What an unexpectedly excellent day of riding! I’d been warned by another cross-country cyclist I’d met in the Settler’s Co-Op in Bruce Crossing the other day that she had intel that getting into Marquette was lousy: bad shoulder, high traffic volume. She was riding with another solo lady she’d met on the road, and they’d decided to drop down to 2 to avoid it. Having done 2 last summer with Joyce and having not loved the experience, I was willing to take my chances on M-28. I started the day about 45 miles out of Marquette—I was riding a bit past it to a campground on its outskirts—so I was keen to know when it would get rough. The longer it took the better, of course, and I had my eye on some trail action that I hoped might mitigate it.
The morning started cool and humid, though the cashier at the Michigamme Market announced as she was ringing me up that it would be “hot and rainy.” Whee! It was overcast, which I appreciated, and the shoulder was wide and clean.
Again with the abundant roadside parks! Every little lake had one, and it made my heart sing.
The shoulder continued to be totally reasonable through the town of Champion, with its extremely cute post office.
And then I was on trail! I’d seen that the Iron Ore Trail, which had been unpaved for many miles previous, was paved for a large section through Ishpeming and Negaunee, leading into Marquette and then through and out of it, so I made my way to it and could not have been more pleased. Other than one unpaved section where I jumped onto a county road for a few miles, it was smooth riding.
At a trailside memorial to nine (or 10? not clear from the narratives) miners who died in a cave-in, I find many of my favorite midwestern ditch weeds: narrow-leafed everlasting sweet pea, purple crown vetch, white sweetclover, and of course Queen Anne’s lace/wild carrot.
I eat some Michigan cherries I bought at a roadside farm stand (!!!). (The peach I got was so perfect I ate it standing over my bike before leaving the place.) Then I keep riding and it’s lovely and perfect.
There is also the joy of coming back to Lake Superior after having gotten away from the coast east of Ashland. That joy looks something like this.
I stop at a Subway where the trail crosses the strip mall misery of Marquette, then jump back on the trail for several more lovely miles. Next to Lake Superior! 💙
I arrive at my slightly wonky and expensive campground (across the road from a roadside park overlooking the lake at which I will certainly eat breakfast) in sweltering heat. It has not yet rained, though I’d maybe like it to just to wring some of the hot water out of the air. A shower and a local beer at the lodge later, I am human again and head off to sleep hoping I can pack up before the rain promised in the morning gets started.
The trail under the arch of trees is absolutely beautiful!!! Yay for a good day! xo
What a perfect trail. I want to walk into that photo.
Cute post office has #accidentallywesanderson vibes!
Wow, we love Michigan. Glad that you chose M-28! Steve and I rocked that for a brief bike tour LY & were also treated to excellent views and farm stand produce!
Wow those other two tourists really played themselves, pouring one out for them 😢 Glad you got to trail your way on through Marquette! The main thing I remember about Marquette is that fire we put out on the side of the road 😨
It fills my heart to see the names of towns that I know and love and to know that you’re rolling through them. Ishpeming in particular is a lovely spot with the cutest downtown. And that icy bitch, Superior… she’ll never say it out loud but she’s happy to see you ❤
That’s where that was‽ I remember that!