Pictures -- North Country Trail: Michigan
The NCT enters Michigan on some country roads near the small town of Waldron. I was sad to leave Ohio, which had treated me so well, but I was excited about the challenge ahead of me -- hiking through the rest of Michigan, then Wisconsin and Minnesota, during the winter months.
The vast fields of corn continued to dominate the landscape well after crossing the border.
I went home for 2.5 weeks from Battle Creek, MI, to enjoy the holidays with my family, and began hiking again on January 6. If you think my cheeks look a bit puffier, you are right -- I made good use of all the holiday foods to better insulate my body against the cold temperatures that I would soon encounter.
Sunrise from a wetland in Yankee Springs Recreational Area.
At the North Country Trail national headquarters in Lowell, which is about 20 miles east of Grand Rapids.
The wonderful hospitality that began in western Pennsylvania continued throughout Michigan, beginning with the Cusack family. That night the house was pretty full: in addition to six of Kevin and Meg's seven kids, there were at least another seven people who showed up, including a few who slept over (like me). Kevin (lower right) said it was not all that uncommon.
North of Lowell the NCT passes through the apple capital of Michigan. Supposedly every fall the "trolls" bring some of the harvested fruit to the "Yoopers" who live above the [Mackinac] bridge as a peace offering of sorts.
I thought I was done with this landscape but clearly I was not: more corn!