The Research Station

Headed to Colter Bay Wednesday morning. Aided by Shawn’s Disabled Veteran Card we get $9/night camping in a great site with Mountain glimpses and a short walk to Jackson Lake. It's definitely more cost effective sharing expenses with 2 other people. The three of us hiked the 9 miles to Hermitage Point Wednesday afternoon. My new hiking shoes gave me an odd blister on my heal so I'll wear my sandles for a few days.

This morning Shawn and I bicycled to Jackson Lake Lodge and back to Leeks Marina - not more than 15 miles but fairly windy and uphill. I think I'm getting a little more fit but avoiding the scales can be deceptive. This evening we met Cal at the UW/NPS Research station for a seminar and BBQ. The topic was quite dry but the people were very friendly and the location right on a point facing the Tetons. It was previously a hunting lodge, bought by the NPS in the ‘70’s. Apparently the décor hasn’t been changed since.

It’s now becoming apparent that Shawn and I are more compatible than Cal. He likes to smoke and drinks more than us. He’s a great guy, just on a different path. Shawn and I will head to Jackson this weekend without Cal.

Friday morning we’ll go back to the Research Station as they let us leave Shawn’s car and my motorcycle there over the weekend so we can take just one car to Jackson.

Lazy Day

After Monday night's fairly late sharing of meal and drinks a lazy day was in order. The views here are amazing. I still can’t believe they don’t charge for these sites. Tomorrow the three of us will head into the Park to Colter Bay and do some hiking and biking. Not sure how long we’ll stay together. Shawn is due to head South but Cal and I may go back to Yellowstone together. Only time will tell. It’s been hot here during the day (high 80’s) but with little humidity so feels far better than Georgia. Apparently the bugs here, and apparently everywhere that gets significant snow are the worst in years. The fly-screen tent is still greatly appreciated by all.

More New Friends

Drove past Yellowstone Lake into the Tetons this morning. It's still as beautiful as in my 2004 trip. Arrived in Flagg Ranch, just outside the Tetons NP. After I suggested that camping next to an RV was not in my itinerary, the visitors center people told me about Grassy Lake Rd on Polecat creek.

The first of 8 campsites had 4 spaces right by the river, a vault toilet (nicer than it sounds), fire grates and picnic tables. Everything but potable water. Seeing as I carry about 10 gallons with me plus a water purifier that was no problem. Better still, on a dirt road so no noisy RV’s and more amazingly it was free. There must be some rule about not charging for sites without water. It was as nice as many for which I’ve paid up to $20 a night.

That’s where I met Shawn and Cal. They were standing in one of the sites chatting and waved. I said hi, pulled up in the next site and went over. We quickly decided to camp together for the next few days. Cal’s been on the road for 7 months and Shawn for the last month or so. He was in Desert Storm in the early 90’s, is now a disabled veteran and spends his summer’s traveling away from his Texas home. None of us has a tight schedule so exploring the area together is easy. We’re all very different but get along well so far. It’s easy without the stress of a city or job.

Shawn and I bicycled the 20 miles roundtrip to Grassy Lake then enjoyed a jointly prepared dinner inside my bug-free screened tent, unanimously agreed as the best purchase ever.

Bear Attack !

I planned to spend the night at Yellowstone Friday and head to the Grand Tetons on Saturday morning. As is becoming the norm, I was guided another way. After the glorious Beartooth pass, it was around 8pm when I began arriving at the pre-Yellowstone campgrounds. They were all closed.

At the Yellowstone NE entrance they told me a recent bear attack had closed most of the nearby campgrounds and the only one inside the park still not full was 65 miles (about 3hrs drive) away. They suggested trying Fall Creek, about 15 miles east. I did. They wouldn’t allow me to sleep in a soft-sided vehicle (as is the case with my truck topper) so I could sleep in the very cramped cab for $23 or head back a few miles to Pilot’s Creek, a vacant space about 5 miles back where anybody can camp for free. If I was going to get eaten by a bear I may as well be doing it without paying so off I went.

Arriving at Pilot’s Creek it looked as if many people had been given this option. The only space left was next to a family setting up. I stopped and asked if they were OK with me camping beside them. They said sure. I noticed the tent just being put up so offered to help. The Sprayman's (Tyler, Dawn, Asher and Annalise) was very friendly as I came to discover. After helping them set up their tent, we spent the evening chatting, cooking hot chocolate for the kids and generally enjoying the evening.

