A MIDWEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURE PUBLICATION
NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES OCTOBER 2020 ISSUE 5
WC4WD INTRO ADVENTURE LIFE A DAY IN THE LIFE THE GEAR BUNKER NO RESERVATIONS RADIO TALK WITH WILL KEWEENAW MOUNTAIN BIKING WINTER OVERLAND VEHICLE PREP KEWEENAW OVERLAND ADVENTURE RETREAT
The KOAR Team would like to thank our sponsors, supporters and attendees for another successful event. See you in 2021.
contents SPECIALS
FEATURES
EXCLUSIVES
04 The Gear Bunker
14 Radio talk with Will
30 Keweenaw MTB
06 Adventure Life
20 A Day in theLife
34 WinterDriving
12 WC4WD Update
22 No Reservations
37 KOAR Recap
PHOTO BY UP JEEPING Northology Adventures Magazine has made all efforts to make sure that content is accurate on the date of publication. The views expressed reflect the author(s) opinions and are not necessarily the views of the publisher or editor. All content is published in a good faith. Northology Adventures does not guarantee or accept liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by this magazine or errors in the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers.All rights reserved and nothing can be partially or in whole be reprinted or reproduced without a written consent. By using links in this magazine, you acknowledge that and agree that Northology cannot be held responsible and shall not be liable for content of other websites and advertisements.
CINDY POPE Publisher Happy Autumn! Okay, so the cover photo is a picture of my Jeep. Felt a little vain to use that but I thought it captured the feel of what this magazine is - a collection of stories and info of the people of this community that bike, paddle, hike and use their vehicles as platforms to explore and get farther into the wild. And today is my birthday, haha. I am so happy watching this magazine and the excitement around it grow. Last month we broke 1,000 reads and have over 300 subscribers. My goal is 1000 subscribers by the
end of 2020 and I appreciate all the shares you can give! Every month I get nervous wondering if there will be enough content and then it magically appears in my inbox. Thanks to the contributors, I am getting some great feedback and people are looking forward to every issue. You guys and gals rock. Again, a boatload of thanks to the contributors, advertisers and readers of this magazine. I am so happy you believe in this vision. Please let me know if you have a story to tell, pictures to share, or have a related business and want to connect with this community. You can email me at info.northologyadventures@gmail.com. See you on the trail! -Cindy
LEAVING NO TRACE WITH FIRESIDE OUTDOOR’S POP-UP PIT Last year, we made the 7 hour trip to the tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula to attend KOAR. This offered us a perfect opportunity to test a cool new product from Fireside Outdoor. Due to the nature of the trip, the area we used as our base camp did not allow personal ground fires. Only the centrally located fire pit was designated as a communal gathering spot. Which is fine. But cooking dinner and enjoying a cocktail at our campsite would have sucked without a personal fire. Luckily, we brought a new product from Fireside Outdoor. READ THE FULL STORY ON THE GEAR BUNKER WEBSITE.
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e r u t n e v d A CHOOSING A LIFE OF
BY BECCA FOSS
Do you remember in high school
dreaming up your 5, 10, and 20 year life plans? My current life looks nothing like
what I envisioned in high school. Never in a million years would I imagine that I, a conservatively-raised girl from Ohio, would be traveling the world on a bicycle at age 28. I truly started living during my last semester of University when I walked away from my full-ride academic scholarship and chose a life of adventure instead. I hopped in a Subaru with some friends who were leaving for a 6 week road trip to rock climb in California. I never looked back. That was over 6 years ago. During those 6 years of working odd jobs and traveling as much as possible, I adopted the popular outdoor enthusiast mentality - suck all the marrow out of your life. Embracing this attitude is how I opened my heart to head-over-heels love for long distance bicycle travel.
But first, let’s rewind to one year ago; I had recently lost my husband and whatever illusion of stability I had built in my very unstable life was shattered. My world was a messy heap of rubble. I found myself utterly lost, but not the way I usually enjoyed getting lost in the mountains. My body was present but my soul was just a shell of what it used to be. I had no idea when I would genuinely laugh again. Within a few days of my husband passing, I knew that I needed to get even more lost in the world to put myself back together again.
I KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO GET EVEN MORE LOST IN THE WORLD TO PUT MYSELF BACK TOGETHER AGAIN
Bikepacking for the first time in Argentina with all my gear haphazardly strapped to my bike. Photo and cycling mentor: IG handle @kylehughesphoto
After my husband passed, I found myself saying “Yes” to everything. My friend, Kyle, invited me to spend a few weeks cycling with him in Patagonia, Argentina. Obviously, I immediately agreed. I booked myself on a one way flight to southern Argentina where I bought a used bike for $100 and strapped my gear to the handlebars and rear rack. I had no idea what I was doing but I do know that as soon as I started pedaling I had a massive smile plastered across my face. For the first time after my husband passed away, I felt pure joy again. My life for the foreseeable future was changed. I fell in love with simply riding my bike for long distances at a time.
