Affectionately known as ‘Bob and Dave’s Epic Adventure’

On the other hand, this trail isn’t heavily used; therefore, taking eyes off the trail to scout for wildlife is a surefire way to trip on a stump and fall face-first to the ground (talking from experience!). There were several downed trees, non-existent bridges, and it was easy to see that the trail would be overgrown during the summer months. All that being said, we hiked with a great group and after successfully overcoming a difficult obstacle, at least one member would commend our awesomeness by shouting how EPIC this trail is!

Day 1: Trail Marker 24 to Shoepac Lake State Forest Campground

Our adventure started on the morning of May 23, 2021 with staging vehicles at a parking lot on Black River Road close to Milligan Highway (off of Route 33) as well as in a meadow off County Road 622 at mile marker 36. The group met at the Black River Road trailhead and once the trail turned into the woods, then the obstacle course began! Several downed trees, expansive boardwalks and a bridge in need of repair were the theme of Day 1. Interestingly, we encountered the Canada Creek Shelter on our first day. The shelter is 4.3 miles from the parking area (5.7 miles from Shoepac Lake) and houses four bunk beds with a privy, fire pit and a water pump – lush accommodations for the middle of the forest!

We easily secured two camping sites at Shoepac Lake State Forest Campground. Shoepac Lake is a sinkhole that has since filled with water; it’s crystal clear and drops off quickly. The campground is within walking distance to the Sinkhole Pathway (a 2.5 mile loop that encircles 5 sinkholes). A few people went for a quick swim in the lake while others hiked to the sinkholes. I preferred to listen to the loon calls before warming up by the fire and calling it an early night.

(Click on any photo to open the galleries and read the descriptions)

Day 2: Shoepac Lake State Forest Campground to Clear Lake State Park

Our morning hike started in a replanted pine forest dating back to 1925. The pine forest trees were quite tall and it was interesting that the trail weaved through the orderly rows. We passed a few small lakes and and saw a Northern Leopard Frog during our morning break at Tomahawk Creek. Today was downright hot as we hiked through open meadows and clear cut areas on an 80+ degree, sunny day. We persevered knowing that running water and a cool lake waited for us at Clear Lake State Park!

Clear Lake State Park has all of the modern amenities that you would expect (showers, electricity, fire rings, picnic tables) and a few surprises as well. There is a beautiful beach at Clear Lake and the bottom of the lake is always visible, even where it drops to 90 feet. We saw nesting smallmouth bass from the shore and yellow swallowtail butterflies on the beach. The campground requires a reservation and fills up on the weekend; be sure to plan ahead if this is a stop on your hike! (Okay, so, even if, for whatever reason, at this point in the post you are thinking ‘there is no way in hell you are getting my ass out on this trail’, then Clear Lake is a beautiful stop along the ORV trails in Northern Michigan if that’s more your speed!)

Day 3: Clear Lake State Park to Van Night!

We started the day with a resounding (and slightly off key) rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ to kick off Mark’s 49th rotation around the sun! After a group photo at Clear Lake and a birthday flower from Dave, we were ready to start our hike! Today’s trek included some road walking, a few warped ‘bridges’ and the literal high point of the trail – Rattlesnake Hill. The 200′ climb up Rattlesnake Hill provided an expansive view of the valley below. I reminded myself that we were in Michigan, because there were no houses or other people in sight.

After meeting a friendly hiker at the top of Rattlesnake Hill, we continued on to our destination – VAN NIGHT! The day was another scorcher and when we reached our staged cars (at mile marker 36), then the real party began! We had stocked the cars with grills, bratwursts, beer, cupcakes, ice cream and bocce ball! Even though we were exhausted from a long day of hiking in the heat, it was great to celebrate Mark’s birthday and the half way point! The evening brought thunderstorms, which resulted in much cooler temperatures for the duration of our trip.

