Rides in Michigan UP info request

Hi
I'm researching the feasibility of doing a camping tour in the eastern
section of the Hiawatha National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan. The proposed route is from St Ignace up to Paradise and then
along the lake shore to Point Iroquois and then back to St Ignace.

questions:
1. What is the topography? (flat, hilly, rolling etc?)
2. What are the roads like? (both condition and traffic)
3. Weather issues (best time of year, rain frequency etc)
4. Wildlife issues (from bugs to bears)
5. Is this trip viable for a bike camping newbie?

Thanks for any info.
Tom

Hig Hurtenflurst wrote:
Hi
I'm researching the feasibility of doing a camping tour in the
eastern section of the Hiawatha National Forest in the Upper Peninsula
of Michigan. The proposed route is from St Ignace up to Paradise and
then along the lake shore to Point Iroquois and then back to St Ignace.

questions:
1. What is the topography? (flat, hilly, rolling etc?)

Moderate hills. Nothing that could be called a mountian.

2. What are the roads like? (both condition and traffic)

Most of the major highways in the UP have been resurfaced fairly
recently with nice wide shoulders. Secondary and other roads are paved
or not with very low traffic. Unpaved roads and snowmobile trails,
particually near the lakes, may have sandy bases which are difficult to
ride on skinny tires, but some are OK.


3. Weather issues (best time of year, rain frequency etc)

Summer would be best . Or in the early fall when the colors are out.

4. Wildlife issues (from bugs to bears)

Mosquitoes, some black flies, bears.... brown bears hanging around dumps
mostly. None of which sould be a problem while you are moving.

5. Is this trip viable for a bike camping newbie?

Sounds like fun.

Thanks for any info.
Tom


-CRM

Hig Hurtenflurst wrote in message ...
Hi
I'm researching the feasibility of doing a camping tour in the eastern
section of the Hiawatha National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan. The proposed route is from St Ignace up to Paradise and then
along the lake shore to Point Iroquois and then back to St Ignace.

questions:
1. What is the topography? (flat, hilly, rolling etc?)

I know nothing specifically about that area but here are ways
to research what's already published.

Get the USGS topographical maps covering your proposed route
for the definitive topography. See:

http://www.topozone.com/
http://mapserver.maptech.com/homepag...ncedsearch=yes
http://www.usgs.gov
http://www.delorme.com/

etc.

One way to learn to read topo maps is to get the maps for your
local area and find all your usual ride routes on them. You will
easily learn to relate the map markings to your knowledge of
hill size and steepness, the sharpness of turns, etc.

DeLorme sells a computer program with "vector" maps that allow
it to print elevation profile charts of a given route, if you
find those useful.

If you can practice climbing local hills that compare to the
worst in terms of grade and height you will face on your tour,
that would be good. If none of your local hills are hard enough,
you can simulate harder climbs by riding laps on a smaller hill
(climb it, coast back down, climb it again, etc.---this becomes
less dull if you can find a suitable loop route that lets you
hit one or more climbs in quick succession). Practice climbing
while pulling your full touring load, too.

If you live in a totally flat area you may have to get creative
to simulate climbing, such as by riding a stationary bike set
at high resistance. Nothing beats real hills, though.

Even if you don't have topo maps, you can guess the degree of
vertical relief in an area by seeing how straight the roads
are on a highway map. If the roads are straight and laid out
like a checkerboard, the area is probably pancake flat (see:
northwest Ohio). If the roads are squiggly, the area is
probably hilly (see: southeast Ohio). If your local area
has variable relief, look at your local road maps
and you'll see the pattern.

Time spent studying maps is never wasted. If you're traveling
alone you want to know where you are at all times and what's
coming next. If you are traveling with a guide it's still good
to have your own knowledge, in case something happens to the
guide or you get separated.

You might follow Jobst Brandt's advice to find a friend back
home who will act as a message relay station, in case you get
split up from your companions. Each of you can independently
find phones and call your friend, who will then tell you where
your buddies are.