Since that first day on my bike in South America, I’ve cycled over 5,000 miles throughout Chile, Argentina, and the American West. I’ve biked solo, with strangers that become friends, and even with my dad. For your viewing pleasure, I’ve rounded up my favorite photos from this past year’s bikepacking adventures.
This last summer, I decided to spend my time exploring the American West on my bike. I spent over 2 months cycling through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico loosely following the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route and the Colorado Trail. Most of the terrain was dirt roads, 4x4 trails, and singletrack.
A typical day on my bike goes something like this - I wake up with the sun, pack up my sleeping bag and pad, and put on my cycling clothes. Breakfast is granola mixed with water while I pack up my tent. I’m usually on the road by 8-9am with a massive smile on my face. Depending on the terrain and elevation, I usually ride 60-90 miles/day with anywhere from 3,000-6,000 feet of climbing. In the late afternoon, I’ll start looking for a campsite with a water source. Dinners usually consist of noodles, Nutella, and tuna.
My 62 year old Dad and I in Grand Teton National Park. My Dad (and 2 dogs in the trailer) rode over 600 miles with me this summer. Like me, he hadn’t done any cycle touring before. He also hadn’t taken more than 2 weeks at a time of vacation in the last 30 years. We spent about a month riding and enjoying the slow pace of life. Our father/daughter memories that we created are gold. We began our trip pacing ourselves with very low miles, about 30 a day. It’s easy to injure yourself as a first-time bikepacker riding too much too soon.
My two dogs, Jackson and Bandit, rode behind me in a Burley single wheel trailer while I was cycling with my Dad. They are hairless terriers which is why they have their colorful UV protection clothing and a homemade canopy on their chariot. I got them goggles so they wouldn’t get debris or rocks in their eyes! The dogs typically would run alongside me on the uphill terrain and then ride in their chariot all other times. The dogs with their gear and the trailer added about 70 lbs to my 80 lb fully loaded bike. Yep, it was a little heavy!
BIKEPACKING SPECS AND GEAR BIKE- Surly ECR TWO REAR PANNIERS (Porcelain Rocket): Contains food, cook system, hydration pack and water filter
FRAME BAG (Rogue Panda): Contains first aid, bike tools and spare parts, and portable battery pack
TWO FORK BAGS (Salsa): Contains clothing ON THE HANDLEBARS- MAGTANK (Revelate Designs): Contains phone, multitool, chapstick, knife TWO FEED BAGS (Alpkit): Contains water, snacks, sunscreen WHITE DRY BAG (Revelate Designs): Sleeping bag, pad, pillow, pajamas, journal, toothbrush
WC4WD UPDATE The Wisconsin Coalition of FourWheel Drives (WC4WD) incorporated in February 2020, was formed via a merger from two existing state associations, the Wisconsin OffHighway Vehicle Association (WOHVA) and the Wisconsin Four Wheel Drive Association (W4WDA,) making us the largest association in the state.
The WC4WD also has representation on the Wisconsin Governors State Trails Council representing 4WD vehicles. The Wisconsin Governors State Trails Council is comprised of leaders from motorized and nonmotorized trail enthusiasts. We also support national organizations like Tread Lightly! and the Blue Ribbon Coalition.
WC4WD is a non-profit organization and our mission is simple. To advance the various Education, Legislation and Recreational opportunities and interests in Wisconsin for all 4WD enthusiasts. We are comprised of clubs, Facebook groups and individual memberships with a common interest.
In terms of recreational opportunities, we have a position dedicated to ensuring Wisconsin has expanded trail riding access. The Land access Director works with Federal, State, local and private land managers on all land access opportunities and affairs.
The WC4WD has many experienced educators that can provide training in a wide range of 4WD related topics. WC4WD assists in facilitating offhighway education, trail riding preparedness, sustainable land use, trail development and conservation, grant application submissions and event preparations, just to name a few.
If you want to see more, check us out on our facebook page or visit on our website. You can also drop an email to us at admin@wc4wd.com. Watch for future articles on what we are up to in the 4WD community!
By Tim Duenkel
We are a new statewide association in Wisconsin dedicated to 4WD vehicle enthusiasts and their passion for the sport of offhighway vehicle recreation. Here is a quick snapshot of who we are, how we got here and what we are about.
Editor's note: I met Will on the way to KOAR 2018 in the middle of nowhere to pick up spill kits he was donating on behalf of Midwest Overlanders. I spilled a $100 bottle of scotch and swore in front of his kids that day but we have been friends ever since and he has so kindly volunteered to help review some products that Midland USA has provided us to test. This will be an ongoing series, enjoy!
