ADVrider - Michigan Lower Peninsula Dual Sport Safari

Transcription

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- - Michigan Lower Peninsula Dual Sport Safari (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95040)
Cannonshot
09-05-2005 11:06 PM
Michigan Lower Peninsula Dual Sport Safari
Just finished riding 1250 miles of a dirt and gravel dual sport route in Michigan.
Had to take a ship to get there. This is a premium ride opportunity for dual sporters in the midwest. Takes 4-7 days
to complete.
Check it out!
I live in Wisconsin. The shortest way for me to get to this loop was to take the ferry across Lake Michigan. There
are two ferries on Lake Michigan. There is a new high speed ferry that runs from Milwaukee to Muskegon at 40
mph. I took the old steam driven ferry from Manitowoc to Ludington that runs 18 mph tops.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/printthread.php?t=95040&pp=100 (1 of 64)11/5/06 2:48 PM
Cannonshot
09-05-2005 11:22 PM
Dual Sport Safari
The Cycle Conservation Club of Michigan does some fabulous work for motorcycle folks in Michigan. They work hard
to sustain and expand a huge trail system throughout the state. www.cycleconservationclub.org
If you are a member ($30), you can participate in a variety of events they sponsor. The first thing you get when
you join is a first class map book of ORV (off road vehicle) trails in Michigan. They also sponsor the "Six Days of
Michigan" which is a great trail, dual sport, and road riding event. I attended this year and previously wrote a post
about it.
www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89851
They also offer two excellent dual sport rides that you complete on your own. One is the Upper Peninsula Dual
Sport Safari (1200 miles) and the other is the Lower Peninsula Dual Sport Safari (1200 miles). You send in $25 and
the CCC sends you a CD and a passbook. The CD has routes, maps, GPS info, hospital info, lodging info and the
like. The passbook is for you to take on your trip to have it stamped by businesses along the route. This is a self
guided event. You can do it all at once or do it in installments over several weekends. Once you complete the route
you get a commemorative T-shirt and can order a jacket - both of which proclaim your achievement.
In July, I was able to talk a riding buddy (rokklym) into making the UP Safari with me. http://rokklym.smugmug.
com/gallery/1034044/1 and www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87081 Being that I am retired, I have
more opportunities for trips like this than those that are still working. However, it sometimes means that riding
buddies are scarce. I ended up doing this one alone.
Edit: Other Michigan Rides
Michigan Cross Country Cycle Trail
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138402
CannonTrek
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152283
Cannonshot
09-05-2005 11:27 PM
Route
Like I said, the route is about 1200 miles. Most of it is dirt or gravel. There is surprisingly little pavement and that
is limited to what must be ridden on to connect segments or go through towns. The CCC recommends that their
dual sport safaris are seven day rides. Chad and I did the UP in four days and the LP only required four days on the
trail. Realistically, this is a five day ride for a group of determined riders.
Here is the overview map. I marked the spots where I camped each night to give you an idea of my movement
each day.
Cannonshot
09-05-2005 11:30 PM
Michigan Cross Country Cycle Trail
The CCC also sponsors a 700 mile dirt bike trail that crosses the state. This is intended for off road bikes used for
riding single track. The Michigan Cross Country Cycle Trail (MCCCT) is another ride you can sign up for with the
club.
The route is clearly posted as it crosses the state.
Cannonshot
09-05-2005 11:34 PM
MCCCT Single Track
Here is some typical single track from the MCCCT. There was very little single track on this dual sport safari, but
there were plenty of opportunities to jump on a single track trail if you were so inclined (and you had the required
Michigan ORV sticker available from the CCC or hunting license dealers throughout the state at a cost of $16.25)
rokklym
09-05-2005 11:35 PM
Holy crap! I didn't know you were doing this now!
I can't wait to see the pics!
Cannonshot
09-05-2005 11:50 PM
I'm getting ahead of myself . . .
I hauled my bike up to the Manitowoc area in the back of my pick-up truck. I parked and off loaded the bike to take
it on the ferry. Round trip fare for me and the bike was $140.
