Motivators

June 19, 2019

Ludington to Sunrise Lake Campground

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Jackie’s avg speed: 10 mph
Scott’s avg speed: 11 mph
Weather: 63-70 degrees, rain and sun

A delightful surprise was in store for us after the Manitowoc-Ludington ferry docked. My cousin, who’s as close to me as a sister since our fathers were brothers and mothers were sisters, had come to greet us in Michigan. When the check came after dinner, she grabbed it and told the waiter, “They’re not even from Michigan, I can’t let them pay.” What a great way to launch the second half of our journey!

Jackie and Lori at the Ludington pier on Lake Michigan.

SS Badger loading ramp. Pedexers and bicycles to the right of the orange cones. Cars up the middle and over the rails still evident from when the ship carried railroad cars.

The ride the next morning that started out on a busy two-lane road with no shoulder and rain motivated us as much as tailwind. We pedaled away from the Stearns Hotel a little after 09:00, headed for Dunham’s Sports to get head nets to protect against black flies, a particularly nasty biting insect. Recent articles reported how the extended cold spring had created the perfect breeding conditions for the flies. In Minnesota, swarms had suffocated chickens by clogging their nostrils and gullets. They breed along lake shores in the northern states and Canada, where we would be riding. We wanted to be prepared.

The Adventure Cycling maps routed us out of Ludington on Highway 10. It starts out as a four lane road and after the small town of Custer turns into two lanes with a 20-inch shoulder. The rain came at the same time the road narrowed, just to test our resolve after the week break. No slowdown in traffic, either. Lots of cars and lots of trucks in both directions. Scott and I turned into the gravel many times when a truck came up behind and another toward us in the opposite lane. We rode more than 30 miles like this. At one point, Scott stopped to wait for me to catch up. “You want a break?” “Nope.” I just wanted to get through the rain ASAP. My average speed at that point was 10.7 mph, pretty decent for me.

Highway 10 east of Ludington. Any connection to the Valhalla in Norse mythology? That’s the grand “hall of the dead” where Germanic and Norse military heroes meet after death to fight for the god Odin.

After 33 miles, we turned north onto M37, a state highway with slightly less traffic and a better shoulder. In a couple more miles we came to Club 37, a diner oasis where we could get lunch. We were completely drenched and ready for a break. Scott had the hot roast beef sandwich, I ordered the hot crab sandwich, with hollandaise sauce. I had eaten half of it and realized it was fake crab. I was so hungry, I ate it anyway. What did I expect for $8? Maybe the menu said “crab” in quotation marks and I didn’t notice.

By the time we finished our late lunch, the sun had come out and the temperature gone up five degrees. Niiice. But another issue had developed from the rain. While trying to keep traction on his pedals, Scott had strained his right knee. He was debating whether to keep riding or stay in the next town. We coasted downslope to Wolf Lake, where we had the option of a cabin. We had covered a little less than 40 miles. “How do you feel? Want to call it a day?” He thought about it for a minute. “Let’s keep going.”

Another ten miles brought us to Luther, a tiny burg with a library, post office, and grocery store. Scott took some Advil and said he could make it the last 20 miles to the Sunrise Lake state campground. On days with more miles, we can measure our fatigue by how often we stop before we finish. We made one last stop at a gas station for a gallon of water and two candy bars. During the last stretch the terrain became hilly and the chip seal road surface dragged on our tires, slowing us down.

We got to the campground about 19:00 and quickly pitched the tent, inflated the air mattresses, and boiled water for cocoa and dinner. Buying extra water was a smart move, since the Sunrise Lake campground has picnic tables and a vault toilet, but no water hydrant. After consuming the last dehydrated beef stew with Mrs. Dash, we took a dip in the lake. Cooler than Star Campground in Wisconsin, but so refreshing, the next best thing to a shower. The sun was completely below the horizon, and the sky was clear when we got in our sleeping bags about 22:00.

The perfect ending to the day, Sunrise Lake State Park.

Today's ride: 68 miles (109 km)
Total: 1,687 miles (2,715 km)

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