Exploring a unique area in Michigan for the first time
- Where: Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness (map)
- When: October 2015
- How many nights: 1
- Nearest town: Ludington, MI
- Weather: Clear skies and mild temperatures
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The Road to Adventure
Years have past since my most recent overnight hike in a backcountry setting. As a backpacker, I have not grown much over the past few years. Lightweight and ultralight gear are becoming more mainstream. My pack is still the same North Face Terra 65 that I bought years ago on an impulse. Sure, it holds everything I need. Is it the correct pack for me, though?
This is one of many questions I asked myself prior to meeting with a friend and driving seven hours to a small wilderness area in western Michigan. Jeff, my friend, would be having his first experiencing camping in the backcountry. Prior to the trip, Jeff made the obligatory REI visit and purchased all he needed in just one visit. This comes after weeks of us discussing outdoor activities and sharing ideas with one another.
Planning to drive so many hours will prepare you mentally to a certain extent. Seven hours in the car. Seven hours through northern Ohio and taking I-96 across Michigan from Lansing to Grand Rapids. Fortunately we both enjoy the road and my iPod provides consistent tunes. My friend Jeff is great with conversation. I can be rather quiet and honestly could have not said a word the entire seven hours and would have felt completely fine. He asks me interesting questions. Could I ever be a truck driver? Could I ever see myself owning a farm? I am enjoying the conversation but also learning from him. I need to be better at conversation with others both in my personal and professional lives. He genuinely seems interested in my answers. I need to have more genuine conversations with those around me and those I care about.
Both Jeff and I had been interested in seeing the larger dunes along the Michigan coast. In between playing songs on my iPod and food stops, I did some math and figured we would have enough time to drive an additional hour and a half to see Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Oh, and then an additional hour and a half to drive south to our destination.
At Sleeping Bear we made a quick stop at the Visitor Center in Empire, Michigan. Not having researched much about the lakeshore, neither of us were too sure of what we would see or how we would see it. I took a map of the park and we found ourselves at what is called the Dune Climb. Now, over the next several years I would actually return three times to the Dune Climb but those stories are apart of chapters later in life.
Adding three unplanned hours for a side trip to visit another location can sometimes drain you. Luckily, we had enough fuel in our adventure tank to power us through and we still arrived to the trailhead at a decent time.
A Beautiful Day for Hiking in the Sand
The Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness consists of more than 3,400 acres and is located along the shore of Lake Michigan, just over a thirty minute drive north of Ludington, Michigan. This area of dunes is part of what is known as the Big Sable Dunes complex.
We arrived at the Nurnberg Road trailhead just after noon. The temperature in early October is comfortable and we were pleased with the 62-F degree temperature as we put on our packs and began the hike. Tonight’s temperature will likely be the lowest temps I have experienced while camping. I probably brought way too many layers. From the trailhead, we head north/northeast on the Nipissing trail. You experience a variety of environments during the relatively short trek to the shoreline. The trail crosses through forest, wetland, and meadow-like terrain as you ascend to the ridgeline of dunes.
The plan for this hike was to take our first break at the primitive campground on the north end of the wilderness area, just outside of the boundary. Thinking of all the articles I researched, I expected there would be piped-in water there and some clear views of the shoreline. So far the trail is pretty solid and we have not seen any sand.
Interesting is the change in environment over the next sixty minutes of trail. Forest, wetland, meadow-like systems. The flora around us seems to change every ten or twenty minutes and I take some photos to remember the changes. We are now seeing sand on the trail and every so often find ourselves walking on an lot of it. The trail has climbed a hill and Lake Michigan is barely visible through the trees below us. Other than our voices, the forest is silent. Are we already at the lake?
Not far ahead will be an intersection of two trails. Once we reach this point we take a break and I check the time. It has only been forty minutes and we are this close to the lake? If taking the trail to the left, the Middle trail, we will make a more direct approach to the dunes, lake shore, and the area that I had planned for camping. Only an hour in? Jeff and I agree that we prefer to continue on the Nipissing trail and check out the campground, maybe find the restrooms, and take an extended break there.
