Boy Scout Cabin

Lowell

Lowell.......small town america at its best

Monday, April 26th looked to be a difficult day. If I follow the trail exactly right I have about a 14 to 15 mile day ahead of me. I have only gone that far once before and that wasn't on purpose.

Lowell is the North Country Trail Association National Headquarters. It is a fairly large town but it has no motels, campgrounds or bed and breakfast lodging available.

I had contacted Bruce Matthews of the Trail Association a few weeks earlier and he had given me the phone number of Dirk who has been a large part of the Lowell Boy Scout Troop for more than 25 years. Bruce thought he might be able to set me up with lodging at a local Boy Scout cabin.

Having failed to make prior arrangements I once again had to rely on Diane to make the calls for my lodging. If she failed I would be camping in the Lowell State Game Area. I was okay with this but running water and not being wet with rain or dew is good as well.

I left Tyler Creek early as I had a long way to go and an uncertain finish to my day. Options were the Lowell Fairgrounds, the Boy Scout Cabin or another wet night in the woods.

The entire route to Lowell was over the road. This is both good and bad. Over the road is less physical as the grade of the hills is much easier but the hard surface causes pain in the heels and arches of my feet. I try walking on the soft shoulders whenever possible.

Mile after mile I kept trudging along. I sang hymns, old time rock and roll, did army chants and anything I could think of to make the time and distance pass. I even did the old stand by "One Hundred Bottles of Beer on the Wall" except I started at 200 bottles.

Eventually I crossed the I-96 Highway.I felt this was a milestone of sorts. It is the farthest north Interstate that runs east and west in Michigan. It also meant that I had covered 9 miles with about 4 more to go. Two thirds of the way. I wasn't feeling too bad and I knew I would make it.

Two hours later, around 4:00 p.m., I was crossing the Grand River. The river was very wide at the crossing heading into Lowell. It was much wider than the Kalamazoo River. It's name is appropriate.

Diane called and told me that Dirk said they would love to have me stay at the Boy Scout Cabin. She gave me Dirk's number. About this time I saw a gentleman working on a Historic Property. I chatted with him and he gave me information on where to eat and where the NCTA building was.

I was too late for the NCTA but perfect for Larkin's. I ordered a big burger and fries and a brew or two. I than called Dirk and he extended a warm invitation to stay at the cabin and gave me directions on how to get there. He said they had a get together that would last until 8:30 and I could join them if I would like.

Dinner was good and now I was walking through town. I met a couple of men and we talked for quite a while. They confirmed I was heading the correct route for the campground.

The sounds of activity and fun were heard long before I reached the Cabin. Apparently, they also had quite a bit of land along with the cabin. Their land also backed into the Lowell State Game Area. A perfect combination for Scout activities.

I am still amazed at the spirit, size, cooperation and brotherhood of this organization. I don't think I have ever seen a better example of how life should and can be if done right. From the participation of the parents, the involvement of the leaders and the boys themselves, this is a top notch organization.

Dirk had been the scout leader for I believe close to 25 years. Sometime in the last couple of years he turned over the reins to a young man who has really committed himself to carrying on a great Lowell tradition.

There are nearly 100 boys that belong to this one troop from Lowell. That is impressive.

I also met another leader in the troop whose name is Del. I enjoyed talking to him very much. Del was coming back in the morning to lock up after me. So without having ever met me, these kind and committed men let me have their cabin to myself for the night. I can't really express how this blessed me.

An interesting fact. The United Methodist Church sponsors the Boy Scout Troop. That is now the fourth time the Methodists have helped me directly on my quest. As I said a few weeks ago, I have to love the Methodists.

I had walked over 13 miles this day. I slept well.

My first public campground

I woke up Sunday April 25th, well rested and ready to go. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating. The rain flap did its job. I was dry on the inside of the tent but everything else was wet.

I packed everything that I had while I was in the tent. The tent was the last thing I normally put in my backpack but normally it is not sopping wet. The rain was nearing the end of it's cycle so I quickly took down the rain flap and tent and packed it up. Now the tent, most of my equipment and part of me was damp. Oh, Well!

