Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- I embark on a 220 mile trail that crosses the entire State of Michigan from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron. I quickly find that this horse back riding and hiking trail is not suited for hikers. This trail is almost entirely sand or sandy dirt and back country roads. There are some beautiful places when passing through seemingly endless rows of pines but other than that the trail is fairly boring, unscenic, and irritating. I strongly suggested avoiding a thru-hike of the Michigan Shore-to-Shore trail.
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MUSIC:
DAYBREAK MAJESTIC COLOR:
Electric Mantis - Daybreak | Majestic Color
• Electric Mantis - Dayb...
ELECTRO SWING- MELODY MAN
Melody Man - Electro Swing - Royalty Free Music
• Melody Man - Electro S...
JOAKIM KARUD - DREAMS
[No Copyright Music] Dreams - Joakim Karud
• Video
Thank you for making this video! I had been considering a thru-hike of the Shore-to-Shore Trail, but ended up hiking portions of the NCT in Manistee National Forest instead. This confirms I made the right choice! I'm inspired by your acceptance of plans changing to fit what is best for you and your time. My plans for the hike I just did changed about 6 times throughout the time I was gone, and I'm so thankful I rolled with it instead of being stubborn. You rock!
Thank you for your patience with my reply :)
I'm glad to hear this video helped! hopefully the portions of the NCT that you did were enjoyable as you made adjustments. I always think that's the better way to do things 😁
Appreciate the heads up definitely pulling this hike from my list. Also thanks for showing the realities of hiking and camping in your videos.
No problem! hopefully you will find something a bit more enjoyable for your next hike. And thank you for your encouraging comment :) I know showing the realities of hiking and camping don't always make for exciting videos, but I hate the idea of making it look fake or posed by only showing the easy parts and beautiful views.
I love your honesty. Quitting is absolutely just fine if you are not being fully satisfied by the experience. I have always held that same mantra thru life. Cheers!
Thank you! I agree that quitting is absolutely a fine thing to do. There is a time to push through hard things and a time to quit. Understanding the reason behind the decision is key 😀 Thanks for taking the time to comment on my video 🙏
Haha! Great video! I had looked into hiking some of this trail years ago! Next time someone asks about this trail I'm for sure referring them to this video!
Thank you! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. I had one comment on this video from a man who said he enjoyed hiking this trail years ago, so I know that everyone has their own perspective on what makes a trail enjoyable or not, but from my perspective it wasn't a trail worth thru-hiking. There are so many beautiful trails out there, I tend to enjoy less sandy ones.
Thanks again for watching! Have a good one
Well I guess it's all a matter of taste :). I hiked the Shore to Shore Trail from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron solo over three weeks in 1989, and it went well enough for me then. It's not a high-adventure mountain trail, and it does have lots of sand and road walks. I just enjoyed having a walk from one side of Michigan to the other, camping in the woods every night, and resupplying along the way. I took this opportunity to learn how to identify various ferns, and had fun setting up photos along the way (long before digital cameras and selfie sticks). Indeed I would not recommend this trail for most hikers, but I have no regrets from my own hike.
Just my $.02. As always, hike your own hike. Cheers!
That is absolutely fair and I think you're right, it is a matter of taste. I've just personally never enjoyed hiking in the sand. For whatever reason it makes me more aware of the distance and my legs and less aware of the beauty around me. When I'm hiking in sand I often find myself counting my steps or checking the distance on my watch or phone, sometimes as often as every tenth of a mile.
But i'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! I always love it when I can connect a memory of learning or trying something new to a specific trail (like you with the fern identification).
Thanks for your comment! I hope others who wouldn't mind hiking in sand can see your comment before making a decision.
I see what ya mean about all that sand. One thing about Michigan, it has beautiful wild flowers, dense forests of emerald green that makes it a beautiful state... I think.
I agree! That and the beautiful color change in the Fall :)
Really fun video Kathryn. I like your style. Good mix of music, still shots, slow and fast clips. I have been hiking quite a bit this Spring and Summer in Northern and Western Michigan on the NCT, preparing for my 2020 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike. I have also gone down to Kentucky to train in the Mountains. I will v-logg my journey next year. I subscribed, liked and clicked the bell, so I will see all your stuff. Thanks for this video, I'll cross off the Shore to Shore Trail.
