarpment of Maple Hill. This formation was more impressive in person that pictures can convey. It ran for about a half-mile, climbing 15-20 feet over the trail. The air up against the rock formation was noticeably cooler. This dolomite reef is part of the Niagara Escarpment, a formation that runs from Niagara Falls in the East, all the way to the edge of the plains in the West. This section really was reminiscent of the parts of the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore that move inland, away from the water. Similar low cliffs set in a deciduous forest predominate that area as well.
We took a few picture before beginning the return hike. The dolomite reef was worth the excursion, but the rest of the hike was a bit monotonous. The scenery seldom changed, and the forest was hot without the shade from leave cover. We returned to the Jeep a little less than four hours after we had left, not bad for an 8.6 mile hike. We decided to take a scenic route back to St. Ignace, driving along Brevort Lake and and Lake Michigan along US-2. The skies were bright blue and the sun hot overhead. It really felt like summer had arrived.
After a stop for dinner at the Mackinaw Grille we made the crossing over the bridge. The sun was still high in the sky to the west, and Lake Michigan shimmered in a golden light, the water calm and inviting. It is always hard to drive south across the bridge, but at least in the spring we know that we won't have to wait long to return! For the moment, it was time to head home and finish our summer planning. The end of the school year is right around the corner, and we have a bunch of plans to finish.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Changing Destinations for the Weekend
In southern Michigan spring has finally sprung. We had our first 80 degree day recently and the long dormant deciduous trees have exploded into life. I awoke this morning to the dawn chorus of bird song outside my window at 5:30 AM, a sure sign that winter is behind us. Unfortunately, winter hasn't quite given up on the places north of us! A recent winter storm dumped as much as 20 inches of snow in portions of the Rocky Mountains. Michigan's UP was sparred the heavy accumulation, but most of the trails are still buried beneath an annoying snow pack. We found last weekend that the lingering snow pack is softening up, which actually makes it harder to hike on, as every other step sinks into the slush, soaking boots and socks. With that in mind, we have decided to change our destination for this weekend. The Pictured Rocks Lakeshore will have to wait for a warmer weekend.
Instead, we will do some backpacking in the Pigeon River State Forest, north of Gaylord in the the lower peninsula. This area is actually the largest wilderness area south of the bridge, and contains a surprising amount of elevation change, and plenty of wildlife. The rolling hills are home to everything from black bears and bobcats to a large number of bird species. With any luck we may even spot some members of Michigan's only elk herd. We'll head up first thing in the morning Saturday, and I'll post updates and pictures throughout the weekend. It's shaping up as a beautiful weekend across much of the region, so hopefully you'll be able to get outside too! Happy Spring Everyone!
Instead, we will do some backpacking in the Pigeon River State Forest, north of Gaylord in the the lower peninsula. This area is actually the largest wilderness area south of the bridge, and contains a surprising amount of elevation change, and plenty of wildlife. The rolling hills are home to everything from black bears and bobcats to a large number of bird species. With any luck we may even spot some members of Michigan's only elk herd. We'll head up first thing in the morning Saturday, and I'll post updates and pictures throughout the weekend. It's shaping up as a beautiful weekend across much of the region, so hopefully you'll be able to get outside too! Happy Spring Everyone!
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Smokies Trip Planning
Blog Post March 19,
2013
While the world outside our home in Michigan is still
wrapped in winter’s icy grip of death, our first backpacking trip of the season
is drawing near! Ten days from tomorrow
we will depart in the early morning hours and begin the half-a-day drive to the
mountains of Tennessee. Our new tent
arrived in the mail today, and soon we’ll be planning and shopping for our
meals during the hike. I thought today would
be a good day to provide some of the details about our trip plan.
We’ll depart from the Big Creek Campground in the northeast
corner of the park. We were planning to
camp right at Big Creek Campground the night before our hike began, but the
combination of federal sequester cuts and a late spring has pushed back the
opening date for a number of front-country campgrounds, Big Creek
included. We did some online shopping
and found a cheap hotel in nearby Newport, TN, putting us only a thirty-minute
drive from the trailhead. The hotel will
have the added bonus of letting us watch our Michigan State Spartans play in
the sweet sixteen of the NCAA tournament if they make it that far.