The rain stopped and the sky cleared. It turned in to a crisp beautiful spring day. I was quite comfortable walking through the woods. The exertion kept me warm and the cool air and dampness felt refreshing. My biggest problem is damp leaves in the woods are very slippery on the up slope and the down slope. In other words it was slippery and I had to watch my step for the mile I still had to go in the woods.

Over the road to Tyler Creek Campground and Golf Resort I went. It was only about 6 miles away and seemed a fairly easy hike. Periods of rain alternated with clear sky. I never found the expected rainbow.

I saw Tyler Creek straight ahead and entered their grounds. I made a beeline to the clubhouse. I was the only camper to sign up for a tent site. Go figure.

The only food I had since Diane splurged on McDonalds Saturday morning was Tuna from a foil pack and granola bars. Cooking even boiling water isn't easy in the rain.

I thought about using my stove in the tent but good sense won out and I opted out of that stupid idea. Burning a hole in the bottom of my tent or burning it and myself didn't seem worth the cup of coffee I could have gained with this venture.

Immediately after I registered for a campsite I ordered two burgers. I was pleasantly surprised that they were able to cook them. There were no golfers and no campers but to my pleasure he had turned on the grill and burgers I ate. They were great. I need to point out that the grill was a barbecue like you probably have at home in your back yard.

Even though it was early I set up the tent so that I could start drying everything out. The weather cooperated and the strong cool breeze helped to dry the tent and rain flap.

I had access to water and paper towels and used this to clean me and dry me and all of my gear. Cold but good to get dried out. Shortly after the last burst of rain a couple of diehards showed up and golfing began. I was a little jealous.

All in all, Sunday was pretty relaxing.

Diane leaves me..........so sad

Neither Diane or I were in a big hurry to get started on Saturday the 24th. We got up a little late and lingered over the beautiful breakfast sandwiches that Diane picked up from the local McDonalds while I posted to this website.

We made a resupply stop on our way back to Middleville where she had picked me up the evening before. I felt a little sad when she dropped me off on the outskirts of town exactly where she had previously picked me up.

She took a picture of me, gave me one last lingering kiss and was on her way. Since this is my idea and not hers I can only be thankful for her support and willingness to help. But the woman just dumped me by the side of the road and left!

It was a little past noon when I started that day's trek. I only had to go seven or eight miles before I was going to set up camp in Middleville State Game Area.

It was an interesting afternoon and early evening hike. I saw more swan, whitetail deer and many other animals. I also saw some cattle that made me look twice. I have seen many dairy cows and a lot of beef cattle but these looked like the steers on the old westerns.

I entered the southwest end of Middleville State Game Area and walked for several miles. I found this to be a very nice part of the hike. It was early evening and later than it usually is when I enter the woods. The rainy, evening gloom put a different look on everything.

There was a short stretch of Harris Creek Road that I followed and then the trail veered off the road and went due east. I had been hearing gun shots all day. Some of them fairly close. Nothing like I was hearing now though. The shots were constant and each step seemed to bring me closer.

Time to stop. I quickly found a very secluded spot in the woods and went back deep. I used pink ribbon and empty red shot gun casings as a guide to get me back to the trail in the morning. I went back to the trail and my tent was all but invisible.

It was raining quite hard now and all told it will have reached close to an inch by morning. I burrowed into my tent, slid into Mr. Sleeping Bag and called Diane. The signal was very poor and we did not talk for long. She could hear me just well enough to know that I was safe and sound and not likely to drown in the rainstorm.

The shots had stopped by now and darkness was falling. I slept through the rain and was ready to go Sunday morning.

A visitation day

As interesting an area as it is, and with as much fun as I had there, it was time to leave Yankee Springs. I will remeember Deep Lake fondly.

I made sure I packed as much as I could on Thursday night so that I could get started early today. I wanted to cover a few extra miles after taking it easy at Yankee Springs.

I didn't really take it that easy. There were many miles of trail at Yankee Springs and I covered most of them. I had resupplied on one of my side trips here and I was ready to go.

Another motivting factor is that Diane was going to meet me this evening so I knew I would not have to set up a tent and sleep outside tonight. It also meant a good meal for dinner. All of this lead me to believe getting some miles in made good sense.

So here it is Friday, April 23rd and I am on my way by 8:30 a.m.

