MI way... again

[xTomBx]

I tend to be a bit of a loner when I ride, and as much as I try to plan it out, my route always ends up a bit improvised, so it probably would've been tricky to connect with me even if you'd known I was in the area.

NO worries, I can totally relate.
As an aside, have you ridden across the Covered Bridge outside Centreville?
I totally would have detoured you there.

[TVB]

I stopped in Sturgis (so I could joke that "I rode my scooter to Sturgis®"), but didn't get to Centreville... didn't know it was there, to be honest.

[TVB]

Lately I've been making a bunch of "one last thing" preparations for the next big ride, which begins in 9 days. I got a novelty plate which I'm hoping will help me get past the toll booth for the Mackinac Bridge without being questioned about my engine size. I bought an inflatable sleeping pad which I hope will better accommodate my post-surgery spine. And today I got service and new mirrors.

The service was just a routine drop-off at the "powersports" dealer which is the descendant of the shop I bought Flash from 3 years ago (mostly motorcycles with some ATVs and scooters on the side). I got a gear oil change, brakes and filters and spark changed/adjusted/replaced, etc. They didn't try to sell me any additional parts/labor, so I figure I'm good to go.

The mirrors I got were replacements for the one that broke off when my scooter took a dive last week (due to soft tarmac in record-setting heat) and for... the other one. Based in part on the recommendation of Siobhan, I ordered a set of the stock mirrors for the Yamaha C3, which are fully compatible with the Buddy. The fact that I seriously considered buying a C3 before discovering the Buddy made it seem... apropos.

The stems are shorter than I expected, but the oblong shape of the mirrors largely makes up for this. This combination means that the new mirrors give me a better view of my elbows, but if I tuck them in it allows me a better view of the road behind me than the stock Buddy mirrors did. They also look less... disk-on-a-stick than the stock mirrors. And being a matte-black-instead-of-chrome kinda guy, I like the way they look.

By the way... I originally ordered a set of these mirrors from CheapCycleParts.com. After charging me for the order, they sent me notification that one of them (the one I needed most) would be backordered. I sent them an e-mail asking that the order be cancelled (because I need them right away), but they still shipped me the one, and they've been not-very-helpful about returning it.

[TVB]

Here's a more-or-less final (i.e. at least until I get on the road) map of the route I'll be taking. Google Maps doesn't allow me to put in all of the detours I'm making, so it's a little off in places. It measures the route to about 1000 miles, over the course of eight days.



A) Grand Rapids (home)
B) Mitchell State Park, Cadillac
C) Petoskey State Park
D) DeTour State Forest
E) Tahquamenon Falls State Park
F) Brevoort Lake, Hiawatha National Forest
G) Clear Lake State Park, near Atlanta MI
H) Black Creek State Forest, near Midland
I) Grand Rapids again

[TVB]

Tomorrow's the big day. With the exception of the gear I'm using today, everything I'll be taking/wearing is in a little pile in the middle of the living room, waiting to be put on the scooter.

I had a little bit of a scare a couple days ago when the starter couldn't turn it over; a single kickstart did the trick. I put it on the Tender for several hours, then let it sit overnight, and it started OK the next morning and again today (without the Tender), so I think it's alright. If not... they sell batteries where I'm going.

The weather forecast along the route isn't bad: It'll be cooler than it's been, especially up north. Most days are described as "partly cloudy". There's a 20% chance of rain here and there, but the worst is for Saturday and Sunday, at 40-60%. The winds for the northbound crossing of the Straits are less than 5mph, for the southbound they're 10-15mph... enough to make me nervous, but not enough to scare me.

As usual, I'll be blogging the ride (and probably not updating here). Click the graphic in my signature or type http://toddverbeek.com/miway if you're bored... or would like to be.

[TomCat]

Awesome itinerary, look forward to your blogs.
Have a safe trip!

[Rob]

Good luck, have fun and most importantly ... ride safe.

Rob

[Wheelz]

Have fun, Ride safe, and take some pics!
I'll be following the blog.

[TVB]

I made it home! A bit tired, and a lot to deal with after a week away, but Flash and I made it to Tahquamenon Falls and back (and points in between, including three national forests) pretty much exactly as planned. A bit of rain on the second day, but otherwise good weather.

The northbound ride across the Mackinac Bridge was a piece of cake, since I was able to ride in the outside (paved) lane (not on the metal grid). For the southbound ride, there was a partial closure of the outside lane, and winds were up to 28mph from the side, so Flash and I got a ride in a pickup truck. And a chat with a state cop, who was none too happy to find me "on I-75" at the tollbooth (waiting for the truck).