Saturday morning I wanted to take the KTM back up to the Beartooth pass to enjoy the twisty roads I had experienced on the way in. The Sprayman’s told me they were heading into Yellowstone and had a reserved campsite. Asher (7) and Annalise (5) had taken somewhat of a liking to me and I enjoyed their good manners and behavior so with my usual assertiveness I suggested I’d be happy to share their site in Yellowstone the following night. Dawn and Tyler agreed so we met up after my ride around 3pm. Lucky me, I turned up just when the work was starting. After helping Tyler and Asher put up the tent I suggested cooking dinner for the 5 of us as a thankyou and to avoid my always melting food situation. We all enjoyed the meal and some frothy libations. I may have to detour to Missoula to see them again at their home. It’s great to meet new friends on this trip.

Took a great motorcycle ride around part of Yellowstone Canyon Country Sunday morning. Saw the Upper and Lower Falls, the Mud Volcano, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (photos will be uploaded asap). It’s amazing what 640,000 years can do for creating beauty from devastation. I’ll relax tonight, pack up and get ready for an early morning departure to the Grand Tetons Monday. I expect to return to Yellowstone in a week or so to see the rest of the attractions.

Couch surfing Billings

On a Sunday afternoon with a broken bike a Couch surfing host was truly needed so I got online and found another person in Billings with a phone number listed.

After a brief explanation of my situation, success. John was willing to put me up, although I must admit he sounded like I woke him from a nap. He's a programmer living alone in a nice little downtown apartment. It was perfect. When he offered to cook I suggested adding some of the items I had in my continuously warming cooler. By the time we were done choosing ingredients there was going to be more food than we needed. Perfect opportunity for him to invite some friends from Kyrgyzstan who were here on a summer work program. Kyrgyzstan is a small country south of Kazakhstan and east of Uzbekistan which reclaimed independence after the collapse of the former USSR. John had lived in Kyrgyzstan with his family and then alone for a few years so speaks slightly rusty fluent Russian. He is a rare individual indeed and still only mid-twenties. We had a very pleasant evening and cultural exchange.

Monday morning John headed off to work and I headed off to find a fix for the KTM. After using the car jack to hoist the bike on the carry rack still attached to the back of the truck, I was able to remove the back wheel. Now to find some bearings. None of the open motorcycle dealers had a clue and the KTM dealer was closed on Mondays. After a quick Internet search to find the right parts, I headed to a local bearing manufacturer who had multiple sets handy. They directed me to a machine shop two streets away for installation. It all seemed too easy. After a few hours of exploring town I headed back to the shop. Great news - they hadn't touched my wheel. Apparently after trying a hammer and punch (silly of me to think a machine shop would have any type of bearing puller) they were afraid to damage it and stopped. I guess I'd have to wait until Tuesday. That would mean convincing John to let me stay. Luckily, he was very accommodating. Tuesday morning I headed to the dealer to suggest I borrow some tools and do the job myself. They declined and said they could do it - in the next 4 or 5 hours. Deciding to be a pushy customer I hung around and whined, achieving absolutely nothing. Eventually they started the job and with my watchful eye got it done without completely destroying (although they made a valiant effort) my wheel. All's well that ends well and my bike was back together that night.

Instead of ditching me the next day John suggested I stay for Shakespeare in the Park on Wednesday evening, followed by a trip to the Drive-in with some of his friends. That was fine with me. To add to the fun, we unexpectedly attended a BBQ with his work for lunch. So many new people, it was great. It was also a very busy day.

Thursday was another invite to watch John and his friend Bill go paragliding. It is an incredibly peaceful event never to be missed, improved upon only by participating yourself, which unfortunately I was not qualified to do. After all this, eventually I would have to leave for fear of John kicking me out so decided Friday would be the day.

This afternoon, with joy in my heart I head off to the Grand Tetons via the Beartooth Pass and Yellowstone. I say farewell to Billings with many thanks to John, Doug, Andy, Jacob and the plethora of others, knowing it will not be the last time I visit this wonderful place and its thoroughly enjoyable people.

