waited for all the bucking horses & fast horses to leave before starting off, we just took our time & let our horses pick their way down the trail as it was going to be a long day of riding. Beautiful forests today- trees everywhere, winding trails in the pines- lunch was served – hot ham & cheese, cookies, chips and drinks. Just an hour or so from camp! Coming into the camp area we could tell we were high & the valley was deep but the trees were so thick we couldn’t see. Fed the horses & our supper was beef stew & our OK friends had burgers, we visited with them while we ate & then the folks from Vermont Jeanie & Mike came over & we all visited- enjoyable- then to the meeting - water on the trail unlike today- that is good 27.3 miles to McKinley & a long bus ride for the rig jumpers like Lee tomorrow-Good Night!
Sunday- 27.3 South Branch to McKinley- What an absolutely beautiful ride! Riding out of camp down the hill to the water which was beautiful with the steam rising off of it- horses drank and then proceeded to cross their first wooden boardwalk- then off through the forest – ferns everywhere, so beautiful with a few flowers here and there- mostly just trails by the beautiful Au Sable River. So pretty with the fast, cold flowing water! Riding down to water the horses Lee & Granite were surprised & surprised in turn, a kayaker right by the waters edge! Granite was-I don’t think so – just as the 2nd kayak sped by his nose! It was so funny- the kayakers’ surprised faces told the story. On we trotted, across roads & down beautiful trails- our eyes and ears taking in so many things today! Saw several deer & chipmunk- Jeanie from Vermont saw a porcupine! I would have loved to have seen a live one- saw a road kill one later. At the meeting tonight they said tomorrow we would have another beautiful day as we headed to Luzerne- across the new Boardwalk! Can’t wait!
Monday Sept 11 McKinley to Luzerne- Hit the trail at 8am- off through the poplar & aspen trees all popping in the wind- foggy in the low areas but we climbed today and seemed to be going up most of the day- beautiful trails winding through the forest- some deep sand but mostly good footing for the horses and plenty of places to water. We finally start down a long trail to the BOARDWALK! How cool was that! Clippty-clop over the marsh and creek and then there was another one to cross. I don’t know how many man hours & material it took to build this but they did a fantastic job! It is sturdy and no slipping- very safe- THANK YOU! Saw lots of ferns today- green to brown- saw a black squirrel, a partridge, a few deer, chipmunks(so cute) & lots of giant ant hills, which the horses didn’t like. Some of the maples are turning fantastic colors of red, orange and yellow. Saw lots of birch trees today also. Tonight one of the Ok gals, Amy, was telling how she got her trailer stuck on a stump- took the guys 2 hours to get her off of it- had to cut it out- tomorrow 24.9 miles to 4 Mile Camp.
Day 5 47 degrees- Oh what a day! Sand and more sand! Started off climbing & then leveled off & rode across several roads & then beautiful forests- lunch at Smith Bridge-hot dogs, hot ham& cheese, yum! Watered at the creek & then across Smith Bridge – now for the 7 miles of road which is all sand & it heated up to 80 degrees which made the deep sand that much harder. 4 mile camp meeting was short and sweet! 3 sets of bees today, music at the fire pit tonight- Lee played fiddle with them-was a lot of fun- Late night getting to bed-10pm!
Sept 13- 25.2 This morn was a beautiful clear sky- both dippers plain to see and so bright and beautiful-looked like you could just reach up and grab them! Rode out at 8am- down the trail to the road- under I-75 bridge-not much water-lots of logging- Lynn got hurt on her mule- broke 4 ribs I heard later-81 – deep sand- 7 hour day. Helped pack up Lynn and her mule and she drove herself home!
Goose Creek to Kalkaska- 20.1 miles Beautiful ride today! Started off riding across the Manistee River-down the steps & into the cold water- out on the trail then- sand roads but then beautiful trails all the way in and awesome colors- Mayhem Swamp- beautiful birch trees. Meeting at 7 was fun- trails all day for tomorrow! Yay!
Look for the remaining portion of the Shore to Shore ride in the January issue!
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Oh what a day! Sand and more sand!