When you first pull up to the ferry area, you are met at a check in point. There you give you name, etc, and wait
while a bomb dog goes over your vehicle. They also screen you for weapons. The dog must have alerted on my
bike because I got a bunch of questions about possible causes. I acknowledged it was probably from a camp fire.
Funny though, on the return trip (where the bike HAD recently been around campfires) the dog didn't say anything.
I was ready too. I had a story worked up about how I had just been burning up the trails in Michigan . . .:puke1
Once you get your ticket straight, the motorcycle people have to stand by their bikes nearby. The autos are loaded
by crew members. The ship is 60 feet wide so they drive cars in forward and make a u-turn at the bow and line
them up facing to the rear. Large machinery and semis also ride the ferry. It was originally part of a fleet that
hauled priority rail road cars across Lake Michigan to avoid congestion in Chicago.
As I watched them load, I saw them back two semi loads of coal into the ship and dump it into a forward
compartment. No diesel here. This is the only coal/steam powered passenger ship running in the US.
This is a picture of the vehicle area. Notice that the bikes are tied down to steel grates on the outside edge of the
cargo area. You are required to bring your own tie downs and load and tie down your own bike.
Cannonshot
09-05-2005 11:59 PM
SS Badger
This ship is about 400 feet long, 60 feet wide, and is over 100 high.
Despite having been a paratrooper and pilot, I am still afraid of heights. Hell, I don't even like being 6'2".:cry
Anyway, when you are looking down over the rail, you are up there pretty high. Adds to the adventure I guess.
I scuba dive on a car ferry similar to this that sank in a storm off Milwaukee many years ago. They believe that the
rear gate (pictured) failed causing the ship to fill with water and go down quickly. It is now in about 117 feet of
water and is still full of railroad cars. Gets you thinking about what it takes to sink a ship like this.
It would be a great trip for a few Wisconsin riders to take the ferry over for a weekend of riding in the Manistee
National Forest. Maybe I can get something like that organized next year. For this year, this is my last big ride of
the season. I soon change over to hunting, fishing, and trapping.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 12:03 AM
More Security
I guess I should have told you that the crossing takes 4 hours. I checked on my GPS and we ran between 11 and
18 mph. Most people lounged around in the cool sunshine on the front deck. On board they have sattelite TV, a
theater, a museum, playrooms, restaurant, bar, snack bar, cafeteria, and a gift shop. The trip is still about two
hours too long. It was a smooth and quiet ride through.
There are between 50 and 60 crew on this ship each sailing.
As we approached Ludington, the Coast Guard sent a boat out to escort us into the harbor. I guess all commerical
vessels get an escort now as part of homeland security.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 12:09 AM
First Day
I took the 1300 (CT) ferry over and got to Ludington about 1900 (ET). My plan was to ride about 50 miles that
evening and get down the trail a ways and camp. I headed out as the sun was getting lower in the sky. Pretty soon
it was getting pretty dark in the woods. Here is a shot of some of the route I was on before it got too dark to take
pictures.
Well, a couple of navigation errors (not using GPS yet) and I found myself on a single lane snowmobile trail (a
seasonal road that is part of the route) heading through the woods in the dark. Pretty soon I run up on a huge
porcupine in the middle of the trail. This truly was the biggest porcupine I had ever seen - although I am sure that
there was a magnification factor of being in a strange place in the dark in a woods that seemed like it kept closing
in more and more.
Porcupines pretty much go where they want at the pace they want (for obvious reasons), so I just stood by until he
got clear.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 12:21 AM
Camp
My first camp was in a federal campground called "Bear Track". There was one other vehicle there and they were
asleep inside their trailer. I set up camp and just sat in the dark and relaxed and enjoyed a cigar. About 2300 the
coyotes started up. They were howling from three different directions. Someone's dog somewhere was barking
trying to elbow in to the conversation but I guess he didn't speak the same canine dialect.