Thank you! I'm always trying to get better with my videos. In a lot of ways I'm still pretty new to editing, so I'm glad to hear that you like my videos 😁
I'm sorry that the AT isn't really an option for you. I know training for it took a lot of preparation and it must have been heart breaking to have it fall through this summer. Hopefully you're still able to get out and do some other fun hikes, and maybe jump on the AT later this summer (if it opens) or go for it next year 🎉
Thanks for sharing. I haven't hiked lengthy sandy trails so this helped me consider the challenges :).
I'm so glad to hear that! Yeah I learned a lot from this trail (mostly that I hate sand trails ha) and even though I didn't like it I'm glad I did it for the experience 😁
Kudos! I too believe in giving up on things, it gives me room to not give up on all of the really important stuff in my life.
Exactly!! If it's something you really want then you should push through the hard to make it happen, but if you discover along the way that it might not actually be what you want then there shouldn't be anything wrong with altering your course! I'm glad you agree 😁
I made plans to bike across this trail in college back in 2002. There was MUCH less internet info about it back then. I was not happy to see the sand, so I just took highway 72 across and stayed in campgrounds.
Yeah the sand was a bummer. It's great for the horses but not the hikers and bikers. I'm glad you found an alternative.
Glad I saw your description! I was literally just considering it!
Then I'm glad you saw it too! Have fun with whatever hike you decide to do 😁
My husband embarked on this trail Aug 2023 - it was horrible
Right?! I really wish it wasn't listed as a hiking trail. I know it is a "horseback riding and hiking trail" but I think the hiking part should be eliminated from that 😂
I literally was just looking at all the trail systems in Michigan off the DNR website, and saw the Shore-to-Shore trail goes right by our cabin on Caulkins Lake. And I was dumbfounded that it does because I can agree with you, it's nothing but sand by us.
I know! So much sand!
I’m doing Marquette to tehquamenon falls state park along the NCT this early summer. Yeah, I agree the coast to coast sucks. Happy trails though...
That's awesome! I love tehquamenon falls. I hope you've been able to get out and start some of the hikes you wanted to do!
Kathryn Jones I actually changed my plans this year to thru hike the A.T again, but they shut down the trail for the season...so I am just staying on local hikes (west mi) and prepping for a PCT thru next year...fun times..
Thanks for the warning.
Thanks for the advice, and yah, all I saw beneath your feet was sand and country road lol, I figured out pretty early in the video that it looked like a kinda crappy trail.
I've been on a few myself, sadly where I'm at there aren't many trails aside from metro park trails that are either paved multi use or ones that seem.like just gravel roads through the woods lol.
But I did go on a backpack trip a couple weeks ago in Wayne national Forest near the Ohio River, very pretty area, fairly rugged hiking actually, I was pleasantly surprised, if you've never hiked in Ohio before I would highly suggest scenic Riverview trailhead to Bell trail which ends at the archers fork loop trail, definitely worth the hike.
I actually haven't done any hiking in Ohio before. I've been living out in Utah for the last 2 years and the mountains and trails out here are absolutely amazing! I don't know how I could ever give these up.
@@KathrynJones sometimes life just pulls you away. I grew up in Oregon, spent six years in Washington, then three in LA, and have been in the midwest for a decade since. I miss the west coast dearly, but one has to go where the work is. :-/
Thanks for the review of this trail!
Good effort! I am considering a section of this for packrafting down the Au Sable then hiking back up on the S2S. Now I'm not so sure...
I imagine that the packrafting would be a lot of fun! And depending on where you get out there are definitely sections of the trail that aren't as sandy and were absolutely beautiful 😁
Whatever you choose, I hope you have fun
This is so cool! I live in the thumb and have been thinking about this hike thanks for the video, and nice music
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it 😁
Looking forward to the picture rock trail vid! I'm hoping to do that one next year.
Thanks! It's out now! You should absolutely jump on that trail when you can!
There does seem to be a lot of sandy trails in Northern Michigan. But beautiful.
Yeah there absolutely are. Michigan is really just all sand 😂
Sometimes it's slightly covered/mixed with soil, but mostly just sand lol
But you're right it is beautiful!
Love the North Country Trail. My next video will be a very small section of it.
That's awesome, which section?
Are there any trails of a similar length in Michigan that you would recommend?
