I took a six day camping trip on my Triumph Bonneville from Fountain City, WI up to the Michigan Upper Peninsula and back. I went alone, because my wife is awesome and didn't mind.

I averaged just over 300 miles a day, which was enough for this trip. I wanted plenty of time to stop and see the sights, and setting up and breaking down camp takes up a while. I carried a two-man tent, big-old sleeping bag and a white gas stove and all sorts of misc. camping supplies. The plan was to be self-sufficient when necessary, but to eat at restaurants mostly.



Packed and ready to go

Day 1

On the first day I rode 339 miles from home to Little Girl's Point county campground, which is on Lake Superior just over the WI/MI border. The route is at http://maps.innersource.com/GProject.aspx?pid=8253. The first part of the day isn't there, I didn't turn my tracking software on until late morning.

I shot up to the Chequameqon National Forest, had lunch at the Delta Diner and then explored some back roads in the forets. Then I ran up to the campground by early evening.

Forest Road FH35 from Drummond up to the Delta Diner is Awesome. It is smooth and windy and fast, especially if you believe you are somehow impervious to deer.


Grimh Flowage south of Radisson, WI



Along Rustic Road 95 in Chequamegon National Forest



Delta Diner



I couldn't decide between breakfast and lunch, so they suggested a couple eggs on some red beans and rice.

The campground was nice. I heated up some dry mashed potato and tuna fish mish mash, and took a swim/bath in Superior. I basically had the lake to myself.

Superior is incredibly clear, I could see to the bottom everywhere I was. The water was cold enough to be refreshing, but not too cold to be hard to get into. The beach here was smooth rocks, but if I waded out just a little bit the bottom turned to sand.



Campsite at Little Girl Point



View to the north from the beach at Little Girl Point



View to the north from the beach at Little Girl Point, zoomed in a bunch.

Day 2

Day two was 240 mile ride through the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and up the Keweenaw Peninsula to High Rock Point. The route is at http://maps.innersource.com/GProject.aspx?pid=8254.

In the Porkies at the mouth of the Presque Isle River (end of Co. Hwy 519) is a nice set of short walks to see the falls. There is a sandy beach and a nice looking campground. I believe we'll take a family vacation here next summer.


Entrance to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness



Hwy 519 in the Porkies



Falls on the Presque Isle River near its mouth.



Scour holse on the Presque Isle River.

From there I rode over to the Lake of the Clouds, which is well worth the side trip.


Lake of the Clouds



In South Range, MI I explored the town, and found this freaky thing:


Freaky thing in South Range, MI



Freaky thing in South Range, MI

From there I crossed the canal at Houghton


Bridge at Houghton Canal


I didn't explore though. I figured I could do that on the way back, and rain was threatening so I wanted to make camp. Although, as it turned out, that didn't happen until sunset anyways.

I took 203 to McLain State Park, and the up 26 along the west shore of the Peninsula


McLain State Park

Then to the Jampot just before they closed at five. This is a bakery run by a local order of monks. I bought some fruit cake thoroughly soaked in bourbon or something. I had to wait until I was off the bike for the day to eat much of it.


The Jampot

From the Jampot I continued up to Copper Harbor on 26. 26 has these fun rises/dips that feels like horizontal curves. It's right on the lake. I had planned to take Brockway Mountain Dr, but just missed it in my hurry to make camp. I'll catch that road next time.

My intention had bee to stay at Fort Wilkins State Park just north of Copper Harbor, but the campsites there were pretty crowded and miserable. I had heard that there was a good camping spot The ADV guys had suggested I camp up at the tip of the Keewenaw Peninsula at High Rock Bay, which is down the seasonal roads past the end of Route 41. I had wanted to avoid the rough roads to get there, but I decided to go for it.

I got a bit lost, but I ran into another guy up there who knew the area and he got me oriented. High Rock Bay is at the end of snowmobile trail 134.


