Doing All the Funs in the MNW

I COINED MNW Some Michiganders call it the Upper Lower. Most call it Up North. It’s kind of a unique cultural/geographical phenomenon. One thing is for certain: You don’t want to get caught in a traffic jam of people either going to or coming home from Up North. Although I’ll never be a native like my wife, and I’ll always remain a FOP (Fucking Ohio Person, which fortunately is slightly less evil than a FIP) in the locals’ minds, I feel like Karen and I have established some roots Up North near Ludington/Manistee/Wellston.

*Perfect conditions for RustyNutz on the North Country Trail*

*Miles and miles of forest two-track in the Huron-Manistee National Forest*

PODCASTS AND AUDIOBOOKS So last weekend, we planned an extendo stay and did the six hour drive (for me) and the three hour drive (for my wife) to our little piece of heaven. Everyday was busy: mountain biking, kayaking, XC skiing, hiking.

We’ve taken to kayaking in the winter on a short stretch of the Little Manistee River that we like. The Pine River, Pere Marquette, Big Sauble, Big Manistee, and Bear Creek (one of Hemingway’s favorites) are a short drive away. *Plus plenty of inland lakes, and the Big Lake, Old Michigan.*

A FORTUNATE FIND We own two acres abutting national forest land (which we also kinda own!), with the North Country Trail as our back property line. We have good neighbors in the vicinity who keep an eye on things when we’re not there, and privacy enough to let our dogs roam the property.

*I arrived early, opened up camp, and took a spin on the NCT as it bisects the Big M Recreation Area.*

I’M A LUCKY MOUNTAINBIKER Big M, home to the Lumberjack 100 endurance mountain bike race, is a short pedal away, and contains about 30 miles of singletrack and a network of forest service roads. The local XC ski club grooms about 15 miles of track in the winter. Plenty o’ fun to be had.

*A set of tracks I followed on my ride. Couldn’t identify them. Plenty of bear, bobcats and supposedly mountain lions in the area, but I’ve never had an encounter*. *We did, however, have a bear on the property last year!*

*Even though I’ve learned my way around Big M over the years, I always get lost in the beauty and silence.*

A SECRET PLACE We always jump at the chance to go XC skiing, and we were lucky enough to be able to ski out to Timmerman Lake, a beautiful, serene, undeveloped kettle lake in the middle of the national forest, approachable only by a two-track that Karen found one day while hiking.

*Timmerman Lake is a local secret, but I’ll tell you it’s an incredible place to kayak in the summer and hike in the winter…if you can find it.*

*Seems like the snow fleas always choose bluebird days to make an appearance.*

*All you can hear is the sound of crashing waves from Lake Michigan in the distance.*

MICROCLIMATE We decided to do a hike up to an unusual place we call the Blowdown. Around 2007-08, a big storm came off the lake and produced flooding and micro-bursts along the coast and few miles inland (one of which resulted in the clearing of many of the trees on our property). This particular dune ridge looks down on one side into a valley that was leveled of trees. We’ve watched it slowly grow back year by year and always check on a particular beech tree that broke off halfway up and stood above the desolation.

*The hole from whence all snow fleas in the world emerge. Kinda freaky.*

CSABA BITES THE CHUPACABRA Csaba, our German Shepherd, loves to go on bike rides to the river and back. But this day, we decided to take all three dogs out to a place we appropriately call Night Hawk Hill.

*The newest member of our pack, Little, rescued from the streets of Detroit*. *A pain in the ass and a heart of gold.*

*Second growth trees during a hike on our last morning to the remains of the old downhill ski runs at Big M. The resort closed in the early 70s.*

A LITTLE HISTORY:

BOONE’S FARM AND SOLAR SHOWERS When we first met, Karen took me to one of her favorite places, Lake Michigan Recreation Area, a true gem. Look it up. We spent quite a bit of time over the next few years primitive camping along Green Road, naming our favorite campsite Whippoorwill Hill because of the sometime annoying but always enchanting songs that would surround us at night.

*Working on The Aberration’s dick brake. Didn’t even really need the bug net that day*!

30 MINUTES, ACCORDING TO KAREN Once we purchased the property, which is about a 20 minute drive to the Lake Michigan beaches and a short walk to the Little Manistee, we bought a frame tent and erected it on the concrete pad the previous owners installed for their RV.

GLAMPERS GOTTA GLAMP Since the previous owners had installed an electric hook up, well and septic system on the property, we basically had everything we needed.

*Even though the local Finnish population is big on their saunas, I believe an outdoor shower is mandatory for proper living.*

AND MOSQUITOES We had some really fun years in the frame tent, but after enduring a couple of scary storms, it was time to upgrade, so we bought a 30 foot RV and named it The Behemoth. Serendipitously, it made the perfect retreat during Covid. (By the way, mosquitoes love me like a hobo loves a ham sandwich. Oddly, Karen doesn’t get bit by mosquitoes — her only flaw.)