Domestic travel restrictions, public land closures, social distancing, and masks. We are only just beginning to navigate a world with COVID-19
- Where: Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness | Manistee National Forest
- When: May 2020
- How many nights: 1
- Nearest town: Ludington, MI
- Weather: Clear skies. Sunny and mild temperatures
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The Current Situation
Lets briefly look back at life as we knew it two months ago. I attended an outdoor sporting event with Amanda and some friends on 1 March 2020. Fans of the home team visited restaurants and bars prior to arriving at the team’s stadium. As the match neared half-time, you could see that today’s game was well attended. Many seats were occupied in this venue that could seat a maximum capacity of 22,555 people. Announced attendance was 17,473.
Seventeen days later, 18 March 2020, our lives had dramatically changed. A novel coronavirus has spread around our planet and is having a devastating global impact on lives, employment, economies, and the overall well-being of humanity.
Restaurants and bars have been ordered by the state to shut their doors. Last night we visited a small Italian restaurant in our town. Our group of four was the final table to leave. The waitress tried not to tear up as she thanked us for coming in. During our exit more staff thanked us and a server reminded us that we could still order take-out, and bottles of wine at a discount.
A stay-at-home order was now in effect and all non-essential workforce was to work from home or, worse. I had loaded our cabinets with, after doing the math, enough pasta and canned vegetables for three months. Fortunately, grocery stores are considered essential and we can still make trips to the market for food and goods. Amanda and I are fortunate to both still have our jobs and we are working from home. Although we are both concerned with being unemployed in the near future.
As of this moment there have been 1,132 Ohioans killed by this virus. The United States, overall, is averaging nearly 2,000 deaths per day. Hundreds of thousands of people will surely lose their employment when sector’s in all industries cut their staff as economies shut down.
In the month of May, while stay-at-home orders remain in place, state governments are encouraging their citizens to find outdoor activities to calm anxieties. Playgrounds have been closed, now surrounded by orange fences. Swing sets have removed. Signs are placed at trailheads to promote social distancing of six feet or more between groups.
Thankfully we are no strangers to the outdoors and are well prepared for outdoor adventures. Some outdoor gear items are becoming difficult to find. Several big box tent and kayaks across the country are sold out.
I had planned on hiking the thirty mile Art Loeb Trail, in North Carolina, in late May with a few co-workers. This will no longer be possible as some public lands in western NC remain closed and the private shuttle service we will need is temporarily suspended. We had actually made the decision to cancel the trip prior to trail closures and businesses shutting down, knowing that it was the right decision to protect each others health and the health of those we would have encountered along the way.
Where can we go?
Having all the outdoor gear we could possibly need, Amanda and I decided we want to spend a day or two in the backcountry if we can find some open land. With most of our favorite outdoor locations still having closures to prevent attracting larges masses of people, the search is complicated.
Weather in the southern states is not helping. Some sections of Pisgah National Forest have reopened but spring-time weather in western North Carolina has remained, predictably rainy.
Staring deeply into the brightness of my laptop screen, I realize that I have not reviewed weather in Michigan. Nordhouse Dunes had been a fun hike back in 2015. The weather there looks to be great during our days off. Normally, that would be all we need. Time off and good weather. In the era of this new coronavirus, however, there is more research to be done.
Domestic travel restrictions have limited movement throughout the United States. For example, some trails in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest are open but as a non-essential Ohioan I am prohibited from traveling to that state. Returning to Ohio would also be a complicated process. New York allows entry from states that border it, but we would be denied as Ohioans.
There are no such restrictions currently between Michigan and Ohio. Per the Manistee National Forest webpage, the trails we need are no longer closed.
Looks like we are going to the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness.
Although our destination is chosen, there is still much to plan. Michigan’s restaurants are carry-out only, so there will be no dining-in during our road trip. We have ventured towards this area of Michigan before, albeit much further north to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. If you have never been, I highly recommend the lakeshore and the Leelanau Peninsula. Whether you enjoy hiking, kayaking, fishing, water sports, sailing, wine, orchards, beaches, or small coastal with unique shops and restaurants, Leelanau has it.
Our cooler is stocked with ice, water, some sandwiches from the market, and some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we made at home. All of the necessary gear has been neatly packed into the back of a rental car. Off we go.
The plan is to wake up early and drive the entire six hours, forty minutes, in one effort.
My Second Overnight at Nordhouse Dunes, but Amanda’s first
Blue skies are overhead and is drive north and cross into Michigan. Two of our four sandwiches have already been consumed. I now have the idea to make a stop and pick up some food and beverages along the route. After doing some research of the Grand Rapids area, I determine that Perrin Brewing Company will be a fine choice. Perrin has to-go six packs and their food looks great. We place our order once we are twenty minutes from Grand Rapids.