End of Hwy 41



Seasonal Road on the way to High Rock Bay



Water crossing too deep to cross

I eventually found High Rock Bay, at the tip of the world, right before sunset. I hadn't realized I was in the Eastern time zone, so I had actually had an extra hour of daylight I didn't realize I had coming, which probably saved me.

It started raining right as I finished cleaning up from dinner, and rained all night right until it was time for me to get up in the morning. So, that worked out perfect.


By my campsite at High Rock Bay



Point at High Rock Bay where I camped



Morning Coffee



Loon

Day 3

Day 3, Sunday, was 240 miles down off the peninsula down to the Kingston Lake state forest campground. Route is at http://maps.innersource.com/GProject.aspx?pid=8255.

Coming back out I took some pictures of Schlater Lake, rode into Copper Harbor, and got myself a proper breakfast.


Schlater Lake



Seasonal Roads north of Copper Harbor, heading back for breakfast



At Copper Harbor



At Copper Harbor

Then I headed out of Copper Harbor down Rt 41. It started out excellent, smooth pavement, sweeping corners and a canopy of branches over the road.


Rt 41 south of Copper Harbor


Then 41 started get a little utilitarian. I stopped at the old Central Mine site looked around and checked out the sites.


Home by old Central Mine site



Home by old Central Mine site

After consulting the map, I decided I missed my turn and backtrackedto the road down to Bete Grise and along the east shore of the Keewena.

I pulled off to get me helmet off and enjoy the day, and realized that the blueberries were out. I had a nice little berry feast.


Bete Grise Bay


Blueberries by Bete Grise Bay

A few more miles down the road I decided in favor of a swim and a bath. The lake bottom was a big old ledge of sandstone, with smooth rocks and boulders strewn around. It was a nice refreshing stop.


East shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula just south of Bete Grise Bay

Mason, MI (Just sount of Hubbell on Rt 26) has this big old lake surrounded by a fence, it's a superfund site leftover from old stamp mining mills.


Dredge #2 from the old Quincy Reclamation Plant.


On the north side of the canal at Houghton I found the Quincy Smelting Works, which it looks like they're trying desperately to preserve.

Then back through Houghton







From there I just kinda made time. I wanted to make camp by around 4, which would give my tent and stuff time to dry out and give me some time for a late afternoon ride, knowing where I'd be sleeping that night.

So, I made camp at King Lake at the state forest campground. These state forest campgrounds in the UP are great. There are lots of them, they are in real prime locations, and weren't crowded. The sites are spread out enough so you don't feel crowded, and there's running water and a vault toilet. What else does one need?

After setting up camp I set out to explore the area a bit. Route is at http://maps.innersource.com/GProject.aspx?pid=8256.

I felt like I pushed my luck on the seasonal roads by High Rock and was looking for some easier but rustic riding. I picked some named roads on my maps, not dotted lines or anything, just roads.

Well, they turn rough quick in these parts. But no worries, still plenty of fun, I just didn't want to puncture a tire out there.

I was running a bit low on gas, and gas is scarce in these parts, but I had a route picked that would get me near some, I hoped. But, after a couple serious bog crossings and rough roads, there was a random gate in the middle of no where.










Well, shoot. So, I backtracked, which (again) I hate. I ended up going back to L'Anse for gas. But, not all was lost, I got a cheeseburger and fries at a drive-in place, and it was good.

I was just slowing down to turn down the dirt road to the campsite, when a big old cow moose strutted out in front of me. She walked like she knew everyone was watching her, like royalty. I was able to stop and I got into the breakdown lane. There was an RV coming towards me, and I really didn't want anyone to get hurt, but if there was going to be a wreck, I wanted to see it But she turned around and went back into the swamp, she had a calf out there and I watched them both, and took a picture:




It wasn't a good picture though

From there I had the 6 miles back to camp. There were woodcock everywhere on the road, and they'd flush straight up right as a got to them. I was sure I was going to get one in my helmet, but I didn't.

