The end of Michigan...

Mike_H

autos are better - WRWD508
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Feb 28, 2017
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11,574
Location
Grand Rapids, MI, United States
I was visiting my wife's family last weekend. They live in Michigan's Upper Pennisula, in a region called the Keweenaw. Lots of mining history there, and lots of trails. I went to college there as well, so I'm familiar with a lot of the sites and areas to explore. This trip, I decided to drive my jeep up. It's about 500 miles, one way, from my house. Jeep did great. Pretty comfortable ride, actually. I did notice some driveline vibration around 75-80 mph...not bad, just enough to set up a harmonic in the rear view mirror. Probably have a u-joint on the way out. I still have a bone stock drivetrain.

Monday, we had a free day to ourselves. Decided to take a trip in the jeep to the end of the Keweenaw. Place called High Rock Bay.

Dropped Pin

https://goo.gl/maps/gvJxgqvLeg52

If you zoom the map out a little, you can see the loop we took in, called Mandan road. It's a trail, seasonal, and unmaintained. Didn't need 4wd at all, but I was glad we were not in my F150! It was about 20 miles of trail riding all told. Had a nice picnic at the point. Some pics.

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Wow, that's some really beautiful scenery right there! How does it look in the winter? Entirely white I am guessing.
 
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Wow, that's some really beautiful scenery right there! How does it look in the winter? Entirely white I am guessing.

All white. ..still pretty though. They get around 250 inches of snow around those parts, each season. The same trails that we went slow over fill up with snow, and you can drive a snowmobile 50 mph the whole way!
 
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Wolf Creek, CO boasts 400+ inches of the white stuff annually!
 
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The forest companies are getting a bit more protective of their land though. They've been berming their trails lately. My Brother in law was telling me that some ass hat went in and stole 600 gallons of diesel...The berms are NOT easily climbed either...They are pulling a dozer or end loader in and making a 6 foot pile of whatever. More and more private property signs going up too. Its kind of sad...millions of acres of uninhabited nature, that is becoming inaccessible due to idiots.
 
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The forest companies are getting a bit more protective of their land though. They've been berming their trails lately. My Brother in law was telling me that some ass hat went in and stole 600 gallons of diesel...The berms are NOT easily climbed either...They are pulling a dozer or end loader in and making a 6 foot pile of whatever. More and more private property signs going up too. Its kind of sad...millions of acres of uninhabited nature, that is becoming inaccessible due to idiots.
In that case you may need to get that big SL! LOL
 
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The forest companies are getting a bit more protective of their land though. They've been berming their trails lately. My Brother in law was telling me that some ass hat went in and stole 600 gallons of diesel...The berms are NOT easily climbed either...They are pulling a dozer or end loader in and making a 6 foot pile of whatever. More and more private property signs going up too. Its kind of sad...millions of acres of uninhabited nature, that is becoming inaccessible due to idiots.
Same deal here + some REALLY nice steel gates. I'm so tired of some people's children!
 
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I call my TJ a cheap side by side. Side by sides are very popular, especially there. Seems everyone has one, even if they can't afford groceries every week. Not the inexpensive utility ones either, most are razrs or similar with the big engines. They have em advertised at the dealerships for 25 grand!
 
I call my TJ a cheap side by side. Side by sides are very popular, especially there. Seems everyone has one, even if they can't afford groceries every week. Not the inexpensive utility ones either, most are razrs or similar with the big engines. They have em advertised at the dealerships for 25 grand!
Funny you say that. Buying my TJ was a secondary idea. I needed something for hunting but needed to carry at least two guys and haul a deer/elk or whatever. Those damn side by sides are freakin expensive, even used. It was cheaper to buy a used TJ and of course the TJ can be used on the road as well. It wasn't until after buying one and discovering how fun they were did I start "playing" with it, much to the wife's dismay :D
 
I wanted to take a pic of the snow-mometer, but we were running late. It's pretty amazing to see it towering above you and realize that is SNOW!

This is pretty typical
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One of my favorite pictures of all time is a black and white photo from the 30s of some line men shoveling out the power lines...not the base of the pole, but the actual lines themselves.