I slept on top of the picnic table. It was cool and there were no bugs. At about 0300 I instantly woke up (wideawake) when I heard something scratching it's way up a tree within 20 feet of me. I listened for a bit and heard all
kinds of crunching and jacking around on my site. I figured (hoped) it was a family of racoons. When it didn't stop,
I finally sat up and said "Hey, I'm trying to sleep here!" Instantly the noise stopped for good. Previously I spent
some time with a buddy backpacking 222 miles in the arctic. In our 18 day trip we had four grizzly encounters (and
a black bear and cub). Since we were not on top of the food chain there, we got conditioned to sleep lightly when
outdoors. I guess that is why I woke up with the scratching. Anyway, that was another trip . . . http://canoltrail.
tripod.com/much.htm The reason I bring this up is that the solution to sleeping soundly is to wear headphones that
you can just barely hear music through. Screens out all that other stuff. At least it works well for me.:bore
Cannonshot
Oh yeah, lemme back up
Here is the Michigan coast line near Ludington.
Yes, that is sand. More to come on that later. . . :D
09-06-2005 12:24 AM
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 12:30 AM
Risk Management
Since I was riding alone, I had to do a little risk management planning. This is one reason I decided to go on the
Labor Day weekend. I thought there would be other ORV people out in case something happened along the trail.
I also decided that I would take it easy and not take too many chances as I rode (but no so easy as to take away
the fun).
I really don't recommend riding this thing solo. You end up in a lot of spots where nobody is likely to go for weeks
or months.
Here is a picture of a fire department response to an ORV accident that must have been pretty serious. I saw that
the Conservation Warden and Sheriff were also on the scene.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 12:41 AM
No injuries
I finished this ride without a scratch, bruise, blister, pain, and even without a sore backside. I never dumped the
bike or even tipped it over. I was pretty proud of myself considering I rode a lot of sand and some tough spots for
over 1200 miles. This is not to say that I didn't have a few close calls. The trail tried to get me a few times early
on, but I held on each time. It seems like it takes a half a day to get back in the groove.
I was thinking about this. I rode hard at the Six Days in July and ended up tearing a hole in my boot and breaking
a bone in my foot. This time I rode more sensibly and everything was fine. In fact, I didn't wear riding gear (armor,
boots, etc) as I was trying to stick with my usual theme of staying cool, dry, and comfortable.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 12:44 AM
The Course
The course seemed like it was mostly two track seasonal roads. A seasonal road is usually a one lane path that
gives forest access that often becomes a snowmobile trail in the winter. There was some gravel - mostly 1 1/2 lane
roads - and some full size gravel roads. I can't say there was typical two track. There was a hell of a variety.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 12:53 AM
Never had a bad day
I can say that I was very content riding down the trail. I never had a bad day. I just cruised along and took in the
scenery. Where it was difficult I rode hard and where it is easy I relaxed and cruised.
I averaged over 300 miles a day. On some days you were slow to map progress on the overall loop because of tight
trail riding. On other days you traveled more across the state. I usually started riding about 0800 and rode until
close to dark. I took my time, took breaks, took pictures, etc, but generally kept moving. The miles stack up fast.
Two hours before dark I would start looking for a campsite on the map. I just went until I ran out of time, I didn't
really set goals since I planned for five riding days for this trip. I circled all of the campgrounds in my DeLorme
Gazetteer so if I checked two hours out I would easily be able to locate one within reach.
Some people ask how you can ride that bike for 12 hours or so. Heck, basically you are just sitting on your ass. I
can do that easy enough. Some people I know do that for a living!:rofl
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 12:55 AM
Plug for beaded seats
Speaking of sitting on your ass all day, I have to put in a plug for beaded seats. They are cool, dry, and
comfortable. I love mine.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:00 AM
Smooth
So, I am banging down a trail through the woods, working pretty hard and having a great time. Eventually I empty
out onto a gravel road. I figure it is time to relax for a bit and pull out a screw top soft drink from my vest. I
unconciously open it up to get a refreshing drink and :doh I am suddenly getting sprayed with caramel colored
carbonated water (at least it was sugar free). I forgot about the paint shaker treatment it had been getting.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:04 AM
Burning Rubber
At one point I had to climb a steep hill that consisted of deep sand. I went for it and found that I had to balance
spinning the rear wheel between slowing down and stopping (I would be dead) or spinning it too fast and digging it
in and stopping (I would be dead again). I managed to climb it out but on the way I smelled burning rubber. This
was a new phenomena but I figured it made sense. About an hour later a guy at a gas station pointed out that I
had a big branch stuck in my rear wheel. I wrestled the branch out and found that it was neatly routed and planed
by my rear knobby. That is where the burning rubber came from on the hill. How it got in there I can't figure out. It
caused me to lose a screw later on so I ended up taking the chain guard off and packing it as cargo.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:08 AM
Two Phantoms
There must have been two guys ahead of me (days perhaps?) that were also riding the LPDSS. I say this because I
kept seeing their tracks in places where bikes otherwise would not have been. Plus they were missing the same
turns on the route that I was and I kept seeing their turn around tracks.