With the food picked up, we continue towards our destination. In a little less than two hours we will be at the Nurnberg Road trailhead where our adventure will begin.
Amanda has some new gear for this hike! She has primarily used my Gorilla 40 from Gossamer Gear as it is lighter and a better fit. However, the Gorilla 40’s straps often rub her shoulders and result in a burn of sorts. During our Dolly Sods overnight, or disaster, whichever you prefer, it became clear that we needed to find a pack just for her.
On her back will be a Gregory Jade 53. The bag arrived earlier this week and so far she loves it. It has not, however, been tested yet and the real verdict will reveal itself after about an hour on the trail. I will have my Gorilla 40 and we will be using the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 which has doors on each side. Having two doors is a surefire upgrade over the Marmot Limelight 2P that I have been using since 2015.
Once at the trailhead, the plan will be to hike the Algoma Ridge Trail and reach the shore of Lake Michigan after just under two and a half miles.
Nurnberg Road is all dirt and clouds of dust rise behind us as we drive towards the trailhead. A fee of $5 is required to park and you are required to insert cash into an envelope and deposit said envelope into a box at the trailhead.
The weather today could not be more beautiful. Just over 60-F, clear and sunny. Trails start off in such different ways, although we almost always begin in a forest setting. The beginning to each of the three trails that begin from Nurnberg Road trailhead all begin as typical trails before gaining their own personality a few hundred yards in.
After a mile or so there is a climb to an open area of ridge where you can see the lake. This is our first sight of sand and between the sight of the lake, relatively easy trails, and great weather, Amanda is clearly enjoying herself. The new pack is working so far.
Another mile and we arrive at the lakeshore. We have only seen on other human, a similarly aged man carrying a Hyperlite pack and hiking with his dog. Before too long we are searching along the Lake Michigan Trail for our home tonight. Campsites must be 400 feet from the waters edge and I think we have found an existing site that is legal.
We have plenty of space for our tent and hammock, and there is an existing fire pit in the sand with an incredible view of the lake. This is going to be fun.
A Most Incredible Sunset
With camp set up, we go for a walk along the beach and think about how incredibly fortunate we are.
Easy to now forget is the fact that a global pandemic is ongoing. We are alone, just the two of us, on a beautiful stretch of beach and throwing a frisbee to one another. It is not lost on either of us that hospital ICU’s are near full capacity. There is a shortage of ventilators that will result in the President invoking the Defense Production Act, effectively requiring any company he chooses to aid in the manufacturing of ventilators, face masks, and other items we may need in an effort to save lives and reduce the spread of the virus.
Here, under a beautiful blue sky, we laugh as we toss hiking poles in the air and see if we can get them to stand straight up, stuck in the sand, when they land.
Very fortunate. We know there is a strong possibility we could both lose our jobs. Amanda has a very positive mindset and I am trying to see her perspective, but I am worried. Not today, though. Today is about having some much needed fun.
An hour or so from sunset, I think back to when I was here in 2015. It was very cold. Too cold to sit too long and enjoy the moments where we witnesses the nearest star disappear as our Earth rotates. That was by far the best sunset over water that I had ever seen. I feel as if today’s sunset will top it. There are very emotional elements to this trip. We are wanting to stay healthy, wanting to stay employed, yet we cannot see any of our family or friends. Events are being cancelled. We are told to not visit with people from other households unless outside and socially distanced.
Here, in this moment, life feels what I would describe as normal.
I begin to boil water so we can rehydrate our dinner packets. Amanda grabs us a beverage and gets the bowls and sporks ready. There are plenty of small sticks and small limbs, for tinder and kindling, already on the ground. While the water boils I gather enough wood for a decent fire. Once ready, dinner is consumed quickly.
After a few strikes of flint on magnesium, a few sparks turn to flame. I fan and feed. Before long we have a nice source of warmth to counter the evening chill. Stars appear over the water. The night is silent and still, apart from the occasional crackling of wood and embers drifting slowly upward.
There is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, but backcountry camping certainly does not get better than this.
Although we were both very tired neither of us could resist taking several peeks through the mesh and taking in the sight. The sky and water now blending together. Navigation lights on the water are visible on the horizon, towards the south. Likely a small boat. Shipwrecks are known to be found along much of the coast of Lake Michigan, from a time where sailing the lakes was a necessity. Spending a moment to use my imagination, I dream images of rough, hazardous, winter lake waters and the challenges they posed to the mariners of that era.
Once more, I rise from my sleeping pad and glance outside. Our planet is incredible. Amanda had already fallen asleep. Within the next sixty seconds, I too close my eyes and drift away.
