Michigan Trails Report
January 15 2023
Podcast 15 Jan 2023
JOY MODULATOR
Welcome to the Michigan Trails Report, I am your host, Tom Funke. I am the author of 50 Hikes in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and 50 Hikes on the North Country Trail! How is everyone doing today?
It is great to be back talking trails with you all! Are you ready to talk trails? Great, let’s get underway!
SPONSOR: This podcast is brought to you by Nortiv 8, makers of quality hiking boots.
From trail runners to full on leather backpacking boots, check out their website nortiv8.com for a boot that will suit you. I have three pairs and so far so good.
How this works is I have about 30 different topics and I’ll rotate ten or so of them into each podcast. In addition, I have about five or so that will always be part of the show. For example, some of you may remember the ever so popular PERMIT REPORT! That will always be part of the show and will be near the end of the podcast.
So? Are you ready? Let’s get this thing started!
The first thing I want to share is I modified the facebook page name. It is now Michigan Trails Report / Tom’s Trail Tales. At some point, I’ll ditch the latter. Funny thing is Michigan Trails Report was the original name until I had to take a hiatus from doing the podcast. Anyway, you’ll still get posts regardless of the name.
[Correct]
HIKE OF THE WEEK
State Park You should Visit
Rife River State Park, located near Rose City in the NELP, this Over 4,000 acres with streams and ten scenic lakes. A modern 75 site partially shaded and mostly grassy campground features a swimming beach, playground and boat launch. Three rustic campgrounds with 99 campsites. Rustic trailside cabins. Observation tower, picnicking, fishing, ice fishing, boating, canoeing, hunting or trapping, wildlife viewing and sports areas. 14 miles of pathways meandering throughout the park offering hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Snowmobiling is available at the nearby AuSable River Scenic Byway.
Land Conservancy
Wilderness Area
NCT segment of the week
Urban Hike
PRO TIP
I’m seeing a lot of traffic on the various FB pages asking questions about Isle Royale & Pictured Rocks. Where do I get permits? Where can I park? How many miles can I hike in a day? What are the bugs like?
A pro tip is…and I can’t believe I’m saying this….is to visit each park’s website. I say this because a recent post to one of the FB pages, the author made it sound like she wanted to drive two cars to Isle Royale. Of course, we all know Isle Royale is an….island. This would not be the first time someone thought they could drive to Isle Royle.
Anyway, nps.gov/isro and nps.gov/piro are the websites. On the Michigan Hiking and Backpacking page, there is a “Killer Guide to Pictured Rocks” in the Files Section…which is quite comprehensive and organized better than the nps website. I haven’t found a similiar guide for Isle Royale.
Therefor you know what that means? Yeah, I’ll probably make an online tutorial. I can see three different ones: Isle Royale, Pictured Rocks, and how to use Recreation.gov.
HIKER TRASH
[Fanfare]
NCT 100
Congratualtions to ……….
COOKING
TRAIL CONDITIONS
Snow Report -- The UP….. still enough snow to snowmobile most places, except south of Marquette and down towards Escanaba & Menominee.
The LP…whooo boy. Almost none left
http://www.skimichigan.org/
http://www.michiganskiblog.com/michigan-cross-country-skiing/
You can check the status of snow depth anywhere in Michigan…or North America for that matter at the NOAA Snow Data Denter. There Is a tutorial on the YouTube page on how to use it & I typically post a weekly report & map on Toms Trail Tales which should have a link to the site.
North Counry Trail issues--
Spring thaw
Bugs
TRAIL CONFLICTS
[Booing]
I posted an article from Outside Magazine, “Trail Etiquette Tips from an Old Burnout, A few choice words on how to not be an A-hole on the trail. Mike Ferrentino discusses how trail etiquette has devolved to the point where he feels it really doesn’t exist anymore. Personally, I think that is an exaggeration. First off, he is a mountain biker. Old fuddy duddy’s like myself may recall the trail conflicts of the late 1980’s to mid 1990’s between the mountain bike dudes and hikers. This was exasperated when some federal land managers opened up portions of the North Country Trail to mountain bikes. I, for one was not happy about that. There were constant conflicts and I was even accussed….falsely…of sabotaging the NCT to prevent mountain bikes from using the NCT. My position was the hikers paid for, built, and maintain what is a hiking trail only to have mountain bikes come in and ruin not only the trail, but the hiking experience. What ended up happening, and credit the Michigan Moutain Bike Association and the Michigan State Parks to ramp up the creation of single track in numerous state parks. Basically, there was too much demand and not enough supply. Today, it seems to me everyone is getting along in Michigan.
