MMBA

by **RickPlite** » June 1st, 2007, 10:24 pm

Big M is dry and leafy, a few downed trees that will be cleared by the time the Lumberjack 100 comes to town.

by **johnhugo71** » June 6th, 2007, 9:23 am

I drove by the entrance to The Big M yesterday and was thinking about trying to make a trip up there this weekend.

Can anyone describe the trail at all? I see it said 40miles, are there different routes you can take out there or are you doing 40 miles?

Is it marked well? What kind of terrain?

Thanks!

by **RickPlite** » June 6th, 2007, 9:50 am

John

there is basically the inner xc ski loops which total about 8 miles if you combine the good ones and then the outer loop is the mountain bike trail and it is about 17 miles. the xc ski trails are very good for bikibg so dont miss them. If you go to my www.lumberjack100.com site you can print a map to take with you. If you follow the tiny arrows it totals 25 miles in all. A very good 2 hour+ ride. The place is pretty well marked but with so many intersection on the inner loops, it can get confusing

by **MrSingleTrack** » June 6th, 2007, 9:50 am

Check out map2 for The Big M in the Trail Guide section of this web site - many route options, and it is well marked.

It's one of my favorite trail systems, mostly smooth solid trail with lots of climbs and variety - nothing very technical. Beautiful quiet woods and a feeling of being more remote than it is.

by **johnhugo71** » June 6th, 2007, 10:04 am

Cool, thanks guys!

I'm hoping to get up there, it looks like beautiful country up there.

by **Orejas** » June 6th, 2007, 9:25 pm

I'm heading up to stay at Ludington State Park this weekend, and am planning to ride a portion of the NCT. I don't want to travel TOO long to ride. Where do you recommend I start? M-55? US-10 just east of Branch?

by **northernrider05** » June 6th, 2007, 10:34 pm

Where to camp for the lumberjack? Any info welcome thanks

by **johnhugo71** » June 11th, 2007, 3:44 pm

I saw a bear from about 40yds. away on the Big M shortly after the first big climb!!!! It was AWESOME! If I wasn't hooked on riding before I am now! I just started heading down the hill after that first big climb, coming up to a left hand 90 deg turn and I saw this big brown hairy butt running up the hill on the other side.

Made the whole day worth it right there!

Especially since I ripped off my rear derailleur with about 3mi to go! :evil:

What a great trail though, that was my first time riding it and absolutely loved it! Lots of twigs and limbs down because of storm last week, good sized branch is what ripped off my derailleur.

That will hopefully not be the last time i ride that trail, totally worth the drive up from GR.

by **RickPlite** » June 11th, 2007, 4:04 pm

the Big m loop has been raked as of Sunday June 10th. We still have about 3-5 miles of trail to clean up, but 20 miles raked in one day is pretty good.

camping areas are listed on the Lumberjack 100 site. www.lumberjack100.com, sorry I don't have any experience with them to direct you to the best one.

by **mntn-biker** » June 13th, 2007, 9:33 pm

How are the bugs up there? Thick mosquitoes? Thinking of a camping/biking weekend up there in the woods adjacent to the trails the weekend of June 29 and trying to plan around the bugs :roll:

by **mntn-biker** » June 18th, 2007, 10:04 am

mntn-biker wrote:How are the bugs up there? Thick mosquitoes? Thinking of a camping/biking weekend up there in the woods adjacent to the trails the weekend of June 29 and trying to plan around the bugs

Anyone that raced up there this past weekend care to comment on the bugs?

by **John_H** » June 18th, 2007, 10:13 am

mntn-biker wrote:
mntn-biker wrote:How are the bugs up there? Thick mosquitoes? Thinking of a camping/biking weekend up there in the woods adjacent to the trails the weekend of June 29 and trying to plan around the bugs

Anyone that raced up there this past weekend care to comment on the bugs?

I just talked to someone that was at the aid station out on the course. He told me the skeeters we vicious - daytime, even with bug spray.

by **mntn-biker** » June 25th, 2007, 8:48 am

John_H wrote:
mntn-biker wrote:
mntn-biker wrote:How are the bugs up there? Thick mosquitoes? Thinking of a camping/biking weekend up there in the woods adjacent to the trails the weekend of June 29 and trying to plan around the bugs

Anyone that raced up there this past weekend care to comment on the bugs?

I just talked to someone that was at the aid station out on the course. He told me the skeeters we vicious - daytime, even with bug spray.

There were plenty of skeeters but they seemed more vicious down by the parking lot. We camped at the north end of the outer loop and there were skeeters but they weren't biting as much for some reason. There are plenty of ticks abound as well. I went thru a bottle of "OFF" just myself over the weekend. Half that bottle was dedicated to my legs from the knees down to fend off the ticks.

The trail was in really nice shape (especially where the race was the weekend before). The less traveled trails had the usual sticks and twigs.

by **SlowPoke** » June 25th, 2007, 8:57 am

The spraying the ankles and feet to prevent ticks was not 100% effective for me. One time I removed my riding shoes to find a tick under the Velcro strap.

Then last night at home I fond one of those little suckers burrowed in to my skin just under my ankle bone. :evil:

It was in a spot I could not see without twisting my leg around on a strange angle. After that I did a hair cut and spend a few minutes checking every :roll:

other place they could hide.

by **mntn-biker** » June 25th, 2007, 9:15 am

SlowPoke wrote:The spraying the ankles and feet to prevent ticks was not 100% effective for me. One time I removed my riding shoes to find a tick under the Velcro strap.

Then last night at home I fond one of those little suckers burrowed in to my skin just under my ankle bone. It was in a spot I could not see without twisting my leg around on a strange angle. After that I did a hair cut and spend a few minutes checking every other place they could hide.

I guess my wearing flip flops around camp wasn't such a bad idea afterall? :roll:

I could keep tabs on these little SOB's

MMBA

Huron-Manistee National Forest: NCT, Big-M, Hungerford, etc.

I SAW A STINKIN BEAR!!!

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