Week 8 Highlights & Overview

Stats

Week 8 miles: 340

Total Miles - 2,216

Total Elevation - 63,963

Highlights: One more state down. We are in Michigan, the UP (Upper Peninsula) to be exact. This week we crossed something off our list that we didn’t even know we had on our list. We were tired and there were no hotels or campgrounds around. We saw a sign pointing down a dirt road to a cemetery. Up at the very top was a little wooded area, where we could keep the tent and bikes a little hidden. We were walking around in our jammies looking at headstones (we like to do that) and a truck stopped for a minute or so down below. We tried really hard to look without seeming that we were looking. We were hoping they wouldn’t kick us out. The truck pulled around and as it passed we saw a young man driving and a young woman in the passenger seat. And they immediately left. We think we might have prevented some hanky panky at the cemetery. haha

The next night, we stayed with warmshowers host Maggie, in a log cabin apartment above her garage. It was very quaint and comfortable. No running water, and a composting toilet. Her house is also a log cabin style, it’s pretty awesome. She has a huge garden (fenced in from the deer), and she made us a dinner featuring many of her vegetables. She and Bliss talked quilting for quite a while. In talking to her we found that she was quite an activist, and loves living off the land as much as she can. We told her about Shea and her experiences and interests.Maggie really wants Shea to come live in her apartment and they can farm together. 

People have often asked us if we would have problems spending all this time together. We basically ride, eat and rest. And we get a little tired, cranky, and sensitive at times. We had a pretty big argument the other day, all because we each misinterpreted the situation. We were able to resolve it pretty quickly. You’d think after 41 years together we’d have it all figured out. There’s no secret to staying together this long. You decide that the good way outweighs the bad, so you keep pushing on. Probably 97% of the time we’re having a great time together. 

People also ask what has been our favorite place that we’ve been. That’s so hard to say, each part of this trip has had its own unique beauty to it. Having said that, Michigan is the first state that we’ve never been in before, so this has been more invigorating to us. Seeing Lake Michigan is… WOW. It is so big. We have been very impressed riding beside it and being able to wild camp near it last night. 

Route Overview: Left Park Falls Wi on River road (following the Flambeau River), Creamery road, and Elmwood road, and Co F and FF to Mercer. Took the Mercer trail through Manitowish Waters, then Co K through Boulder Junction, Conover, and Phelps, then Co A and Baumgartner road to Caspian. Took a bike path to Pentoga Trail rd and went up to US 2. At Crystal Falls got on Mi 69 (which was horrible with traffic). In Sagola we took a side road (that was all torn up, but at least quiet) to Gene’s Pond. Took 581 down to Mi 69 (but this part of the road was quieter with wider shoulders), and after many miles picked up US to into Escanaba (the main road was not made for bikes at all). We took side roads to Rapid River where we got on US 2 all the way to St Ignace. It is US bicycle route 10, and most of the road was new asphalt with very wide shoulders. So even with the traffic it was enjoyable.