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Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind words. If you liked this video with the large hill, you may like the Perry State Forest videos that I am doing now. Lots of hills! Also, there will be several videos on Wayne National Forest that were super awesome going up and down mountains in southeastern Ohio. These areas will be a repeat for sure!

@@MyLifesReward Oh yes, we've rode Bull Gap a few times, lol. Trail footage and you narrating was perfect! I enjoy watching and learning alot from your videos. We've rode all over Michigan too but you keep it fresh in my mind, plan great or better routes I have not taken and it makes me feel like I'm on my bike running down the trails with you.😀

@@johnnewell6348 Your feedback is sooo helpful, thank you! I don't receive many comments, but I do value those that are received. When doing this, it is not clear what is resonating with viewers and what is not. That is why when you and others take the time to comment, it means so much to me. Thank you so much.

@@MyLifesReward You are most welcome! What you are doing as far as format and process is perfect! I can't think of anything to change in the production and delivery of your videos😀

It was magical from Platte Lake to Lake Michigan. Thank you for stopping by the channel and watching this video. Happy paddling!

Thank you for stopping by the channel and watching the video. Your feedback is appreciated!

That would be something to see! I would love to see the photos. Thank you for stopping by the channel and watching this video. The Kalkaska area is some of my most favorite riding.

She was excited to narrate the video for sure! She did a great job and thank you so much for the feedback!

Thank you for visiting the channel and watching this video. The dam there is very interesting! I was confused while portaging around it as to whether it was private property. I enjoyed that part of the paddle. I especially enjoyed the river portion closer to Morley where I saw so many fish, amazing! Also, I heard the the old dam at Altona is being removed at some point. There are two additional videos paddling from Morley to Dagget Road bridge, and from Dagget to Croton Pond. The third video was with my Grandaughter Emma. She had a blast!

Hi Rudy and thank you. We recently visited the State of Ohio and the mountains in the lower southern corner. Lots of fun!

@@MyLifesReward Wow, that's very beautiful....

This is a trail you don’t want to miss!! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment. Happy riding!!

Thank you so much for the positive and great feedback!! The Kodiak is 46.5” wide and the Grizzly is 48.4” wide. As long as it is under 50”, it will work. My Polaris 570 is 48”. I just bought a Canam Outlander 650 that is 48” wide. If you want to hill climb in sand, the bigger engine is recommended. Also, there are the rougher 72” trails in Michigan. Thanks again!

@@MyLifesReward you are most welcome sir! You did this exactly as I would hope! Well, sounds like a Grizzly may be in the future for me. I apologize for all the questions.... what kind of navigation do you use? I like how its mounted to the bars and looked like you won't ever get lost with it. Also curious as the tablet and who makes it? I haven't had a lot of good luck with this sort of stuff! Thank you again😃

My first reply did not take, that is a first! I guess it went somewhere in the bits and bytes hole! I welcome this kind of engagement, so no worries. For navigation, I use Gaia GPS at gaigps.com. It has integrated apps for iOS and Android. I use the web site to plan routes, download the routes and maps to my Apple iOS iPad Mini. This iPad does not have cellular service and uses the free GPS capability built into the device. Compliment this with wireless where you have that type of service allows the downloading and synchronization of data between the app and the web. Also, I recommend checking my website at mylifesreward.com/ and in the right margin, there is a link for Michigan ORV & trails and further down, there is a Michigan Trail reference that I put together. Best of luck and if you have questions or need help, please ask. We can Zoom or Teams if needed or continue with this thread or an email.

@@MyLifesReward Great info! Thank you so much for sharing! I will check Gaia GPS and will check out your website. I can't thank you enough for all the information and help! Either way or somehow exchange email addresses if you'd like. So far this year I've rode Ambrose and Mack Lake Trails. They were both good, Mack Lake was the better of the two. If I don't hear from you prior to, Happy 4th😀

Happy 4th to you as well. My email is scott@mylifesreward.com. Thank you!

Thank you for your comment. I don't see any ATV trail that goes to the Mackinaw Bridge. I see a seasonal snowmobile route. If you happen to figure this out, please share it. Thank you so much!

@@MyLifesReward yes route 6

Thank you. I wonder if that trail can be used outside of snowmobile season for ATV's? I cannot find any information about this.

yes its for all

@@cudacore3086 thank you for the info. This sounds like a great thing to do!

She's awesome! Thank you! There is another video of Bryn taking a ride.

Thank you for the question. No, once on Drummond Island at the ferry landing, since it is a state highway and the other roads nearby are quarry related. This is covered in the Drummond Island portion of the video.

