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  1. #1
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    MI-NCT Marquette to Munising, Aug 24-28, 2018, 54.2 miles



    Intro
    In the quest for the "2018 100 mile” NCT patch, this time we set our sights on a little hiked section of the North Country Trail, from Marquette to Munising. Our plan was to hike it in 4-5 days, which seemed very doable, given the 45 miles that the “official” NCT maps showed. I had picked potential campsites for each day, but we were consistently short 2-4 miles from what I estimated. Our actual mileage ended up at 54.2, per my gps. More info about the North Country Trail here: https://northcountrytrail.org/

    I usually do a lot of research before I tackle a new section of trail, but didn’t come up with a lot of intel, so I knew it could be a challenging hike with some unknowns as to water and campsite options. This time, Donk67 (Don) and Squirrelbait (Aaron) filled out our party of three. In hindsight, it was good having a group and honestly, doing this section solo could be asking for trouble. In the 5 days we were out, we saw no other backpackers, 2 sets of dayhikers on day 3 and a car or two at a trailhead. There were very few “civilized” road crossings, some two tracks, unused forest roads and hunting camps. The first real civilization was when we got to Au Train Campground on our 3rd day.

    Using the local Altran Bus (http://www.altranbus.com/), we lined up transport from the Dollar General lot in Munising to the trailhead at Kawbawgam Road in Marquette for the paltry sum of $7 each. After that, the trail was free, but we did detour into AuTrain Campground on our third (and fourth) night for $20. A small price to pay for good water, a lake to swim in, picnic table, firepit and toilet. Temperatures for the trip ranged in the mid 80's during the day, to lows in the high 50's at night.

    Now, on to the report: I left Clarkston at 4:15 am on Friday morning and arrived at Aaron's in Gaylord at 7:15. By 7:30 we were on the road to Indian River to rendevous with Don. After a coffee refill, we headed north and arrived in Munising around 10:15, picked up Subway’s to go, then met the bus at 11:15 for the trip to the trailhead. Close to 400 miles done by car, then we’d finally get on the trail.




    Day 1: Kawbawgam Road to Sigan Road, 12.3 miles, 5 hours
    We hit the trail by noon, starting out on a two track or old railroad bed. From the look on the map, that’s what we thought, but it weaved in an out taking us up and down sandy hills with a few nice views of some small lakes. After about 5 miles, we came to Lakenenland, a sculpture park, where there is a NCT free use shelter.





    We probably spent an hour here just wandering around and checking out the art. Eventually we got back on the trail by 3, just in time for the rain to start to hit. We’d spend the rest of the day, evening and night in it. I didn’t take a ton of photos that day, due to the rain, but we had a great hike through the woods and into valleys. Prior to the trip, I had marked a number of water sources that showed up on the aerial views. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these were dry or just a trickle. Whenever we saw a good water source, we loaded up on it, just is case our next one was sketchy.




    By around 5, it was time to start looking for a site, so we just kept going and finally pulled off the trail into a dank, wet cedar grove and set up for the night at 6:00. I never got any pictures of our camp that night, since it was just about dark by the time we got organized and finally relaxed. Hiker midnight came early, 8:30 I think, but we all enjoyed our traditional “first night beer” on the trail. My Griffin Claw Red Ale was just what the doctor ordered. It had rained all evening, then it continued on throughout the night.

    Day 2: Sigan Road to somewhere on Sandstrom Road, 14.6 miles, 6 hours
    Waking up to rain is always a challenge. I waited a bit and didn’t hear anyone, so I took one for the team and went out into the rain to retrieve our food bags and deliver them to their owners. We had a lots of rain throughout the night and everyone just hunkered under their tarps having breakfast and packing up. Right before we were ready to leave at 8:30, we heard the sound of dogs barking and figured it was someone out running them in preparation for for bear season. It was a dry camp, so luckily we had extra water to get us a few miles. Back on the trail, in the rain, we passed a familiar spot from a trip report, then came across a culvert with lots of fresh flowing water. The overnight rain had filled the streams and now, we finally had some decent water.




    After taking a pack off break, it was back on the trail in full rain gear (frog toggs and kilts), for more ups and downs and muddy feet. There were some great scenic overlooks and some old growth forest that looked like nobody had ever been there. Eventually we passed the 1.9 mile spur to Laughing Whitefish Falls, but none of us felt the need for a detour and kept going. One section of trail was particularly challenging and it must have gone on for 3-4 miles. There was no real trail, only blue blazes on the occasional tree. It was slow going figuring out where to head next, plus the rocks and roots were starting to cause some foot issues. Eventually we got through it and we all agreed that it was a tough trail. If you got hurt out here, about your only chance would be self rescue and somehow get out to a road. Cell coverage was spotty and from the condition of the trail, it has little use. Note, my ATT service was pretty much useless the entire trip, until I got within 10 miles of Munising. Spring and Verizon worked much better.




    We’d been pushing hard pretty much all day and the weather and trail conditions were really taking a lot out of us. At least the rain had stopped. Even though we wanted to get into camp early, that wasn’t going to happen. Eventually, we entered Rock River Canyon Wilderness, topped off our water and packed extra. Once again skipped the .9 mile spur to see the falls. From here, we’d have a 4 mile roadwalk till we got back on the trail, so we pushed on until we found a spot for the night right off the road.




    By 6:00 pm, our trees were picked out and we settled in for the evening. Hiker midnight came early and we’d finished the beer the previous night. Luckily, we had some other adult beverages to indulge in. All of us were pretty wiped out and the damp conditions and heat didn't help out the feet. It was a great night in the woods and I slept like a log.