Backpacking on a Beach
Morning light is an incredible alarm clock. If it has not been well-documented in my previous stories, I should now make it known that I do not always sleep well in tents. Do you think that is strange? I love the outdoors. I love camping in the backcountry. That love, however, does not always result in relaxing my mind at night.
Amanda clearly will not be waking along with me any time soon. Emerging from the tent in shorts and a fleece quarter-zip, I walk to the waters edge and gaze south, west, then north. Clear skies and almost no breeze. Admittedly, I am a weather snob when it comes to my outdoor adventures. Do not let the rain gear fool you, I avoid rain and the potential for storms at all costs. Grateful for the beautiful weather, I return to camp and sit in the hammock.
Several birds are out on the water. I wonder if they are simply out there for a morning float or if they are in search of breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, I need to find the bear can and boil some water. After breakfast, we plan to hike southward along the waters edge until we find the Nordhouse Dunes Trail which will lead us to the trailhead.
Nearly half the distance up a steep hill of sand, which is not easy in sandals, is where you would find the hard plastic container that holds our food and scented items. After sliding backward, leftwards, rightwards, and occasionally falling onto my knees, I find the can. I now need to traverse downhill and return to camp but I take a moment to listen to the sounds of the forest. For no reason other than my incessant need to take it all in, I glance up at the canopy and notice something in the tree tops.
Above me, atop a tree of possibly seventy or eighty feet in height, sits a bald eagle. Neither myself nor the eagle make a sound. Neither of us make any slight movement. It does not act as if it has seen me, but I am certain that it knows I am here. I take a quickly take a video so that I can show Amanda once she wakes up. The eagle then hops from its perch and flies away.
Breakfast has been consumed and we walk northward along the beach for nearly a half mile. Upon returning to camp, we sit in the sand for awhile and watch the birds on the water. We both are thinking of the eagle.
Before long our packs have been packed and the tent is rolled up and stuffed into its bag. Although not necessarily warm, the sun has now taken its place in the clearest of skies. It’s not cold.
Having been here before and often studying the maps, I know that the Nordhouse Dunes Trail is located south of us. I would still like to return some day and explore the beach and forest beyond this trail, as the boundary is not for another two miles to the south. We begin hiking along the coast. What an incredible experience! We watch the waves roll in as we walk over sand hills. At times it feels as if we could be on another planet, or in a desert here on Earth.
I recall my experience here back in 2015 and know that finding the Nordhouse Dunes Trail was difficult. As with all federally designated wilderness areas, there are to be no signs or blazes within the boundary lines. Although Amanda and I do not find the trail immediately, we have fun as we search and climb over more hills of sand. I think it often, but in these moments it’s difficult to not think of how much I love her.
On the Nordhouse Dunes Trail we find ourselves back in the forest. After another mile and a half of hiking, we are back at the trailhead. It is at this point that I realized that I had not, before leaving the car, managed to close the window of the drivers door. Furthermore, it was not locked and my wallet was in the door pocket. Three mistakes that I had not previously made on any trip. Fortunately my wallet is still here and there is no sign that anyone entered the vehicle.
Driving home, I think about how much I have come to enjoy and appreciate this area of Michigan. All of the coastal towns, Silver Lake State Park, Nordhouse Dunes, Sleeping Bear, and the entirety of the Leelanau Peninsula.
This is an easy overnight hike. Perhaps it will turn into an annual adventure.
Final Thoughts
With an on-going global pandemic, we all have been forced to accept change. Restaurants and stores have been shut down, jobs are being lost, we cannot see our families and friends. This pandemic is a huge moment in our lives and in the history of mankind.
During our adventure I thought about my own habits and thought about my need to constantly be chasing after the next adventure. I often need to be on the move and looking for something else, something new. In the forest and on the beach of the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness during a pandemic, I learned that I must stop taking these experiences for granted. Yes, I have always been aware and appreciative of the fact that I am very fortunate to have stability in both health and finance which affords me the time to make these adventures happen. That said, I have a habit of returning from one trip and immediately begin to plan for the next. In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with that. I expect more from me, though. The deep reflection and lessons learned on the trail are experiences that I want to bring into my every day life.
Given the pandemic, I am not sure when I will have another opportunity to get out into a wilderness. I am hopeful that the virus will not be as impactful as we fear. Once summer arrives, I expect lots and trails at parks across the country to be absolutely packed.
In the meantime we will stay inside, work from home, distance from others, and hope that our friends and family do the same. The next few months, potentially years, will not be easy. We must make every effort to protect ourselves and others. This pandemic will pass, one way or another, and we will return to some sense of normalcy. The timeline, however, depends on the entire population, their patience and empathy for their neighbors well-being, and willingness to listen to experts.
The calm, the stillness that we experienced over the past two days is something that Amanda and I will hang on to as long as we can. As the song goes, it’s times like these we learn to live again.