Not necessarily of similar length but the North Country Trail runs through Michigan and is extremely long. It's technically an incomplete trail but there are long sections you can jump on in the Upper and Lower. The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is part of it and is beautiful. I don't know if you saw my video on it or not but it's definitely worth the hike. I hope you find a trail you love! Have fun :)
Michigan Lower Peninsula is all sand. Michigan has deep sand EVERYWHERE. The mountains are actually sand dunes cover with tree and plant trash. The ORV trails are all deep loose sand. If you don't like to hike in sand you won't like hiking in Michigan.
Oh absolutely! I grew up in Michigan and I always knew the trails were sandy but this trail was a whole new level ha. I guess I assumed that as I got further from the coast the sand would be a bit more dirt covered or packed down but it was just as loose as the dunes!
El sendero nosé muy cómodo para transitar pero es muy bello el paisaje 💪 y tu esfuerzo es genial 🤗
Ugh. Hiking on sand is the worst. I would have given up, too. Love that area though. Awesome video!
The area is really beautiful, it was too bad that the trail was difficult and unenjoyable to hike. Thanks for the encouragement! :)
is there anything like this for motorcycle or atv riders... everything seems to be loops.
That's a great question, and I'm sad to say I don't have the answer for you. I've never looked into motorcycle or ATV trails. If you haven't already I'd check AllTrails. I know they have a filter to search for atv trails (or at least they used to)
Good luck!
what is your favorite trail in michigan
There are a lot of beautiful treks, but the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is truly amazing.
I'm looking forward to seeing the great shots from the next trail based on the preview looks pretty amazing! Would be great to see you do another attempt at the AT!!! Is that in your plans?
I just posted it! I love the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Trail, I hope you like the video from it. I planned on reattempting the AT this summer but then I broke my neck this spring and I wasn't fully healed until last month. As long as I'm not injured next summer then I'm hoping to do it then!
Great to hear you're healed and doing well. Hope you can hit the AT as planned. I'm hiking it in 2022 when i retire. Best of luck on all your adventures and keep the great vlogs and photos coming
@@stanthemanhikes2965 So I was going through comments to try to catch up and saw this one and figured I would update you... I unexpectedly injured my back last month and and just had surgery on my spine so I obviously won't be doing the AT again this summer either. Hopefully I'll at least be able to start hiking and climbing again by mid summer. Maybe next year though! :)
@@KathrynJones Thanks for the update so sorry to hear about your injury. Hope all will be well and you can get back out soon doing what you love so much!!!
Hey great video! What kind of camera do you use? It's got great clarity! Thanks for uploading!
Thanks! I actually only use the Iphone 7 Plus and GoPro 4, nothing too great! The 7plus is a surprisingly good camera for a phone. I'm sure better equipment would make the videos much better, but you can't beat the size and weight of a phone!
Most beautiful I’ve ever seen!
I'm glad you liked it!
Think comment was referring to you. Oooh lala
THANK YOU! I have been looking at a few different through hikes in Michigan and have been seriously considering this one for a few months now. This was very helpful for me to decide that this isn't the one for me.
I'm glad you saw this then! I wish I had known before I started it. Have fun on whatever trail you decide on! :)
Kathryn Jones We ended up going to Isle Royale and doing a 3 day backpacking trip then several day hikes across the UP including pictured rocks. It was amazing!
Cool music choice, pretty unusual but I dig it!
Oh thanks! I haven't had anyone tell me that before ha.
I honestly often struggle with finding the right music for my videos. It take a lot of time to search for and sort through royalty free music.
I'm glad you liked this though!
Thanks for the "heads-up" on the shore to shore trail ... have you done any of the NST near Yankee Springs? That's my favorite section (so far) Be safe, Enjoy ... and God Bless :)
sure thing! No I haven't done anything near Yankee Springs, but I can add it to my ever growing list! :)
Bummer on that trail but I still enjoy your videos. Chapel loop is my favorite trail ever! I live in the Grand Marais area if you’ ever in the area again maybe we can go for a hike!
It might be a while before I'm back but maybe I'll see you on a trail some day
I believe everybody has a trail they hated. Mine just happens to be in Ohio thank goodness.