Our first day of hiking we’ll follow the Big Creek for
several miles, before making the steep climb at Low Gap to joint the
Appalachian Trail, a climb of 3,000 feet over 8.4 miles. Since this will be our first day hiking with
packs on since last summer, and our packs will be at their heaviest with 7 days
worth of food, this promises to be a rugged day. We’ll at least have the comforts of a shelter
to look forward to that night, with reservations at Cosby Knob Shelter.
We’ll spend the next couple of days marching counter to the
AT thru-hikers making their way north.
At Peck’s Corner we’ll drop off of the crest of the Smokies and follow
the Hughes Ridge Trail down to Enloe Creek.
This day presents our only significant stream crossing of the trip. We’ll camp at Enloe Creek, and then make
another grueling climb up to Laurel Gap, where another shelter will await
us.
Our last full day of hiking will take us up the ridge of
Mount Sterling to the summit, where we’ll spend our last night hopefully
watching the sunset from the fire tower.
We’ll make a quick 4,000 foot decent down the Baxter Creek Trail the
last morning, returning to Big Creek. I’m
sure we’ll be ready for hot showers and cold beverages by then!
In all, our itinerary will take us from a starting elevation
of 1,700 feet to high points of 5,920 and 5,820 at separate points. We’ll follow several mountains streams,
hopefully catch a glimpse of some spring flowers and take in some stunning vistas
from the high country. Now it’s just
time to start crossing our fingers for some warmer temps and clear skies…never
a guarantee in the mountains in April.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Day 12
Last night was a beautiful night on Killington Peak. We ate our dinner while watching the sun set over the mountains. The sunset rivaled the best ones I have seen in the Great Lakes. The sun melted into the horizon, casting spectacular hues of orange, yellow, and purple over the seemingly endless mountains. The shelter was full of AT hikers and the forecast promised no rain, so we decided to tent above the shelter.
The air temperature plummeted to near 40 degrees during the night. This was the first time I have slept with all of my clothes on and the bag zipped up on this trip. Inside our down, 2 person sleeping bag we were both comfortable in the chilly, mountain air. Something small could be heard chewing on the trash under our tent platform, but whatever it was left us and our gear alone.
The morning air was cold and our hike for the day short so we elected to sleep in for a while. While we were eating breakfast and packing up a number of hikers we had met on the trail passed through our camp. One AT hiker we met had lost his IPhone in a stranger's car while getting a hitch back from town. We let him use our phone to try to sort out the mess of procuring a new phone for himself. By the time he was done playing phone tag with AT&T and family members back home it was almost noon. This was our latest start of the trip, by far.
The day's hike dropped about 2,200 feet to US 4. Knowing that we were hiking "downhill" all day made the frequent climbs thrown in all the more maddening. The views along the ridge were spectacular, though. The forest, in places, featured impressively tall trees. The space beneath the forest canopy was open and airy as not enough sunlight penetrates the tall trees for underbrush to grow.
A few minutes after 3 the trail finally reached US 4. Our destination for the night was the Inn at Long Trail. Although the name suggests that the trail would arrive directly at the inn, a re-route some years in the past caused the trail to intersect the highway 1 mile west and downhill from the inn. The 1 mile road walk, all up hill, was tiring at the end of our hike. Traffic zoomed by on the busy, four lane US highway.
The Inn at Long Trail is one of the coolest places I have ever stayed. It is a B and B, pub, restaurant, and hiker meeting place built right into the cliffs at Sherburne Pass. Murray McGrath, one of the owners, is very nice and helpful to hikers. He has a coin operated washer and dryer right on sight. The interior is decorated in a style all its own. It is half Irish Bed and Breakfast and half ski lodge. Much of the interior structure is made of wood that still resembles the trees it came from and the walls are decked out in Long Trail and Appalachian Trail maps, posters and photos. This is one place no through-hiker should miss.
