Showing posts with label Michigan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michigan. Show all posts
Salute of the day, this 6'5" officer is demonstrating that the state of Michigan is failing to keep roads safe for vehicles
This is a pothole in Grand Blanc, Michigan, north of Detroit, and that officer is to give it some scale.
Officer David Clark of Grand Blanc Township stands knees deep in a gaping pothole on McWain Road
Tire service calls across Michigan are 32 percent higher than this time last year, a representative from AAA told FOX2 Detroit on Thursday.
Motorist Jim Harrison told the television station he blew out four of his tires after striking a huge pothole on Interstate 696.
"I hit it so hard the front window snapped," he said.
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/02/23/pothole-michigan-grand-blanc-township/367110002/
https://swarfs.tumblr.com/
Video: Whack Jobs - The Story of Winter Fat Biking in Michigan
This great video comes our way courtesy of our friends over at Gear Junkie. It takes us up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where we meet a group of "whack jobs" who love riding their bikes in the snow all winter long. Some don't understand their passion for riding in frigid temperatures, but it looks like a lot of fun to me. Check it out in the clip below.
Video: The Miner's Revenge Mountain Bike Race
If you read my post yesterday about mountain biking on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, you probably saw my mention of a unique mountain bike race held there every year. It's called, the Miner's Revenge, and it takes place in and around the Adventure Mining Company on the Keweenaw Peninsula. What makes this race so special is that the course of the race runs not just around and over the mountain, but inside it as well. Racers must negotiate a narrow tunnel left over by the copper mines that once populated the area. It certainly adds a new twist to a race, and as you'll see in the video below, the tunnel makes for a unique environment. This is a race unlike any other, and only adds to the great riding in the U.P.
Pure Michigan: Mountain Biking on the Upper Peninsula
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| Photo Credit Bryen Dunn |
My travels in the U.P. took me to the town of Copper Harbor, which is located at the extreme north of the Keweenaw Peninsula, directly on the shores of Lake Superior. It is a sleep little town that has just 80 year-round residents, but welcomes adventurous travelers, particularly in the summer. One of the local businesses is the Keweenaw Adventure Company, which hosts kayaking trips out onto the lake, as well as guided mountain bike rides onto the nearby trails. But those trails aren't just some run-of-the-mill singletrack with little to offer experienced riders. The network of trails in and around Copper Harbor have been rated as a Silver Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Biking Association, which means they rank amongst the top five in the world.
With that kind of a reputation, I was eager to check out the trails for myself, and one morning while I was there, a few of us grabbed some bikes, and hit the trail. After a bit of a warm-up on some flat and fast trails near town, we caught the shuttle up to the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, which is home to beautiful golf course, but also provides access to several of the mountain bike trails. Soon, my companions and I were zipping off down the road to the trail head for a route called Garden Brook, which would eventually provide access to another called Bullwinkle. Within minutes, we were flying across a trail that was both technically challenging, and incredibly fun, mixing the twists and turns of downhill, with just a enough climbing to give your legs a good workout as well.
The lush green forests that line the hills around Copper Harbor made for a great backdrop to the ride. The trails wandered through those woods as if they were meant to be there, rather than something that was carved out by human hands. The setting would have been almost serene, were it not for the breakneck speeds that were obtained on the sustained downhill portions of the ride. When you conjure up dreams about what a perfect mountain bike ride through a forest should be like, it will resemble what is found in the hills above Copper Harbor. Fast, demanding, wild, and fun.
The trail isn't the only thing that is wild in the region. We had only been on the trail for a few minutes when we came across bear scat that was fresh from that morning. Black bears are plentiful on the U.P., and there was one wandering close by. Fortunately, we never came across him on our ride, although a bear sighting would have only added to the great sense of fun that was had that morning.
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| Photo Credit: Hansi Johnson |
Before we knew it, our morning on the mountain bike trails were over, and we had to turn in our bikes in order to move on to other activities. But the exhilarating, adrenaline-inducing run down the Copper Harbor trails stayed with us for the rest of the day. There were so many other trails to ride, and so much more to explore. I wanted to stay for several more days just to see what other opportunities were available, and I look forward to a time when I can return, to do just that.
Our next stop was off to the Adventure Mining Company, where we would eventually walk deep under the Earth into an old copper mine. That is a completely different story for another time, but while we were there, we learned about a unique mountain biking race that takes place each year. It is called the Miner's Revenge, and it challenges riders to take their bikes over, around, and through the mountain. That's right, this race not only features a trail that wanders up and over the surrounding hills, but it actually goes into the copper mine itself, with riders traveling along the old tunnels that are still open there. Now that sounds like a crazy ride!
If you'd like to learn more about the mountain biking trails on the Upper Peninsula, and in Copper Harbor in particular, check out CopperHarborTrails.org. You'll find an interactive trail map, information on local events, and more. It is a great place to plan your own mountain biking excursion to the U.P.
And for a good look at the trails themselves, check out the video below as well. It'll truly give you a sense of what to expect.
Find out more about everything Michigan has to offer at Michigan.org.
Off to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
If you've never been to this wonderful place, you truly need to add it to your list of destinations. It is a surpassingly remote and wild place, with a lot to offer the outdoor adventurer. In fact, I'd venture to say that it is perhaps the best outdoor playground in the U.S., east of the Mississippi River.
In the days ahead, I'll share some stores about my time there, but for now I'm looking forward to exploring what the UP has to offer. This is a fairly brief trip, and I'll be back to posting updates on Tuesday, July 22. Until then, I hope all of you take the opportunity to enjoy some outdoor adventures of your own. And if you want to follow along with what I'm up to, follow me on Twitter at @kungfujedi or "like" the Facebook page for The Adventure Blog. I'll be posting regular updates to both of those social media outlets.
Have fun, and I'll be back soon!
Video: Cycling Michigan's Snow Bike Route
Marquette, Michigan has a series of mountain bike trails called the Noquemanon Trails Network. The routes are popular during the warmer months with many local riders flocking to the region to explore the various paths. In the winter, the trail features 15 miles of single track designed for fat tire bikes and winter riding. The video below, the first in a five part series, introduces us to that winter trail, giving us a glimpse of the awesome riding available there in the winter months.
COLD ROLLED-Chapter One from Clear & Cold Cinema on Vimeo.