Camping on the shoreline of Lake Superior! Wow, that would be awesome! I loved that overland. I remember the mosquitos at the rocket launch area. Swarming bad in June. I’d like to do a variation of that trip again. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

So there was the video explanation that you watched and then the ride we did on Sunday putting it into practice! There were certainly enough other riders at Gladwin to practice the hand signals. Thank you for watching the video and I look forward to our next ride together.

Thank you for watching and taking your valuable time to post a comment. I very much appreciate the kind words!

Thank you for stopping by and watching all of the videos. It is great to have you on the channel!

Great question. The rails to trails near Old 131 is a great collector of logs and junk. There is even an old railroad car below the bridge for rails to trails. To avoid that mess, Westburg City Park seems like a good place that is near the 210th Avenue bridge. That would be an excellent paddle. It’s better in a canoe than a kayak since there are lots of low spots that have to be waded. Enjoy this magnificent river eco system!

Great question! Besides bridges, I do not recall any access site for this entire span from West Batterson Road Bridge to our exit at the M-72 Park. The entry at Batterson Road was super easy on the southeast corner of the bridge. There was not a single log jam when we paddled this in July 2022. We had to wade through maybe six areas with half being very close to Grayling just before the first M-72 bridge. Maybe we were lucky. Compare to other rivers I have paddled, this was a great paddle segment.

Thank you for stopping by the channel. I have right around 5,000 miles on it. Only two things have failed and one was the fuel pump. That was covered under warranty with a $50 deductible. The second was a shifter linkage that required a field repair with a zip tie. Otherwise, all other repairs were self-induced! Every year I consider a replacement and look at Can am or Polaris. But then, my Polaris keeps running! My Son was going to replace his Polaris with a Can am, but has said lately multiple times he will likely go back to Polaris. The ride on my Polaris is outstanding, no complaints. It feels like you are part of the machine when riding. I really have liked it and will struggle when I go to replace it. I wish Polaris would redesign the shifter and make it appear and function more like the Can am. More of a preference on my part. Best of luck in your research and decision!

@@MyLifesReward That's awesome to hear you have that many miles on your Sportsman. I have a 2014 Sportsman 800 that has been great, it's got 1100 miles on it and I was thinking it was getting up there in miles, but yours definitely has many more! I always contemplate trading it on something else but it works well and I got it dialed in so well for a big utility. It has a HMF exhaust, tuner, intake mods, and a clutch kit. I do like the new 570's a lot but the old 800 just keeps doing it's thing. Just rode the Alcona trail this past weekend and it ripped.

@@rzl07375 Love the Alcona trail. Sounds like you have lots of life left in your current ride. Amazing when fluids are changed and moving joints are greased, how long things can last! When I say self induced in my earlier response, it would be replacing plastic that broke when I made mistakes. One brake line that pulled out of the rear when the line caught on something. Polaris is a good machine brand.

I use Gaia GPS on an iPad Mini. I do like the mobile app better than the web interface. I use the web interface a lot to plan routes and waypoints that transfer to the mobile app. I just don't like how slow the web interface can be sometimes. I have used AllTrails, Polaris Ride Command, OnxHunt, and a few others. When it comes to being able to edit a route after saving, Gaia GPS did it the best when I looked at head-to-head comparisons 3-4 years ago. It is quite possible some of these other apps have enhanced their capabilities to improve this single thing that was essential for my needs.

Kalkaska and Tomahawk Trail in Indian River are in conflict for me. These two could easily flip positions. You made the same comment about Indian Gardens ORV Route 5 months ago. I think I missed it because it is a route rather than a trail. I'm going to make it happen in 2024. Though because it is a route and not a trail and my Top 10 are trails, I could see me starting a Top 5 Routes in Michigan and maybe this will make the list! I have limited route riding with Drummond, Tin Cup, and the western UP. But those three alone are some stiff competition! Let's add the Indian Gardens ORV Route to the experience and see where it lands! Thank you so much!

A big yes! I'd like to make it longer in distance and in days adding additional places and stopping to appreciate the locations.

Thank you for stopping by the channel and watching this video. Your comment and encouragement are appreciated!