Day 4: Van Night to Pigeon River State Forest Campground

Today marked the official start of hiking in Elk Country. Although elk thrive in this part of the state, they are elusive, so we all tried to keep our eyes peeled while trying not to trip on a tree and fall flat to the ground. While there are no pictures to substantiate the claims, a few members of the group saw 5 elk early this morning. Hearing about their sighting gave me a bit of hope of seeing some wildlife on this trip!

The terrain was more of the same – diverse landscapes, beautiful rolling hills and bridges that were sketchy, at best! Today’s lesson learned is that a poorly constructed bridge is more effective than no bridge at all! We encountered our first official river crossing at the Black River. The day was cool and for the most part, our clothes were dry by the time we reached camp.

Unlike prior evenings, the temperature on Night 4 took a nosedive into the 30s. After setting up camp at Pigeon River State Forest Campground, the group stood near a fire until it was time to tuck into the warmth of the tent for the night.

Day 5: Pigeon River State Forest Campground to Pine Grove State Forest Campground

The day started with a campfire for heat and discussion of the day’s plans. The day prior, we saw a sign that that the Pigeon River Bridge was ‘out’ and we discussed the option of bypassing the early morning river crossing by using the Shingle Mill Pathway as a detour route. The distance would be the same but ‘purists’ might say that we didn’t complete the entire High Country Pathway to avoid wet feet. The group unanimously decided that dry feet would prevail (hallelujah!) and agreed that a return trip would be warranted to ‘complete’ the entirety of the High Country Pathway.

The day was cool and we were about a quarter (.25) mile from Pine Grove Campground when we approached the Pigeon River with another missing bridge. There is a bit of irony, humor and ‘epic-ness’ in that we did our best to avoid wet feet early in the day, but when we were soooooo close to camp, we had our longest and deepest river crossing of the trail. The first thing we did at camp was set up a fire to dry our shoes and socks!

We secured the last two campsites at Pine Grove State Forest Campground. Tents and RVs filled the campground because it was the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. One camper had a radio blaring all of ‘our favorite classic rock’ and at one point, I overheard another camper say ‘grab your beer, do a shot, and then we’ll take the chainsaw and get some firewood’. 🤣 I was confident that I wasn’t going to get ANY sleep when I crawled into our tent at 8:30 to the soothing sound of John Mellancamp’s ‘Little Pink Houses’ (that was my last thought before I woke up feeling refreshed in the morning!).

Day 6: Pine Grove State Forest Campground to the Finish

Our itinerary originally outlined a 6 night, 7 day trip; however, the temperatures at night had been dipping into the 30s and we had grown weary of the cold mornings. The group decided to combine the last two days of hiking into one long (16.5 mile) day. We all felt so accomplished after completing this trail and celebrated with dinner at Chatter’s Bull Pen in Atlanta, MI.

To get here and have your own adventure:

The trail is in the Pigeon River Country in northern Michigan, which is 3.5 hours north of Detroit. The HCP map was invaluable throughout our journey and it denotes the trail access points, campgrounds and parking areas. You can order one on line through the Pigeon River Country Association. Backcountry camping is permitted on the trail; however, we opted to stay at campgrounds for the water, privy and fire pits! You don’t need to make reservations in most state forest campgrounds; however the nightly camping fee applies.

A couple of pointers for a successful trip:

• Bring a compass, a High Country Pathway map and a decent sense of direction because the trail is poorly marked in some places and it’s easy to get lost both in logged areas as well as when crossing roads and ORV trails
• Carry some basic first aid supplies not only for blisters but for more serious injuries; the map shows roads close to the trail but they appear to be infrequently traveled
• Use permethrin to completely cover clothing in an attempt to ward off the ticks and flying insects
• Be prepared for cold temperatures at night … even in late May!
• Either bring designated water shoes for river crossing or be content to have wet feet for a significant portion of the hike
• Keep a sharp eye out for wildlife and absorb the Pure Michigan-ness of this unique trail

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned to see where adventure takes us next!