UP Wheeling

LPM606 · September 30, 2009, 07:11:41 AM

Julie and I are going to be in the U.P. this weekend. Does anybody know where I could find maps of ORV routes that we might be able to cruise around and take in some fall color while we are up there? We are going to be in Paradise, MI... Any thought or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

LPM606 · September 30, 2009, 07:36:36 AM

Well, I went on the state of Michigan Webiste and found a really good map of the ORV system. It looks like everything in the UP (at least near where we are going to be) is ATV or Motorcycle only. Looking back down in the Lower Peninsula, I did find a 22 mile loop called the Tomahawk trail A & Indian River Route that looks promising and would only be a slight detour on the way home... Anybody been up there?

By the way, here is the link to the route system. It has the routes marked and when you select the dot you are interested in it pulls up a pdf map of the route. I saved copies of the Atlanta rotue for future use. very handy.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/1,1607,7-15 ... --,00.html

Paul Hittie · September 30, 2009, 11:14:39 AM

Indian River is brand new, carved out of existing snow machine trail, ATV trails, and forest roads - GLFWDA picked it up on our grant a couple of years ago, and ATV Offroad Club has been working hard to get it to meet DNR specs.

If you swing through there, let me know how it looks, and take pictures! I am heading to TC for the weekend and am thinking about heading over there myself to take a look (I think the guy in charge of the grant ought to at least see it once!) but my free time often does not work as planned.

LPM606 · October 01, 2009, 07:17:36 AM

Julie is expressing doubts about going alone, but I am guessing this is mostly fairly easy two tracks... You don't think we'll have any problems, do you?

Me, take pictures? Unheard of...

Paul Hittie · October 01, 2009, 09:12:01 AM

Besides Drummond Island, there should not be anything in the ORV Route inventory that would cause you trouble on most days. Maybe a deep mud hole after rains, but nothing else should cause you any trouble. I am thinking of leaving a little earlier than I had planned Saturday to go run the Indian River Route for myself on Saturday before heading to TC.

After saying that, the following is a public service announcement:

Never wheel alone!

rallykid · October 01, 2009, 08:33:26 PM

I am officially Jealous. If you happen to run into Ernie and Lillian Weaver (everyone in the town knows them and they run the local paper) tell them I said hi. I hate that I don't have the time to get up there like I used to. Paradise was like a second home to me.

Paul Hittie · October 04, 2009, 05:40:39 AM

Indian River route is 22 mile, I was able cover it in an hour and a quarter. It is all snowmobile trail, flat and sandy.

LPM606 · October 07, 2009, 08:20:14 AM

We had a really nice weekend. Relaxing and fun. Fall color was maybe only 20-30% in the UP, actually seemed to be more color down our way. Here are a few pics of the falls...

And then wheeling the next day in Indian river...

naypalm · October 07, 2009, 08:02:33 PM

Awesome pics! I've always enjoyed it up there in the fall with all the colors and winter with everything all snow covered. Did you happen to drop by Kitchitikipi?

LPM606 · October 08, 2009, 08:06:57 AM

Can't say that we did... What is it? We drove up saturday to paradise and spent the afternoon visiting the falls and had dinner at the microbrewery right there. (Bonus!) Sunday we headed out to Indian river with a stop in Mackinaw for breakfast.

naypalm · October 08, 2009, 03:15:06 PM

That's too bad, its an hour away from the falls, near Manistique. Its a giant fresh water spring that stays a constant temperature all throughout the year. They got some HUGE trout in there!

http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/projects/geoweb ... tikipi.HTM