Here is one of those road sections, eventually impassible to autos, where the only traffic (until deer season I
suppose) was LPDSS folks.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:14 AM
Navigation
GPS is a must - unless you want to spend a lot of time with your face in the maps. Even with the GPS, I still missed
a lot of turns. I turned around so many times I am thinking about putting a reverse gear on my bike.:nod
On the UP Safari we used waypoints from the CD. On this run, I had an actual trackline (1711 points) from the CD.
The problem was it was a Garmin file. I had to save that as a text file, cut and paste into a spreadsheet, and then
upload the spreadsheet using my Magellan topo map CD.
The track line routes up north were nuts on. In the heavy stuff down around the Manistee they were approximate.
This may be because someone may have had a different setting to record points, or because the GPS quit due to
heavy cover. It got deep and dark in some spots and my GPS said screw it until it opened up again. This was kind
of a problem because there were a lot of trails in there and once I lost the GPS I had no idea where I was or what
direction I was facing.
Any other time, if you were in the wrong spot you go zoom in on the topo maps and find the next trail to cut over
on to get back on course.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:16 AM
Gps
Often I would zoom out to get rid of map detail just to get the shape of the track line. I could compare that to the
shape of the course on the CCC maps or my gazetteer. This worked very well. If I came to a trouble spot, I could
zoom it in.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:18 AM
CCC Maps
CCC Maps look like this. They were great but were hard for me to read. Road names sometimes vary between the
CCC Map, my GPS, and the DeLorme Gazetteer. I attribute this to the same road changing names at different lines.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:20 AM
DeLorme
It was better for me to trace the route into my DeLorme Michigan Gazetteer. The definition was better and there
was topo info as well. Campgrounds were marked along with attractions. Although, the CCC maps had gas marked
on them. I added that info to my Gazetteer trace.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:28 AM
Map Recon
Each night I would look over the next days route. Eventually I put away the CCC maps and just studied the
gazetteer.
My GPS would last all day on batteries. I would get a low battery alarm in the evening, but it would last until I
camped at least. I put a twelve volt plug on my handlebars but I don't use it for the GPS - too many messages
about external power lost.
I talked about missing a lot of turns. Sometimes you just need to ride and forget about navigation. When things get
rough fly the plane first and navigate later. Sometimes I would come off a tough section (sand, etc) and bound out
of the woods and have no idea even what direction I was facing. The GPS helps with this a lot. Map and compass
won't cut it very well.
I also kept turning the wrong direction because I left the orientation fixed on north on my GPS. I could have
changed it to line up forward all the time. Even though I knew better, I still screwed this up. It is like flying on
instruments or being married - do the opposite of what is indicated to get the correct result.
I am so conditioned to following a dashed line now that if I crossed one I think I would just get on it.
By the way, those topo maps you load into the GPS are great. They even show some overgrown "goat paths" I was
on.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:36 AM
Wildlife
What else did I run across?
Lots and lots of turkeys.
A lot of deer. Near miss on one but he kicked the afterburner just before we collided.
Surprised a badger. He headed back toward me and it gave me a start. Then I realized that he did the math and
figured he could make it to his burrow. Those burrows are handy. They dig into the side of sand roads leaving a
spoil pile that you can use to bounce off of to get back on track in the deep sand.
I hit a few sets of bear tracks. There were a LOT of pickup trucks full of bear dogs out in the morning. They were
cruising the roads looking for tracks. Once they find a track they put the dogs on it. One guy was sitting on an
extended front bumper looking for tracks. It looked like Red Buttons and John Wayne in a scene from Hatari.
