My plan on Friday was to drive a bit up north to ride some seasonal roads, snowmobile trails and ORV roads on the fat bike before hard core, shoot everything that moves, firearm deer season starts next month. As of now, all I have to worry about is an arrow hurling through the air and plunging into my chest, I can live with that (or die like that).
I’ve done this ride three or four times before and have been pushing a bit further in my exploration each time. I didn’t push as far distance wise this time, but I did explore a bit more.
In theory getting lost should hard to do, as many of the “roads” connect (just as other Michigan roads do) on a grid, running north, south, east and west. Except when they don’t. If you add in some missing signage, unmarked hunting trails, quad trails, gas line cuts, game trails and a dumb as a freaking stump rider, it can make for interesting exploration.
Let me say this, I was never REALLY lost, but there were times that I had no idea where the hell I was. Get it? No, neither do I.
I have done this route before, but this time was proving more difficult than ever (even on the fat bike) and at times I was pushing hard to keep speeds up to a mere 10 to 12 miles per hour through sand and dirt that, after a summer abused by quads and trucks, was the consistency of baby powder.
With my head down and pedaling hard on the super soft roads into a crisp autumn morning, I apparently blew through an unmarked, (formerly marked) intersection and found myself at the intersection of a gas well cut and a really interesting looking two-track trail. Knowing that I should be going right I chose the two-track, ’cause it was cutting right through the thick Michigan woods and I sort of dig the thick Michigan woods.
After a half mile or so on the two track I realized that while the trail was different, cool and fun, I WAS alone with no real idea where this trail would lead me. So I made the wiser-ish choice and backtracked, hoping to see where I made my mistake.
I never did really didn’t see where I should have gone, but I did get back to an intersection that I did now, but instead of continuing to backtrack I decided to hang a right and follow a narrower, sandier, quad trail up power line, knowing full well that all I really needed to do to was backtrack to get to the snowmobile trail I knew. That was a fun and challenging choice and I was stoked to be (slowly) plowing my way up hill through the deep rutted sand and dirt on the Farley with near ease.
At the top of the climb I saw another climb ahead of me. I was unable to see that after that next climb and descent there was a major (dirt road) intersection that would have given me more of an idea of where I was, so I headed back down hill, surfing over the deep sand at speed on fat ass tires with a shit eating grin on my face.
Still not content to retrace my steps just yet, I set off to explore another “road.” Along the way I found more climbs, including one that was so rutted and deep that I had to get off and walk about 10 yards after I lost my line. I also started to see some unfamiliar paw prints in on the roads…
For all I know it was a dog, but with no houses for miles and miles from where I was, that was doubtful. I have narrowed the tracks down to being a dog, coyote, bobcat, cougar, centaur or my hand as I crawled on all fours. Sort of pulling for it being a centaur. I mean who doesn’t love the idea of a mythical half horse/half human creature roaming the northern lower peninsula??
After a few miles or more on that section I finally decided to see if I had any coverage out in the middle of Bum Fuck, Michigan and check if I might be close to the trail head. Yeah, I could have done this earlier, but what’s the fun in that! I did get coverage and I was on the right track but given that once blue bird sky was turning a tad more ominous, I decided to ride back to the aforementioned intersection and take the snowmobile trail back to the xB.
I was glad I did too, because just a few minutes after getting my gear packed, a cold rain started drizzling. Nothing major, but after riding for two hours, I’m glad I didn’t have to ride through rain in temperatures struggling to stay in the 50s.
I’m not sure if I’ll have a chance to “get lost” again this season, but it was fun, AND I got to see a SpongeBob toilet seat eight feet up a tree for some unknown reason. Win.
Later.