Day 4

Day 4 (Monday) was a 288 mile day which brought be to Marquette and Pictured Rocks. http://maps.innersource.com/GProject.aspx?pid=8257

The plan was to make pretty good time to Marquette, hang out there a bit, make pretty good time to Painted Rocks, set up camp mid-afternoon, then explore the area. That plan pretty much worked out.

I rode around Ishpeming a while. I found what I think was a wind turbine, and signs of the now-largely-gone mining industry:

Then, right up the road in Negaunee was Miner's Park. This trip was mostly about riding (~70%) and nature (~30%). Next time around I'm going to focus more on history, the industries that have been and gone, and geology. And riding. And a bit of nature.

Then a ride around Marquette, and a stop a coffee shop for a muffin and coffee. The girl I shared a table with had no idea I was flirting with her, the thought was apparently too foreign and disgusting to occur to her.













Oh, it just occurred to me why the girl didn't flirt back.

Then I got to Pictured Rocks




And rode the most excellent H58 looking for a campground




The campgrounds right on the lake get filled up quickly, but I got one at Kingston Lake that was just fine.




Then back on the road to see the sights.


Which, sadly, meant riding much more of this:






This road is clear and smooth, with sweeping turns the necessitate barely feathering the throttle, if that. My tires made new noises as we sailed through them. Not squeals, but noises letting me know lateral load was being applied. It was excellent. Did I mention that already?

The Pictured Rocks themselves are stunning. And I couldn't see much of them from the shore. The way to see it apparently is to rent a boat or take a boat cruise. Next time I'll do that. This time I had other things planned.






















Then to Munsing for a much needed dinner, and a short walk to Munsing Falls

Then I made a quick stop at camp to grab my swim trunks and biodegradable soap. I went down to twelve mile beach for a swim/bath, which was refreshing to the point of being rejuvenating. The stable flies were bad, but not when I was in the water.

I had the place to myself, amazing.











Then, a run down to Grand Marais, mostly to ride H58 yet again. Got gas, and a long "I had a Bonneville back in the day" converstaion. Bought a six pack of beer, because I was really starting to miss cold beer.

The ride back to camp was after dark. A fun ride, but I had to take it a little slower because of the wildlife, etc. I stopped by a neighbor's site to share some of the beer (6 is a lot for me on most nights, well, some nights). They were camping off a couple dual sports, so I had a sneaky suspicion they were cool. Pat and Lindsay were good for a long night of fun conversation, and hanging around their campfire was a highlight of the trip. We traded strategies for dealing with a zombie apocalypse, and Pat has since shared with me the location of his family farm should I need a place to hide out during the invasion. That piece of information could be the most important outcome of this trip, depending on what the future holds

Day 5

Day 5 was the Wet Day. 284 miles through Tahquamenon Falls, to Lake Michigan to a motel room in Gladstone, MI. http://maps.innersource.com/GProject.aspx?pid=8258

I had left my bike back at Pat and Lindsay's campsite, I was boozed up enough that I figured I didn't need to be riding it around the campground in the dark. I walked to my campsite, and then realized I had left my flashlights, etc, on my bike. But, I had everything laid out so I just fell into my bag and slept, no worries.

But, right as the sun broke I awoke to the sounds of thunder. So I scampered back and got my bike, secured everything and made it back into my tent before the rain came. It poured, but not for that long. When it was done, I packed up my gear and my wet tent and hit the road.

It was done raining so I didn't wear my rain gear. The road was wet, but I figured my pants would dry out quick enough. Well, I wear these kevlar liners under my pants, and they got soaked and then pulled all that water down into my waterproof boots. So, lesson learned. Wish I had put on my rain pants.

On the way to Grand Marais I stopped at Log Slide to take in the view.