I didn't rat out any bears whose tracks I saw. Those bears never did anything to me (yet). I don't think I would like
dogs chasing me around the woods on my bike . . .:bluduh
Here is a bear track.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:40 AM
Bear on the Run
Here is a set of tracks indicating the pitter patter of trotting bear dogs. There is a bear track under these. I
imagined that by then that bear was up a tree exclaiming "Who let the dogs out!" What do bears do for a living
anway - besides raid campsites and shit in the woods - that is, IF they really DO shit in the woods. I'm not sure we
have answered that age old question to EVERYONE's satisfaction yet.:huh At least Smokey had a government job.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:43 AM
Elk
They have a pretty successful elk reintroduction going. I was heading down a beautiful winding hilly road when I
saw elk tracks from two elk that were just walking down the road. They must have had a day off from whatever elk
do for a living the rest of the time. Each time I went over a hill or went around a corner I was hoping to see them.
No such luck.
So, I am sitting at an intersection in the middle of nowhere when these two retired guys on dirt bikes come rolling
up. The one on the left is a UPDSS vet. They were having a great time.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:48 AM
Mackinaw Bridge
When you round the top of the lower peninsula, you swing through Mackinaw City. Stop at Squealy's for breakfast.
Here is the obligatory picture of the bridge. It is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere. It is
7400 feet long (950' longer than the Golden Gate). The whole rig is five miles long (approaches, etc). The towers
are 552 feet high and I think the road is 140' up. Good thing I didn't have to ride it (windy, knobbies on steel
grates, and me afraid of heights). A bridge walk was scheduled for Monday.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:49 AM
Hostile Areas
It seemed that in the prime hunting areas, people didn't like outsiders who might be legally passing through roads
adjacent to their land.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:55 AM
Great Ride
Fabulous dual sporting.
Nice mix of easy/hard roads/trails. A few times I got a little lazy on the trail and ended up bounding across a turn I
should have been making while admitting that perhaps I should have used the front brake in setting up for that
turn after all.:doh
Intersections often had deep sand all around them so you either had to stop way short or bound out into the
trafficked part of the road to keep from going down in soft sand.
I jumped on the single track quite a few times - even with that 30 lb pendulum of camping gear high on my bike. It
was great - except for the whooped out portions in soft sand.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:57 AM
Gas Prices were a little high
Gas prices were a little high. Good thing I was getting about 50mpg. Never had a problem getting gas when I really
needed it. I usually topped off when I got down a gallon. The "driest" stretch got me down to about 1/2 gallon left
before I scored fuel.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 01:59 AM
Middlemen
In an effort to save money on gas, I thought I'd try to cut out the middlemen. Bring lots and lots of spark plugs. . .
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:02 AM
Sand, Sand, Sand
There is a hell of a lot of sand on this route. If you are not comfortable in sand you will not be happy here. It turns
up all the time, sometimes in bad spots.
I never really had a problem with sand other than being moderately annoyed by it. I went through a transformation
on this trip though. Now I just don't care. In fact, bring it on bad boy, show me what you got!
Cannonshot
Seasonal Roads
Equate to B and C roads in Iowa I suppose.
They are ALL OVER THE PLACE. It is great.
09-06-2005 02:04 AM
Cannonshot
More Trail
More trail. When it started to get muddy, I kind of missed the sand.
09-06-2005 02:06 AM
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:08 AM
Sand
Somebody (not a rider) asked me what the big deal was about sand. I told him to try riding his bicycle on the
beach and then give me a call to let me know how that worked out.
Cannonshot
Nice hill to climb
I remember this hill from the six days. Lots of whoops near the top.
09-06-2005 02:09 AM
Cannonshot
Camp Grayling
You enter Camp Grayling twice. Once on the way up and once on the way down.
09-06-2005 02:12 AM
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:14 AM
Great Trail
I could show you a hundred pictures of great trail on this route. I guess you get the idea already though.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:21 AM
Early Day
One day I decided to get up early to knock off extra miles. I got up at 0615. It was still dark and I had to use my
flashlight to pack up in the woods. I left the woods at 0645 and it was barely light enough to navigate (GPS, maps).