About 1250 miles this time.

As you can see, the little graphic in my signature is even more colorful. I've now been to every county in the Lower Peninsula, and 7 out of 15 in the Upper Peninsula.

[Wheelz]

welcome home TVB, looks like a great time and great ride.
Did anybody eat your cake

[chloefpuff]

Ah, TVB, you rock for sure........

[TVB]

welcome home TVB, looks like a great time and great ride.
Did anybody eat your cake

They better not. The nerve of my parents having my niece's birthday dinner while I was gone... it wasn't even on her birthday! At least they could've waited until I got back to break the bad news.

[TVB]

Is it too early to start planning next summer's ride? I hope not.

As you can see from squinting at the helpful little map in my signature, I am only 8 counties away from my neurotic goal of visiting every county in Michigan. The 8 farthest counties, at the west end up the Upper Peninsula. Also some of the least populated ones.

I've tentatively mapped out an itinerary:
Day 1: From Grand Rapids to Ludington State Park on Lake Michigan.
Day 2: Ferry to Manitowoc WI, then ride to J.W. Wells SP near the southernmost tip of the UP.
Day 3: Northwestward to Bewabic SP.
Day 4: Northwestwarder to Porcupine Mountains SP, near the western tip of the UP.
Day 5: Northeastward to Fort Wilkins SP, at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula sticking into Lake Superior.
Day 6: Leave the scooter(!), take the ferry to Isle Royale, and hike to a camp site.
Day 7: Hike on Isle Royale. Camp again.
Day 8: Hike back to port, then ferry back to Copper Harbor/Fort Wilkins.
Day 9: Ride to Craig Lake State Park in Marquette County (mission accomplished).
Day 10: South back to J.W. Wells SP.
Day 11: South to Manitowoc, and onto the ferry overnight.
Day 12: Ride home.

The riding days are all about 100-140 miles, which is standard for me on these trips.

Days 6-8 are a "necessary" diversion from the scootering; I'm not going all the way to Copper Harbor but then not visiting my favoritest national park. Isle Royale is wilderness, and I don't plan to bring proper backpacking gear, but I think I can handle a couple days and nights by taking the tent and sleeping bag off the scooter rack and carrying them somehow, along with a little food. Back in '06 I spent a whole 10 days alone on the island; I think I'm qualified to "wing it" for 48 hours.

Even without the detour to Isle Royale, this would be my longest ride yet. But just getting to the territory I haven't been to yet (or back) is a 1.5-day journey by itself, so there's no getting around that. And like I said: the side trip is something I'm just not going to skip. I could cut it short by a day, but... I don't want to. My coworkers will just have to get by without me for 12 days.

[pumpedoncaffeine]

It looks awesome, I hope with the weather cooling off down here we will start making some trips.

[TVB]

Here's a rough map of the route:

[TVB]

A slight change of plans for next year. Instead of a riding up to the UP and hiking Isle Royale for a couple days, I'm going to ride up to the Cadillac area (just a day's ride from home) and hike the Manistee River for a couple days. Then a month later I'll ride up to the UP and hike Isle Royale for a couple days.

Doing a combo of scootering and backpacking on a single trip introduces some new logistical challenges, and I want to do a shorter test run before going all the way to the UP and heading off into the wilderness. Plus I hear that stretch of the Manistee is pretty good hiking country, and an additional 4-day trip would be good for the soul. And while I'm in the neighborhood I might be able to get up to Grand Traverse Bay and ride the Old Mission Peninsula, which I had to skip due to brake-lever damage when I went through that area in 2009.

[TVB]

Just checking in to state that I'm officially committed to this year's two road/trail trips. I have the vacation time signed up, and campground reservations (gotta get 'em early) made, for: a 5-day trip to hike the Manistee River and scoot the Old Mission Peninsula (by Traverse City), in early June; and an 11-day trip up to and around the western Upper Peninsula, and hiking on Isle Royale, at the end of July. I've got $250 invested in this already, so you can be sure I'm going to do it! As long as gas prices don't go up... nah, who am I kidding? At 80mpg, who cares what gas costs? (I'm budgeting a whopping $100 for gas on both trips.)

[siobhan]

Wow, you have to book campgrounds this far ahead? Even for early June? I usually just head out and stop when I want to stop. Can you stealth camp if can't find an official campground or is that really frowned upon up there? We had been bouncing around a western Ontario and then down through Michigan and back, but no way I'd have an actual plan before we left.

