Pinckney Blind Lake Backpacking Jan '17

Potawatomi Trail:
Pinckney State Recreation Area
Trailhead Elevation: 888 ft.

Trail-run - Crooked Lake Loop
  Distance: 4.30 mi. 
  Elevation Gain: 208 ft.
  Start Time: 2:37pm

Jan. 1 Hike In: 
  Distance: 6.67 mi. 
  Elevation Gain: 240 ft.
  Start Time: 3:49pm
  End Time: 6:01pm

Jan. 2 Hike Out:
  Distance: 4.38 mi. 
  Elevation Gain: 174 ft.
  Start Time: 8:17am
  End Time: 9:41am

Crosswinds Marsh

I'd seen Crosswinds Marsh on the map a few times and it didn't look like much until I did some investigating and found there are several miles of really good trail there. A few weeks back I stopped in for a few minutes to grab a picture of the trail map though I didn't have time to do anything that day.

A World Series for the Generations

The seemingly impossible has become possible, the Cubs are World Series champs for the first time in over a century.  For 108 years Cubs fans have been waiting for this elusive third World Series title.  Who would have thought that after winning 2 of the first 5 World Series in history that the next would have to wait for more than a century. They did, after all, make it to seven World Series in the next 37 years which is no small accomplishment. Yet, not once in those next seven tries did they win the whole thing.  Once World War II came and went and the Cubs made the Series in 1945 the real drought began as the Cubs would not even make the Series again until this year, 2016. 

Jordan Valley Pathway

Jordan Valley Pathway
TH Elevation: 1332 ft.
Low Elevation: 841 ft.
Distance: 12.03 mi. (my FR230)
Elevation Gain: 992 ft. (estimate)
Start Time: 1:28pm
End Time 3:52pm


Trip Report:
This was one of those trails that I'd never heard, never even seen a hint of it on any map, and out of the blue I saw someone posting about it on a Trail-runners facebook group and their pictures had me hooked. Several expansive views with some growing fall colors and it looked great. Even better, I was going to be headed towards Boyne a week or so after I saw the photos and so it would all work out perfectly.

Pikes Peak Marathon 2016

This story begins six years prior. It was August 3, 2010 that I was hiking Pikes Peak for the first time with my father and my very good friend Matt. We were on the Barr Trail making our ascent and found it to be such an enjoyable and inspiring trail. We were hiking on Pikes Peak after an already busy week of summitting 14ers. We had summitted Mts. Harvard & Columbia as well as the Lincoln-Bross-Democrat combination and even San Luis Peak. After such a busy week we were well acclimated and in great shape for the Barr Trail, and it showed. We pushed up the trail with few stops and were feeling great. In fact, I can still recall reaching the 16 Golden Stairs and being ready to almost jog up them. It was there I also was treated to a new sight: a number of men and women running up and down the trail, there, above 13,500 ft. I was amazed to see people able to move so well, so quickly at such an elevation. I thought I had impressed myself just being able to hike well. This was one of my first experiences with trail-running and it was quickly an eye opener. My Dad was aware of the Pikes Peak Marathon and so we talked with awe at these folks and what they were preparing for in such a few short weeks.

The notion of actually running this myself didn't come for a few more years. I would have success at the Chicago Marathon in 2014 and the North Country Trail Marathon in 2015. I would also develop a growing love of trail-running and so the idea finally came to mind. When I had finished North Country, which itself had 3000 feet of elevation change, I started to think I was wanted to try something even more. It didn't take long for my sights to head towards the Pikes Peak Marathon. With my love and experience for hiking the 14ers and my growing skills for trail-running this looked like the perfect combination.