Northern: Upper Penninsula Trails

[steveracer]

I would suspect the snow is still a foot or two deep right now! But planning for the summer - I will bring the bike up to Newberry for the Magnum Opus rally to ride the Thursday and/or Friday before the event June 22. Is the Grand Island ride more leisure riding or is it a good workout? I would like to do that ride, bet the scenery is pretty cool.

Can someone recommend in priority which of the 3 trails near Newberry (Grand Island, Bruno's or Valley Spur?)

[barrybs]

I would do Bruno's, Grand Island, Valley Spur. They are all quite different. Bruno's is beautiful single-track surrounded by lakes and rivers with great scenery, Grand Island is old carriage roads with incredible scenery and high cliffs above the lake (saw an Eagle take off from below while peaking over the edge of a cliff), and Valley Spur is mostly a maze of two tracks through a very hilly area.

Previous discussion: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=112372&p=782389&hilit=valley+spur#p782389

Not bike related but a cool place between Munising and Marquette. (donation based) http://www.lakenenland.com/

Barry

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Snow is mostly gone in Marquette now - we lost a lot in the last couple days. Munising and east got pounded this winter - 300+ inches, so probably still a lot there.
Have not ridden Valley Spur yet, but would ride Bruno's then Grand Island. Maybe my memories of Grand Island are tainted by the swarms of black flies that attacked us at every stop. If you have a day you could do both easily.

[bleve]

Big fan of Bruno's and Grand Island, only cross country skied Valley Spur once and thought it was kinda boring (compared to other places I had been), can't imagine it would improve on a bike. Doing both in a day wouldn't be a huge stretch but there's no cost to Bruno's (can't remember what the ferry charge with a bike was - probably $15-20).

[steveracer]

Hey guys I appreciate the comments and will use them to help guide me with rides this summer.....I will have to watch for those black flies....what do you do to keep them off your body?? I will have to deal with them in the UP and when I go to Canada later this year....

Can't wait to ride in the UP!

[football44]

We picked up some "No-Bite-Me" from Sallayander Soaps at one of the shops in Copper Harbor, and it worked like a charm. I swear by the stuff. We put it on our horses' ears to keep the flies off, too!

[bleve]

Hey guys I appreciate the comments and will use them to help guide me with rides this summer.....I will have to watch for those black flies....what do you do to keep them off your body??

Keep moving at double digit mph!