Arriving in Billings, MT

Arriving in Billings late Saturday afternoon, I had to satisfy my unsatiable need for ice. With two coolers and a multitude of warming groceries I stopped at a Wendy's, hoping to get a freebie from their ice machine. Apparently not all fast food places have a drink machine in the foyer with ice in the middle. This one had it behind the counter which just made the request too difficult. As I was heading out I spotted a "hut" in the parking lot next door - not so many of these in the South, they're a small 8 x 8 sized building with all variety of retail items - selling coffee and ice-creams. With nobody else around I pulled up and asked the girl (Sam was her name) if she would mind filling my ice bag. She obliged and also gave me some great information on places to stay and things to do. My plan was to spend a day in the area and continue on to the Tetons.

I found the Yellowstone River campground where Sam had told me and took their last tent space. Being a mostly RV park it didn't exactly grab me but I figured where else would I find a campground on a Saturday night in a city. Just as I was walking out of the office a girl came in dressed in bicycle garb and asked how much for a tent space. She was clearly suprised to hear the $30 which is sort of steep for a tent and even more so when they said there were none left. I told her I'd share the space happily and after extracting another $5 from us for the third person (her boyfriend Matt) th three of us headed off to find the space.

Meeting Anna and Matt has turned out to be one of the best experiences of this trip. Not only were they very interesting people, cycling from Portland to Maine, but they told me about a website called http://www.couchsurfing.com/. It provides exactly what I had been trying to achieve randomly. It's like a social networking site for travellers. People who host provide cultural and personal experiences about their town (plus of course a place to stay) and surfers can give back the same. It's a fantastic idea and it's all non-profit. It may help to make our world a smaller, more understanding place. I created a profile that night and decided to see if I could find somewhere in Billings to stay an extra night to see some of the interesting sites in the area.

Sunday morning as Matt and Anna were heading out a guy walked over and said he'd noticed my motorcycle. He told me about this amazing hill climb area just outside town. After accidentally riding down a hiking trail and asking a few hikers I found the area and WOW ! A very cool space with varied riding and much fun. A couple of hours of challenging myself and the bike and I felt the rear tire slipping, thinking I had a flat. It wasn't so I figured I was just getting tired and decided to head back to camp. Picking up a little speed on the dirt road it felt very unstable. Looking down I discovered the rear wheel had chewed up a bearing. Not so good for riding and of course it was Sunday. A couple of young guys I'd been riding with were kind enough to give me a ride back to camp to pick up my truck. Now would be the fun part, how to fix it ?

The Circle Travellers Inn

As a continuation of the Richey oddities, shortly after the weather cleared up I grabbed my pillow from the car to put it in the tent, only to discover that although the tarp and outside of the tent had stayed dry, the inside of the tent and my sleeping pad were quite wet. Very unusual. Pulling it out to dry and shaking the tent I decided to pull the car out from under the pavilion and sleep in the car in case the rain came back. Just at that point a cold chill ran down my back and a feeling I shouldn't stay there at all came over me. Having just had the prior experience I listened and quickly packed up the truck. Heading toward the next town on Hwy 200 I was getting tired and wondered where I would sleep. 30 miles later entering Circle, MT I saw a motel but didn't really want to stay. I drove past a small gas station with some women outside so stopped and asked them if there was a campground. They said the only place around was the motel so back I went.

Long story short, the motel was clean, cheap and even had free wi-fi that allowed me to catch up on blogging and a friendly cat that enjoyed a good head scratch. There was also a wonderful new laudromat just around the corner that allowed me to do 2 weeks washing in one load. All in all an excellent choice.

Travelling with a Guide

After leaving Grand Forks early afternoon I didn't want to go too far before camping so drove about 100 miles toward Devil's Lake where I'd been told there was lots of camping. I think lots is an overstatement but I did find the Graham's Island State Park with great views and a nice spot.

Friday morning the 18th I left early so I could get in a good day. North Dakota is mostly level farmland without many attractions unless wheat or corn are of special interest. The plan was to make it into Montana that day. Following US Highway 2 west I drove about 300 miles before arriving in Culbertson, MT around 2pm local mountain time. That is when the curiosities began.

Crossing from ND to MT I was trying to decide whether to head northwest toward Glacier National Park or South West toward Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. As will become abundantly clear, I was being guided and thankfully listened.

