Combo Up
Life is fast-paced there is no doubt about it. However, this journey is what you make of it and if you let it, run away it certainly will. You also have the option to take the lead and live your best life. Oftentimes, this comes with some compromise, but what if in your concessions you’re not giving anything up? As a matter of fact, with a little planning, a quick getaway can turn into just what you and your spouse (or family) need.
As many of my exploits revolve around public land, there are endless opportunities for all to enjoy. Take for example the following scenario: It’s Fall break and your spouse has a week off in mid-October. You haven’t been on a date in years because it’s all about the kids and making a living. Out of the blue, your significant other suggests taking off work and spending time together. In any other situation, I’d be excited at the notion but at this point in the year, I’m in full archery mode, impatiently trying to put some fresh meat in my freezer. The last thing on my mind wanting to go to some city galivanting around. Then it happened, she mentioned that the two of us should go “hiking or something”. How quickly things can change! I immediately confirmed with her this was a great idea and started planning our “date”.
The National Forests are here for all of us and I strongly encourage you to seek them out. They offer a wide array of adventure and outdoor activities across the country.
Did you know there is a hiking trail that spans 8 states, including several Midwestern states, is 4,800 miles long, and according to worldatlas.com is the 4th longest in the United States? Me neither until searching for places to hike within 5 hours of my home. It’s called the North Country Trail (NCT) and takes you from North Dakota to Vermont. More specifically this article runs through the entire lower peninsula of Michigan. If you’re not familiar with the Great Lake State, it’s surrounded by Great Lakes. It also just so happens that in the Fall there is a huge salmon run where significant numbers of salmon from the Great Lakes move into the tributaries to spawn. Do you see where this is going?
Approximately 4 hours away from my house the NCT intersects the Pere Marquette (PM) River. It is noted on rivers.gov that Pere Marquette is the “longest unregulated (no dams or impoundments) river system in the Lower Peninsula”. The PM is also classified as a Blue Ribbon Fishery which only makes this trip even more enticing. Using a vacation home search app this excursion was topped off with a reasonably priced log cabin nestled in the Manistee National Forest right on the banks of the PM.
Going through the checklist I was confident I had everything needed for our date. Beautiful Fall colors in full effect, cozy cabin with a fireplace, access to one of the longest hiking trails in America, a nearby beach and lighthouse on Lake Michigan to visit, and the Pere Marquette only 100 feet away. You may be wondering how fishing translates into an ideal couple’s getaway. It’s not that my wife is a huge fisherwoman, it’s more of something to occupy me so she can relax and read without me hounding her about what we’re going to do next, making it a win-win.
The trip up went well as we didn’t hit any traffic and the conversation was much needed. The convenience of being able to stream music through the truck speakers ensured we had agreeable tunes for the duration of the drive. The further North we went, the more colorful the trees became. After a quick stop at the local grocer for rations I had one stop left before navigating to the cabin. There were multiple fly/bait shops in the area but I settled on stopping at Baldwin Bait & Tackle to get the latest update and grab a few recommended flies and spawn bags. I explained to the gentleman at the counter that I was familiar with fishing for steelhead with spinning gear using spawn and yarn balls but was going to give fly fishing a try too this go-round. The trout fishing I had done was a little South of my current local on a much larger river but he assured me similar tactics on the spinning reel would work and also recommended a few of the more popular flies to hopefully give me a sporting chance. The most valuable piece of info he gave me was regarding the fishing regulations. I had been on the DNR’s website multiple times, printed the regs, and studied them. I read them completely wrong (if anyone in the MI DNR is reading this, please try to better convey the regs on the Pere Marquette in the Fall). Understanding that this individual knew way more about the area than I did, I thanked him and bounced to the truck where my wife was patiently waiting. Next stop, the cabin!
I’ll skip all the boring details and just leave you with this, it was a beautiful log cabin with only a few flights of stairs down to the river, just as I’d hoped. Dreams are made of these types of places. After unloading and getting our bearings we headed out to supper at a local tavern where the locals made us feel at home while our discussions continued to revolve around multiple subjects. We laughed and smiled over a couple of beers like we hadn’t in a long time. Eventually, with full bellies, we realized it was time to head back to the cabin. Upon returning and making sure my wife was cozy and comfortable it was exit stage left for me. Donning waders and a khaki vest I booked it to the river to capitalize on what little daylight was left.
