(note-thank you Don for the great picture at Reid Lake)
I had the opportunity to head out for the 3 day New Years weekend, so I met up with HF member Donk_67 over at Hoist Lakes, north of Glennie, Michigan, in the Huron National Forest. Our plan was to meet up Friday morning in the east parking lot, hike to Byron Lake for the night, backtrack to Hoist Lake the next day, then hike out Sunday morning.
That was our idea, but after getting on the trail and realizing that our pace was about 1.3 miles per hour, we amended our plan and took the first turnoff to North Hoist Lake. This was a good move, because we met a couple hiking back out from Byron and they were wiped out and still had 1.5 miles to go. So, with a new plan in place, we proceeded on our way to North Hoist Lake. We decided that on Saturday we would hike out to the parking lot then drive to nearby Reid Lake for another overnight there.
Temps were in the mid 20's, with a mix of sun and clouds, and lots of snow on the trails. I had a chance to test out my new-used 1961 era wool German Military cargo pants and Don had his $10 bargain find L.L. Bean wool plaid lumbermans pants. No records were broken for fastest on the trail since the snow and recent blowdowns made it hard going.
Here's our perfect hang spot in the pine plantation. That evening, we had a nice campfire going in an area we dugout from the snow (glad I brought the shovel) and stayed up till 10 or so just enjoying the time out in the woods. Dinner for the evening was mashed potatoes, gravy and chicken. It turned out more like a thick potato soup, but it still was a hearty meal. Temps that night hit the mid teens and the woods were very quiet.
Dave's setup with the SLD Winter Haven tarp
Note to self: I need a better way to keep my boots from freezing up. When I woke the next morning, my Asolos were frozen solid and it was tough getting my feet in. A little time in front of the morning campfire did the trick.
After hiking back to the cars, we loaded up and headed to nearby Reid Lake and hiked to the site on the south side of Reid Lake. It was warmer, but the snow felt like sticky mashed potatoes and was quite a bit deeper. After being on the trail less than 5 minutes, we both thought that snowshoes and winter boots would be better, but we both dismissed that idea. In hindsite, that would have been the better option. Lesson learned....always trust your first instincts.
By around 1:30 PM we got into camp, set up and started the searching for wood. FYI, there is also a wilderness outhouse tucked back in the woods nearby. We spent most of the day just hanging around, feeding the fire, eating more food and drinking more coffee and hot cider. It really was a perfect day in the woods.
Don needed to get his straps up high for a long hang spot, so he showed me his new technique:
Saturday evening was pretty much a repeat of the night before, with just hanging out at the campfire. I also got to use my new black painted imusa bushpot (made from the greasepot) for most of the cooking and snow melting duties. Temps were in the mid to high 20's but neither of us slept great due to the wind gusts that seemed to circle around all night.
Don on the trail
Dave on the trail
Back on the trail to finish out the trip
The next morning, we got all packed up and headed out. All in all, it was a great trip. We didn't do alot of miles, but we did get out and enjoy a long weekend in the northern woods of Michigan. It was a good test of gear and building more confidence in handling a variety of conditions. Looking forward to getting out again at the Green Timbers Big Tree hang the end of February!
Links of interest:
http://s113.photobucket.com/user/mic...e%20Jan%202016
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/hmnf/...18798&actid=42
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/hmnf/...a/?recid=18804
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