I did not want to go through the controlled burn area again so I took Yankee Springs Road to M-179 where I rejoined the trail. That left me with about 3 miles of trail before I would be going over the road again. This is a very pretty part of the trail but it is also a little more physically demanding. Quite a few hills.

I left the trail at Peets Road, took a right on Middleville road and headed north on MCCann Road. This brought me to the Paul Henry Trail which runs about 4 miles to Middleville.

The Paul Henry Trail basically follows the Thornapple River all the way to Middleville. It is well maintained and very picturesqe. I saw many swans along this route. Again I want to point out this was not that common 25 years ago. Game management and better practices and awareness has paid off during the past two decades.

The Paul Henry Trail terminated at the Stage Coach Park in Middleville.

For those that have been following my journey I am sure it is clear by now that I really appreciate the opportunities when I can get a good meal. Much to my delight I spotted a Champ's Bar and Grill as I exited the Stage Coach Park.

I settled in via a nice booth and a quiet corner. I checked in with Diane and she had just left the house to meet me. I figured it would take her about 2 hours to get here as long as no McDonalds impeded her progress.

Big Burgers, lots of fries and plenty of beer. Sometimes waiting is half the fun. I decided I should "man up" and try to get a few more miles in before Diane reached me. So back on the road I went.

I called Diane to let her know where I would be and gave her my intended route. She was only about 30 minutes away so I quickened my pace. Less than an half hour later she slowly pulled up behind me until I turned to look.

Greeting me was her beautiful smile.

Diane took me to a nice hotel. She washed my smelly laundry and I washed my smelly self. We got reaquainted and than we went to dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse.

This was trully a great day! Certainly worth the wait.

Hall Lake

One of the seven beautiful lakes at Yankee Springs. I tried to fish in four of them and still no fish this trip. I would have a better chance surviving on wild onions, white pine bark and dandelion leaves than fish.

Three days at Yankee Springs

After the long day before, I wanted a day of rest and relaxation. The area I am in is beautiful and quite remote. I am currently at the Deep Woods Campground which is a rustic campground at Yankee Springs.

As rustic as it is, it has all that I need to be content. Water, fire and a fishing pier, how bad could it be? I spent most of Tuesday April 20th, fishing, hiking the local trails and keeping the campfire going. It certainly is a lot easier to explore without carrying 50 lbs. of gear on your back.

The camp at Deep Lake is the starting point for several mountain bike trails. They had a mountain biking event the week before. One of the local folks told me more than 1000 people showed up for the event.

On Wednesday I decided to camp at the Gun Lake Campground. I would pass a small store called Mike's Place and I would resupply there. There was also a restaurant near the campground and I was ready for a real meal. Perhaps most importantly there was showers at this location.

I started around 11:00 a.m. since I only had 8 miles to go. The store was right where it was supposed to be and I resupplied. Shortly there after I reached the campground and sure enough there was electricity at the site. I plugged in my netbook and phone and went exploring.

The lake is beautiful and I knew I would get some attempt at fishing in. On the negative side the water was not turned on at the sites and the shower buildings were not yet open for the season. The only place to get water was a quarter of a mile from my campsite.

The charge for the campground was $4.00 more than Deep Lake and without the water and showers even less convenient. The next morning I packed up camp and hooked up with the NCT. I had planned on staying at the Sharp's Campground near the trail but they were not opening until next week. Back to Deep Lake Campground for the night.

The date is now Thursday April 22nd and I was having a great trek through the woods. One particularly picturesque region is the area around Hall Lake. It is a stunning area.

The trail eventually merged onto Deep Lake Road. It smelled particularly good in this area. Just like a campfire whose pleasant aroma goes on for miles. On occasion I would notice a little wisp of smoke as I travelled.

I crossed the path which would take me back to the campground I had spent two of the three previous days at. I had explored this area enough to be familiar with it. I had about 2 miles to go to reach camp. Easy day.

I turned a corner in the trail and could not believe my eyes. The entire area was burned unrecognizably. Twisted smoking stumps, old trees ready to fall as their stumps were being eaten by fire and all of the small foliage gone. Tons of last years leaves were also obliterated.

The air temperature was probably about 10 degrees warmer than it was just moments ago. It appeared that the fire was about burned out so I continued forward into the desolation. There was a considerable amount of smoke and ash in the air but not so much that I could not breathe normally.