The welcome center in Culbertson is clearly not a government one. It's a small brick building with very few markings and a small additional sign that says museum. A young man probably about 17, also unusual for welcome centers, greeted me. Come to find out this is mostly a local town initiative and they do it incredibly well. After a couple of hours of exploring one of the most comprehensive and impressive local history museums I left, together with information and maps covering all of Montana and Wyoming.

With the attendant's assistance (I never did get his name) I decided on heading south first, toward the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. I chose a small-unpaved road to begin the trip. 40 miles and a very dusty Tacoma later, I was looking longingly at the farms along the road for a repeat of the Grand Rapids experience. I came close to stopping at a few but they just didn't give me the right feeling. The gravel road ended at a town named Richey with nothing resembling a campground on the map for many miles.

Heading through town toward Hwy 200 where the next turn came, I saw a couple of guys talking by their trucks outside a bar. My friendly hello was greeted with one of those, "great, another lost tourist" blank stares. Upon asking if there was any camping in the area they both immediately pointed and said, "top of the hill, go left, there's a park". And that was that. I wondered what sort of park this might be. The town was certainly not the wealthiest looking. As I crested the hill, a sign pointed out Hwy 200, so at least I was heading in the right direction for leaving. Taking the left I spotted a small scruffy looking park just down on the right. The sign said, "Richey City Park, Restrooms Closed, Tourists Welcome". Slightly amused I turned in and stopped.

With nobody around and no obvious camping spots I headed toward a home across the street to ask questions. As luck would have it, nobody was home and I was wondering if I was allowed to camp overnight or if I'd be arrested in my sleep. It's about 6pm by this time and becoming very windy. A that time one of the guys from outside the bar drives up and says, "yes, this is the park and yes, you can stay overnight".

I begin to put up my tent as he drives off, wondering if he came to check on me or if he really had some reason to be heading up a deserted looking gravel road. 5 or 10 minutes later as I was still struggling with my tarp and tent in the wind the guy returned. He said I should pull up under the pavilion to block the wind and avoid the likely rain overnight. The sky had started looking ominous so I took the tent in that direction and pulled some tables out of the way to make space, pulling the truck up to the edge of the concrete to protect the tent from the wind. The rain started to sprinkle in large drops so I pulled the drivers' side up on the concrete out of the weather to access my gear without getting too wet. As is starts to spot heavier I decide to bring the whole truck up there with my tent so I can access both sides and the back too. Not 5 minutes after completing the table and pole avoidance game the lightening, torrential rain and then buckets of hail all came down around me. The vehicle, tent and I all remained safe, dry and dent free.
I sit here 30 minutes later writing this and the storm has passed, the birds are chirping, the trees rustling and I'm thankful for being more in touch with the universe than ever before. To those who say what a wonderful coincidence, I say believe what you please and I will continue to attract wonderful coincidences. Listen with your feelings and not your mind and it's amazing what can be experienced.

Grand, Grand Forks

After the Chippewa National Forest there's not much left in Minnesota other than farmland so I headed for North Dakota. Arriving in Grand Forks (and right next to it East Grand Forks, Minnesota) early afternoon I headed for the visitor's center, always a good choice. Picking up a few brochures I learned of a downtown campground (that is actually in Minnesota) and thought I'd check it out.
In 1997 the Red River that runs through the cities flooded heavily and put most of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks under water. The Army Core of Engineers suggested a greenway around the river that would protect the residents and provide 2200 acres of parks that are now used for bike trails, camping, picnics and an assortment of other great outdoor activities. It was so nice I stayed for two days and explored the city and surrounds on foot and bicycle. A fairly quiet town when UND (University of North Dakota) is on break there are many historical homes that can be viewed by a walk around the downtown area. With low humidity and highs around 85 it was great to visit. I suspect winter is a whole different story with temps getting below zero regularly.

It was also a great opportunity to catch up on the blog as there was a nice little bakery with free wi-fi. I met some of the staff and hung out with them tonight at a local outdoor cafe named the Toasted Frog. Tomorrow morning I'll continue west toward Montana.

Much later that day...

July 14th was very eventful. After leaving the baseball field, I checked my maps and headed for a park Paula had suggested just outside town. It was about 6.30pm and still very light. I stopped at the park but it was a little crowded so decided to keep heading west. Stopping again about 50 miles later at the Norway Beach campground within the Chippewa National Forest I looked around but just didn't feel like staying. I headed a few more miles down the road and spotted Pike Bay campground. Rather than driving 6 miles down the dirt road to the camp, I took a quick right down a little road I spotted heading toward the lake.