Thank you so much for the question! Depending on how much you have hiked in the past, if not much, this will be a life changing experience! It answered the question for me if I wanted to backpack the Appalachian Trail. I did find my answer in this adventure. I would prefer to paddle in a canoe the many rivers that are out there instead of hiking! But, my time spent walking across Michigan changed me. It gave me the time to think about my life, family, relationships I value, and so many more thoughts in reflection of a life so far. OK, well, that was not your question. You asked for tips and I have some. 1. I recommend walking from East to West like we did. The uphill portion comes on the east side of the state and once you get that out of the way, about where you cross M-33 between Mio and Rose City is more or less the end of it, the hard part is behind you. It is mostly downhill to Lake Michigan and easier with the sand that the horses and water run off churn up. 2. There are two Tick hotspot areas. In early spring we hiked along the south side of the Au Sable River around the Alcona Dam Pond area to crossing the river at Evans Road. My dog and I saw three different species of Ticks in this area. The other far more worse area for Ticks is from the Luzerne area all of the way to Grayling. It was so bad that to avoid the dozens upon dozens of Ticks crawling on our clothes, we walked about 17 miles on M-72 against traffic into Grayling. We even saw Ticks in the long grass along M-72, but well off the side of the road. Perhaps walking on M-72 was not the smartest thing to do, but maybe the lesser of two evils. For me it was avoiding Lyme disease. The good news is we did not see a single Tick east of Alcona Dam Pond and west of I-75 that represents maybe 2/3 to 3/4 of the trail. 3. I do not remember encountering any other hikers on the trail. We did have two small groups of horse riders. Point is it felt safe for two late 50 year old men! Carry bear spray that can be used for personal safety. A Spot device for an emergency is recommended. 4. If you do this in May, the bugs should not be as much of a problem except for Ticks. They are already out. If your hike goes into June or you section hike over time, bugs are a big problem in June in this pat of the state. 5. My TH-cam videos were a way for me to journal the trip. You may want to consider journaling to help remember the adventure, whether through video, writing, etc.! 6. Enjoy the moments, take photos or video, and make great memories. 7. The 42 mile Picture Rocks National Lake Shore was tougher for both Fred and I than the longer walk with the steeper elevation changes. We had full packs (24 lbs) with sleeping gear, food, etc. We slacked pack the walk across Michigan. More on that in #11. For Pictured Rocks, the reward were the many views along the lakeshore. 8. I think I would do a hammock over a tent for pack weight savings and restful sleeping comfort. I learned this on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore backpack trip in September 2023. 9. Long stretches of no water. If you are backpacking and sleeping over night, you may want to consider stashing some water on the trail where there are not frequent water sources. I have my Gaia GPS map shared if you would like it showing water sources and many other amenities. Just say the word and I can point you to it. 10. For Fred and I, we stayed at a hotel/motel every third day of hiking to shower, sleep more restfully, and for dining out. 11. We slacked packed all 19 days. We had two vehicles, one at each end, and then stayed at a campground or disbursed camp. Also, we did not do this walk on 19 consecutive days. We sectioned hike during the cooler months of April, May, September, and October. 12. Day 1 and Day 2 of the hike, I had Covid. Being sick and trying to do this is not recommended! 13. Make sure your footwear is tried and true. Protect your feet and tend to hotspots with bandages, duck tape, whatever gets the job done to keep your feet working with the least amount of pain. 14. It helps with another person to keep you going. Fred helped me on the walk across the state and I helped him on Pictured Rocks and paddling some rivers. 15. If you are thinking about doing it, then do it! None of us are getting any younger and it may not be an option later for any number of reasons. 16. If you want any other details or support, just ask. If you want to keep it private, feel free to email me at scott@mylifesreward.com. 17. The feeling walking into Empire, MI is nothing I have experienced before in my life. Having my family meet us at the lighthouse was glorious! I wish you all the best and enjoy the walk!

@@MyLifesReward yes, I'd like to see the Gaia maps. That'd be awesome. I'm planning a round trip hike. I'm gonna start at Lumberman's Monument area to Empire back to Lumberman's Monument, all at once. And it's going to be a test for me as well to see if I like it enough to do the AT. I'm watching thru your videos and I seen how bad the ticks are. Ugh. That's kinda nerve racking. I do plan on posting videos to YT. Mainly for my family to watch me but also just to journal my journey. I noticed that you guys are doing 10 miles a day thru the vids, or close to it. Were those miles moderate or hard to do? I think I'm on day 11 or 12. I'll definitely finish them tomorrow. I have tried to get other people to come hiking with me but no one is available. Unfortunately I'm not able to afford many hotel rooms but I am planning on 1 hotel, several paid campsites, and staying at a friend's house near Lake Michigan. At first I wasn't planning on bringing my gators until I seen your videos. Now, not only am I bringing but I'm soaking them in permetherin or deet or whatever. I have enjoyed your videos so far. I'm really glad you shared them. Thanks man, I appreciate all the helpful tips.