After about a mile further in I looked ahead and right in the middle of all of this burned out mess was the fishing pier for the Deep Lake Campground. I worked my way to the pier as small flames and smoke continued to mark my path.

Than just as suddenly as it started the burn was over. I could see my camping area and off I went. There were many vehicles of all descriptions is the same area that was designated for the bike path staging area. The burned out area that I had walked through was part of a controlled burn designed to prevent out of control fires and to give enough clear area for new vegetation to get a foot hold. My hat is off to the skill that these fire fighters showed during this controlled burn.

I believe that Michigan has some of the finest DNR and other related agencies in the country. What I have encountered is highly trained professionals in all areas protecting our valuable natural resources.

For all of the radical environmentalists, your time has passed. The hunters, outdoors men and our government are now doing a fantastic job. God bless them.

The longest day

Having survived my first experience at "Commando" camping has given me more confidence at behaving a little out of the box.

I was up bright and early. It wasn't my intention to waste much time this morning in my clandestine camping location.

I packed up in record time and was on the road before 8:00 a.m. I headed north on Kelly, went east on Herbert Road, north on Hallock and east on Osborne. My early departure resulted in a different look at nature's bounty.

I saw at least 14 deer by 10:00 a.m., the song birds were plentiful and the morning was perfect. All of this resulted in me feeling a little better than normal as I continued my cross country trek.

I looked at my map and saw my note that there was a restaurant just 4 miles away in Prarieville. Being of strong body and mind, sometimes I wonder at that last part, I decided I would go all the way to the restaurant without any breaks. My normal pace is a break about every 2 miles which equals about 1 break per hour.

I turned north on Parker Road and now I was within 2 miles of my goal. Great breakfast in a country restaurant. I continued my pace and there it was in the distance. No problem, hot breakfast here I come.

Another culinary disappointment, the restaurant wasn't open on Mondays. I then thought that I had seen in my past that some smaller businesses aren't open on Mondays. That is generally the case if it is owner operated.

I think I stood in front of that closed restaurant for a full 10 minutes just feeling like I missed out on possibly one of the greatest eating experiences of my life.

Well, there was a little gas station and store across the street. It would have to do for a few supplies and a now early lunch. Believe me, the prepackaged, dry, ham sandwich wasn't what I originally had in mind. I also had a V8 juice, vitamin water and an orange.

According to my maps there should be a small store on my way out of Prarieville and I planned on stopping there to resupply. I basically ate everything I bought at the gas station.

Another letdown. The store I desperately needed was permanently closed. I guess you can't always count on Google Earth having the most up to date information.

By this time I had over 6 miles in and it was barely noon.

North on Norris Road for 5 miles only turned up a small park with a port-o-john and no water supply. Not a single store or diner the whole way. Eleven miles ago I knew I needed to get resupplied or it was one cup of Lipton's cup of soup for me today.

I turned west onto Keller road and in a short time I reached my first off road trail of the day. This trail would take me the 5 miles to Yankee Springs State Recreation Area which is where I wanted to stay tomorrow.

Shortly after turning onto the trail I realized I had run out of drinking water. My hydration system consists of a vinyl bag that holds 2 liters of water and a hose connected to the bag that I suck the water through. It is a great system. The only down side is that I cannot see the bag because of where it attaches to my backpack.

I wasn't too worried because I have a nifty filtration system also. As soon as I found a stream, river or lake I would purify water, fill my drinking water and have my cup of soup. I hoped to find water right away as I had already reached the 12 miles I had set as my goal. I would like to set up camp now.

About a mile into the woods I began to get quite thirsty. I hadn't found any water and I badly needed a break. I began sucking on Life Savers to help with the thirst. I removed my pack and laid down for an half hour or so. Twelve miles seems so long and who knows how far I still would have to go.

Back to work! The break did its job. I tended my feet with "New Skin" and taped the areas that were getting the sorest. Overall, I could feel a lot worse.

I walked a couple of more miles and no sign of water. This has to be the longest stretch I have gone without seeing water. I did not like the feeling of thirst that I was now experiencing.

I was beginning to think I would have to go all the way to tomorrow's destination which is a rustic campsite at Deep Lake. At least they had water and a place to put my tent. I was already past the farthest I had ever gone and 3 more miles almost seemed impossible.

