This was my first backpacking trip and my last hurrah for the midwest. What a way to do it, too. Spectacular! It couldn’t have happened at a better time nor a better place nor with better people. I also learned a lot about sensible packing for a multi-day backpacking trip - the hard way.
I’m not sure of the peak time for Autumn foliage color change near Grand Rapids, Michigan, but we HAD to have hit it just right. I can’t imagine the colors being more brilliant. As you can see by the photos, the blue-green river and the evergreen trees provided a superb contrast to the yellow, orange, pink and red. All of that scenery was a morning surprise the day after we arrived. We arrived at the trailhead around 10:00 PM and though the moon was out, its light wasn’t enough to see the colors. Chad, Mike and I decided we would be hiking a couple of hours in the darkness to make camp for the first night. For me, this was quite an interesting experience. A heavier than then necessary pack, darkness, unknown terrain - it was fun. We finally made camp around 1:00 AM. We woke to quite a lot of traffic…Mt. Bikers and hikers. I’m not sure if we were beyond the required 200 feet from the trail, but we were seeing and being seen, no doubt.
Onward north, from just a few miles of the parking lot at Red Bridge. We hiked the North Country Trail up the West side of the Manistee River. This trail is between, I’m guessing, 1/10 and 1 full mile from the river. That trail does not follow the river that closely and therefore conserving our water was a concern. On the North end of the trail, where we would cross the cross the river to the Manistee River Trail, we found a creek to replenish our water supply. Chad and I had different brands of ceramic water pump filters and Mike was testing various other methods of water purification, including tablets and boiling. Mike is still with us and unless he is just too embarrassed to discuss it, there were no ill digestive issues resulting from the experiment.
The other side of the Manistee River offered up far more campsite opportunities, abundant water and miles and miles of beautiful vistas using the Autumn palette. At one stop, I looked out into the tree foliage with my binoculars and my eyes were dazzled to near blindness. The mix of colors was really difficult for my eyes to absorb, but it was a pinkish-yellowish-redish-orangy color all at the same time!
By now, day 3, about 15 miles under our belts, and only a pound or two lighter from consuming our food, the extra weight was beginning to take its toll on me. The others’ had packs under 30 pounds. Mine - about 45 pounds. The rule is “no more than 30% of your body weight”. I know some 200+ pound guys who can barely take themselves up a few stairs, so that formula has LOTS of other variables - like fitness, for one. I think I did great, given my experience, training level, fitness and what I thought I should bring versus what I should NOT have brought. I was glad to be near finishing and not JUST because I wanted Cracker Barrel so badly. My feet ached (note to self: check into new boots), my knee was a little achy (note to self: stretch more!), I was smelly (note to self: lower my expectations)…
I loved it, learned a lot, had a great time - I will do this again. Probably next Autumn.