HAVE RADIO, WILL TRAVEL WRITTEN BY WILL NELSON Hello! I am Will, and I love to adventure with my family of 5. Along with my wife Ashley, and our three daughters: G(9), L(7), and A(2) we share our story as @the_nomadic_nelsons on the Instagram. We overland (I help run the Midwest Overlanders Facebook Group), climb rocks and ice, hike, paddle, rock hound and are just getting started bike riding with the kids. I also like to dabble in astrophotography, and I am a licensed technician class Amateur Radio operator. I am excited to help test and review Midland products because I am interested to see how they perform. Keep reading for my report on the MXT115 MICROMOBILEÂŽ GMRS two-way radio.
HAVE RADIO, WILL TRAVEL
There is nothing worse than being on a trail ride with a group and having no shared means of communication! I have been there, done that. Second guessing every turn off the shared route; wondering at every change. Getting out of my vehicle at every stop trying to figure out why we did this, why we did that. I am an amateur radio operator, but many overlanders haven’t taken that plunge yet. Two years ago, for the first KOAR, I rushed to install a CB radio, believing that to be the ideal form of trail communication. Unfortunately, due to poor antenna placement and tuning, I could only reach a few hundred yards ahead with my transmissions, and I couldn’t receive anything from the ride leader, yet again. It was a game of telephone from rig to rig.
With GMRS mobile radios , that is all a thing of the past. I was provided an MXT115 MICROMOBILE® GMRS Radio by Midland USA & Northology to review and I am doing my best to provide my honest opinion of this unit, but the possibility for bias exists.
OFF ROAD
DECEMBER ISSUE | 017
HAVE RADIO, WILL TRAVEL
The MXT115 is ready to go right out of the box . It comes with everything you need to start transmitting(minus the $70 FCC license) including a quarter-wave, magnet-mount antenna; fused power cable with car adapter; and a detachable mount. I was able to slide the unit into the slot below my single-din radio, plug in the power, attach the antenna, and started transmitting within a minute. I also changed the backlight color to match my AM/FM radio. Did I mention that it is small? MICROMOBILE® is no exaggeration, the radio itself is extremely compact and will mount almost anywhere.
The next day after installing the radio, I took it on a trail ride. This time, there was no one else on our channel, but the unit's 142 different privacy codes could be coordinated to filter out unrelated traffic in high traffic areas. With just a few rigs, I initially wasn't impressed. It was a very similar experience to using my CB. It was at the end of the trail, when I stopped at a park and the other vehicles continued back to the campground, that the MXT115 blew me away. I got back into my rig after a short break, and was trying out some buttons when I accidentally hit the "Call" button. I'm sure you know the one, it sends the annoying ringing sound.
...the radio itself is extremely compact and will mount almost anywhere.
I was astonished when my friend Eric responded, "Is everything ok?" Well, of course everything was ok, I had just made my longest contact outside of amateur radio! Eric was already back at his campsite, over TWO MILES AWAY! I have since tested the simplex(radio to radio) range with Eric, and he was able to hear and understand me from ten miles away. I shouldn’t have been that surprised with the MXT115’s 15 watts of broadcast power on high. It is also capable of a lower power setting of 5 watts. Both of these are higher than the CB’s max allowance of 4 watts. The biggest limiter with range on this radio would likely be the quarter-wave antenna. With a longer antenna, I think I could push the range out a few more miles.
HAVE RADIO, WILL TRAVEL
On a similar note, I was able to hit a local repeater that is forty miles away. The repeater then broadcasts my signal even further. This specific repeater I was able to make contact with is also linked via the internet with other repeaters all over the midwest, so on this one I was being broadcast over repeaters in Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, and even Minnesota. Using the repeater function on this radio is pretty simple. It just takes enabling the 8 extra repeater channels in the menu. They have a different input frequency than the receive frequency, so repeater channel 21 transmits on a different frequency than simplex channel 21. You can hear repeaters on the simplex channel, but you can’t transmit to them. I think a limit of this radio is that some repeaters require a separate privacy code for receive and for transmit, and this radio is not capable of doing that, as far as I know.
In addition to repeater channels, the GMRS radio has 15 normal channels. Channels 1 through 7 are shared with FRS radios, and limited to 5 watts. Channels 15 through 22 are GMRS only and are limited to 50 watts. I really liked being able to give my older daughters an FRS radio and keeping in contact with them over the MXT115. It gives them a little more freedom while I stay close to camp. I used the NOAA weather channels every day at KOAR. The MXT115 scans 10 different NOAA weather channels to be able to find one that has a good signal, or you can
select one yourself. You can even set it up so it sounds a siren to alert you to any weather alerts that are broadcast by NOAA. I could see this being very helpful in areas where the weather might change in a moment's notice. I think the one thing I would change about this radio is the location of the channel buttons. It isn't super intuitive, since they are on the microphone. I often find myself reaching for the volume dial when I want to change the channel. I have used this radio every day since I acquired it. From listening to a nightly net on the local repeater, to intervehicle comms on the trail. I am in love with this little device. The $149.99 price tag from Midland USA isn't the easiest pill to swallow, but Northology has a 20% discount code (available thru 10/31) for use at www.midlandusa.com KOAR20 . I will certainly be praising these radios in future forum posts, that's for sure.