Hitting the trail in the Fall, you can find hidden gems like this lake surrounded by the early hints of Fall.
I had never fished the Fall salmon run so I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect. What can be said about the PM over the 3 days is that it was clear, not particularly wide (where I was), and had a nearly constant influx of giant salmon. It was super invigorating to have such large fish in very close proximity with a rod and reel in hand. Soon darkness fell and I remembered that it wasn’t the fish that brought me here…I’d best check in on my wife.
The North Country Trail gave us beautiful views and a fairly wide variety of sights and sounds. With a slight chill in the air, we set out to clear our minds and roam freely in search of nothing particular but ourselves.
Rising early I got the coffee going and had a quick breakfast. Stepping on the back porch a glow from the sun reflecting on the yellow leaves etched a Fall scene on my retina’s that words will never explain. Taking a deep breath to absorb whatever particles I could from the moment, I headed down to meet today’s salmon. They came in waves but generally, the wait wasn’t long. The problem was that they were not interested in spawn bouncing off the bottom. The fish were so close, yet so far, and so big! Switching to yarn balls, the outcome was the same. As the sun continued to rise it was time for the next leg of our journey.
The 76th Street trailhead on the North Country Trail was just as I hoped it would be. An actual parking area with a couple of signs just to let me know we were in the right spot. For this leg of the hike, we would head North, leaving the option to go South the following day or select another trailhead. The path was evident the entire hike however, it was clear the further we were from the parking area the more narrow the trail became. Kudos to whoever maintains the trails for providing paint markings on trees giving confirmation we were still on course. Using technology I was also regularly checking my OnX app to make sure we hadn’t received any misguided ques. I was pleasantly surprised to see that someone even packed in a chainsaw to take care of any trees that had fallen across the trail. The whole scenario played out better than expected. There was even a portion where private landowners had collaborated with the trail and allowed an easement to cross a short stretch of private ground to continue from one section of the National Forest to another.
It was pleasant to see that the trail is maintained for safe passage and clearly marked to keep you from steering too far from the path.
Feeling invigorated after logging a few wooded miles we decided that the Lake was calling. After a 30-minute drive through some beautiful country, we found ourselves in Ludington. This time of year there was no issue finding convenient beachfront parking, quickly putting us in the sand with waves kissing our boots. Never passing up a chance to hit up vintage lighthouses we braved the winds and splashing water to put our hands on a little piece of history. Walking along the sea wall, my imagination got the best of me trying to picture how anyone could handle a vessel on such intimidating waters. It wasn’t even truly cold, yet the air was biting and water battered the wall. Making a career change to a Great Lakes ship captain was certainly not something I was willing to entertain.
Wanting the full experience, a short drive away was one of Michigan’s famed lighthouses. The waves rolled onto the beach and crashed against the break wall. The wind made it’s presence known so it was a short lived trip but well worth seeing.
The rest of the afternoon was spent perusing a couple of local shops, including one where I couldn’t help but pick up a copy of The Old Man and the Sea. Opting to continue our exploration of local culture we slipped into an establishment that only served ales and spirits made in this neck of the woods. The conversation between husband and wife was great and patrons and staff were very pleasant. It had been a long day so my wife was happy to spend the rest of the evening reading one of the 5 books she brought and I darted to the river once she was comfortably settled in.
It didn’t take long peering through my polarized glasses to locate salmon traveling upstream to spawn. I started again with my go-too, drifting spawn bags toward the monstrous fish. After many fish and no success, I opted to add a bobber to try and float various colors of yarn balls and spawn to the oncoming salmon. They wouldn’t even look at the bait. Growing more and more frustrated I threw on some foxtails thinking that maybe a flashing spinner would excite a bite. Nothing. I fell back on my last resort, the fly rod. I am not a good caster and I’m sure that when I mend my line I spook anything that may have been considering my presentation. However, fly fishing has quite a following and the guys at the bait shop hand-selected these flies for me. It was a fun exercise but in the end, I wasn’t rewarded with any takers.
Waking up to a golden cloak in the tree tops on the first morning was a spectacular way to start the day. The view was short-lived but I had gotten lucky and hit it just right.
