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Post by stevef3 on Jul 30, 2017 10:04:12 GMT -8
Looking to do the Manistee River Trail Loop in 3 days/2 nights in September. Planning to go up after work on a Friday, hike about 5 miles then camp; day two 10-12 miles then camp, day three 7-10 mile then get dinner on way home.
My wife likes to hike but not camp so trying to identify with local hikers to plan more trips.
Give a holler,
Steve
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Post by Campfires&Concierges on Jul 30, 2017 11:29:34 GMT -8
Hey Steve - there are some pretty active backpacking groups in the Chicago area that head that way pretty frequently. You might want to check them out!
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jazzmom
Trail Wise!
a.k.a. TigerFan
Posts: 2,973 
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Post by jazzmom on Jul 31, 2017 6:41:27 GMT -8
I'd be interested. (Can't seem to tag you, not sure why.)
Have you hiked the loop before? Because your mileages don't add up to my experience. Loop's only about 20 miles, maybe a little more if you park in the national forest lot on the NCT side, on the Red Bridge end. Where are you expecting to get to on Friday, 5 miles in?
I usually do the loop over two days/one night, but I do get up there the day before and camp nearby, usually at Seton Creek. Don't mind hiking in the first night but not a big fan of dry camps if I don't need it.
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Post by Coolkat on Jul 31, 2017 8:05:20 GMT -8
I've done it both ways (2day/1n or 2.5day/2night) but what I usually do is get there late in the afternoon on friday hike about 4 or 5 miles on the west side starting at the NCT TH parking lot and dry camp. Then in the morning resupply water at Eddington Creek and then hike until I feel like it, usually another 12 or 14 miles and spend a night from one of the sites with a good view and finish up early the next morning. It's one of the best hikes in lower Michigan however, it's become so crowded it has taken a lot of the joy out of it for me. Last fall instead of the MRT I drove a little further north and did the Fife Lake Loop. However, that is a really dry hike, take extra water. But I found that so boring I'll probably put up the crowds this year and do my usual fall color hike on the MRT. 2 falls ago I talked to a gal who the day before had been talking to the ranger and she told me that it's becoming so popular that the DNR is thinking about implementing a reservation system. I hope not but would certainly understand. 10 years ago when I started hiking this trail it would be rare to see anyone except up neat Seton Creek or Red Bridge. Now you can't walk for 1/4 mile in solitude before running into someone. Fall 2015Fall 2014 |
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Hungry Jack
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Living and dying in 3/4 time...
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Post by Hungry Jack on Aug 3, 2017 12:01:43 GMT -8
Most of the (6?) times I have done it, I have parked at the Red Bridge TH on a Friday afternoon after driving up from Chicago, hiked in a couple miles on the NTC side, and camped at Red Hill or the scenic hillock that is about 3/4 mile after Red Hill (just enough room for a 2-man and your fire). This has necessitated bringing in about a gallon of water for dinner, breakfast and getting to Eddington Creek around 2pm or so on Saturday.
Once, while camped at the aforementioned hillock, I ventured down the bluff into the bottom into a clump of cedars and found a large pool of water, which was fine after filtering. I would not consider this reliable, but it was an easy find. Just a steep climb back up.
On day 2 I typically have camped around Slagle Creek, though have gone as far as past Cedar Creek. Not far past (downriver) of Cedar Creek, up high on the bluff, you can veer off trail to a promontory with an established site and good views. If you drop down the bluff into a copse, there are natural seeps where the sand layer meets the clay. My filter had broken, so we drank this water straight from the source. It was outstanding--never tasted water so sweet and clean.
I think the loop is 22 miles (no more than). On one trip, we aborted our second night when the weather turned bad and completed a 20 mile day (from Red Hill) back to Red Bridge. It wasn't that bad as the trail is mostly flat.
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Post by Coolkat on Aug 3, 2017 12:13:08 GMT -8
It wasn't that bad as the trail is mostly flat. LOL what MRT are you hiking? Now if you're comparing that to the Appalachians or the Rockies then I'd agree with you. But as far as Michigan goes it has a lot of ups and downs. I have always hiked the NCT side first because I like to save scenic side (MRT) for last. |
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Hungry Jack
Trail Wise!
Living and dying in 3/4 time...
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Post by Hungry Jack on Aug 3, 2017 19:16:54 GMT -8
It wasn't that bad as the trail is mostly flat. LOL what MRT are you hiking? Now if you're comparing that to the Appalachians or the Rockies then I'd agree with you. But as far as Michigan goes it has a lot of ups and downs. I have always hiked the NCT side first because I like to save scenic side (MRT) for last. Well, OK. I see your point. It has a few bumps on it. I have been spending a lot of time in CO lately. |
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Post by Coolkat on Aug 4, 2017 4:16:41 GMT -8
I didn't mean to come across as a smart aleck. All I know is that my legs tell me that there are ups and downs there. On the NCT side they are not as steep but much longer. The MRT they are short but much steeper and more of them but still doesn't take away from the beauty of the trail.
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Post by Coolkat on Mar 8, 2022 9:31:11 GMT -8
Has anyone done this recently? Has anything changed? I'm thinking about doing this at the end of the month but I haven't done this hike since 2015. Hopefully I'm doing this before the crowds show up but who knows.
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