Mr. Ferrentino offers up some good advice.
Don’t be an ahold
Yield to traffic moving uphill
Say hellow to your fellow trail user
Keep single track single…stay on the trail…don’t create new trails
Your music sucks….and a couple biking only references.
But my favorite is “Don’t Blow up the Spot”.
If you are being shown some secret goods somewhere, shut the devices down and keep that secret secret. This is contentious and weird, because if we are talking about public lands, we are talking about non-sanctioned trails, and with that comes all sorts of legal, political, and social baggage. But “social trails” have existed since long before mountain bikes came along, and have often eventually been assimilated into bigger-picture trail plans, so it is naïve to assume that they aren’t going to continue to be built on the down-low. If you are privy to that down-low, keep it that way. No Strava. No Instagram posts and map locations. No photos. Resist the urge to participate in the ongoing social media experiment in cultural narcissism. Do Not Be An Asshole.
Personally, I feel this applies to an already popular trail where there aren’t any throttles limiting the number of users. With the Pandemic, we have gained many new users to hiking and backpacking. And how do they find out about these places? Well, on pages like our, podcasts like mine, etc. Then they go and have a great time, share their pics. More people see it and the cycle continues.
One such place is Nordhouse Dunes. That place used to be guaranteed a great place to go in and never see a soul. Now it is a party place because folks have shared the snot out of it on social media with thier photos and posts. Keep in mind the federal government is very slow to react to deal with managing land use when it involves hiking. Another example is Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The campsites were becoming trashed and the state park changed the reservation policy to one group, one site, and they prevented the problem from getting any worse and probably lessened the demand on the resource.
This is a tricky one as I’m all for sharing an obscure location that is open to the public but not well known. But I also hate to see a place overun by too many users. I even do a yearly “Endangered Trails” based on it use….well…overuse and its impacts. So, please be mindful. Sometimes, it is just best to lock those memories into your brain and not share on social media.
ALTERNATIVE TRAILS
DON’T DO THIS
[Uh oh]
I was actually going to tell you a story from my outfitting days about a couple of well meaning but ill prepared couple that crossed paths will me who wanted to hike Isle Royale, I talked them out of that as I felt they would die, and recommended Pictured Rocks. After I put the story on paper, it was several pages long. What I am going to do is create a separate podcast as it is just too long of a story for here.
IN SEARCH OF…
[Magic spell]
Some say Ocqueoc is the lower Peninsula’s only waterfall. If there are others, Ocqueoc is definitely the largest waterfall in hte LP a "Waw-waugh-waugh-que-noc" (meaning sacred waters) was the name given by Native Americans to this beautiful river that is now called Ocqueoc. This hidden gem contains four small rapids and a pool for splashing.! Hike through the six-mile Bicentennial Pathway, enjoy the picnic area, or stay overnight at the rustic Ocqueoc Falls State Forest Campground.
Have you been to Ocqueoc? Tell us about it at the Michigan Trails Report FB page.
GEAR HEAD
HIKING SKILLS
SWAG
ALMOST FORGOTTEN TRAIL
WHATCHA READING?
[Whistle]
THIS WEEK IN MICHIGAN FACEBOOK HIKING PAGES
I’m seeing a lot of folks clipping away miles towards their NCT 100 mile badge, keep up the good work! I’ll recognize anyone I see who has accomplished this feat!
Tom's Trail Tales
Michigan Hiking and Backpacking
SAT, JAN 28 AT 7 PM UTC+04
West Michigan Hiking and Backpacking
Nordhouse Dunes Backpacking Fri Jan 20
Hiking Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Northern Michigan Hiking and Backpacking
SUN, FEB 19 AT 7 PM UTC+04
Marquette, Downwind Sports
Peter Wolfe Chapter
Ni-mikanakee
Chief Noonday NCT
SAT, FEB 4 AT 8 PM UTC+04
North Country Trail Association; Chief Noonday Chapter - Mayors' Riverfront Park
Spirit of the Woods
SAT, FEB 11 AT 7 PM UTC+04
Spirit of the Woods February Hike
Marquette Area NCT
GEt on their email list mac@northcountrytrail.org
Grand Traverse county
Weeknight Hikes 7pm
Baw Beese
Western Michigan Chapter NCT
Jordan 45
SAT, JAN 21 AT 7 PM UTC+04
North Country Trail Association - Jordan Valley 45 - Manceloma Rd. & Sand Lake Rd ORV Lot
Hiawatha Shore to Shore Chapter
Jan 28”Paradise Winter Hike” Tahquamenon Falls State Park Rivermouth 1000AM
And more, hikes on Feb 11, Mar 11
Trail Angels
North Country Trail
North Country Trail community
SAT, JAN 21 AT 1000AM Mancelona Snowshoe Hike
NCT Thru Hikers
SKI EVENTS
Lots of events on the Ski Michigan web page and I’ll highlight just one, Mackinac Island ~ Twilight Turtle Trek ~ February 6, 2021 hosted by the Mackinac State Park.