It was great. Single track, secluded and quiet. I got to park right in front of the water. Just what I felt like after the busy day I'd had. I figured out a way to climb into the back of the truck without removing the motorcycle and after a quick bite drifted off. I awoke in the morning to sounds like the land before time. Giant buzzing moths(thankfully not inside with me) and large pterodactyl like birds flying around. Enclosed in so much greenery it felt very strange and special. Another day in paradise on the road to the West. The adventure continues to North Dakota...

Later that day ....

After leaving Dorrie and Harv's home, I headed toward the Forest History Center, an attraction they had suggested. Grand Rapids (and much of North Eastern Minnesota) started out as logging towns. The Forest History Center is an interactive recreated logging town set in Winter 1900. (that part takes a little imagination when it's 90* outside). After the tour finished and the woman with 6 children left, I chatted for a while with Brian our guide. He had been doing this for 5 years and was very knowledgeable about the center and the area in general. I headed off to the river for some more information. Realizing I hadn't eaten that day and it being about 3pm I decided to head off. Two of the interpreters as they are known were sitting in front of the cook house having a break when I walked by. Part of the program is that they cook traditional dishes (mostly so the cook house smells good) and I came to discover sometimes offer morsels to weary travellers such as myself. A cookie was gladly accepted and then venison and veggies. Fawn and Paula were great hosts. They're below in their costumes at the Histroy Center. By the end of our discussion Paula was calling her husband Bob to see if I could come home and spend some time with them. She thought her two kids would love to hear about Australia. Bob had to work night shift that night so it was agreed having a stranger in the house would be too much stress for him. I did however join them for a parents against kids little league game that evening. It was another new experience and something I enjoyed immensely. I even got to play. There's a photo of Paula and her family at the park on the left slideshow. If you're ever in Grand Rapids the Forest History Center is worth a stop, if only to chat with Paula, Fawn, Brian and the rest of the interpreting crew.

Random Meetings

My first (of many I expect) self induced unusual experience of the trip. Having been at campgrounds in fairly remote areas for the last two weeks or so I decided if I was going to learn about the US and its towns I needed to meet the people. As I was entering Grand Rapids, MN I devised my plan. I would find somebody outside in their yard and tell them briefly about my trip and plans, hoping they would have the time and desire to tell me about their life and town. An additional desire was to find a place to stay and perhaps after chatting for a while they would find some space for me somewhere. I didn't have any expectations (or much of a plan) so when the main street of Grand Rapids was closed with a detour into a residential area I knew I was on the right path. It would have been easy to chicken out as you just don't know how people will react and I'm not the most extroverted person.

What would you know, the first person I came across was the retired Police Chief. In retrospect that was probably better as you would expect him to be a fairly good judge of character. I chatted with Harvey and his son Alan, himself visiting from Denver, for at least 3 hours. During that time, Harvey's daughter Beth dropped by with her daughter as did some other of his grandchildren. I came to discover he has 5 kids and 9 grandchildren, a good portion of whom I actually met. I had brought up the question of a place to stay when I first arrived and nothing more was said about it. As it began to get dark I wondered if he was going to say, "It's been nice chatting with you, bye now". Thankfully, when he said he had to go inside, he offered that I could camp in his yard. Normally that would have been fine but with the motorcycle on the back and only staying one night that's quite an effort to remove everything. I ended up laying on my air mattress in their garage. It's funny how after spending the last week at the mercy of the elements and insects, a warm, dry garage without bugs and with light for writing is as enjoyable as any of the variety of 5 star hotels I've stayed in around the world. Everything is relative and joy is what you choose.

In the morning I went to the door to thank them as I was leaving. Harvey's wife answered and the three of us chatted for a while. I had not yet met Dorrie and she mentioned she had been considering creating a blog too so we went to their office and I showed her how to do it. We ended up spending another couple of hours working on some PC issues she'd had. I was glad I could provide some service for their generosity and we all went away with what I believe was a very positive experience. I learned a lot about them and their town, exactly what I had planned to do.

It was bound to happen

My first REALLY rainy period where I didn't have the comfort of somebody's home.

