Some questions to avid Michigan backpackers:
Every year, my dad and brothers choose a spot to go backpacking in late June, early July. It's that time of year again, and with next week our only free week of the summer left, I have lots of questions that need answers- fast.
Three years ago, we went to the Hoist Lake trail system, camping night 1 at South Hoist Lake and night 2 at No-Name Lake. Two years ago, we backpacked Sand Lakes Quiet Area and parts of a connected North Country Trail, spending night 1 along the Boardman River and night 2 at Dollar Lake. Just last year, we returned to Sand Lakes, but started along the NCT and spent our first day at Muncie Lake and Day 2 at Post 9, along the Boardman.
This year, the search for a trail seems hard to find. I have looked through Jim DuFresne's book, Backpacking in Michigan, and have found some possible places. We try to look every year for places with two lakes within 3-5 miles of each other and the first lake being 3-5 miles from the trailhead. As we have done on previous trips, one lake could be substituted for a river. We spend three days backpacking, Day 1 at a lake/river, day 2 at a new lake/river, and Day 3 walking back to the car. We prefer if the trail we backpack on has a "camp anywhere" policy. Although campsites would be fine, backcountry camping just adds to the outdoor experience. As for the lakes/rivers for both days, they NEED to be fishable, swimmable, and ones that we are able to easily pump water with our filter. We go during the weekdays, so this isn't THAT big of a concern, but we also like to backpack places that have a small amount of people at the lakes or trails. We do realize that every trail is going to have people, but the less the better. Once again, that is for the added complete wilderness experience.
Places that we have looked into:
* Reid Lake Trail - Reid Lake is almost perfect for all of our needs. The one concern that is holding us back is that both lakes we want to go to, Little Trout Lake and Reid Lake, is that both are about 1 mile from a road or trailhead, meaning lots of people probably are there for day hikes or are fishing at the lakes.
* Shingle Mill Pathway - Shingle Mill has lots of lakes, but all look too close together on the map in Backpacking in Michigan. We also read about problems with ticks, and with my dad a lyme disease survivor, that is a big scare and problem for us.
* Green Pine Lake Pathway - Still looking into this trail, not much information on it anywhere
* Wakeley Lake Foot Travel Area - Like Green Pine Lake Pathway, we are looking into it but there is not much information anywhere to plan.
* NCT: Ward Hills and McCarthy Lake
* NCT: Nichols Lake to Highbank Lake
If you have ANY suggestions on places in the Lower Peninsula that fit most to all of our needs for backpacking, please, don't hesitate to post a reply. Also, if you would like to add comments or information on the places we have looked into that we did not know about, once again, don't hesitate. Lastly, if you have been to any of the places we have looked into (listed above), feel free to share your experience there and the route you took while backpacking there.
To whoever answers, THANK YOU SO MUCH. Any suggestions are appreciated, as this is an urgent matter that needs answers ASAP.
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