Day 1 and Day 2, we did 19 and 24 miles. The remainder of the days, we did around 10 miles a day. The reasons: we are old and out of shape, plain and simple! Our original plan was for about 12 days one way. Yes, Permethrin, I missed that tip, we did that as well in the infested areas. We tucked our pants into our socks and supplemented with gators saturated with Permethrin as well as my shoes, socks, pants, and shirt. I am glad the videos are helpful! Here are the Gaia GPS shares: Water sources: www.gaiagps.com/public/o7Gqlr27FTzequmTxmyH6cKr Campsites: www.gaiagps.com/public/JI5OsMTmCVTL6edW2x2AeVpc Restrooms: www.gaiagps.com/public/TAzzFw6y893k2RBAO6ciR8o1 Our Actual Route: www.gaiagps.com/public/w3olgzkd1vpCP0beEJ40Obet All of the best!

Thank you for watching this video. I am using an iPad mini with no cellular service and the App is Gaia GPS. The mount is a combination of multiple RAM products. The RAM Handlebar mount RAM-B-408-75-1U or alternatively, the RAM Handlebar mount RAM-B-231U, RAM Double Socket Arm RAM-B-201U, & the RAM X-Grip RAM-B-166-UN8U. Any questions, just ask.

Thank you for watching this video. I am using an iPad mini with no cellular service and the App is Gaia GPS. The mount is a combination of multiple RAM products. The RAM Handlebar mount RAM-B-408-75-1U or alternatively, the RAM Handlebar mount RAM-B-231U, RAM Double Socket Arm RAM-B-201U, & the RAM X-Grip RAM-B-166-UN8U. Any questions, just ask.

Thank you so much for stopping by the channel and watching the video. It was a long video, but the views were spectacular!

Thank you! This was a great ride, beautiful area for sure!

@@MyLifesReward I'm going to ride that trail this month

@@river_keith This is a great trail with the elevation changes. Lucky you! I plan to ride this again in August.

The return trip is 50% completed in post. Thank you for the video feedback and the vote!

The return trip is half in the can! Thank you for the vote!

Francesco's is a great place to try as well that is right on M-46 on the east side of the highway. We have been riding the various Geels loops in the last few months. One more to go to finish that area up. Then Atlanta, Leota, and the Black Lake areas. I don't have much in video for Leota and nothing for the other two.

Thank you for the feedback. The UP is a trip to Heaven. If I can talk my Wife into it, that is where I'd like to buy some property. Thank you for stopping by the channel and watching this video.

Yes, I had it behind the dog crate. You can see it on Part 1 at 46:38. My last two rides at Geels has my spare gas RotoPax on the back of my Son Kyle's ATV. The Geels videos have not been posted yet. Thanks for stopping by!

Thank you for the great feedback and watching the entire series. It was an adventure for sure!

Thank you for stopping by and watching this video. My Craig Lake adventure last August was incredible! I did not see a Moose, but I am sure I heard one eating in the lily pads during one of the nights. It's incredible to think of how they repopulated the area with Moose by flying them in via helicopter from Canada. I plan to return some day and paddle the Peshekee River.

@@MyLifesReward that's awesome. I knew there was moose up there but didn't know the details of how. Helicopter is crazy to picture in my head.

If you'd like, check this article for more info on the Moose. Happy reading! www.freep.com/story/sponsor-story/michigan-wildlife-council/2019/10/08/magnificent-moose-comeback-story-michigans-upper-peninsula-herd/3833123002/

Signs yes. On the first day, I remember seeing several red squirrels. Not so much in most of the other days. On day five, I saw a deer. I captured it on video and you will see that next week. I remember thinking it was odd we did not see more wildlife.

It varied by day. Sometimes the streams and access to the lakeshore were more frequent. Most of the time the streams were dry and the lake was 100-200 feet down. If you walk roughly 10 miles per day, there was always a water option.

Thank you for stopping by the channel! I use Gaia GPS on an iPad Mini. It works off of the built in GPS on iOS and they have an Android version as well. Also, the website is where I do all of my planning and everything syncs up nicely. If you have any questions, let me know.

Very cool! BE sure to take some time on the smaller west loop to visit Tibbett Falls on the Sturgeon River. It is a few miles off the trail and when I was there, I did not know about it. I'll be sure to make the detour next time thanks to a comment left by the TH-cam channel Dirty Jak & The Dusty Bean.

Yes, the views were magnificent! I would like to paddle and camp the shoreline someday for a different point of view.

I have stayed at a small cabin that are at the Kalkaska RV Park & Campground. This is on M-72 near Kalkaska. The trailhead is also on M-72 10 miles East. Also, I have stayed at the hotel All Seasons Resort on US-131 just south of Kalkaska. The trailhead is about 11 miles east. Also, Grayling is only 14 miles to the east of the trailhead and provides another location to stay. Thank you for the question!

Thank you for the infoand quick response much appreciated

@@fatback1187 It was my pleasure.

Thank you Calvin!