Spring 09 Softies by Jim Matteson
The spring
Softies
Hike was rescheduled from May 8-10 to May 15-17. We had three repeaters from last October’s Trap Hills hike in the persons of Marge Forslin, Lorana Jinkerson and Jan Lindstrom Wester. In addition we had Carol Bard, Denise Herron, Jim and Norma Matteson. We were also pleased to have Gale Jamsen of Atlantic Mine join us for the weekend. Rod Bathke of Land O Lakes, WI and Chris Tews from Eagle River, WI were with us for the Friday portion of the hike. John Forslin again came through as our support person for the entire weekend. We appreciate his valuable communication and logistical skills.
Friday we gathered at 2:30 pm on Norwich Road which runs north of M-28 at Matchwood. Our 4.1 mile hike was mostly level walking through some wetlands, and we had significant company with black flies and occasional ticks. We did some very light trail work and had a challenging last half mile finding trail blazes. After checking into the Maple Ridge Motel a couple miles west of Bergland and getting refreshed, we journeyed on to Ironwood for dinner at Don & GG’s restaurant.
Saturday morning we awoke to temps that had dropped from Friday’s 68-70o to about 28-30 o with snow in the air. After a hearty breakfast at Antonio’s Restaurant at 7:30 am, and rubbing shoulders with numerous walleye fishermen in the area for opening day on Lake Gogebic, we left Bergland. Jan and John transported us out to the NCT section a few miles east of Norwich Road. Our 7.3 mile hike was much more challenging than the previous day with some steep climbing along with some stream crossings. We had a little more animal action along the trail and a couple of times kicked up an occasional grouse and saw a fast moving fisher. Our photographers got numerous close-up shots of ferns, wild flowers and occasional mushrooms and lichens. After some more light trail clearing along the way we arrived at Old Victoria settlement about 3:30 pm. The Lookout Mountain Overlook and Old Victoria were two of the highlights of the day.
After rechecking for ticks, we loaded into the van and jeep and headed for Henry’s (Never) Inn in Rockland for an early dinner. We were too early for the Italian Buffet but enjoyed our meals off the menu and the friendly service. After returning to our Maple Ridge headquarters and cleaning up, we all gathered in the Forslins’ room for snacks, liquid libations, and interesting conversation. Marge used her computer to research the birds and plant life we had observed earlier in the day.
Sunday was an earlier start at Antonio’s Restaurant and we were there at the 7:00 am opening (fewer fishermen present). After another big breakfast we took all the vehicles to the Norwich Road parking area. While Jan and Denise planned a shorter hike on their own, six of us got into the Forslins’ van to be dropped off at the staging area for our hike west to Norwich Road. About 1 mile into our hike we crossed paths with four young guys from Madison, WI who had heard earlier that we were hiking too. Our photographers had another field day taking pictures at numerous scenic overlooks along the ridges. Those last 6.1 miles on Sunday were a real endurance test with more steep climbs and descents.
As everyone headed to their cars at the end of the hike, Marge, John and Jim had their own plans for the trip home as they were intent on seeing the Red Wings play-off game. They made their way back to Marquette with stops at Bruce’s Crossing, UP Chuck’s in Kenton, and the Hardwood Café & Bar in Covington to check on the progress of the game.
In summary, we were very satisfied with the weekend hikes and the hockey score. Hiking and play-off hockey are compatible activities in the spring in the U.P. Stay tuned for future softie hikes!
More Softies by Rod Bathke
This time of year is always exciting for me. I come back to the UP in early May each year so that I can see all the wild flowers as they blossom. I have a number of flower books to help me identify what I see, but last Friday (May 15), Marge Forslin was there to actually say, “Yes, that is a wood anemone.” I saw wild ginseng for the first time and learned that there was such a thing as “false morel.” Even the constant swarm of black flies could not dampen my enthusiasm on such a perfect day.
The most important lesson I learned was that I need not be in a hurry to hike the North Country Trail. I just turned 68 and thought I would have to get my hiking done during the next few years or forget it. The Softies showed me that I can continue to enjoy hiking in the UP for many years to come - age should not stop me.
It was a pleasure to meet other people who love getting out onto the trails and seeing what a glorious creation is right in our own back yard.
And now Chris Tews...
I very much enjoyed the opportunity to meet and hike with your "Softies" group. I am inspired by your approach to the hikes--your organization, your knowledge, your hardiness and positive approach to hiking, and your love for the North Country Trail--and your willingness to share.
Fall Softies
Once again, the ’09 Fall Softies Hike, planned by Marge Forslin, proved to be an adventure. Jan Lindstrom, Mary Beals, Lorana Jinkerson, Gale Jamson, Don and Joani Miller, and John and Marge Forslin were the brave souls who spent Friday, October 2 through Sunday, October 4 hiking easterly from Old Victoria on our semi-annual trek to hike across the whole UP in ten years or so.
The weekend was on and off rain so rain gear was in abundant use on all three days of hiking. That did not deter the determined hikers who cheerfully set out on each day’s hike and always came back smiling. The rain, in some respects, was the least of our challenges.
The trail in this area was mostly well marked, but maintenance was severely lacking. Rolf Swanson, a member of the Peter Wolfe Chapter who had participated in our Volunteer Adventure in September knew that we were going to be doing that segment so he graciously worked to clear as much as he could prior to our arrival. Unfortunately, he was not able to get it all cleared. For those sections he did, we were very grateful. For the remainder, we navigated through brush and blowdowns that kept our eyes on the ground. At one point the brush was so thick we lost the trail completely but soon found a blue blaze and were back on track.
There were a few water crossings that also took their toll. One had a board walk to cross but unfortunately a series of trees had fallen across the walkway. Thanks to our handy little retracting saws, we were able to saw enough to clear the walkway but only after Lorana went in up over her knees.
Don and Jan also had encounters with over the knee slips into water. Luckily the temperatures were warm enough that none of us became cold or too uncomfortable.
The highlight of the trip was our lodging. We stayed at the Loop Road Lodge south of Trout Creek. It is a wonderful house with five large, or should I say, humongous, bedrooms and five and a half baths. The lodge included a full kitchen complete with dishwasher so rather than going out each evening, we had one evening meal there. Breakfasts and packing of lunches were facilitated by having the kitchen too. The washer and dryer came in extremely handy with our wet clothing from the rain and the dunks in the water crossings. The living room even featured a large flat screen satellite TV. We enjoyed the accommodations so much that Marge has reserved it again for our Spring 2010 Softies Hike this May 20-23.