Usually I didn't get up until 0700 and leave camp until later.
Note to self:
Reasons why I should not have gotten up early this day.
1. Froze my ass.
2. Still dark in the woods.
3. Not enough light to navigate.
4. Eyes teared as I rode.
5. Nose ran.
6. Glasses and face shield repeatedly fogged up - even after using wipes.
7. Glasses fogged unexpectedly while riding deep sand (not a recommended procedure).
8. Gas station was closed when I got there. Next one I found later didn't have pumps on at 0800.
9. Mirrors fogged.
10. Fog on road.
11. When sun came up, it blinded me.
Should have slept in and then gone someplace for a sit down breakfast. Instead I had to endure the above AND
drink gas station coffee and eat a microwave biscuit.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:23 AM
Weekend
During the week I only met two vehicles on seasonal roads. On the weekend it was much different. Besides the
bear dog runners, ATVs, dune buggies, cycles, campers, and jalopies all showed up.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:25 AM
Backcountry Campers
Campers would show up in the backcountry of state forests. No formal sites, they just set up little trailer parks in
traditional spots in the forest. Some camps would be ATV camps, some cycles, some dune buggies, some mixed.
Here is the start of a camp to illustrate the point.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:27 AM
Go Around
One evening I was cruising a trail when I came on to a public works project that some beavers had put in. I parked
and reconned the crossing and wondered whether I should try it or not.
Cannonshot
Water Crossings
09-06-2005 02:28 AM
Not that I am too concerned about water crossings . . .
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:31 AM
Better Judgement
But, I thought I should use conservative judgement. It was late, I didn't feel like getting wet feet (or a wet ass if I
fell). I would have had to pack my electronics in zip locks. I was low on gas. I didn't want to end up wrestling the
bike in mud if I was alone. Plus, to take the spark plug out, I would have had to take the gas tank off. No, I think
I'll go around. The GPS maps and trackline made that easy to do.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:39 AM
Tunes
I brought this radio along. I usually could get a station. I really enjoyed the music as I rode. This radio sells for
about $30 at Wal-Mart. The single AAA battery lasts for about 24 hours. It also has a weather band. It worked
great. At Mackinaw City I was getting a paper when the metal paper box door slammed on the headphone cord
cutting the wires. It cost me another 50 cents to open the box and $14 for new headphones in the high end stereo
department of the local hardware store.
I see why guys ride with iPods with their own playlist. As I was riding sand I had REO doing "Riding the Storm Out"
and "Roll with the Changes". As I was messing with the GPS Frampton was singing "Show Me the Way". As I was
bounding down a rolling 2 track with trees tight on both sides I heard Molly Hatchet doing "Flirtin' with Disaster".
How about "Shake, Rattle, and Roll"?
I set up another thread asking people to contribute song titles to a playlist people could share - at least as a
starting point. Please take a moment to jump over there and add a few of your own titles to the list. Thank you.
www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94982
Cannonshot
Call me Sandy
Got to love that sand . . .
09-06-2005 02:41 AM
Cannonshot
Gear
One man tent.
09-06-2005 02:42 AM
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:46 AM
Oh yeah, horses too
I forgot, there are horses out there too. Early on I was charging some deep sand when I met three older ladies on
horseback on a corner. I quickly stopped and shut down the bike until they passed as the horses were kind of
skittish. They were grateful and it probably helped foster some goodwill between bikes and horses. Later, I ran
across this crowd and throttled down and idled past giving them plenty of room.
Side note. I was on a sand trail that a lot of horses had passed and noted how rough the trail was - it rattled my
teeth.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:47 AM
Tow Rope
I found that it is a good idea to carry a tow rope. This one is for ATVs and has some nice stretch to it.
Cannonshot
Hand Cramp
Hand cramp, last night on the trail.
Clutch hand.
09-06-2005 02:49 AM
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:52 AM
Go Around
This was a road on the map. It is something like "16th St". The topo shows it crosses a swamp further along. I
checked it out and opted for a go around. Risk assessment says I ain't going down there to have something happen
because no one will find me until deer season . . .