CUSTOM ADVENTURE TRIPS & ITINERARIES / OUTDOOR EVENTS / CONTENT CREATION / SM MANAGEMENT / ADVENTURE MAGAZINE
Have you thought about living on the road full-time? Not sure how you would do it or what it entails? Here’s a sample of a day in the life of MoLeisureXventures.
A DAY IN THE
FULL TIME
LIFE 9AM It’s time to wake up. The sun is shining through the roof top tent turning it into an oven. It’s way too hot to sleep through. I get out of the tent and start setting up the kitchen to make breakfast. Enoch folds up the tent. Today we’re having hash for breakfast. A simple recipe consisting of potatoes, peppers, onions, ground sausage and eggs. Throw everything in the cast iron and you only have one pan to clean up. Other breakfast options are french toast, breakfast burritos and on hike days we usually make oatmeal.
10AM We get to the park entrance from our campsite. We try to be as frugal as possible so we use the iOverlander app to find free campsites generally within about 30 minutes of a park entrance. The campsites should have a nice view too. We have high expectations for our free campsites. If we can’t find a campsite outside of the park we try our luck at a park campground. Sometimes we get lucky and the ranger finds us a spot even though the campground says “full.” We stop by the visitors center to pick up a map and newspaper. Time to start planning our days in the park. We normally don’t plan for a park in advance. This makes our adventure much more exciting as we don’t have pre-existing expectations that could be ruined.
11AM
Depending on the park, there’s usually a road that cuts through the park with scenic pullouts for quick views and pictures. We’ll drive this road first and then choose some hikes for the following days. We usually pick a strenuous hike if not the hardest in the park. Sometimes it can be a lot for our bodies but nothing a couple of days of rest can’t fix. We like to do a long hike (about 8 miles) along with a short hike (about 4 miles).
1PM
Lunch time! If we’re on a hike, we pack sandwiches and chips. If we’re just driving around, we either stop at a restaurant for a meal, reheat leftovers from dinner, or just make sandwiches (it’s just so easy).
3PM
We’re either still on our hike or still driving around the park. Sometimes we look for WiFi so we can update ourselves on what’s happening in the world or catch up with friends, family and social media. We can spend a lot of time sitting in one spot watching videos or just browsing the internet.
5PM
Time to find a campsite. We’ve been trying to be better about arriving at our campsites before sunset so that I have time to make dinner. Enoch used to drive all day, taking random roads for fun, that we wouldn’t arrive at our campsites until after dark and then we would go straight to bed after setting up. So now, I make sure we have a campsite by 7pm the latest.
6PM
We make it to a campsite. Enoch levels out the car and starts setting up the tent. I pull out the stove and start prepping for dinner. Tonight we’re having chicken parm subs. When we first started the trip, we would eat a lot of ramen and non-perishable food. Recently I’ve been experimenting with new recipes, using fresh ingredients. We have a refrigerator, we might as well use it right? I like to find recipes that only use one pot or just the cast iron. Less mess equals less dishes to clean. Other dinner options are burritos, quesadillas, a Mexican quinoa dish, meatballs, burgers, and arroz con pollo.
8PM
If we have a fire, we’ll hang out outside by it. We’ve gotten weird reactions when we tell people that we rarely ever make a fire. We don’t find it necessary and purchasing firewood can get pricey.
9PM
We’re usually in the tent by this time. Once the sun has set and everything becomes dark and quiet, we’ll start getting ready for bed. If we don’t have a hike planned and there’s cell service at our site, sometimes we stay up catching up on the world and we’ll sleep in in the morning. But usually we rise and set with the sun. It just feels more natural that way. The next day, the sun rises, we get up, and start a new day. A lot of days are driving days, but that’s what overlanding is about! We take the roads less traveled to explore as much of the country as we can. Hopefully this inspires you to get out, explore and keep adventure alive!
Follow our adventures on Instagram @moleisurexventures
no reservations by Asa Lee Meadows
Driving over the Mackinac Bridge is more than just a modern marvel of engineering. It is a teleportation device that takes one to both a land that feels different under your feet and a feeling of where time has slowed down and hasn’t caught up to the rest of our busy lives. I arrived in the Upper Peninsula after sundown as the moon rose to the east while I was going over the bridge.
