111: ravaging cyclists, the most dangerous game, power line swastikas, pole tags, worse than dueling banjos, first walk, horizontal push, ant lion's fissure, the last guy, swamp pathway, beer cooler, not again, pleasant pummeling

August 16, 2025

Traverse City to Alden

There was a gentle rain last night, the kind that doesn't wash debris up against your tent and threaten to rinse you down the drain. It was pleasant, and by this morning my rainfly was already dry.

bicycle tracks from where I rode across the wet grass as I left my hiding place

Bob, my Warm Showers host the night before last, was the Executive Director of the TART Trail and told me a story about the Keith Charters State Park, the campground I'd originally planned on staying at last night. As the section of trail near the State Park was being built, the park's administrators insisted on a fence to prevent, I assume, ravaging hordes of bicyclists from slipping into the park to steal hubcaps and paint graffiti on the side of the RVs (it's what we do), or perhaps from using the restrooms and filling their water bottles.

Interestingly, once the trail was completed, there was a gate within a few weeks without any intervention from the TART Board because the campers demanded access to the trail from the park.

Keith Charters State Park welcomes you, unless you're on a bike. In that case you just keep ridin' cowboy. The likes of you ain't welcome 'round here.

Bunker Hill Road had no shoulder, but practically no cars.

All along the route there were signs that said: "Caution: Hunters Adjacent to Path." I noticed it DIDN'T say "No Trespassing," and there were occasional gaps in the fence like this.... I suspect in the hope that some stray cyclist might wander off into the land of The Most Dangerous Game. (I saw 6-7 of the signs, then when I decided to take a picture there weren't any more)

My route took me to this dead end, so I had to turn around and get back on M72.

This is M72, and it took me a few minutes just to cross to the other side of the road. Why did this chicken cross the road? He didn't want to ride against the traffic.

The cars crashed past with the sound of a freight train, but at least the shoulder was wide and free of debris.

For a few miles I was able to ride on Old M72, where I could still hear the growling traffic on the main road.

These were all along the power lines. I suspect they're to keep the cables in place and prevent them from touching each other, but it seems like a complex design for such a simple requirement.

One of these identifies which pole this is so it can be repaired if necessary, but I wonder what all of the other discs are for.

From Old M72 I was briefly dropped back on M72, then onto Watson Road... where I thought I heard the faint sound of dueling banjos in the distance.

I pedaled as far as I could, but eventually my tires began spinning out, and at one point I turned the crank three full revolutions without moving forward. That's when I started walking... the first time I needed to this entire trip.

The grade intensified, then intensified even more, until I was barely able even to push the bike. I was almost horizontal, using all of my weight and strength to shove on the handlebars as I wheezed up the hill, stopping every twenty feet to catch my breath. And worse, I kid you not, the slight breeze that had been present earlier died, along with my hopes of living to make it to the top.

Later, I looked up this section to see how steep it was. It's possible that the last section wasn't 33%, but it sure could've been, and certainly felt like it... and that was just at the peak.

The gravel on the downhill was loose, and I wasn't able to stay upright on the bike when coasting. I then tried putting one foot on the right pedal while using my left foot to keep me stabilized, but still ended up doing an acrobatic dance in which the bike fell over and continued sliding as I was launched to the side, my arms gyrating and my body contorting into shapes no human has ever seen, all in order to prevent me from sprawling face first across the gravel.

The road angled towards the center, and I felt like I was in the trap of an ant lion. The gravel kept slipping toward the giant, open crack in the road.

This giant, open crack. Here's a leg for perspective.

And here's the last guy who tried to make it down this road.

When I came up to this sign, I thought, "What?!? It gets worse?? HOW??" and wondered if there were traps like in an Indiana Jones-style movie, with poison darts and pits with snakes.

At that point, I considered my options: One, continue straight, never to be seen again until I’m discovered in a fissure, then placed on display like a dinosaur from the La Brea Tar Pits; or two, pedal up the road and ride side-by-side with tons of menacing steel hurtling down the highway inches away. As soon as I made the decision, the breeze returned.

If they're advertising a swamp, what are the other trails like? “Acid Sand Walkway?” “Ammonia Lungs Trailway?" "Brimstone Byway?" And, just to make it completely irresistable: "We have parking!" and "Bring your camera to document the devastation!"

Then, when I thought Michigan had nothing left to offer... a very refrigerated beer cooler. I examined each individual bottle, carefully scrutinizing every label to make sure nothing was out of order. It took a while.

They're not fooling a smart guy like me. It doesn't float, and the steering wheel is on the side of the boat. Nope, nosiree, no way, not fooling THIS guy..... not again.

I made a quick stop at the Dollar General then pulled into my accommodations. Within 90 seconds, the biggest downpour I've seen since Florida pummeled the streets.

It eased up after about 10 minutes, but didn't stop. I sat on the front porch and, after a tough day, enjoyed it.

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Today's ride: 30 miles (48 km)
Total: 2,926 miles (4,709 km)

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Comment on this entry	Comment	2

Steve Miller/GrampiesDoes not sound like a fun day at all. How much longer are you going to be riding? It seems like the weather is changing to Autumn up here, maybe where you are also?
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4 months ago

Mark BinghamTo Steve Miller/GrampiesI'm unsure about how long, but definitely coming back after my break.
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4 months ago