[TVB]

It's only the most popular parks that book up this early. In this case the main one I had to pounce on was Ludington, which has huge beaches (among other nice features) and is close enough to the major cities of southern Michigan (and even Chicagoland) that it gets a lot of urban escapees all summer. Some of the other parks I'm staying at still have a lot of vacancies right now, but the selection gets limited as the date approaches, and... I'm a bit picky. They do keep some sites off the reservation system, so they're available to people who just show up, but that's risky. As for stealth camping... well... given the way some people in this country respond to trespassing on private property, that's not something I'd try.

[theflash784]

Todd- if you go to Luddington State Park, I hope you hike to the light house there. When my daughter was in the Girl Scouts, we spent four days because they were working on a major project. We planted dune grass on the beach to help with erosion, flowers around the light house and filled in some holes on the service road with gravel. We also got to stay at the light house and got to climb the stairs to the top at night - that was a great view. After the planting, shoveling and climbing up and down those stairs with the girls, I could hardly move the next day! I just hope the grass is still there growing after all those efforts! The girls did earn the Silver Award for that project.

[Rob]

Just checking in to state that I'm officially committed to this year's two road/trail trips. I have the vacation time signed up, and campground reservations (gotta get 'em early) made, for: a 5-day trip to hike the Manistee River and scoot the Old Mission Peninsula (by Traverse City), in early June; and an 11-day trip up to and around the western Upper Peninsula, and hiking on Isle Royale, at the end of July. I've got $250 invested in this already, so you can be sure I'm going to do it! As long as gas prices don't go up... nah, who am I kidding? At 80mpg, who cares what gas costs? (I'm budgeting a whopping $100 for gas on both trips.)

What the hell you gonna do when you're done with Michigan?

Rob

[TVB]

What the hell you gonna do when you're done with Michigan?

That question has occurred to me. I think next year I'll finish going around Lake Michigan: down to Indiana, then a day to slog through Milwaukegachicagary, explore Door County WI (the peninsula east of Green Bay), then take the ferry back across. Just 6 days, probably.

After that? I'm getting a hankering to do more wilderness hiking (hence the partial change of focus this year), so 2015's vacation may turn out to be more of a backpacking trip (out of state) with a scooter rental involved, than a proper road trip. Not sure. I'll burn that bridge when I get to it.

[TVB]

Todd- if you go to Luddington State Park, I hope you hike to the light house there.

When I stayed there on the 2009 ride, I was delayed getting underway waiting for a torrential downpour to let up, and didn't get there until late in the day, so I didn't make it out to the lighthouse, but this trip I should have time.

[Rob]

That question has occurred to me. I think next year I'll finish going around Lake Michigan: down to Indiana, then a day to slog through Milwaukeegachicagary, explore Door County WI (the peninsula east of Green Bay), then take the ferry back across. Just 5 or 6 days, probably.

A big to the exploration of Door County. I don't know if you've ever been, but it's a wonderful location. I've been there via cage, boat and MC (not scoot thus far). You can easily spend a week on the peninsula, so leave plenty of time for your visit.

Rob

[TVB]

Never been to Door County. I didn't budget time for it on the first ride through the area, and this next trip up through Wisconsin is long enough (and then some) already, so I just can't take any time for it this year either. So I figure it's a good excuse for finishing the loop around the Lake, next year.

[TVB]

I'm hitting the road this weekend for a 5-day ride.

Not really any new territory this time, unless you count the Old Mission Peninsula in Grand Traverse Bay (the tip of the pinky finger on the map). I had planned to ride that back in 2009 on my first big ride, but had to skip it so I could get to a shop to have my brake lever replaced.

The other objective of this ride is to get some trail-hiking in. I'm going to stop and spend a couple days trying out my new backpacking gear on a section of the North Country Trail along the Manistee River. That's in preparation for a similar excursion way up on Isle Royale, which I'll be scooting to next month.

As usual, I'll be blogging along the way: http://toddverbeek.com/miway

[Syd]

Ride and Hike safe

[Quo Vadimus]

I'm probably too late, but if you happen to like sour beer, stop at Jolly Pumpkin up there! Also pretty good pizza.

[Rob]

I'm probably too late, but if you happen to like sour beer, stop at Jolly Pumpkin up there! Also pretty good pizza.

I'll jump in late as well.

I'll second the Jolly Pumpkin and mention the Old Mission Tavern as a great place to stop.

When I read Old Mission Peninsula, I immediately thought of the Jampot. A great little bakery operated by monks. It also has a cool little waterfall right next door. But this is in the UP, so you might want to tuck it away for one of your future trips.
http://hunts-upguide.com/eagle_river_th ... bM1jkYo6po

Rob

[TVB]

Yes, both of you were too late.