I have always been a last minute adventurer
I’m not good at planning vacations. I know some people have to plan their time off a year It was Thursday, September 3, the start of a in advance and make reservations as soon as long labor day weekend. The drive up from the they are able too. I’m not one of those people. I Lower Peninsula was not too busy, but as I have always been a last minute adventurer. I crested the Mighty Mac there was a backup will say though, since moving to Michigan and from the toll booth. Once through I traveled up doing some multi-family state park campground a couple exits to number 352 for M-123. I trips, that I’ve gotten better. Those wasn’t heading to a normal campground, campgrounds fill up fast for the summer and private, State Park, State Forest or National you can reserve them 6 months in advance. We Forest. I wasn’t going to a cabin or an AirBnB. I will use those locations because we did get a was heading to a set of latitude and longitude camper trailer two years ago, and it is nice to coordinates and hopefully a peaceful and have electricity, AC, showers and other kids for beautiful lakeside dispersed campsite. our boys to play with.
The 3 mile trek to the site from the paved road was pitch black, it was like being in a tunnel until the moon was able to squeeze her light through the tall pine trees. I also want to get away from crowds, use my new-to-me military trailer with my RTT, and just have quiet time in the woods by myself or with my boys. I decided to go on this trip 6 days before leaving. I had a few things in mind that I wanted to do with George (5): Fluorescent Sodalite rock hunting, canoeing down a slow river and visiting the Soo Locks in Sault Ste Marie. I looked at the state parks-- they were full. I knew there might have been some spots open at the State or National Forest campgrounds, but it’s a gamble. Also a goal for this trip was to try out a base camp setup. I’ve had my RTT for 2 summers now, and I just recently acquired a M101 CDN 2 (Canada’s version of our M416 ¼ ton trailer.) I’ve taken it on 2 trips so far, but I have left it hooked up or only stayed one night a location before. This time I would park it, and then go out on adventures during the day, all without the hassle of breaking camp and having to repack and haul everything with me. Let me say, one does not need a trailer or RTT to enjoy this. I’ve done it with ground tents, but this setup does take away some of the anxiety of storms, animals, thieves, etc that I’ve had before.
The general area that I chose was based off of a central location for all those activities listed previously. My number one location I wanted to go to, I had stayed at for one night last year on my way to Copper Harbor. But with it being a holiday weekend, I didn’t know if someone would already be there. My plan was to go to this dispersed location first, and if someone was there, I would try the Three Lakes Campground in the Hiawatha National Forest (HNF). A back up to Three Lakes were 2 locations that I had never seen in person, but found from another source. The last resort would be a parking lot if I couldn’t find a vacancy at a motel. As luck would have it, my primary location was free when I arrived. We got there late around 9:30 PM. The 3 mile trek to the site from the paved road was pitch black, it was like being in a tunnel until the moon was able to squeeze her light through the tall pine trees. The road was worse than I remembered from last year, and maybe it was because of the trailer, but the washboard like trail was bone jarring. When I arrived at the site, I just opened the tent with the trailer still attached, opting for setting up in daylight.
After setting up camp and having breakfast, I headed back out the trail I came in on, and checked out Three Lake Campground, it was mostly full with a few sites that looked empty but had reserved signs posted. I also checked out my first back up dispersed site, it was ok, but not as nice or secluded as mine. I then headed to Whitefish Point to collect some rocks and let George burn off some energy. This is a great little beach and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum was open, although not an activity I wanted to do with a 5 year old that day. We searched for rocks and played with the massive amount of driftwood. One place in particular was especially fun, there was a big tree on the ground, and someone had placed a large section of driftwood over it and it made a perfect seesaw. I did get it on video and the laughter from my son is something I’ll treasure. A fellow on the beach took some photos with my camera as well, so I hope it will be something that George will remember too.
After some time on the beach I wanted to explore some of the trails that are west of the point. I had camped there with George and Theodore before (see July’s issue) and I wanted to see what was beyond the spot we camped at. This turned out to be the only bad part of the trip. I wanted to see what looked like a lighthouse in Vermillion (from google map sat view), so I headed west on W Wild Cat Road. Part way it takes a south turn and then back west, but at that intersection before going south was Dune Road. “Road” is probably not an accurate description; it should just be called Dune path, or trail. It was very tight, and sandy parts are adjacent to it for Side by sides or 4 wheelers. Once I realized it was too narrow for my jeep I turned around and headed back when suddenly I had a blowout on my driver front tire. There was a 4 inch rip in my sidewall.I was in the sand when it happened, but don’t know if I had gotten too close to a rock or tree, or just tire failure.