If you travel alone, you should leave your trip schedule with
a friend and check in at designated times to report your
progress. That way if you are lying unconscious in a ditch
somewhere, your friend may alert the authorities if you are
24 hours late checking in.

Traveling alone, of course, puts you at more risk from
accidents, breakdowns, needing some odd piece of equipment
you don't have, etc. If you travel with two companions, one
can stay with a disabled rider while the other one goes for
help. A group of riders can carry more tools and spare parts,
etc. It's good to list every item you carry so your group can
carry the maximum variety of tools and spare parts without
unnecessary duplication. For example, you don't all need to
carry chain tools since you should never need more than one
for the whole group. It would also be good to have everybody
riding bikes with interchangeable parts, to the extent possible.
Then maybe in an emergency you could cobble one working bike
out of the pieces of several so one rider could go for help.

If you have a cell phone, check with your phone company about
coverage in your tour area.

2. What are the roads like? (both condition and traffic)

Some municipalities publish traffic density information on
the Web. However, you can probably guesstimate traffic densities
by noting where the population centers are. A major highway
providing the shortest route between two population centers
will have heavy traffic, etc.

No matter what anybody tells you about the roads, you should
select tire widths adequate to deal with something worse.

Carrying your gear in a trailer reduces the stress on your bike,
and gives you the option of stashing the trailer for unloaded
side trips. However, I wouldn't leave the trailer unattended
in any populated area, if you want to see your stuff again.

3. Weather issues (best time of year, rain frequency etc)

There's weather information all over the Web. For example,
NOAA publishes historical averages and records for many locations
in the U.S. (major cities, airports, anywhere there's a weather
station). Here are the average temperatures for Cincinnati, Ohio
where I live:

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/iln/cvgnorm.html

With a little searching you will find what you need. Look for
average temperatures and precipitation, and the records, for
the dates when you want to travel.

4. Wildlife issues (from bugs to bears)

This is all on the Web or in libraries. Check the Web pages for
any Universities or colleges in the area that have biology
departments. Typically they describe what's left of the local
wildlife. Check the area's newspapers for reports of animal
attacks, disease problems, etc. Look up the state's department
of wildlife site.

5. Is this trip viable for a bike camping newbie?

Only you can answer that question. You could try overnight trips
in your area to test your skills and equipment, and progressively
work up to longer trips. Be sure to try camping in the rain, too.
Better to find out what doesn't work when you are still close
enough to home to bail out.

Thanks for any info.
Tom

Also check the obvious references available on any search site:

http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=fp...ring+michigan+

and your local library, and Amazon.com for books on bicycle
touring with regional coverage.

-- Daniel Mocsny

Thanks for all the info and the recources!
Tom

Tom wrote:
I'm researching the feasibility of doing a camping tour in the eastern
section of the Hiawatha National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan. The proposed route is from St Ignace up to Paradise and then
along the lake shore to Point Iroquois and then back to St Ignace.

questions:
1. What is the topography? (flat, hilly, rolling etc?)
2. What are the roads like? (both condition and traffic)
3. Weather issues (best time of year, rain frequency etc)
4. Wildlife issues (from bugs to bears)
5. Is this trip viable for a bike camping newbie?

Hey, I did almost exactly this one year, starting on Labor Day
(leaving the DALMAC ride to pack their bikes onto trucks and
themselves onto buses). It was glorious.
Rain or damp can be a factor. Traffic is negligible (we ain't
talking Telegraph at 5 pm; Detroit reference). Wear bright colors to
help with the long sight distances and contrast with the pine trees.
(Over Thanksgiving I met a couple doing a year-long ramble, in black
jackets. Don't do that.)
In early September there weren't many bugs. Someone mentioned that
bears & such aren't a problem when you're rolling. Ditto on the bugs.
I winged it, with no reservations or real plans. IIRC a bike tour
leader who lives in Newberry took me in (sleeping bag space, hot
shower). The U.P. is like that. At that time of year the route along
the northern shore of Lake Mich was especially nice, with a tailwind,
a long gentle downhill slope, and monarch butterflies floating
alongside as they prepared to migrate. (They might do a bridge
crossing the week after all the pedestrians walk it.)
Supplies and civilization are spaced out (we ain't talking Iowa
farmland). In recent years more corporations have discovered the U.P.,
so the ramshackle four-corners gas station-post ofice-C-store with
home office hours has become a new, clean, well-stocked,
open-most-of-the-time establishment with a shower, a deli, sometimes a
laundry.
So, when do we leave???
--Karen M.
downstate, who oncefunded a U.P. tour by collected abandoned
ten-centers