The trail turned and I could barely believe my eyes. Before me it looked as though a tornado had gone through the forest and ripped down everything. In front of me was a mess of flattened trees, branches and dead fall that I wasn't sure I could pass through.

It turned out this mess was a clear cut which is part of what the DNR does to control the spread of forest fires. They had cut everything down but had not yet hauled the mess out. I carefully picked my way through the 100 or so yards of disaster and made it across without injury. Sometimes I am very lucky.

Now I had a new problem. I could find no sign of my trail anywhere. I walked north than east and my trail blazes were no where in sight.

I could not be more tired and lost as well. Not a good combination. Panic would do me no good for I had no water and only about 2 hours of daylight left. The only prudent thing to do was to take a break and get myself under control. I studied the map and checked both my compasses. Due west was my way to the road that would eventually lead me to the campsite.

Now to find a trail to take me west. Feeling a little more rested I started up again. I had a fleeting thought that I would gladly pay $20.00 for a bottle of water. Of course that would mean I would have to find someone with water.

Once again God was with me and I found a trail heading west. I walked the trail for a short time and it merged with the NCT trail that I could not find. The clear cut had removed all of the trees just as the NCT had made a sharp turn to the west. I never could have found the trail because it no longer existed. I had mentioned crossing the clear cut for a hundred yards plus. What I hadn't mentioned is that it was probably a half mile long of flattened trees.

I reached Yankee Spring Roads and headed to the campground. I was so glad to reach the campground I actually found a little energy reserve and quickened my pace for the remaining distance.

Inside, I immediately sought out the water pump and filled my water bag, my filtration bag and my cooking cup and drank about a quart of water. Hard to believe how much better I felt. I set up my campsite and started a roaring fire.

Diane came to my rescue again. She managed to talk a Hungry Howie's into coming to the campground to make a delivery. I met the delivery fella at the entrance of the park and felt very good about giving him a very generous tip. Chicken Wings, a Calzone sandwich and a two liter bottle of diet Pepsi tasted heavenly.

Much to my amazement and a testimony to God I managed to walk 17.3 miles to safety on this beautiful, interesting, and harrowing day.

Sunday April 18th continues

After jumping the fence we found the trail blaze almost immediately. Back on the NCT. It wasn't exactly done on purpose but doesn't the Lord say somewhere in the Bible that the road less taken brings its own reward's? I know that isn't an exact quote but forgive me for taking a little artistic license.

Today TJ's family is supposed to meet us and take me to a hotel in Hastings. This would seriously hamper my ability to say that I hiked the entire length of the NCT in Lower Michigan in one season. I know that is a little thing but it is kind of a guiding principal of my quest.

The problem is that there are no hotels or campgrounds anywhere in the area and to be honest I am quite nervous about a first attempt at "Commando Camping". Commando Camping is the unauthorized, actually the owners of the land or the state have no idea, camping by individuals in areas not designated or approved for camping.

I knew that if I was going to complete my quest I would have to do this at least 5 times or that I would have to cover more than 15 miles in a day to reach authorized areas. The only campground I could have used tonight was still closed until May 1. I decided tonight was as good as any for my first experience at commando camping.

The trail map showed us that the rest of the trail or that day and a lot of the next is over the road. We are heading in the direction of Hickory Corners. When we had about three miles to go I asked TJ to call his mother to come pick him up. It was my intention to take them out to eat at the Hickory Inn when they arrived.

We reached the corner of Hickory Corner Rd and Kelly Road and sat down to wait for Sarah. TJ called her and found out she was at least an half hour away. I left TJ and my gear and headed down Kelly in search of a potential campsite. About a mile and a half down the road I found a candidate. I marked the entry point and headed back.

After I had gone about a mile I saw their car approach. Sarah, TJ, Amanda and Zach all came to get me. We went to Hickory Inn and found out that like a lot of other little town businesses they had closed at 2 p.m. that Sunday. We were told by some locals about a restaurant in Delton that we went to for dinner.

After dinner I was driven back to my campsite and off into the woods I went. I was quite apprehensive. Commando camping my first time.

I set up camp and crawled into what has turned into my most prize possession, Mr. Sleeping Bag. He is so important to me that I had to name him. I fell asleep quite early.