Luckily, I had a full size spare and hi-lift jack. I was able to change it out while George was napping. He slept through it all. With no one else around, I gently made my way back to the gas station in Paradise, the last place I had decent cell reception. I was able to find a tire shop that had a used tire in my size that I could at least have on the spare rim for some piece of mind in case I were to get another flat. The silver lining to this, was the tire shop was past my campsite, so on the way back I came in from the opposite direction. The road was much smoother, and was only a mile off of some gravel trails. I took this route for the rest of the trip. Saturday I called the first place I had wanted to check out for a kayak rental. I was lucky again, as they had a couple spots open for a 1 hour trip. I went to Northland Outfitters Campground on 77 near the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. It was about an hour drive from camp, but I got there a good ½ hour before our scheduled time. It looked like a nice little private campground with places to fish, a volleyball court, and general store, but I think the big draw is the kayak and canoe rentals right on Manistique. I had reserved a canoe, but when I saw how long it was, and how far away George would be sitting from me, I asked for a tandem kayak. The worker there also thought it would be easier to handle too. I was lucky again, as it was the only one left available that day. The one hour trip was pretty easy I was told, just had to dodge some trees in the water, but it was a slow ride. I only had to worry about not going past the 2nd bridge. If I missed the pullout spot, I was told it’d be another 4 hours through the wildlife reserve before they could get to a spot to get me. They even had a little paddle for George to use up front, and he did great on his first river kayaking adventure. I showed him how to put it on the left side to turn left, right to turn right and then he got a little wild and we did a 360. And he was happy there are no crocodiles or alligators in Michigan, even though he was constantly looking for them.
After our kayak adventure, I drove us to Munising for lunch at the park there, and then headed over to check out Paradise point. That is a location where people disperse camp, but due to complaints from neighbors, the pressimission for the forest service to use 100’ of private land is being revoked. I wrote about this in September’s issue. I did pick up some beer cans and trash, and saw what people had been posting about in the local facebook group. I headed back to our campsite, and in true ‘roughing it’ fashion, I picked up a pizza from Pizza Hut along the way for dinner. That night was looking like it would be nice out, so after dinner and some rest, we headed back up to Whitefish Point to go hunting for these Fluorescent Sodalite rocks. There is a trademarked name for them that has some controversy about it, so I’ll stick to the technical term for them, so I don’t get sued. Before the trip I had ordered some UV 365nm
Once it was dark out, the hunting began. lights. The ones that people really swear by in the Great Lakes Fluorescent Sodalite Huntersgroup on Facebook would have taken too long to arrive before my trip. As the sun went down I was able to get some nice photos of the sky’s colors, my son playing on driftwood fortresses and just trying to get better at photography. Once it was dark out, the hunting began. I was surprised at how many people were also out. We didn’t find any, but quite a few people did. They are really dedicated. The ones that had the best luck were in the water turning over rocks while shining their lights to detect this beautiful orange glow. I will probably go back hunting for them again, but I will bring some water proof shoes, and hopefully a better flashlight.
After getting back to the campsite, I was able to get George up into the tent and to sleep. Although plenty of sand made it up into the tent, since he had fallen asleep on the way back and I didn’t want to really wake him up by changing him into his PJs. I was still awake and the moon was about to rise. I went down close to the lake and set up my tripod and camera. I can get really good pictures of the moon up in the sky, but the hard part is getting a shot with things in the foreground. The moon is extremely bright, you pretty much have to use daytime settings. But to get foreground and dark spots, you need a longer exposure. I was all set up for this, when I heard engine noises through the trees. I had been visited by three four wheelers earlier in the day, but headlights soon appeared through the trail. I turned on my headlamp, to alert them to my presence. It was an awkward feeling when you are alone in the woods, and you don’t know if this was another person who was just looking for a camp spot, or something else. It turned out it was a man and a woman and he was just showing her the lake and they were coming there to “see the moon.” They were nice enough and left, and I called it quits after that as the moon had risen above the tree line by then.
Sunday morning I was ready with the camera again and got some panoramas of the lake with the sun rising and the mist evaporating off the water. George and I hiked through the woods looking for any animal tracks but only found fallen trees. After some baseball practice, I put out the fire that had been burning up the charred remains that were there when I arrived. Having 20L nato cans of water really come in handy for this. I then took George to Sault Ste Marie to try our luck on seeing a freighter go through the Soo Locks. I wasn’t as lucky with this, but we did get to see a tour boat rise up and go into Lake Superior. I did find out there, you can see when something will be coming through using the webiste tracker at https://ais.boatnerd.com/passage/port/soolocks. While having a picnic lunch there, we got to talk to my wife and I think that made George a little homesick. Even though he had been counting the nights we were camping and we still had 1 night left, I was totally fine heading home a bit early. Most of the clean up of the site had already been done, so the only thing I had planned that day was the scenic drive around Whitefish Bay. That can wait for another trip. Luck was on my side again, as it turns out a very bad wind storm passed through that evening, so I was able to have a good night’s sleep at home.
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PHOTO : GREG MAINO
Mountain biking in the Keweenaw Peninsula Copper Harbor—and all around the Keweenaw—should be at the top of your list of mountain biking destinations
by Lynn Makela
The Keweenaw’s many mountain biking trail systems have gained regional and even national notoriety over the recent years, and we’re thrilled to share with visitors what local mountain bike enthusiasts have been raving about for decades. Mountain biking has always been one of our favorite activities here because it’s so accessible and a great way to explore the Keweenaw’s natural beauty. With over 645 miles of trails ranging from beginner to expert, there’s something for everyone. If you’re staying at one of our cabins, you’re a mere three miles away from Copper Harbor, the jumping off point to the famed Copper Harbor Trail System! And a really fun area to explore for experts and now—with the new beginning trails and weekly hosted rides—it’s a perfect place to learn!