This is Great! Everything is pointing in the right direction. I also
have to thank this group for all the helpful info. I posted this
question in a camping and a national parks newsgroup with no results.
Tom

This is Great! Everything is pointing in the right direction. I also
have to thank this group for all the helpful info. I posted this
question in a camping and a national parks newsgroup with no results.
Tom

"Hig Hurtenflurst" wrote in message
...
Hi
I'm researching the feasibility of doing a camping tour in the eastern
section of the Hiawatha National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan. The proposed route is from St Ignace up to Paradise and then
along the lake shore to Point Iroquois and then back to St Ignace.

questions:


Agree w/ previous posts - should be a fun trip -

Other items:

Presuming Paradise is a stopping point, I'd consider making reservations
(rather than just showing up) at Tahquamenon Falls State Park, if that's
your planned destination. Summer weekends these state parks fill quickly, &
the rangers aren't always willing to let bikers bushwhack like private
owners often do. Or, there's a couple of state forest campgrounds in the
area, which are more rustic (no power) & I find lots more relaxing. See
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/parklist.asp

Biting flies can be evil in the U.P. in August, depending on wind
conditions, etc. Bring lots of DEET stuff. Consider sacrificing a virgin
to the bug god.

There's nothing resembling a mountain in the eastern U.P. If you ride
much - even being a rookie at touring - should be no significant problem
from the hill standpoint.

Biggest issue I ever had w/ touring in the U.P. is the logging trucks.
Shouldn't be many on M-123 (St. Ignace - Paradise) although motor homes may
be irritating on weekends.

I like the UniversalMap series - the eastern U.P. map covers Luce, Chippewa,
& Mackinac counties. I find them easire to read & more detailed in Michigan
than the DeLorme atlas, although I hear that's not consistent in other
states. http://www.universalmap.com or at any of the gas convenience
stores in N. Mich.

Email me if you need other info -


J.W.
Grand Rapids, MI

P.S. Where's Point Iroquois?

Thanks John,
This is just the kind of info I was looking for. I live in Dayton OH
and have never been to the UP, I just took a wild guess that it would be
nice place to ride. Point Iroquois is on the Lake Superior shore about
15 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie (as the crow flies).
Tom

Tom wrote:
This is just the kind of info I was looking for. I live in Dayton OH
and have never been to the UP, I just took a wild guess that it would be
nice place to ride. Point Iroquois is on the Lake Superior shore about
15 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie (as the crow flies).

I left my car at the state police post in St Ignace. They were
surprised that I bothered to ask, and happy to let it use one of their
spaces for a few days.
Point Iroquois might be on an unpaved road, but I doubt you were
planning to use your inch-wide tires on this trip. (Googling it
uncovers lots of interesting souvenirs to order for direct shipping,
if you like lighthouses.)
I realy liked the road going due north from Blaney Park and
Germfask to Grand Marais; you can see this big blue line that
gradually gets closer. Some of the best lakeshore rocks I've ever
found came from the Superior beach there. Also, the sky is perfectly
clear, and the air is incredibly clean (dais the Wayne County
resident).
Helpful maps:

http://michigan.gov/documents/MDOT-M...n7_61638_7.pdf
http://michigan.gov/documents/MDOT-M...n6_61636_7.pdf

--Karen M.