Not being much of a quitter, persistence was on my side as I stepped into the crisp morning air the next AM. Much to my dismay it was a repeat of the previous efforts. Plenty of fish, but no bites. I rummaged through my tackle box to find anything that may work. Trying to anger the fish I tied on a red and white Daredevil just to piss one off. It didn’t work. I settled for a nice hike around Bowman Lake instead. Leaving the trailhead we realized there would be a little more elevation change on today’s route. Nothing drastic but it was clear the soil held some different qualities than the previous day’s area. There were some nice pine groves and some decent ridge tops that diversified what we saw. The US Forest Service was even nice enough to place a trail marker with a map identifying a few other connecting trails we hadn’t previously noticed. This was a nice bonus since we got to return on a different trail than we came in on. One thing that pleasantly surprised us about this particular leg of the NCT is that around Bowman Lake there were campsites available if you were willing to pack in. It wasn’t far from a parking area and discussed the idea of how great it would be to bring the kids back in the summer. Doubtful it happens but just knowing opportunities like this exist gives me peace of mind.
After logging several miles we found our “sign” to turn around. Thanks to the Forest Service for placing this convenient map letting us know we could jump on a different trail to return to the truck offering up some new sights.
For our last night of the trip, we opted to grab some steaks and eat at the cabin. This gave me the chance to give the PM one more shot. Getting a nice fire going in the fireplace and confirmed my wife hadn’t read all her books yet, she got comfy and I got my waders on. Fairly confident I wasn’t going to be bringing any salmon home my approach on this evening was a little different. I paid more attention to the turkey roosting on the opposite bank and wondered what was around the two bends in the river to my left and right. I grabbed my fly rod tied one of the more brightly colored flies on and waded a little deeper. I savored each cast and noticed that even in a short period I was having better luck placing the fly where I intended to. Looking at variations in the river bottom I envisioned where my fly would be going and worked it to make the best presentation I could in the event there was a fish there. The salmon would swim within mere feet of my legs and I got to observe how these beautiful creatures unconsciously pass by to complete their life cycle.
Wanting to give my best effort on this last night, I switched back to the spinning rod and used a bobber and yarn balls one final time. Since I had been slowly increasing the distance from the bank I would wade, I got to the point where I could finally cast to the opposite side. This allowed me to reach out to a log that had buried itself along the bank, just below the surface of the water. Drifting chartreuse and white yarn-laced hook with a single split shot under a bobber along the edge of the log I was mainly just making sure I had exhausted all possibilities. I wasn’t targeting any oncoming salmon just fishing a few new runs I was yet to explore. As another turkey roosted in a mad flapping of wings the neon bobber was pulled below the surface. Assuming I had snagged a newfound obstruction I tugged at the line. When the line tugged back and the bobber began heading upstream it was game on. I didn’t know what had hit my bait so I began to gradually work the fish in. Finally showing itself to me in the clear water it was not one of the many salmon I had been casting at in futility, but something I had never had on the end of the line before. It was brownish yellow with colorful spots and beautiful. Going through the trove of information hidden in the depths of my brain it came to me I had caught a brown trout. This was first for me and while it wasn’t a large fish I was quite elated. Knowing they were not in season I snapped a quick pic, removed the hook, and got the little guy back in the water ASAP.
The one fish of the trip, my first brown trout. I had no idea how beautiful of a fish they were!
This picture depicts the demeaner of the hundreds of salmon I casted at over the course of the trip.
No expert at fly fishing, it was still very enjoyable to try my hand at something different. Catching a trout on the fly is still on my bucket list but it wasn’t for lack of effort on the Pere Marquette.
Standing there after a successful release, I felt good. Good in a way like I had done something special. In the grand scheme of things, I hadn’t done anything that thousands hadn’t already accomplished, but it was a first for me. I came to a new location, tried new methods, and knocked another adventure off my list. The trip gave my wife and I a chance to remind each other why we ended up together. Hiking the NCT was refreshing and it’s always fun to see Lake Michigan. Heading back home to the wonderful life we had built together we each had a renewed glow. Next time you’re looking for a little getaway, do some research and use your imagination. Hopefully, you have some life goals still on your list and this may just be the motivation to hit those marks and keep your current relationship heading in the right direction. A little creativity can go along way. Good luck.
