1236 miles, 4 days - The Michigan U.P. Safari
By Chad Berger
Day 0
I arrive at Bryans uncles cabin in Wabeno around 10 p.m. on Wednesday
night. I pull in the driveway and first thing I hear is that Bryan dumped
his DRZ while unloading it. Broken taillight, mirror, and blinker. This
didn't sound like a good start for the trip. We fixed the bikes, got
some stuff sorted out then went to bed.
Day 1
We got the bikes all loaded up and hit the road for Iron River Michigan, the
starting point of the trail for us. On this ride, they give you a passbook
that you have to get filled out at different stops along the way to prove that
you were actually there.
We got our passbooks stamped, topped off with gas and headed out on the trail.
the Iron river trail is an ORV trail and is super whooped out. Straight as an
arrow, but too bumpy to go too fast. This was actually a good shakedown ( literaly
) for our luggage. Unfortunately we didn't have any saddle bags or panniers so
we resorted to the old school bungie method. I think everyone should take at
least one trip on a motorcycle fully loaded with everything bungied down. That
way, you'll truely appreciate it when you get some panniers. Bryan had a hell
of a time keeping his shit from falling off, which led to many unplanned stops
the first day.
Here is Bryan near the start, at the Beginning of the Watersmeet trails.
The
bikes taking a rest along a marsh
At one point along the rail grade trail, there was three long and tall
old trail bridges, each bridge was seperated by a couple hundred feet,
pretty neet section. Its amazing what they used to do by hand to build
the railroad the haul out all the lumber and Copper from the U.P.
Here is a view from one of the bridges.
After pounding the ORV trails, and many miles of old railroad grade,
we get our first glimpse of the Keweenaw penninsula at the towns of Houghton
and Hancock.
Cool drawbridge between Houghton and Hancock, a couple pretty nice
little towns.
After pigging out in Houghton, we decided we were going to try to make
it all the way out to the tip of the Keweenaw penninsula, a fairly lofty
goal considering the time.
Near the town of Ahmeek, we were riding along through an old mining site when
Bryan hits some bumps and jetisons his one gallon spare tank. I honk like a mad
man but he is too far ahead and doesn't hear me. I stop and pick the thing up,
being the nice guy I am.
Well, just a little ways down the trail it goes in three different directions.
I have no Idea which way bryan went..damnit. I saw a waypoint on the GPS to the
left, so I took it. Well, it was the wrong way and I went all the way into a
town and drove around a bit, expecting to find him waiting..he wasn't.
I figured out my mistake after looking at the GPS and headed off the the next
waypoint that crossed the highway I was on, a few miles up the road. along the
way I stopped and talked to a couple atv'ers at a gas station, they hadn't seen
anyone go by..shit. Well, I find a visitors center with a picknic table and get
out all my maps, to try to figure out what to do. I turned on the cel phone and
there was a message from Bryan. I gave him my location, and we meet up 10-15
minutes later. Well that cost us about half an hour and it was getting close
to dark. We found out about a campground nearby and headed out Seven mile point
to the campground.
$17 for a tent site, $22 for a cabin with two beds..SCORE!
Not a bad place to camp eh??
Well, a trip like this is a good learning experience. One thing I learned
alot about was loading a bike. I read on a popular motorcycle travel
site that when loading a drybag, put your air mattress in first then
let it spread out to the perimiter of the bag and put all your other
stuff in the middle. Well, thats all fine and dandy..unless the goddamn
tips of the hooks on the bungie straps rubs a series of holes through
the drybag and air mattress. Luckily we had a cabin the first night,
but 6 holes in a $70 thermarest..son of a bitch. Lesson learned.
Day 1 ended up being 260 miles, Not too bad.
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