Spent most of the day Friday in the car, sitting out the rain. Arrived in Ely, talked to the forest Service people and got info about the Boundary Waters for some kayaking. Headed out to Fenske Lake, a Nat Forest campground that’s closest to town. That way Sat I could to town and talk to some outfitters about renting a kayak. Severe thunderstorms and hail were forecast. I missed the hail. I sat in the car and told the sky I wasn’t interested in hail. I fell asleep and woke up with the sky so dark it seemed like night but was only 2pm. Lots of wind and rain but no hail. It cleared up enough for me to put up my screen kitchen, cook some dinner and put everything away. Then it came down again, most of the night I guess. I headed into Ely Sat on the bike but it was too windy to leave the bike for fear of it toppling over (caught it once).

It's Sunday now and I've been in Ely, MN for a couple of days, trying to find a good time to go kayaking on the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness. It just doesn't look like it's going to happen unless I grow webbed feet. I guess somebody is telling me to move on.

It has still been fun here and I'd like to return sometime. I found a few good dual-sport trails and went for a hike around Lake Fenske where I'm camped. The definite benefit has been that the natives (insects) don't seem to care for this weather either - they've been noticeably absent.

Got a new sleeping pad last night from Steve at the Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters - highly recommended. The bliss of sleep makes it all OK.

Pondering Minnesota

As I sit here around 10pm after a heartily enjoyed meal of self prepared stir fried veggies and chicken, I ponder the serenity of the Minnesota backwoods at Pfeiffer Lake in the Superior National Forest. With the mosquitoes buzzing me like Kamikaze jet pilots, in my fly screen hat, feeling like a complete goober, I ponder it intently. All I can say is, thank God there aren’t any biting flies – blood sucking little bastards they are.

Having arrived today from Michigan, via a brief fuel stop in Wisconsin, I have discovered something I’m sure many a Northerner discovers as a child. Bugs swarm like hungry titans at the beginning of summer. I, of course, being a born-again Georgian, thinking I would be avoiding the heat, have been traveling right INTO bug season in every state I’ve visited thus far. I don’t just mean mosquitoes. I mean crazed, insane, biting flies, I mean all variety of flying insects that are so hungry for blood they don’t care that you’re wearing DEET 100% which I suspect means sure death for them. They just don’t care. The label says Woodsman Strength, UP TO 10hrs of protection from ALL the aforementioned insects. Obviously, UP TO in marketing speak means 30 seconds in what I’m guessing is hatching season and anybody who’s been here at this time knows I’m not exaggerating. Aside from that, it’s been bliss. Amazing scenery, good weather (I have avoided any kind of heat) and nice people when I’ve come across them during my stays at various State and National Parks.

Having had to leave my chair due to the noise of swarms, I find myself gratefully bug free in my tent, even if it only fits me. It’s been a quick 4 days since I left the relative comfort of Alpena. My goal, for no particular reason, is to spend no more than one night every 2 weeks in a hotel, mostly to do washing. I’ve discovered that all variety of campgrounds have showers and some even have clothes washing facilities. I’m enjoying the peace but do crave more human interaction. I think when I come to a place I really like the look of I will find a sublet or room to share and explore more thoroughly from there. For now, I will continue on my journey, hoping to avoid bad weather and anything large enough to eat me.

Just a side note – anybody who has ever contemplated do a trip like this should. It is joyous and peaceful but maybe that’s just my perspective.

The Thunder Bowl

After dropping Monika on Sunday morning I leisurely headed up the West coast of MI. Spotting Fisherman's Island State Park I decided to camp. I unpacked my various toys and took the bike for a ride to see what the town had to offer. To my suprise, a very European looking village named Charlevoix appeared in my sights. Sidewalk cafes, yachts in the harbor, a band in the rotunda and people playing chess in the park. All that and a beautiful sunny day. I parked and explored a little before picking up some supplies from a store and heading back to camp. I set up my new screened porch for the first time and enjoyed a bug free meal looking out over Lake Michigan. With some dark clouds forming I took down the screenbefore bed and smiled to myself as I and the tent stayed dry in the back of the truck while it rained a little overnight.