Southest US Thumper
09-06-2005 02:54 AM
We rode the Badger back in June after picking up a new cage in Atlanta, driving to a wedding at Caddilac Lake, and
heading to Seattle to ship the new four wheeler home.
Great ride that Badger, white trash meets the High Seas.
Nice ride report!! Looks like you had a great time!!
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 02:55 AM
Funny . . .
So a little further along I come to this "road" - or what is left of it. It turned out to be an overgrown dike with a
washed out culvert in the middle of it. Someone dug a DEEP wheel rut right in the middle of the trail. So, you had
to crowd the brush on one side and try to paddle through with your feet. Except, that your feet don't reach the
ground on the left side. Nice place to fall over and break a leg.
I know that there is a layout guy somewhere sitting in a recliner drinking a beer. His wife wonders why he
sometimes chuckles to himself without explanation.
I know why, and I appreciate his work.
Cannonshot
More fun
More fun trail.
09-06-2005 02:56 AM
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 03:00 AM
Surprise
I motored up to where a fire tower had been and surprised two women with FWD vehicles and a roll of toilet paper
in hand. I guess my exhaust passes the 94db limit. . .
One hell of a trail up there though.
Cannonshot
More trail
More fire tower trail.
09-06-2005 03:01 AM
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 03:04 AM
Tires
I put new D606s on my DRZ400S in July, just before Chad and I did the UP Safari. When I left for this trip I had
10mm of knobbies left on each tire. When I got home I had 7mm on the rear and 8 on the front.
In the last two+ months I put close to 4000 miles on those D606s- most of it off road. It is time to put some new
grab on though . . .
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 03:11 AM
Riding Buddies
Just before I left I fired off an e-mail to Maynard to see if he and Greg wanted to hook up for a little trail ride while
I was there. I met these guys at the Six Days and had a great time riding with them - good fellows.
Anyway, my decision to make this trip was a last minute deal when I found out that the ferry schedule was
changing after Labor Day - not a lot of notice for them and I didn't really expect to hook up.
They are both signed up for the LPDSS this year. Now that I got off my broken foot and got back on the trail,
maybe it will lend itself to their putting in some days on it as well. Like I pointed out earlier, you can do this over
several weekends if you like.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 03:20 AM
Dual Sport Paradise
Michigan is a dual sport paradise. I really recommend it for midwesterners. I know there are other great rides in
the midwest and for sure in the rest of the country and world, but this is nearby, inexpensive, entertaining, and
scenic.
Who doesn't love winding trails going up, down, and around hills? Who doesn't love riding on a two track notched
into the side of a hill overlooking a wooded pond?
If I had to choose between the two safaris (UP vs LP) here is what I would consider:
UP: most spectacular scenery, harder to find gas, less technical riding, ORV trails mostly railroad, gravel forest
roads, rocks
LP: more technical riding, more sand, easier finding camping, more access to optional single track
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 03:25 AM
Well, lets wrap it up.
Time to get on the ferry and go back home. It took me eight hours on the last day to ride from Cadillac to Walhalla
on the route - taking it easy.
When I got done, I was ready to just ride the whole thing again.
Instead, I got on the ferry to enjoy a night passage back to Wisconsin.
It was great sailing into the sunset. Later, I stood at the dark bow looking at the lights of Wisconsin for about an
hour as we approached the harbor.
This was a truly enjoyable trip. I highly recommend it to others. Join the CCC and get on the trail.
That is my story. What are your questions?
alpiv
09-06-2005 10:08 AM
I would have to agree with you -- great country side -- lots of different types of trails -- Sand, more Sand, and a
little two track in there for good measure..
I did the Six Day last year, I am now sorry I missed it this year.
Yet there is alway next year -- The safari looks like it would be a challenge too..
Thanks for the write up.
rokklym
09-06-2005 07:47 PM
Hey Bryan,
I wish I coulda went with, looks like a blast! I hope you feel like doing it next year too!
So, heres my questions.
Route wise, which is the better route, or are they both equal?
Did you incorporate anything that you learned from the UP safari on the LP safari? If so, did it help?