However, my trip through the Old Mission Peninsula was in the morning, with about 100 miles of riding ahead of me, so any stop involving beer (sour or not) or a tavern wouldn't have worked out anyway.

[TVB]

Here's a quick report of the trip I just finished. (If you want more details, read the blog.)

On Saturday I rode from Grand Rapids up to ... a spot about halfway between Manistee and Cadillac, on the Manistee River. About 150 miles. I camped at a little roadside USFS campground that doubles as an access point for the river. While there, my scooter caught the eye of a young man who was there with a friend, doing some hiking. We chatted a little about my scooter and what it was capable of, how much it costs, etc. He was seriously interested, and I stressed the importance of getting a good one, not a cheap chinascoot. Sale made.

I spent Sunday and Monday hiking up a section of the North Country Trail, then back down the Manistee River Trail on the other side of the river. Scooterless activities took place. I missed having the scooter. Especially to charge my phone.

When I got back to the scooter on Monday afternoon, I rode up to Interlochen State Park, where I spent the night. Tuesday morning, I set out for the Old Mission Peninsula, which I'd skipped on my ride through the area 4 years ago because I tipped over my scoot and broke the brake lever, and had to go get it fixed instead. Old Mission was a nice ride, with lots of cherry bushes, blueberry vines, and grape trees to be seen. At one scenic spot another couple stopped and we talked about my scooter. The wife seemed really interested in getting one. Second sale made.

From there I set out on M-22, taking in part of the Leelanau Peninsula, and largely backtracking the route I'd taken on my way up the Lake Michigan coast in 2009. I stopped at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and did the usual tourist sightseeing (at least what I could fit into an hour or so). I continued south to Frankfort, where I'd had the brake lever fixed. I'll post details of that stop in a separate thread.

I spent the night at a state park just north of Manistee. When I woke up, there was a couple lines of rain coming on weather radar, big enough to spread from where I was to where I was going. But I timed it just right, taking the lakeshore route to slip in behind the first line of rain, and getting through ahead of most of the rain (just sprinkling the last hour).

Not as ambitious as some of my previous rides, but satisfying. And I learned some things that will come in handy in figuring out the ride-and-hike trip I'm planning for the western UP next month. I hope.

[scullyfu]

nice little jaunt!

[skully93]

Glad it was fun!

Always enjoy hearing about road trips.

[TVB]

Oh, I neglected to mention that this happened on the last ride:

[TVB]

See them little white blocks in the upper left corner of the map in my signature? I'm about to fix that.

Thursday morning I pack up and mount my scooter for my most ambitious scooter trip yet: 11 days on the road/lake/trail, thru the wildest parts of Michigan. It'll take a couple days to get to the UP from GR, then three days riding northwestward to the Porcupine Mountains and northeastward to the Keweenaw Peninsula, followed by three scooterless days crossing Lake Superior and hiking on Isle Royale, and another three days riding home by a more-or-less direct route. 21 counties, an estimated 1200 miles of riding, 15 hours on ferries, and a brief 50 hours in the wilderness.

Visit http://toddverbeek.com/miway to follow the adventure.

[theflash784]

Safe travels....Enjoy your trip!

[chloefpuff]

You're an ambitious dude, TVB. Ride safe!

[TVB]

You're an ambitious dude, TVB. Ride safe!

Nah, just poor judgment with a touch of obsessive compulsion. Big difference.

[CapnK]

Have an awesome trip, Todd! "Fair winds and following seas", as us sailorfolk tell each other at the start of a trip.

[TVB]

Have an awesome trip, Todd! "Fair winds and following seas", as us sailorfolk tell each other at the start of a trip.

Thanks. Just don't give me none of that "may the road rise to greet you" business, OK? I want the road to stay right down where it is.

[chloefpuff]

Have an awesome trip, Todd! "Fair winds and following seas", as us sailorfolk tell each other at the start of a trip.

Thanks. Just don't give me none of that "may the road rise to greet you" business, OK? I want the road to stay right down where it is.

It's hot enough it might rise up to greet you. Stay hydrated, my friend.

[Rob]

See them little white blocks in the upper left corner of the map in my signature? I'm about to fix that.

Thursday morning I pack up and mount my scooter for my most ambitious scooter trip yet: 11 days on the road/lake/trail, thru the wildest parts of Michigan. It'll take a couple days to get to the UP from GR, then three days riding northwestward to the Porcupine Mountains and northeastward to the Keweenaw Peninsula, followed by three scooterless days crossing Lake Superior and hiking on Isle Royale, and another three days riding home by a more-or-less direct route. 21 counties, an estimated 1200 miles of riding, 15 hours on ferries, and a brief 50 hours in the wilderness.