Copper Harbor Trail System
Copper Harbor Trails are designated a Silver Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Biking Association—one of 10 trails in the world to earn this coveted ranking. The 37 miles of sweet single-track are free to use and open to the public, thanks to Copper Harbor Trails Association who drive the fundraising and volunteer program. Trails are accessible from several locations throughout the Copper Harbor area. Learn more about this epic trail system and plan your trip using the resources offered by the Copper Harbor Trails Club.
No bike, no problem
Keweenaw Adventure Company offers rentals and expert advice from their team of local mountain bike enthusiasts and guides so you can get on the trails in no time. There are also several options for guided mountain bike tours around the UP so you can skip the planning and gear toting altogether.
A trail for everyone
Copper Harbor has riding for all skill levels and riding styles. Downhill tracks, flow trails, traditional cross country, and burly technical options come in a broad mixture of everything from green runs to true double black diamond runs. If you want to earn your turns, take advantage of the vast number of grade reversals minimizing the amount of sustained climbing.
Beginners trails & group rides At the heart of the Copper Harbor Trails system, the family-friendly Back 9 Trails at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge are a great place to start because they’re easily rideable for all levels of riders. The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge also offers free guided rides throughout the week, no cost and no registration necessary. If you don’t have your own bike, you can rent one from them.
Calumet: Swedetown Near Calumet you’ll find 85 miles of trail, with the most noteworthy being the Swedetown Singletrack. It’s claimed to be the best singlespeed terrain in the area, and a great place for less experienced riders to familiarize themselves with singletrack riding. Folks also love this trail for the wildlife viewing.
Michigan Tech Trails
The Michigan Tech trails and Nara Park trails provide 23 miles miles of wide-track and technical trails ranging from beginner to advanced, making this a fun area no matter your experience level.
Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids Near Hancock, you’ll find 30 miles of trails that make up the Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids Trail System. They’re mainly intermediate but with several beginner and advanced options. Its scenic forest and stream make for a beautiful ride. Fun Fact— Jason proposed to Lynn on the Maasto Hiihto trail system so it’s a special place to us. <3
We’re Lynn and Jason Makela, and we love cabins. Our love for cabins started in 2018 when we purchased True North—in need of much repair but in a breathtaking setting on Lake Superior. After that, we were hooked and in 2020 added nine more cabins that we're updating and sharing with those willing to adventure to Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula—the most beautiful place on earth. Reach out to us if you’re looking for lodging or have any questions about planning your trip. We love hosting and sharing our favorite parts of this magical place. Read the full article on our website.
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PREPARING YOUR VEHICLE FOR WINTER ADVENTURE BY KEN FARLEY JR. EXPEDITION VEHICLE OUTFITTERS
Winter overlanding is personally one of my favorite activities. After the holiday season hustle and bustle is over, there is nothing like heading off to the woods for some deep snow wheeling and winter overlanding to relax. Winter in the midwest can definitely take its toll on your vehicle but here are some easy ways to make your vehicle last longer and be much more reliable during the winter months. Check your battery and charging system. A dead battery during a winter camping trip can make things not just unpleasant but down right dangerous. Here are a couple quick tips. If your vehicle's battery is at 75% capacity or lower it is time for a replacement. Regularly check your vehicle's battery terminals for corrosion and looseness, and at every oil change give them a quick check over. If it is time for battery replacement, consider replacing your battery with an AGM or Gel type battery. Because of their design they will handle vibration and bumps much better than a conventional automotive battery. Lastly ,check your battery hold down hardware to make sure your battery isn't bouncing around under the hood. Check your antifreeze. Nothing will dampen your mood like a cracked engine block because you were adding water to a leaking system all summer. Make sure your vehicle's engine coolant is clean and within vehicle manufacturers specs. Keep an eye out for leaks and have them properly repaired. Most coolant is rated for 100k miles and then should be serviced. Corrosion is our number one enemy, from rusted shocks and frames to squeaky joints and hinges. Winter time in the midwest means salt on our roads which then ends up on our vehicle's undercarriage. Some great ways to combat this are washing your vehicle routinely, bringing it into a warm garage to thaw out and thoroughly dry, and lastly some form of corrosion barrier on your vehicles expensive components. I have found that some car washes have seasonal packages for unlimited washes during the winter months, this can save a lot of money. Another great way to pamper your rig during the winter is bringing it into a nice warm garage and allow it to thoroughly thaw out and dry off, this doesn't have to be a nightly thing but once a week or so makes a big difference.