Au Sable Point

At Log Slide I could see another big-old thunder cell heading my way. So, I figured I'd out-smart mother nature and ride out the storm over breakfast in Grand Marais. So, I ran over there and had a plate of whitefish and eggs:




I came out, and it hadn't rained. I went over to the hardware store and bought a new turn signal bulb and nut/bolt and did quick repairs on my bike and mess kit. Still no rain. So, I packed up and headed south on Rt 77. One mile down the road: Rain. Lots. So, I pulled a u-turn and found shelter.

Now I was plenty wet, and I didn't want to put on a rain suit over wet clothes. I was also pretty tired. A late night around the campfire the night previous hadn't left me much time for sleep, and the preceding nights on hard ground hadn't left that well rested either. And it wasn't warm.

That probably makes it sound worse that it was. I was still riding solo in the UP on my bike, and pretty free. I just had to be a bit more intentional about maintaining my mood.

So, I worked my way over to Upper Tahquamenon Falls. There were lots of people there. It's a state park facility, but there was also a brew pub there and souvenier shops. I bought a hot dog and a cup of coffee, and really questioned my no-beer-while-riding rule, because the brew pub sounded awefully good.

Then I walked down to check out the falls.





Brew Pub, etc



I dig the "Dog Water" note and arrow on the bottom of the sign. This was done by a Good Person.

From there I ran down to Rt 2 on Lake Michigan, and to the Cut River Bridge. The bridge has a picnic area, and the sun was out now. Bright blue sky and nice warm temps. I put up a clothes line to dry out my tent and clothes, and took a walk. It was glorious.

I got dressed again. I had stuffed my boots with newspaper so they dried pretty good, and my socks and liners were dry. I felt pretty darn good. I had been planning on spending the night in a hotel, and DrBonnieBlack had looked and told me by phone there were plenty of rooms in Escanaba. But, now that I and the tent was dry, I was leaning towards camping another night. It was going to be my last night on the road.

Across the street I heard loud pipes, and squealing tires. Then I heard them cross the street and park in the area behind me. I didn't turn around, I didn't make eye contact. Every HD rider I've chatted with has been cool. Doesn't matter how much they dress the part or what they're riding, they tend to respect the Bonneville and are good for a chat. It was the squealing of tires that made me suspect I didn't want to deal with this group.

But, sure enough young pirate walks over and chats me up. He was fine, and friendly, but I'm pretty sure he thought we was an actor in some B level biker movie. He asked if I were a cop, and satisfied with the answer, proceeded to roll and smoke a joint. I told him I didn't even drink a beer while riding, which he seemed to think was odd. He asked if I had to wear a helmet in Wisconsin. I said no, but I do anyways. That, too, seemed to seem odd to the dude.

They were headed to Sturgis, of course. His friends came over as well. Young little Brandi (who sells Harleys), older slightly-creepy guy and war vet recently back from Afghanistan. He was a young skinny ex-Marine, who asked lots of questions and didn't really have time to focus on the answers. A recent dose of speed would have explained his behaviour, but I don't know.

But for all that, they were friendly and respectful. They were doing their own thing, and really didn't care that I was doing my own thing. It was all good.

So, back on the road. I could see way down the coastline what I though was probably my campsite for the night. It was on a peninsula into Lake Michigan by Fayette State Park. And, it was under a thunder cell. There were thunder cells everywhere to the west, where I was going.

So, I stopped and had a Pastie. This seemed a correct response at the time. I sat on the deck overlooking the lake, and chatted with a father/daughter on vacation. Very nice.

From there, I decided to make time to Escanaba and enjoy the warmth and comfort of a hotel-room bed. Back at home DrBonnieBlack did some research for me and let me know what the cheapest but highest rated hotels in Escanaba were, Super 8s and Days Inns and all of that.

I got my rain gear on, and riding though the rain was dry, comfortable and kinda fun. I'll put it on earlier next time.

A few miles from Escanaba I explored Gladstone, which was a nice little town on the lake. And I spotted a little motel on the edge of downtown, and immediately knew that a chain hotel would have been a mistake. Got a room for a mere $50.

