Pre-Trip -- April 29
After spending the last few days with great friends who live in Harbor Springs, I drove to the Manistee River area via Traverse City where the vast orchards of cherry trees were blooming. I couldn't resist a stop at Oryana, the wonderful food coop hidden on the back streets of town.
I settled in at the Upper River Trailhead at 9 PM for the night as I would meet the Grand Traverse Hiking Club (North Country Trail Chapter) in the morning. Thoughts ran back to how I originally met some members of this fine group. It was at least a decade ago on the Jordan River Trail where I first met Dick N. and Rick H. In hindsight, I probably had met Rick before that at a GLH Gathering. Anyway, after years of occasionally running into one or the other, I started attending their annual group backpack outing several years back. I was also looking forward to seeing Ed, Kim, Dale and Deena who I had met and hiked with a few years back.
This year was very exciting as we were going to hike the new section of the North Country Trail that the club had designed, and constructed during the last few years. We were to hike 31 mi during the next four days,18 mi of which had been newly rerouted.
April 30 -- Stormy Night
In the morning, I drove the short distance to Red Bridge where most of the group would congregate. Although I recognized Rick wearing his signature Tilley, there were many that I hadn't met before. Dan, Bruce, Peggy, Tom, Pam, and Sara (who I had recognized from ski racing years back) introduced themselves. Mona and Deena were also there to help shuttle the hikers. When we had been shuttled to the start point, Kim and Nan joined us for the backpack trip.
We started at the High Banks area. We hiked either along or a short ways back from the Manistee River on the "high banks" above the river. There were many spectacular overlooks along the way. Dick joined us at Anderson Creek as he had backtracked from our first night's camp. At the creek we readily re-supplied with water. It was a hot crazy day for spring and it didn't take much to overheat. It was at least 85 degrees and the air was very dry almost making it desert-like conditions.
We later set up our camp above the high banks of the river. We all chatted and learned many facts about each other. It was a very diverse group, some members were from the Traverse Group but others were from further points near Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and myself from the U.P. During the evening Dale and Andy arrived at different times from opposite directions, it was a large group for sure. Peggy treated everyone to chocolate fudge which she had prepared at camp.
The evening remained hot. Heavy storms were predicted and we weren't to be disappointed. The first rain drops fell around 10 PM so everyone trailed off to their respective shelters. Earlier that evening I had spied a broken small poplar tree that had the top hung up in the crotch of a tree. I had considered moving my tarp even though directionally the tree had no chance of hitting me if the hung up part came down. Lightening flashed everywhere and thunder was reverberating in all directions (the next morning, Dale compared it to "surround sound", a perfect description).
I was settled under my tarp listening to all the sounds when the winds shifted directions and pulled violently on my tarp. The tarp had been set up in sandy soil and I feared for the worse. All of a sudden some of my tarp stakes violently jerked out with a ferocious blast of wind. It was evident that I would be in trouble!
Rain was seemingly falling as hard as possible and before I could unzip the closed mosquito netting of my bivy, my hair and shirt was plastered with water. I gathered the loose part of the tarp as best I could around me and tucked those edges under my bivy to keep them from flying away. Meanwhile I dug into my pack that was next to me, and got out a hat and fleece plus rain gear. I layered on the clothing as best as I could considering that I was still holding down the tarp. I huddled under the enclosure until the worst of the storm went through.
There was still another round to go with this storm but in the interim I got up and starting looking for my stakes. With so much pressure they had flown off in many directions and I found all but two, after looking seemingly forever. I found some tree branches to secure the other loops. Lightening was still flashing everywhere and even with the use of two lighting sources the other two red stakes were no where to be found. The storm was really noisy and I wondered if others were OK.
I went back to bed with wet hair and a partially wet sleeping bag hoping to dry both with body heat. Then the next round of the storm came through and I hoped for the best. Thankfully, It was soon morning and I had slept well.