Use a form of corrosion barrier on underbody components for extended life. Coilover shocks and suspension joints can be expensive, make them last longer by thoroughly cleaning them then adding a coat of protection. There are many forms of protection you can try from Fluid Film and WD40s to ceramic coatings and oils. Each have there own great uses. The biggest principle to remember is to apply when the components are clean and dry, always read the instructions printed on the products. Check your tire condition. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get caught on a slick or snowy road with the wrong or worn tires. Most modern all terrain and mud terrain tires are designed with siping in the tread. Siping is all those thin little lines or zig zags cut into the tread of the tire. Every extra little edge on a tire will be one more grabbing edge on an icy road. So for icy conditions the more siping the better, hence why snow tires have tons of little Zs cut into them. Allow your vehicle to thaw out and completely dry off after a trip. I know this is the second time we have discussed this in this article, that is because it is very important. If you have snow packed under your vehicle it will be heated by the exhaust then can be cooled by the environment causing huge ice chunks under your vehicle. If you are running OEM or aftermarket skid plates this is very important as snow can become packed above the skid plates.
Get rid of that cabin fever and get your rig ready for winter. With these useful tips, you can be prepared to go out and enjoy the winter wonderland with confidence.
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KEWEENAW OVERLAND ADVENTURE RETREAT BY CINDY POPE
PHOTO BY BRIAN BUCKLER
For the past three years, a group of overland enthusiasts have brought a unique outdoor event to the Keweenaw Peninsula. If you were to drive through this year's base camp in September, you would have seen off road vehicles of every type with roof top tent, awning, teardrop and expedition-style trailer, kayaks, mountain bikes and dirt bikes, You would have noticed some exhibitor tents with camping and off road related products, local art and demos on dutch oven cooking and bike packing. You would have seen people of all ages gathering with old friends and making new ones. You would have seen kids fishing and dogs playing. You would have seen the biggest bonfire, heard some great live music and sampled some tasty local brews. You would have seen the upper midwest overland community growing in friendship and in service to the wild forests and shores of the Keweenaw.
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAIN
Photo: Jeremy Byington
When the pandemic started ramping up
every weekend." I think the residents
and the big overland events cancelled or
hardly knew we were there amongst the
went virtual, we watched closely as the
numerous giant RVs, atvs, mountain bikes,
environment changed. We watched the
motorcycles, and locals looking to escape
Michigan COVID restrictions and knew
to the woods for a few days. Still, you could
that if our event was not within the
see the smiles behind the masks. This is a
guidelines for their re-opening plans, we
tourist town, you know.
would have to cancel as well. Thankfully as soon as the tickets were sold out, the
Regarding our event specifically, we kept it
Upper Peninsula went into phase 4, the
small, eliminated the community meals,
phase allowed outdoor events of up to 250
indoor gatherings, common touch
people with social distancing.
surfaces, and used copious amounts of hand sanitizer, built the biggest, hottest
The crazy thing is that the Upper
social distancing bonfire ever and obeyed
Peninsula and Copper Harbor specifically
the rules that were put in place by the
has been super busy all season. Every
state of Michigan.
campground, every gas station, every little mom & pop shop has confirmed this new
In the end, those rules worked and our
reality, "its been like a holiday weekend
community is stronger than ever.
Photo: Jody Cameron
We were so honored to have some fun and informational demos and clinics by some great people. A big thank you to Becca Foss for explaining the joys of bike packing and noodles, Joel Kasper with Tread Lightly, cooking demos from Bob Levenhagen of 4xploring, cooking & vanlife fun with Austin Kalcec and Evan Blagec of True North Outpost, mechanical tips with Taylor Kosky of Kosky Offroad, communications demos by Jack Flood and all you need to know about 270 awnings by Todd Mowrer. Thanks also to Asa Meadows for facilitating the astrophotography session.
LOOKING FORWARD The KOAR team and the community are committed to responsible recreation. We have all heard the horror stories this past summer of so-called "COVID campers" leaving trash, cutting trees and acting in a manner that is not aligned with the Leave No Trace or Tread Lightly ethic. The harsh reality is that people have been behaving badly in the woods for years and the surge in outdoor activity due to the increase in people enjoying the outdoors has magnified the bad behavior. A Keweenaw Outdoor Recreation Coalition (KORC) member, Gina Nicholas, visited us and talked about the organization's efforts to preserve recreation for all in the Keweenaw Peninsula. They raised funds and have installed bear-proof garbage containers at a popular dispersed camp location at High Rock Bay. A few of us were given the combination to the lock and were asked to empty the trash whenever we are in the area. We are honored to be a part of this and we ask that everyone check out KORC website and consider joining the organization. We have an opportunity here to help make a real difference in preserving the area. I sometimes feel guilty about luring people to this beautiful part of the upper peninsula, but then again, the type of people I am bringing up here are exactly the people who should be here- people who can appreciate & respect the natural beauty and that can help keep the area cleaned up so we can all enjoy it. Photo: Matthew Frey
-Cindy Pope
Photo: Cindy Pope