Monday morning and time for the UP. Stopping at the National Forest Service just past Mackinaw I asked about the off-road trails I had seen on a map earlier. The very helpful woman gave me a County Forest Trail map and for the princely sum of $8 said I could have the entire camp to myself (if I could find it). A few hours and many turns later I eventually found Leg Lake. I had the entire lake to myself. I decided to cook up the meat I had into a wonderful Drew's special spaghetti resplendent with brocolli, mushrooms, onions and much tabasco and other spices. The night didn't fare well for my screen porch. It rained heavily and by morning it was a soggy mess. The day looked like it was trying to dry so I shook the porch out and put it in the open while I headed off to explore the trails on my motorcycle. After a few false starts I found the "Thunder Bowl" as the locals call it. Mostly for snowmobiles and ATV's it was a very large, very sandy bowl area with trails going off in all directions. Challenging for two wheels but helped by the previous nights' rain it was a blast. A few hours later I returned to more sun and a sufficiently dry screen to dust off the dried mud and pack it up. An enjoyable stay by all accounts.

Heading for Minnesota Tuesday morning I decided to stop off at Michigan's Porcupine Mountains State Park, my last view of Lake Superior and a must see for the coastline and lake of the clouds area. Arriving about 4pm after a fairly long drive the attendent said all the beach spots were taken. I suggested he just give me what he thought was a nice interior spot. As it turns out, Site 8 was probably the best, for although it wasn't directly on the water side, it had a higher, better view (see more pics left). I made a few friends of people walking into my area to see the view.
One couple suggested a few places in MN for my continuing trip. It was so nice I stayed two days so I could visit Lake of the Clouds, Ontonagon and the surrounding coasts. It was very relaxing and somewhat hard to leave as the weather was great and the people friendly but Grand Rapids beckoned so off I went.

Goodbye to Alpena

Although I've waited to post about it until now, my friend Monika and I left Indy for her father's place in Alpena, MI June 21. After a brief repose at her brother's cabin on Hubbard Lake, we arrived Sunday mid afternoon to some showers but a great view. His home is right on Lake Huron with nothing but sand as backyard. It reminds me of the place I lived in Adelaide when I lived there back in '95. His home was to be our base for the two weeks Monika was accompanying me on the trip. The first week or so we spent hanging around his place catching up on some time consuming and time sensitive tax matters (thankfully he has wi-fi). At least when one has to work doing it from a place like that with a "built drink" in hand makes it a little more tolerable.

Of course, it wasn't all work. Monika's father owns a charter fishing business and so we ventured out onto the lake one wee-early morning at around 6am to see what was biting. The answer unfortunately was, only the mosquitoes. Although we had a multitude of very complex looking devices, both electronic and mechanical, it all comes down to whether there are fish out there. We did catch one but it was not of the legal size to keep so back it went. As you can see, I fish with great enthusiasm. The day was not wasted though as it was a great boat ride and I think I learned something about off-shore fishing. Osmosis you know !! Although other attempts were made to go out again the weather never co-operated and we were stuck with having to play pool, indoor shuffle-board and beach tennis. Not to mention the jet-ski's, bicycle trips and an occasional foray with my motorcycle, both on and off-road. The time we spent in Alpena was both very memorable and enjoyable. I met a great variety of Monika's family including her brothers Skip and Bill, their lovely wives Karen and Candace, not to mention her father Capt. Larry and his wife Barb. Without them and their generosity the entire trip through Alpena would have been not much more than a few traffic lights and a pretty harbor. See Michigan photos to the left for more on the area, including time in Alpena and the rest of MI.

After the trip to the Youper with Monika, we returned to Alpena for July 4 fun. Billy and Candace joined us for the weekend and we had a bunch of fun including launching their new boat, heading into town for the fireworks and of course hitting the local bar on the way home for late night drinks and hamburgers. Candace's driving only scared me when my eyes were open and the music was quiet so of course that wasn't a problem. We took off Sunday morning for Traverse City where I threw Monika out the door so she could grab a rental to head back to Indy while I head off to the wilderness and more adventure.

The Best Mother I've ever had

She is Magnificent
She is Young at heart

She is Magnanimous
She is Open and kind
She is Truth personified
She is Happy by choice
She is Everything I have ever needed
She is Revered by all who meet her

She is the best mother I've ever had.

Hello mum. I wish I could be there to do fun things with you today but I know you'll enjoy the now without me. I love you lots and thank you for everything that has allowed me to be on this trip. Happy Birthday. Drew.