woodsy

~SPONSOR~
Mi. Trail Riders
Jan 16, 2002
2,933
1
Once again, there is MAGIC to be found on the Michigan MCCCT at this time of the year and we FOUND it!!! What a GREAT time to be in the woods! We started this ride at my old hunting spot. This is my report so I get to bore you with some detail of this particular spot and maybe it will help explain why I say MAGIC with such enthusiasm..
Back in 1946 my father and his best friend “Skip” built a hunting cabin on 10 mile road just west of Kings Highway (LONG GONE ) – it was located smack dab at the center of what is now known to us as the Lincoln Hills Loop. He and Skip hunted this area for many years before my Dad took me up there during the fall of 59 to get my first good taste of the “MAGIC” of the Lincoln Hills. 10 mile Rd. is now paved but back in its day it was the most FANTASTIC mud run you could imagine! Also, besides bagging my first buck (NEVER went a year without one there) up there, I dirt rode the area A LOT and got to know the surrounding area “like the back of my hand”. The “Hills” used to be a MAJOR play area for bikes – then the DNR came along and kicked us out and off in the name of land preservation. They (the DNR) later came thru and showed EVERYONE their true colors and intent of wanting the forest floor left in perfect condition by STRIPPING hundreds of acres of beautiful Oak forest – NOT A TREE LEFT STANDING and they never replanted it!! I will never forget the look on my Dads face the day we pulled into camp to find the “hills” stripped – my Pop ain’t no cursing man but the DNR deserved to be cursed for that bone headed blunder! The damage done by the heavy equipment used by the “authorized” woods haulers to remove YOUR trees was so great that you could not even walk thru the area much less ride a bike thru it!! To say the least, the MAGIC of Lincoln Hills had taken some “severe blows” thru the years… Now on to present day.
The boys (Randy and Larry) decided that my idea to do our weekly Monday ride out of the my old hunting spot sounded like fun. We caught breakfast at Mickydees in Fremont (Randy’s home town, we are NEVER able to go thru it without him giving a detailed account of who lived where). Headed North thru Baldwin and down 10 mile Rd. off M-37 to park and ride. We woke Larry Up :) and unloaded the bikes (see pic) and hooked up with the Lincoln Hills trail east side. I LOVE THIS SECTION OF TRAIL!! The trail width is almost perfect (almost tight enough), very little whooping going on and LOTS of up and down hill stuff.. Snow conditions were 80/20 with 20% representing snow.. Of course the North sides of the hills were the worst (or, the funnest depending on your perspective) but only slight snow and ice at that!! I lead the boys to the “Bridge intersection” and headed North across the Bridge and on to my favorite section of the MCCCT – ahhh, back at home on the Boon trail!!! We rode right pass the spot where I met Young Ted on his “5 Day’s Of MCCCT Adventure” (an account of his adventure can be had by joining the Penton Group and receiving their “POG” mag – GREAT STUFF).
After we crossed the bridge I made Larry let me ride his old Husky so he would be higher off the ground – away from the stumps! Yea folks, if you ride this section BEWARE of the stumps – fun, YEA, but also dangerous. Larry has a foot injury that needs nothing more then to have one of those stumps bump his foot.. Believe it or not, climbing off my KX500 onto that 1974 Husky 125 produced even MORE magic!! After a couple miles of trail I was right back in the Hare Scrambling mode of the early 70’s!! WHAT A BLAST!! Remember the days of practically NO brakes and NO suspension where standing up was not only the fastest way to ride it was the ONLY way to survive?? Ol Woodsy remembers and that ol Husky did too!! I “re-discovered” the magic of yesteryear on that old Husky – WAY COOL!!!! I did 20 miles on the old girl and had a GREAT time. I sure hope my KX don’t hold it against me – guess I will find out on the next ride..
We rode the trail back to the Jeep and arrived just before dark!! Another PERFECT ride! Many thanks to the CCC of their HARD LABOR in keeping the system OPEN! Because of them (and others)the Magic is back, get out and find some!
Woodsy
P.S. Screws REALLY help!!!
 

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dthoms

Member
Oct 6, 2002
175
0
Woodsy,
I have to tell you, I really enjoy your trail report stories, I also have many fond memories of that area.
Like your father I can't understand what they were thinking when they clear cut all of those trees, and unfortunately I have seen the same thing in other areas of the state as well.
We once printed a Michigan history book at work, and I couldn't believe the size of the trees they showed in the pictures. The diameter of some of the trees were two or three times higher than the men standing next to the fallen trunks.
Well I just had company show up so I better go.
Dave Thoms
 

woodsy

~SPONSOR~
Mi. Trail Riders
Jan 16, 2002
2,933
1
I have a theory Dave but it is kind of unpopular.. It involves the rape of our natural resources to make room for garbage from Canada... If you wanna find out if there is any truth to that, try contacting your Governor or the head of the DNR and getting info - you will find out that they are EXTREMELY tight lipped about it and this alone usually means that there is something to it.. OK Woodsy, off your soap box..
THANK YOU for the kind words about my "reports". It is ALWAYS an encouragement to read replys like yours!!! As you may have fiqured out, I REALLY enjoy doing them and also LOVE to read others writings as well. It is SO much fun hearing from others who have "been there/done that" and it always amazes me how small of a world it is.. Basically, there is nothing I enjoy more (WAIT A MINUTE, THE ACTUAL RIDES ARE SOMETHING I ENJOY WAY MORE :) ) then sharing my passion for bikes with others and seeing theirs in return - what a GREAT life!!!
Have a SUPER New Year!!
Woodsy
 

Tom Dixon

Farmer Tom = Face Planter
Mi. Trail Riders
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Nov 15, 2001
872
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I have to agree with Dave, you can write one heck of a trail report. You should write a book about your adventures, I'm shure it would be good.
 
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