In the morning, I noted that the poplar tree section had indeed separated from the crotch of the tree and was now impaled into the earth several feet from my tarp (I am so glad I didn't move my tarp in that direction). Another small tree was also down, funny thing is that I heard neither hit the earth. In the morning, I and others had searched for the remaining stakes but just found one so the other one is still out there, perhaps it flung off the cliff. (Later reports indicated the rainfall was 1.2 inches.)
Others had their own difficulties during the night. Rain was flying in through the mesh on their tents and they used umbrellas, rain jackets or whatever they had to stop the penetration.
May 1 -- The New Reroute of the North Country Trail
A new day and a beauty of one. In the morning Deena, Jan and Bert came in to join us for the day on some of the new section of trail. Deena had worked on building this section along with Dick, Sara, Ed and other members of the club. This section was much closer to the river and much more scenic than the former North Country Trail through this part (I had backpacked the old section many years back).
Being new trail, the surface is a bit more uneven until the passing of many hundred hikers occurs.The construction of many bridges and boardwalks were necessary as many areas are wet, based with clay or have creek crossings. Many of the structures were referred to by the name of the person that worked on them like "Deena's Bridge". There is more work to do but this section is officially open and wonderful.
We met morel mushroom hunters along the way who indicated they weren't being as successful as normal years. Maybe it had been the dry and cold weather previous to now.
It was another scorcher of a day. Rest breaks alleviated sweating bodies and hydration was key. We hiked to the Fletcher Creek CG where the day hikers left us as well as Sara who had another outing (but would return the next afternoon). Since Sara was leaving she offered to get refreshments and snacks for the group. We hiked a bit further to the back country site where we would spend the night. It gave us more privacy as well as quiet and it was situated on a short spur to a point off the main trail.
We had a great surprise that evening when Ed popped into our camp site. He had been looking forward to the trip but had recently become saddled with a back problem. We enjoyed his visit and wished he could of enjoyed the fruit of his efforts on the new trail. He has accumulated a significant amount of hours working on the trail and will continue to do so when he gets better.
We gathered in the vicinity of the official fire ring where Nan attended to the fire. Stayed up well past dark and then retired to my tarp and bivy located near the shoreline...a very pleasant evening,...heard splashing now and then from some critter that was entering and exiting the water regularly.
May 2 -- Along the Dam, Across the River, and Through the Woods....
During the early morning it began to rain quite steadily. To our surprise it ended before we took down camp, in the meantime we took all the necessary rain preparations. The day was a bit cooler but still felt hot between rest breaks.
We noted that some chainsaw craftsman had made mushroom sculptures out of some tree stumps. Many of the local landowners or leasers from Consumers Energy have been active in making this reroute possible and have given many hours to the trail..perhaps it was one of them who did the sculptures.
As we went near the Northern Exposure CG, Nan, Kim and Dale left us as they had to get back to their lives in TC. It has been a "schedule" intensive trip as Rick has organized the comings and goings of some 16 people. He didn't seem frazzled by this but then he is a retired school teacher!
We skirted the backwaters of the Hodenpyle Dam along the shore and then before we crossed the Little Mac suspension bridge we met a large group of students from Calvin College who were completing a 1 credit backpacking course. The had done the Manistee River Trail as an overnighter and were excited about their trip.
We took a lunch break on the other side of the bridge and then hiked down to camp site #6 located about 5 mi after the bridge. Since the camp site was high on the bluff, I descended to the river via trail and walked a bit in the water and relaxed at riverside.
It was a great night of conversation around the fire ring area. We watched the sun disappear and soon most were off to bed. Sara (who had hiked back in earlier) and I were the last to leave conversation and then I soon drifted off to a comfortable sleep.
May 3 -- A Short Day
Morning was bit cooler, I even wore my down sweater for a bit although it wasn't an absolute necessity. As we headed out we spied a sign Andy had drawn in the dirt as he had camped further up the trail than we did last night. The trek out was uneventful but it brought back many memories of numerous "24 hours of Manistee" trips that I used to do. I hadn't been there in 5 years so it was great to be back to not only experience that but to also hike the new section of marvelous trail along the river.
Thanks to Rick H, Dick N, and Ed M for their efforts in organizing the trip. Can't wait to see everyone again next year!...or sooner!!
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