Once settled, I wandered downtown. A local bar sold me three road beers, and I got a half pound of boneless wings at the local pizza place. I enjoyed them and the wireless internet sitting outside my motel room as the sun set. There was nothing not to like about the experience.

Day 6

Day 6 was the last day of the trip. I wanted to be home with my family, but I also could have spent a few more nights on the road. I wasn't really sick of camping or travelling yet.

I put on 451 miles, through Nicolet State Forest on the way. There was only one encounter with law enforcement, and a minor one at that. http://maps.innersource.com/GProject.aspx?pid=8259

After loading the bike I wandered downtown Gladstone again, and got pastries and coffee for breakfast. It was a bit difficult narrowing down my breakfast to two items.







From there I ran down the shore of Lake Michigan for a while. There was very little lake access, a lot of the shoreline was private property and houses. Lake Superior lake access had been the rule, not the exception.

Then, I was sad to have to cut inland and leave the Great Lakes. For now. I missed a turn somewhere and got a bit lost, which as it so often does, worked out just fine. I crossed back into Wisconsin at the Koss Bridge.






It was good to be back on the alphabet roads of Wisconsin. We identify our county roads by letter (Route J, Route CC, etc). And counties coordinate, and don't tend to change the road identifier at the county border (as they do in Minnesota, making it impossible to get anywhere without checking the map gazillions of times). I basically took Route M the entire width of the state, and then route H south. There were some other roads, but for many hours on this day all I had to look out for was signs for these two roads.

But, before I got on Route M I explored the Nicolet State Forest. I knew I had lots of miles to put on, but I figured I could ride into the night if needed. It was a nice day, and the moment needed to be enjoyed.







Nothing really stands out from the forest, just a generally pleasant area to ride and spend time in.

From there I made miles. I stopped to stretch my legs and take my helmet off from time-to-time, but I was generally pushing forward.

The guy who built those chainsaw totems was out by his truck when I stopped. He yelled out "You won't know if you don't stop". He gets it, a fellow fan of the U-Turn to check out that thing you just passed.

For instance, I turned around to check these out. What Are They???

They are at 45° 10' 7.56" N and 89° 0' 20.3" W, off Hwy 64 to the west of Polar, WI. They are right off the road, under a small powerline, not far from a residence. They are made of concrete. Some sort of bunker? There are actually three of them, the third is back in the trees. They have small concreted-over entrances, maybe two feet by two feet.

Made a stop at the Chippewa Moraine visitors center. It was getting late and I still had a lot of miles to do, but still, you have to stop and check things out or what's the point?



















The Elk Mounds police officer felt like I was going faster than the speed limit. I felt like the speed limit was too low for the conditions. We agreed to disagree, but he wrote me a ticket anyways.

I explained to the officer that the tires still had plenty of grip at that speed, and I hadn't even scraped a peg. I was well under red line, and hadn't even shifted to fifth yet. But, he was intent on being hard to get along with.

Well, I had gone slow through town, and on the other side I took a corner expecting 55 mph county road on the other side. But there was more town, a city park. I think it was like a 49 in a 25 mph zone ticket. Those 25 mph zones will get you. Well, I had it coming, I had been passing pretty aggressively (but politely) the entire trip, it was bound to catch up with me eventually.

Well, I made it home after dark somewhere around 9PM. The family was happy to have me back, but I really didn't get the impression they had missed me as much as you'd think.

Obviously, the trip was excellent. I will be doing much more camping off the back of my bike. It saves money, gives you that sense of adventure, and really sets the mood for exploring. And with ready access to food and supplies on the road, it's not really roughing it.

There's a lot I didn't stop to see, especially historical stuff. So, this will not be the last UP expedition for me!

These photos and a few more are at https://picasaweb.google.com/1031496...WolfExpedition#. Some are geotagged. I have a couple videos of High Rock Point and waterfalls, I'll post them once I have them uploaded to YouTube.