That makes sense, considering it's Ohio. 😬
But more seriously, yeah I think you're right. I still think of it as my least favorite trail, but maybe some day it will be replaced by another. It's quite possibly someone else's favorite!
hmm ohio.. americas arm pit
Have you hiked the Greenstone trail on Isle Royal? Easy and beautiful.
I haven't! I have wanted to go to Isle Royal for YEARS. It's crazy that I'm from Michigan but I've still never been there. Next time I'm back in Michigan I might finally give it a go.
@@KathrynJones A person could, at one time, catch a boat ride back.
That is on plans for hiking this year!
@@christinebicanic751 They did have 3 sided shelter along the way. Good Luck.
Nice
Thanks 😁
@@KathrynJones Kathry when you coming to hike in New Hampshire
The Mosquitos are HORRIBLE.
YES!
How do i do this? I've been wanting to do this for ever now. I love scenery and nature but I can never find like minded people to do it with.
What is it you're trying to do? Backpacking?
New to the channel. Have you checked out the midland to mackinaw trail?
salam kenal aku dari Indonesia
Not sure why anyone in the DNR thinks its a good idea to have horses and hikers on the same trails. I've run into the same issues you have at Fr. Custer and on the Waterloo-Pinckney trail (some parts). Hiking in washout sand due to the loosening by hooves is not good. I'm a believer that horseriders need trails too, but mixing them is not good.
I completely agree. I should have known better going in to the hike that it would be loose soil/sandy.
Yes! Did the waterloo-pickney trail 2 years ago. Second half towards portage lake was deep sand and horse shoe marks. Awfull. Also huge flood by baldwin lake part. 2 feet deep in may. Had to road walk 2 extra miles to get around
Is there a GPX route for this trail, is it bikeable ?
From what I understand it is a non-bike trail, hiking and horseback riding only. :)
its not even wide enuff to walk with your feed apart i had to walk with one foot in front of the other and in deep sand....its not a hiking trail forsure
You're absolutely right. I wish they would designate it as a horse trail only so that hikers like us don't attempt it 😅
@@KathrynJones worse trail ive been on lol
Glad you made it back to the states with out loosing your gear. Have you thought about getting back on the AT?
Definitely thought about it. I wanted to do it last summer but in the spring I broke my neck and obviously couldn't do it. I also wanted to do it this upcoming summer but unexpectedly injured my back last month and and just had surgery on my spine so I obviously won't be doing it this summer either. Hopefully I'll at least be able to start hiking and climbing again by mid summer. Maybe next year though! :)
Super cool snake! Which species is that?
yep it is designed for horseback riding.
Yep! But also hiking. It's listed as a horseback ridding and hiking trail.
Sand builds up dem calf muscles!
It does indeed 😁
It’s Michigan of course is all sand the lucky it’s not 5 foot of snow
haha yeah I should have known 😂
You mentioned other great trails in Michigan. Do you have any suggestions?
There are a lot of sections of the North Country Trail that are awesome, it just depends on what you're looking for. My favorite trail is probably the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (I have a video showing some of it if you're interested) If you can make it over to Isle Royal that is also going to be unique. Tahquamenon Falls is beautiful and the hike there can be short if you drive to the parking area or long if you follow parts of the NCT to get there.Manitou Islands in Lake Michigan are also pretty cool. You can take a Ferry out there and spend a few days hiking around. I've also spent some time in the Manistee Forest around the Pine river and it was nice. It's not overly exciting with amazing views or anything, but the trails are well marked, dirt/rock instead of sand, and the river is peaceful and you can kayak and camp along the way if you'd like. Then lastly I would say areas around Sleeping Bear Dunes can be fun. Keep in mind that it will be extremely sandy like the trail in this video, but that is to be expected around sand dunes hahah. the views are really beautiful and the dunes can be fun to run up and down. I've also heard that Sturgeon Falls are beautiful but I haven't personally hiked there so I can't say for sure how exciting the hiking is in the area. Hope this helps! feel free to message if you have any other questions. I'm sadly slow to respond on TH-cam but I'm faster on Instagram.
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness SP has trails. Lots of trails. But May and June are bug months. You will be exchanging sand for mud, however. NCT also goes through the Porkies.
Is that an orv trail too, or is it just for hikers?
