Tag Archives: Michigan

What to wear when you’re winter hiking?

I’ve been seeing this question coming up a lot in the various Michigan hiking Facebook groups that I follow. Dressing for cardio when you’re out in the cold is a lot different from bundling up for just sitting around, but you might end up needing to plan for both when hiking. A lot of the thingsContinue reading “What to wear when you’re winter hiking?”

Backpacking in the Rain

Forecasts for the weekend varied from 40-60 percent chance of scattered showers, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms. Week three of my new school year was wrapping up, and a getaway seemed like the best thing ever, in spite of the dismal forecast. The hiking route that I had planned was not a great distance,Continue reading “Backpacking in the Rain”

Testament of a hiker, and a thank you to Robert Traver

I fish because I love to; Because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly; -Robert Traver   Thus begins one of my favorite poems, “The Testament of a Fisherman,” in which the poet, Robert Traver, (penContinue reading “Testament of a hiker, and a thank you to Robert Traver”

Becoming a Backpacker, Chapter 5: Pictured Rocks

I was feeling practically like an expert as I prepared for a long weekend hike of Pictured Rocks in May. I expected that it could be at least as cold in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as it had been on my two previous backpacking trips in lower Michigan, even though it was later on in theContinue reading “Becoming a Backpacker, Chapter 5: Pictured Rocks”

Becoming a Backpacker, Chapter 4: A Forced March on the MRT

A month after my first backpacking trip, I was signed up for another group hike–this time, a different group. We would be hiking the Manistee River Trail, and a section of the North Country Trail which covered the opposite side of the Manistee River. Right from the start, this was another good learning experience, asContinue reading “Becoming a Backpacker, Chapter 4: A Forced March on the MRT”

Becoming a backpacker, chapter 1

We were sitting on the beach at a campsite at Munising Tourist Park, eating s’mores, drinking beer and watching the sunset when we hatched the idea. We’d spent the day hiking at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and had returned to our car-camping site for a swim, campfire, some beer, and bed. Robin asked, “So what’sContinue reading “Becoming a backpacker, chapter 1”

Autumn Hike at Warner Creek Pathway/Jordan Valley

For the first time in many hikes, I hiked alone today. My husband and I were in Charlevoix visiting family, and I stole away to get out on the trail while my husband and father-in-law went boodling around northern Michigan. There are so many cool places to go that just narrowing down a trail choiceContinue reading “Autumn Hike at Warner Creek Pathway/Jordan Valley”

Backpacking Isle Royale

This summer I spent five days on Isle Royale, a large island in Michigan’s northernmost Great Lake: Superior. My interest in Isle Royale had grown over the years, hearing other hikers’ stories and seeing pictures of moose and gorgeous rock formations. This year I felt like I was ready to hike someplace that remote. InContinue reading “Backpacking Isle Royale”