About 2:00 p.m. two events took place at the same time. I was awoken by the very loud sounds of nature and the extreme need to urinate. As I was laying there thinking about how cold it would be once I crawled out of Mr. Sleeping Bag I heard what sounded like a very large Buck close to my tent. He was snorting and pawing the ground very loudly. I think he was calling his girlfriends. This method never worked very well for me but each species has it's own techniques.

After awhile he left and I did my business. It was just as cold as I thought it would be. I slept peacefully with all the sounds of nature until early morning.

More pictures-TJ is the man

Kellogg Bird Sanctuary Sundy April 18th

Up bright and early again but it is at the Gull Lake resort and the hot tub awaits. I took a good soak and got dressed. TJ was still sleeping so I woke him enough to find out he wasn't ready to go to breakfast. So off I went.

Continental breakfast was being served. I toasted a bagel for cream cheese, took a muffin, a danish, two bananas and two oranges. I filled a coffee and two orange juices and balancing everything very carefully back to the room I went. TJ was still asleep. This time I was less delicate when waking him.

I packed my backpack and got ready to leave. TJ was up and about. He ate a little of what I brought back and we packed the rest for lunch. Off we went around noon.
We backpacked to the trail head and into the woods we went. It was a beautiful day with nature's beauty enhancing everything.

We reached a trail head and sat down for a quick lunch. TJ had been on this trail long enough now that he was basically leading the way. He understood how the maps worked, how the blazes worked and how the trails went. He was quickly becoming my guide and protector.

As I began to notice how his quiet leadership was beginning to take hold I felt a new peace about him becoming a marine. This was his third day with me and it was becoming clear to me that if he sticks through basic training the service will be a good career choice for him.

Two and a half days and he complained about nothing. He loves his girl, his family and his old Uncle Ed. He has proven to have good instincts and an amazing control of his demeanor. I have been a mentor of his for years and am proud of the young man, ready to take his place in the world, that he is turning out to be.

I am proud he is a member of my family.

We continued on and came to a trail head near the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. We did not see any trail markers anywhere. TJ thought the trail probably followed the fence but I opted for a second opinion anyway. There was a welcome center at the entrance of the bird sanctuary and we went inside. We talked to the gentleman behind the counter who only vaguely knew where the trail was. Like TJ, he thought the trail followed the fence.

With that information we followed the fence. We had followed the fence for about a mile and saw no trail blaze marks. We had passed one hole in the fence and it took a lot of my considerable willpower not to go in. One hundred yards later there was an even larger hole in the fence. I could walk right in. TJ was game and in we went. I knew this part of the bird sanctuary had been closed but what the heck. Isn't that what an adventure is all about?

It is very beautiful in the sanctuary. We saw many different types of birds and animals. There were boggy areas filled with skunk cabbage and many beautiful plants.

On a more disturbing note we saw five deer carcasses in about a one hundred yard span. We weren't able to figure out what would have killed them. There was a trail for the sanctuary vehicles but they would have been going to slow and would have been on the look out. I suppose it was possible that they somehow hurt themselves trying to get over the fence. Considering how close together they were I think that perhaps it was a population control measure the sanctuary had put into place so that the deer would not over run the environment here.

We had passed two open gates as we were traveling through the sanctuary. I guess we could have walked in or out through both of these. We continued to follow the trail inside the park. Eventually it ended at a high fence and gate. There were no holes in the fence and the gate was tightly secured at this point.

TJ threw his packs over the fence and started the climb. He got to the top and swung his leg over. He jumped and at the same time I heard a rip. He didn't really want that pair of denim shorts anyway.

Now it was my turn. My pack weighs close to 50 pounds and I wanted no holes in it. I was able to get it to the top of the fence where TJ was able to grab an end. Together we were able to get it over the fence with no damage. I tossed the rest of the gear over and up I went. TJ did everything but carry me like a baby to make sure I got over the fence injury free. As my clothing hooked onto the fence he freed it. He wanted to catch me but I motioned for him to move. I made the leap and did not hurt myself. I did catch a sleeve on my jacket and later discovered a small hole in the seat of my pants but all in all I made it unharmed. It is good to have a caring and very large nephew.