    Day 3: Sandstrom Road to Au Train CG, 11.3 miles, 5 hours
    Up by 6 or 7 for breakfast and packing. That’s how we started our day, then got on the trail by 8:45. Luckily, it was dry, spirits were good and we decided on a new plan, since Aarons feet were having issues. I had the same thing last year on a hike that he was experiencing. The best way to describe it is “walking on glass with razor blades between your toes”. The combination of rain, rocks and pounding road walks all can take a toll.





    Today, we’d just take it slow, take breaks and just enjoy the day on the trail. We passed through some nice forests and saw lots of things growing on trees. Finally, we passed the Au Train River, grabbed some water, then turned north off the trail up the 1 mile paved road to Au Train CG. $20 later, we had a great site and could finally get our gear set up to dry. And, we did it all by 3:00 PM! The rest of the day we just ate, relaxed, swam in the lake.




    Our new plan would be to spend the night, then the next day, Don and I would slack pack the 16 miles to Munising. Then, we’d retrieve my car and bring back supplies for another night of car camping. Hiker midnight actually came later, but it was still a good night in the hammock.

    Day 4: Au Train Lake CG to Munising (Dollar General) 16 miles, 6 hours.
    We were up fairly early and Don and I set off from the CG by 7:30. Starting out with a 1 mile roadwalk on a paved road isn’t fun, especially when the trail is another 2 mile road walk down a muddy dirt road. We were on the edge of a rain front, so we had to contend with that for the morning.




    Now, this is where I’ll rant about the crappy NCT map that I bought: mileages are off, streams and roads aren’t always marked or labeled correctly. But, my biggest pet peeve is when there are established backcountry campsites that are not on the map. As soon as we got onto regular trail, we passed Buck Bay Creek, less than 2 miles from AuTrain CG. At the top of the hill was an established campsite with a fire ring overlooking the creek. We just looked at each other and shook our heads. This was the 2nd site we had found that had no reference on the map. Lankenland shelter was the same way….neither of us had ever heard of it.



    We continued on, past the remains of the old foundations of Au Train CCC & POW camp (http://www.lmpowners.org/wwii-pow-camps-in-the-up.html ) . This section of trail was really quite nice, since the closer the trail is to Munising, the more attention it gets. Finally we walked into Valley Spur Trailhead around 10:30, which had a bathroom and picnic tables, to take a pack off break. It was just a few more miles of trail through here then we’d end up on the road the 4 mile paved roadwalk in the heat of the day.





    We both thought hitchhiking would be a good idea, but the chance of anyone picking up two stinky hikers was slim to none. I had been motivating Don by promises of Johnny Dogs in Munising. Finally, we stumbled into town and found that Johnny Dogs was closed. A stream of profanities came from my lips, then a guy across the street suggested the Taco place around the corner.



    Good choice! Don and I each ended our journey with a plate of $13 tacos and cold cokes. The car was where we had left it, so we got loaded up, hit the local grocery store for beer, coke and junk food, then picked up a pizza for all of us to enjoy in camp. By 4 PM, we arrived and enjoyed the evening just relaxing, eating and hanging out. It had been a long day and I think by 9:30 everyone turned in…At 11:00 the thunder and lightning storm rolled in, with torrential rain. At least the car was here for security. Eventually, it blew through and sleep came easy again.



    Final thoughts...
    If you’re looking for a hike that will get you out in the boonies of Michigan's Upper Penninsula, this is it. It’s got rocks, roots, hills, small mountains, challenging terrain and trails that will test your navigational skills. It doesn’t have the views that match Isle Royale, but I guarantee that it will be a lot cheaper and give you a lot of those same experiences. 54.2 miles was a big chunk of trail and i have to admit, it was tough, but rewarding. Getting out and enjoying the NCT is a bargain and there are so many options of where you can hike it in Michigan. Now I’ve done close to 600 miles on the NCT and there's still a lot more to see west of Marquette!

    Link to my photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmhKuv63
    Last edited by michigandave; 09-12-2018 at 12:21.

  2. #2
    Senior Member OneClick's Avatar
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    Dave, the two established camps that were not on the map - did they look legit from trail crews, or just something some woodrats set up on their own?

  3. #3
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    Legit sites that had firepits and the actual wooden camp sign post. Would have been nice to have known about them when planning the trip.

  4. #4
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    Great trip report...thanks for sharing!

  5. #5
    Senior Member Donk_67's Avatar
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    Trees, trees everywhere and not a single set to hang from...or at least that’s how it seemed as we were trudging onward, searching at the end of the day. It was a tough hike, but a good one. Some steep gorges to step down and climb back out of. I reconfirmed that asphalt sucks to walk on! Glad there was only 4 miles of it if you don’t count the detour into the campground. And what a nice CG it was; the dip in the lake sure helped the tired knees and feet recover. I wear traditional hiking boots, thus don’t have a need for gaiters, but if I did, I think I’d rock some Dirty Girl gaiters like Aaron does.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  6. #6
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    Very Nice Trip Report!

    Thanks for sharing. You all did the hard work and enjoyed the rewards, I'm glad to just read the report and think happy thoughts....

    Definitely gonna try something next year in the U.P., but I have a family cabin to bail out if things get crazy.

    Great job all three of you!


    G

  7. #7
    Senior Member Red Cinema's Avatar
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    Sweet MI run!
    //
    “Stories set in the Culture in which Things Went Wrong tended to start with humans losing or forgetting or deliberately leaving behind their terminal. It was a conventional opening, the equivalent of straying off the path in the wild woods in one age, or a car breaking down at night on a lonely road in another.”
    ― Iain M. Banks, The Player of Games

  8. #8
    Senior Member Big Flounder's Avatar
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    Great report guys! Always enjoying seeing your reports. Aaron said it was pretty brutal, but a good time.
    -Jameson
    Proud Member of the North Country Trail Association-Hiawatha Shore to Shore Chapter
    http://www.northcountrytrail.org/

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