CLAsSEs/WORKSHOPS
2 day winter skills Feb 4-5 in the Pigeon River SF. This Free class is offered by Michael Nieger. Info on facebook page.
Dont get ticked Feb8. 8pm West Michigan Hiking & backpacking page. Online & free.
JOB POSTING
EVENTS
OUtdoorrama
Feb 21-23, Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi
SAT, MAR 4, 2023 AT 6 PM UTC+04
28th Annual Quiet Adventures Symposium
Buy your tickets online! $15 in advance, $20 at the door
Canoecopia
March 10-12, Madison WI, Alliant Energy Convention Center.
The Crucible, May 6 Portage Lake State Campground, Waterloo/Pinckney. Now accepting reservations!
PODCASTS/BLOGS
Michigan Pathways interviewed uber hiker Chris Hilier on tips for newbies. Great advice, I agree 100%. Go on over and check it out.
HOT TOPIC (EDITORIAL)
RESERVATION REPORT!!
[Drumroll]
Wait! What happened to the Permit Report?
Well, I keep adding content….and well….it isn't just permits….and arent permits really just a reservation?
Plus its catchier!
Have you downloaded the Recreation.gov has an AP!
Pictured Rocks reservation system opens on January 1 for the 2023 season. Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, 26 of the 63 backcountry sites are available. Even around the Independence Day weekend there are some of the more popular sites scooped up. If memory serves me, it seems more sites are snarfed up this year than a couple of years ago when I was tracking.
Grand Island reservations update…reservable up to six months from today’s date. So that means right now through Memorial Day and into early June….and keep in mind campsites open on the friday of Memorial Day weekend. Lots of availability as some campsites are walk up only & only Sheter Ridge was full. If i remember correctly, last year the forest service would require reservations on the busier days and the sites would be walk up only on the slower days.
Bermuda
Driftwood [NOW WALK UP]
Channelarker
Duck Lake
Gull Point
Loon Call
Preservation Point
Roads End 1
Roads End 2 (not released yet)
Shelter Ridge (not avail memwknd)
Juniper Flats Group
Murray Bay Group
Frieghterview (not avail mem wknd)
Hardwood, Hemlock, Little Duck, Little Dune 1&2, Gamefence - Walkup
Bay Furnace opens May 15….and holy smokes folks, starting Independence weekend, the campgrounds reservable sites are mostly booked and athe most yhou could do is a three day strech on the same campsite.
All the above on recreation.gov website or AP
State Park Campgrounds
Midnrreservations.com
Brimley State Park….Hey I found a state park with a ton of availability!
Backcountry camping sites are open for registration through May…which includes Memorial Day Weekend!
Porcupine Mountains Backcountry updates …..at last check, 5 of 64 sites are fully booked for Frii-Sun of Memorial Day weekend. Independence Day weekend looks wide open.
Craig Lake backcountry sites update….. Memorial Day weekend plenty of availability and Independence Day is wide open as well.
Tahquamenon Falls State Park Backountry cannot be made online but in person. However, rumor has it you can call and make arrangements. There are no backcountry sites in any state park in the Lower Peninsula and you cannot “stealth” camp or disperse camp.
ISLE ROYALE
Ranger III All dates available
Isle Royale Queen all dates available
Isle Royale Seaplane
Call or submit online form for availability
And snowmobile trails are officially open on December 1 but contact your local trail maintenance club to see if they are useable.
WEATHER FORECAST
[Correct]
Marquette: temps are going to hover just below freezing and it looks like a new batch of snow will arrive in a day or so. If want snow, you will need to go to the UP.
Grand Rapids: This seasonally warm weather will continue….depressing
ANNOUNCEMENTS
[Start bumper music]
Hey, i checked the stats and I have about 750 regilular listeners….why not click the "following" button? It's free & won't cause a mark…I promise.
SPONSOR: Gateway to Pictured Rocks
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Tom's Trail Tales is creating podcasts, videos & authoring books on hiking | Patreon
QUOTE TO END THE SHOW
“Ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching- even when doing the wrong thing is legal.”
― Aldo Leopold
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All Trails: Thomas Funke
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[Sponsors]
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