We checked into the inn, took showers, made phone calls home and then headed down to the pub for some food and drinks. Murray told us local stories and jokes while serving us a couple Long Trail Ales. This was the perfect way to celebrate hiking 105 miles of the Long Trail and our 7th wedding anniversary!
We have made the hard decision to end our through-hike here for this year. Our bodies are both beat up and we could use a few days' rest. We'll use the next couple of days to rent a car, drive back to North Troy to retrieve our Jeep and do a little sight-seeing. The plan is to head to nearby New Hampshire for a backpacking trip once we are rested up. We've hiked over a third of the Long Trail and plan to come back to finish it next summer! The Green Mountain Club counts trough-hikes done over multiple years as End to End Hikes too, and now I can see why - it is some hard hiking! We've really enjoyed our time on the trail. Now we plan to enjoy a little R and R before heading back out into the woods. I'll post updates on the best of what we find in the next couple of days and on our next backpack.
The air temperature plummeted to near 40 degrees during the night. This was the first time I have slept with all of my clothes on and the bag zipped up on this trip. Inside our down, 2 person sleeping bag we were both comfortable in the chilly, mountain air. Something small could be heard chewing on the trash under our tent platform, but whatever it was left us and our gear alone.
The morning air was cold and our hike for the day short so we elected to sleep in for a while. While we were eating breakfast and packing up a number of hikers we had met on the trail passed through our camp. One AT hiker we met had lost his IPhone in a stranger's car while getting a hitch back from town. We let him use our phone to try to sort out the mess of procuring a new phone for himself. By the time he was done playing phone tag with AT&T and family members back home it was almost noon. This was our latest start of the trip, by far.
The day's hike dropped about 2,200 feet to US 4. Knowing that we were hiking "downhill" all day made the frequent climbs thrown in all the more maddening. The views along the ridge were spectacular, though. The forest, in places, featured impressively tall trees. The space beneath the forest canopy was open and airy as not enough sunlight penetrates the tall trees for underbrush to grow.
A few minutes after 3 the trail finally reached US 4. Our destination for the night was the Inn at Long Trail. Although the name suggests that the trail would arrive directly at the inn, a re-route some years in the past caused the trail to intersect the highway 1 mile west and downhill from the inn. The 1 mile road walk, all up hill, was tiring at the end of our hike. Traffic zoomed by on the busy, four lane US highway.
The Inn at Long Trail is one of the coolest places I have ever stayed. It is a B and B, pub, restaurant, and hiker meeting place built right into the cliffs at Sherburne Pass. Murray McGrath, one of the owners, is very nice and helpful to hikers. He has a coin operated washer and dryer right on sight. The interior is decorated in a style all its own. It is half Irish Bed and Breakfast and half ski lodge. Much of the interior structure is made of wood that still resembles the trees it came from and the walls are decked out in Long Trail and Appalachian Trail maps, posters and photos. This is one place no through-hiker should miss.
We checked into the inn, took showers, made phone calls home and then headed down to the pub for some food and drinks. Murray told us local stories and jokes while serving us a couple Long Trail Ales. This was the perfect way to celebrate hiking 105 miles of the Long Trail and our 7th wedding anniversary!
We have made the hard decision to end our through-hike here for this year. Our bodies are both beat up and we could use a few days' rest. We'll use the next couple of days to rent a car, drive back to North Troy to retrieve our Jeep and do a little sight-seeing. The plan is to head to nearby New Hampshire for a backpacking trip once we are rested up. We've hiked over a third of the Long Trail and plan to come back to finish it next summer! The Green Mountain Club counts trough-hikes done over multiple years as End to End Hikes too, and now I can see why - it is some hard hiking! We've really enjoyed our time on the trail. Now we plan to enjoy a little R and R before heading back out into the woods. I'll post updates on the best of what we find in the next couple of days and on our next backpack.
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