My Excellent Adventure

About four or five years ago I got this bright idea that I wanted to start riding bicycle again. I rode a lot 25 years ago but stopped when I developed a heart condition. I just chickened out I guess. At the very least I didn’t want to ride alone. But I missed riding and so, after getting the okay from my cardiologist, I started again.

I was so out of shape that I could only ride 4 or 5 miles at a time. Then I needed a snack and a nap. (Still two of my favorite pastimes) However, I kept going out and gradually increased the distance and frequency of my rides. To coincide with my rediscovered hobby I went on a diet and lost over 70 lbs.

I’m not too fond of riding on public roads anymore. I’ve had some unpleasant experiences with the occasional driver and just don’t want or need to put myself in that situation anymore. There are some extraordinary trails for unmotorized vehicles all over the country. I’ve driven past some of them in my travels to northern Michigan and thought I would like to ride them someday. The problem is I didn’t want to drive for two hours just to ride for ten minutes. But this past summer I was regularly riding 15-25 miles and could have gone further but I just didn’t want to. I didn’t feel like I had that much discretionary time. I’ve got students to teach, blogs to write, podcasts to produce, blah….blah….blah!

This past weekend, at the urging of my wife, I packed up my bicycle and my credit card and headed north. The first stop was in Leland, near Traverse City. Within Leland is a historical site called Fishtown. A former commercial fishing village on Lake Michigan. It’s been preserved and repurposed with art galleries, sandwich shops, etc. I had never been but my friend Carolyn Damstra had a pop-up art gallery there so I thought I would surprise her with a visit and also see if there was a trail nearby.

We hadn’t seen each other in person since before the pandemic so it was nice getting a chance to hang out and catch up. But she was working, after all, so I left after a half hour. But she gave me directions to a nearby trail so my biking adventure officially began. I parked my car, unloaded my bike, and jumped on the trail. The trail was a mixture of crushed limestone and fine sand. It was a nice surface to ride on, but a bit slower than I’m used to. On the other hand, I wasn’t in a hurry so it didn’t matter. I rode through mostly forest and open meadow. After a couple of miles it became a paved surface and the ride was smoother and faster. I spent the next couple of miles just admiring the beauty of the area and occasionally stopping to take a picture or two. I finally got to a place where the trail crossed a busy road, so I decided to turn around and go back.

When I returned to my car I checked my bikes odometer and saw that I had ridden about ten miles in approximately an hour and a half. I probably could have made better time but why would I want to? As an old man I officially have “mosey” down to a science.

Normally I would be done for the day, but I hadn’t ridden all those times over the last few years building my stamina just to quit now. Nope! I had other places to go. Specifically Charlevoix, or a place just north of there. There is a bike path that runs parallel to US31 along the Lake Michigan shoreline. I’ve driven that rode hundreds of time but have never been on the trail. I’ve ofter said, “One of these days….” But had not done it…..until now.

I rolled into a rest area/trail head around 5:30pm and unloaded my bike. I jumped on the trail and headed north with a beautiful Lake Michigan to keep me company. After a couple hundred yards along the road the path turned into the woods. Riding along, soaking it all in, and feeling grateful for the experience as I looked to the sky and saw the blue expanse over the lake contrasted with dark storm clouds off to the east. Uh oh! So I came to where the path crossed a side road (is there a pattern here?) and turned around. After I loaded the bike I checked the odometer and saw that I had ridden a mere six miles. Only sixteen accumulated miles but it was quality not quantity that was important on this trip. As soon as I got in the car the rain started. Slowly at first and then heavy. Like driving through a car wash.

My family has a cottage about 40 minutes from there so the plan was to spend the night there and then do some more riding the next day. As I was driving I realized I hadn’t eaten since breakfast so I stopped at a local market and got some food. While sitting in the cottage I started to make plans for the next day. I had toyed with the idea of spending the morning riding around that area but ultimately decided against it. Instead, one other destination on my “one of these days” list was about an hour away. So the next morning I headed east to Hartwick Pines State Park.

I originally thought there was a trail there. I misunderstood. There were two I soon discovered.  I followed the trail as I was driving from Grayling to the park. It runs parallel to the road. When I got to the park the trail ended (began?) at the entrance. However there was no place to park. So I entered the park hoping to ask the park ranger but none was on duty. So I drove about looking for a trailhead but couldn’t find one. So I drove over to the Visitor Center and hoped I could find someone there.

Luckily there were three people there with only themselves to talk to. I think they were happy to see me and were anxious to help. I told them I was looking for the trailhead and this nice woman immediately said, “Sure. It’s right at the end of the parking lot. You just go this way (she pointed) and you’ll see it.” I was thinking that this was some distance from the trail I saw, but okay. “You’re right here”, she point to a map taped to the counter, “and there’s a 3 mile, 5 mile, and 7.5 mile loop that you can follow.” (Loop??) I thanked her and went in search of the entrance.

I found it easily enough and as soon as I entered I realized that my query should have been more specific. This trail was different from the one I was asking about. This trail was a primitive path designed for mountain or fat tire bikes. Not my little urban runabout. But…when in Rome….

So I began my ride thinking a 5 mile loop (now that I understood that nomenclature) would be just about right. The trail immediately went uphill…and then uphill again. When I got to the top of that hill I saw that it went (you guessed it) uphill a third time. Then it went downhill….severely. I wasn’t sure if I was going to coast down or fall off.

It leveled off a bit and then started a series of hills again. I remember thinking it was like the old joke…..”up hill both ways”. I also remember amending my distance to the 3 mile loop and still wasn’t entirely sure I would make it. The path was dirt, punctuated with tree roots and small holes, and a mixture of dirt and very soft sand. When the tires hit the sand it was like riding on ice and then I would bog down as the sand deepened.

The path opened into a beautiful meadow and flattened out. It was at this moment that I thought of a couple of friends who look forward to this kind of ride and do it often. And I briefly understood why. And then I went uphill again…..and again.  On one hill there was a stretch of sand that bogged me down enough that I had to get off and walk.  On another hill I missed a shift and ended up walking again about 30 feet. Those were the only times I walked. I managed to ride the rest.

When I finally emerged from the trail into the parking lot there was a young couple about to hike it. They saw me riding (I’m being generous to abilities here) down the hill that I had earlier ridden up and cautiously waited for me. “Good morning! How are you doing today?”, they asked. “I’m tuckered out”, I said. But I realized I was grinning. That wasn’t the trail I had intended to ride and I will go back soon to ride that one. But I may take another crack at the forest too. It had never occurred to me that I could ride that bugger, but now that I have I may have to consider a return trip. I’m not over confident, but I do feel somewhat emboldened.

I loaded up the bike and checked the odometer. The lady told me it was a 3 mile loop, but my bike said it was almost 4 miles…….and my body suggested it was closer to 30 miles.

Then I checked my watch. It was just 10:30 on Saturday morning. As I had mentioned in a previous blog, my friend Tom Heideman has an internet radio show on Twisted Road Radio from 11:00-1:00. He told me he was going to play my song “A Fond Farewell” at the very end and I was only 90 minutes from home. So I hightailed out of there and got home in time for lunch with Tom. And I still had time later for a snack and a nap.