No, as far as I understand, it is a hiking and horseback riding trail only. :)
Here's a nice ~ 25 mi section that is not sandy:
ericshikes.blogspot.com/2016/11/michigan-shore-to-shore-trail-mckinley.html
I used to hunt on the section just east of Grayling where the trail turns into a deep sandy rut. In a hard rain it turns into a tiny stream.
Oh! this is good to know! Thank you for the tip. I'll have to check this section out 😁
Was that a baby rattlesnake you were petting?!
Kaizen Coding Web Development Studio it was an Eastern Hognose snake. Completely harmless. They try to mimic a venomous snake.
From what people on Instagram told me it was a Hognose snake. :)
Hike the NCT instead
Do you ever encounter weird men on the trail? Every time I hike by myself, I get the heebee-jeebees, if not outright stalking by weirdos. I’m so impressed with your bravery to hike alone! Swear if I ever tried to hitchhike, I’d end up on a missing persons list. But god I’d love to go long distance by myself. Do you have some sort of magical anti-weirdo spray or something?!
Clara McClung carry wasp spray. It can shoot 30 feet. I wouldn’t hike alone as a woman, unfortunately, we always have to be safe and we have to be on the lookout for pervs and weirdos everywhere. I was attacked at 18 by a random stranger who pulled me behind a parked car. It happened so fast, and took me totally by surprise. It does change your life! Be careful if you are going to hike alone. I would carry a gun or very sharp knife that you can get access to in a hurry. May God Bless you and keep you safe.
Well, it's classified as a Horse Trail, so that soft sand will make it tough.
I think it's technically classified as a horse and hiking trail, or at least it was back when I did this hike. But if they haven't already changed it they should absolutely change it to strictly a Horse Trail.
So sad that you wasted time on this HORSE trail, when there are so many great HIKING trails in Michigan.
There are plenty of phenomenal long distance sections of the North Country Trail that you could have did instead, avoiding all that sandy, churned up trail.
I know there’s a book out there that highlights many long distance hiking trails around the county, and unfortunately includes this horse trail. Shame on that author for not doing their research, and clearly not visiting the trails he wrote about.
I’ve never met anyone in the Michigan hiking community who recommends this trail.
I agree, I don't know why anyone would label the shore to shore trail as the "Michigan riding and hiking trail" instead of just the "riding trail." There are definitely so many fantastic hikes throughout Michigan and I hope others will see this video and choose a different trail.
Did you go alone?? I can’t go anywhere without creepy guys around. Or bear... or cougars. I’d like to think I’m brave, but apparently I’m not. Lol
Yeah up until the last year or so I would always go alone (and still do at times) There are occasionally creepy people but I do my best to trust my gut in those situations and make adjustments as needed. With animals I just do my best to stay alert and hope for the best 😁
Go figure get a flat trail and it's all sand. Enjoyed it anyways, subbed. 🤙
Yeah I should have known better ha
Yup. I had a feeling this trail would be hard walking just because of the horses. Horses draw flys, did you have trouble with horse flys? I know of other hikers who give up on the shore to shore trail for the same reasons you had. I agree with you there are just to many enjoyable trails to waste your time. Good hiking.
I actually didn't have that much trouble with the horse flys, which now that you mention it is actually pretty surprising. Horse flys can be so painful and make hiking miserable! I guess I should at least be grateful that I didn't have to deal with that :)
@@KathrynJones those little rascals can draw blood! 😠👍
My boots must fit great because I've never had blister's Never Ever good vid though
I normally don't either, I think a lot of it was the sand. Your feet just slide around differently in sand like that, and when it got inside of my sock it just tore my feet apart. But I'm glad you have good boots that work well for you!
your teeth are so white they blinded me for a sec lol
Ha sorry about that 😂
Love it are you ready to go Mt bike and go out to dinner with me!?😋🍷 I’m Rossi love the video
oatmeal, macaroni. insulin-ogenic. not good.
Believe it or not, those are not the only two things I ate. Also, insulin-resistance diets are for those with diabetes or those with pre-diabetes/on the path towards diabetes, which I am not. Having foods high on the insulin index are not inherently bad for you, they just need to be eaten in moderation like any food.
Kathryn, I’m sorry I criticized your food; you are good to push back. Your video is awesome!
your teeth are so pretty
Well thank you 😁
she's gorgeous
Rule of thumb never hike horse trail.
It is technically considered a hiking and horse trail. Bikes and motorized vehicles not allowed.