Midwest trip recommendations

[fotooutdoors]

My brother, dad, sister's boyfriend and I are planning a roughly week-long trip. Dad is in Ohio, two of us in Wisconsin, and one will either be in DC or Minnesota. Our initial thought is the North country trail in the lower peninsula of Michigan. I would like plenty of singletrack, but probably not too technical given others' experience and the fact that our bikes are rigid. My dad and I have done day rides near luddington on the NCT, and it seems a good candidate.

Is there any other route we should be looking at? Any portion of the NCT if we stick with that? To my knowledge, the routes in the UP are mainly gravel and double track, or else that would be higher on my list Looking at moderately short days; maybe in the range of 40 miles per day based on what I have ridden of the NCT; not more than 8 hours riding per day. We can do out and back, loop, or set up a shuttle, since there will be two vehicles and four people, though loops are my ideal so long as the route is not half gravel as a result. Something drivable in less than 8 hours from everyone is bes, though there is wiggle room.

[JimL]

Hey fotooutdoors,

The only other trail/singletrack route in MI that I can recommend is the High Country Pathway, however it’s a bit more rustic and technical (read: carrying your bike over deadfall, bushwhacking around flooded areas and riding/walking slippery wooden skinny bridges) so save that for another day.  And you’re correct about the U.P.- mostly gravel.  You could bikepack / trail to trail ride to connect all the singletrack in Copper Harbor, Houghton and Marquette in a point to point fashion.  I’m unsure of the neighboring states.

So that leaves the NCT in the Manistee NF.  Bowman/56th Street to Mesick is ~80 miles, mostly trail, which would meet your requirement for ~40 miles a day for ~5 days, out and back fashion.  You could mix and match in some roads to make it more interesting in both directions.  Generally I’ve been recommending a loop that is about ~150 miles- Starting in Reed City and taking the Pere Marquette rail trail / roads to Baldwin/56th Street, NCT for the ~80 to Mesick, roads to Cadillac (going over Briar Hill, the highest point in the L.P.) and finally the White Pine rail trail back to Reed City.  There is quite a bit of road / rail trail, but other than riding through Mesick and Cadillac, the route has very low traffic and adequate services.  Here’s the route: https://www.strava.com/activities/1098990935

There are other sections of the NCT that are fun to ride, but are a bit more challenging (read: rustic, sandy and hilly) than the section per above.  Giem Road -> Petoskey (going through the Chandler Hills) and Kipp Road -> Mackinaw City (climbing hill and dale over the soil encrusted dunes and through the marshy sections of Wilderness State Park).  I can provide more info for those sections, if you like.

Does this help answer your question?

Jim

[Iowagriz]

I'd check out the Camba trail system in the Chequamegon forest.  Cable and Hayward, Wisconsin.

Plenty of options for long days.  Singletrack that crisscross the roads and birkie trail.  Could do a base camp and out and back as well as overnighters.  Besides the Camba maps, cross reference them with the Cheq Fat Tire 40 course and the Cheq 100 course, that might give you some good ideas.  There is also a bikepacking event in that area, but I forget the name, if you find that and it's route, that would be another resource.

Fly everyone into Minneapolis and carpool to the start.

[fotooutdoors]

Thanks to both of you.

I need to look over some maps; it's good to have some beta on the content of the NCT outside the Manistee.

As far as CAMBA, I will look over that option as well. We want to go somewhere, if that makes sense, so that is why the NCT was on my list; my impression is that the CAMBA trails are more of a "ride center" which I enjoy for a day ride, but less so for a multi-day ride. I may look over the Trans-Wisconsin route that ran as a race for a couple years; that may be fruitful if we do northern WI.

[jeffr]

these aren't all singletrack routes but will maybe help in the adventure planning!
http://www.bikepacking.com/locations/midwest/

[fotooutdoors]

Thanks again, all. Due to a change in my brother's employment, being close to the Twin Cities is good for logistics, so we are planning on a trip in the Chequamegon NF, which will incorporate some of the CAMBA trails. I plan on pulling in some of the info from a route featured on bikepacking.com, the Trans-WI Race (second version) route, and will spend some time with WI Bike Federation maps and my Delorme atlas. I'm try to post up something once we have done the trip.

[Iowagriz]

See if you can find out the Salsa Ride Camp routes of the past. That might assist as well. I believe they were in that area.

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[fotooutdoors]

Great idea, Iowagriz. Your comment reminded me that I sourced some ride ideas on the N Shore of Superior from a site that Surly and Salsa seemed to be using:  blackriver.cc. Sure enough, a number of the Salsa Ride Camp routes are posted there. We certainly have some options, especially further inland (I would like to ride out to Lake Superior as part of this trip), albeit a bit more gravel-centric than I was hoping.

[Stickboy]

Thanks Jim L for sharing those details.  We live in an awesome state !