Visit http://toddverbeek.com/miway to follow the adventure.

I just posted under Road Trips, but it looks like you're already on your way. Anyway, I'm heading out early Saturday morn with my plans very similar to those listing in the other topic. If you'll be in one of those areas near the same time frame, shoot me an email at [email protected].

Rob

[TVB]

Well, it looks like the Western UP will have to wait until next year.

While I was standing in line to check in at the state park in Ludington in the hot afternoon sun yesterday, the soft tar that passes for the parking lot pavement liquefied to the point that my scooter tipped over.

It spilled a bunch of gas, but that wasn't the real problem. It fell to the right, and although it didn't break the brake handle, it was bent out of position. The front brake still works, but I didn't feel confident enough that it would stay that way, and that I'd be able to reach it and hold onto it well enough in an emergency, especially since I'd be facing some steep hills in the UP.

So after sleeping on the decision, I turned back and rode home this morning. The trip is now postponed until next summer.

[PeteH]

Oh, man, not another brake handle issue! At least you're not riding into that same little shop: "you AGAIN?"

[TVB]

Bayside Cycles would have been the closest shop. But in the wrong direction, and it would've put me a day behind schedule, with no way to make up the time, and ... I just really didn't want to deal with the aggravation of trying to deal with it, on top of all the other challenges I'd be facing on this trip.

If this had happened later into the ride, when "backing out" would've been harder to do, I might have made a different choice. (Like when it happened on day 3 of an 8-day ride back in 2009.) But when when faced with a go-or-no-go event just half a day into an 11-day trip, cancelling just felt like the right thing to do.

[Rob]

Well, it looks like the Western UP will have to wait until next year.

While I was standing in line to check in at the state park in Ludington in the hot afternoon sun yesterday, the soft tar that passes for the parking lot pavement liquefied to the point that my scooter tipped over.

It spilled a bunch of gas, but that wasn't the real problem. It fell to the right, and although it didn't break the brake handle, it was bent out of position. The front brake still works, but I didn't feel confident enough that it would stay that way, and that I'd be able to reach it and hold onto it well enough in an emergency, especially since I'd be facing some steep hills in the UP.

So after sleeping on the decision, I turned back and rode home this morning. The trip is now postponed until next summer.

Well that's too bad, particularly because that's pretty easy to check out/repair. You should have at least hit Door County for awhile. I had a great time while there.

I got home about noon today. It was a very nice trip. While the southern shores of Superior aren't quite as nice as the northern trip, it was still very scenic. It got to be a bit chilly for much of the ride, but to me, that's better than the heat and humidity. And like I said .... Door County alone makes the trip worthwhile.

Rob

[TVB]

Well that's too bad, particularly because that's pretty easy to check out/repair. You should have at least hit Door County for awhile. I had a great time while there.

If I'd been more in the mood of "I'm gonna do this, dammit" I might've juggled the repairs and made it work, but the will just wasn't there to toss out a carefully made plan and make it all up as I went. Too much stress for someone like me. Door County is tentatively on the itinerary for next year ... er, I mean: the year after next, at the far end of a loop around the south end of Lake Michigan.

[Throwback7R]

I feel like you TVB I am going on my first ever scooter camping trip

[Rob]

Well that's too bad, particularly because that's pretty easy to check out/repair. You should have at least hit Door County for awhile. I had a great time while there.

If I'd been more in the mood of "I'm gonna do this, dammit" I might've juggled the repairs and made it work, but the will just wasn't there to toss out a carefully made plan and make it all up as I went. Too much stress for someone like me. Door County is tentatively on the itinerary for next year ... er, I mean: the year after next, at the far end of a loop around the south end of Lake Michigan.

I always tend to forget just how much I love Door County until I revisit. I know there's a ferry crossing available across Lake Michigan. I believe you're already aware of this, but even if you could only swing a long weekend .... obviously I'd highly recommend Door County as even a mini-trip.

Rob

[TVB]

I always tend to forget just how much I love Door County until I revisit. I know there's a ferry crossing available across Lake Michigan. I believe you're already aware of this, but even if you could only swing a long weekend .... obviously I'd highly recommend Door County as even a mini-trip.

My general plan for 2015 is: a day to get down to Indiana along the lakeshore, a day going through Milwaukenochicagary, a few days up and down Door, then taking the ferry home. I consider that a "mini-trip".