Anything else you'd like to do different bike wise, or gear or packing?
looks like you had fun, glad you played it safe.
2TrakR
09-06-2005 08:25 PM
Bryan Great write up. 90% of what you rode we use on our normal event routes (~10 events/year). The "old dyke" is on
one of our more highly attended events, much less intimidating when there are no leaves on the brush. Yes, I do
enjoy knowing that is part of our routes, but you should see our more difficult sections. Seasonal roads rule,
especially since no permit is required for their use.
Of course, if you want a weekend's worth of these type of rides, we offer 'em about every 2 weeks during riding
season on the CCC's normal schedule of events. Route sheets and all.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 08:26 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by rokklym
Hey Bryan,
I wish I coulda went with, looks like a blast! I hope you feel like doing it next year too!
So, heres my questions.
Route wise, which is the better route, or are they both equal?
Did you incorporate anything that you learned from the UP safari on the LP safari? If so, did it help?
Anything else you'd like to do different bike wise, or gear or packing?
looks like you had fun, glad you played it safe.
UP is more scenic because of Lake Superior.
LP is more technical because of all the trail riding and sand.
I would gladly do them both again next year!
I got my packing list down pat and I never shook anything off my bike - even in the whoops.
I don't need a larger fuel tank, but if I had one it would be more convenient. New tires help a lot instead of trying
to ride out the old ones.
Cannonshot
09-06-2005 08:31 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2TrakR
Bryan Great write up. 90% of what you rode we use on our normal event routes (~10 events/year). The "old
dyke" is on one of our more highly attended events, much less intimidating when there are no leaves on the
brush. Yes, I do enjoy knowing that is part of our routes, but you should see our more difficult sections.
Seasonal roads rule, especially since no permit is required for their use.
Of course, if you want a weekend's worth of these type of rides, we offer 'em about every 2 weeks during
riding season on the CCC's normal schedule of events. Route sheets and all.
If that damn lake wasn't in the way, I would be more active in events in Michigan. You folks have a good program.
I hope this forum gets the word out to more riders that they can join in with what you guys are doing.
I really enjoyed the routes - even the dike/culvert - it makes it more interesting. Had I not been solo I would have
been more aggressive with some of this stuff, but . . . I had to play it conservative.
You must be one of the guys with the beer in the recliner I mentioned.
"I know that there is a layout guy somewhere sitting in a recliner drinking a beer. His wife wonders why he
sometimes chuckles to himself without explanation.
I know why, and I appreciate his work."
2whlrcr
09-06-2005 10:41 PM
"Being that I am retired"
You just have to keep rubbing it in, don't you?
Nice report.
LIP
09-06-2005 11:35 PM
Great Report
Thanks for sharing and I agree with your opinions about UP v. LP. I love the UP for waterfalls and Lake in da Hills,
but the LP has the more technical riding. Damn sand, I still need to learn how to ride that crap. Low sided on a turn
in some Labor Day.
Thanks again,
LIP
LavaBull
Interesting adventure ride, great narration and wonderfull pics...
Now get your booty down to Socal and let's ride some gnarly Goat Trails..:D
____________________
09-07-2005 12:01 AM
Neil Claydon
04-08-2006 10:02 PM
Well-Done, more please.
Superb write up, and good pics as well.:clap :clap
I just wish I had surroundings like that to ride through, I am now officially jealous.
I found this thread as a link from TT, I shall have to visit more often.
Neil.:thumb
waltert
04-09-2006 12:42 AM
I grew up in Ludington. My parents still live there. My dad worked for
a time on the Badger. I've been on many of the roads you were on.
Your trip notes and pics do the place justice. Very well done. It makes
me wish I had my bike there now.
I took the "high-speed" ferry two years ago for the first time. It seriously
hauls ass. If yer on top, in the wind, it's hard to stand up without a serious
lean.
Some of you riders also snowmobile riders. The roads and routes taken are
very very nice in winter as well. Why settle for just 3 seasons?
You got me droolin to go back... Nice post. :clap :clap
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ADVrider - Michigan Lower Peninsula Dual Sport Safari

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