Twenty minutes later and we are there.
This is a small area. Only an hour of hiking and he have already reached the campground outside of the wilderness area. The restrooms, of course, are locked. There is an amphitheater and a path leading to an observation deck with views of Lake Michigan.
Dunes and a Lake Michigan Sunset
Now on the Lake Michigan trail, we began to feel the slight elevation change as we climb a ridge. We are now hiking south towards the center of the of the wilderness area’s coastline. This is the first real challenge of the hike and my heart rate is beginning to increase. At the same time, we are feeling the temperature decrease.
Fauna? Not so much. I had conjured up images of porcupines on the forest floor, bald eagles, the dune’s Hog snake, maybe a black bear. Nada.
An intersection appears and we have two choices. Our first option is to continue climbing and stay in the trees, the other option is a short descent to what looks like the beach. We continue with option one to confirm there are no better views of the lake before returning to the intersection and hiking down to the dunes.
Emerging from the tree line, the views are unlike anything I have seen apart from a visit to the Oregon coast in 2013. The dunes continue in both directions as far as the eye I can see. In the distance, to the north, high sand bluffs sit as a backdrop to the beautiful scenery all around us. Tall, green dune grasses stand out against the sand. A lone trail leads to the water. I walk to the shoreline, feeling sand entering my shoes. I have daydreamed and imagined camping in places like this. Such as the shoreline of the Atlantic or Pacific ocean. Here it was. In Michigan. A decent wind is blowing but the water looks calm. Not a cloud in the sky as the sunset approaches.
We have a decision to make. Legal campsites on the beach must be 400 feet from the shoreline and 100′ from a trail. This regulation means that the dozens of beach campsites we have seen must not be legal sites. That said, I am not great at estimating what 400′ looks like. Several sites sit as far as possible from the shoreline, under tree cover and essentially in a sand ditch that runs along the bottom of the cliff we just walked down.
Sunset is about an hour from now. Do we make camp at this spot on the beach? Atop the cliff? Jeff, having not been faced before with such a dilemma, makes it clear that I will be the one deciding where we camp. The incoming wind from Lake Michigan is increasing. Knowing that the temperatures overnight are forecast to drop near the low 40-F range, I decide that camping in the forest atop the sandy cliffs will be best. The wind will be cold after sunset and the trees should help with that. Besides, I am not a fan of my rain fly flapping in the wind all night long. My objective of camping with view of the lake will not be completed.
Back on the high trail we begin to search for an existing legal site. There is a clearing to the east of the trail. As I said before, I am not the best at measuring long distances over ground. This feels like it should be 100′ and Jeff agrees. We waste no time setting up shelters and inflating sleeping pads. One important activity remains.
Dinner.
It is difficult to recall if I convinced Jeff or if we both agreed to have dinner at the beach. We had already climbed halfway up the ridge to the highland that we are now camping on, but turned back and went to the beach, searched for legal sites, determined the beach was not suitable, returned to the trail and hiked on, set camp, and were now returning to the lowland of the beach and dunes.
Oddly, a 3×2 piece of particle board has been left at an illegal beach site. I suggest we sit here for dinner and Jeff agrees.
Pasta and instant mashed potatoes. Yum. In 2012 I purchased an MSR Pocket Rocket canister stove. I had used it now and then for day-hikes near home, but this would be the first time I used it while camping. I also had a heavy, stainless steel backpacking pot. We boiled water, poured pasta into the pot, and cooked it up.
“I like mine al dente, Paul,” said Jeff. “Do you know what that means?”
I like his humor. We devour the pasta as if we had not eaten all day. As we begin to clean up, I wonder how to remove the pasta that is stuck to the the bottom of the pot. It can go in the bear bag.
The US Forest Service acknowledges that black bears are in the area, yet I cannot recall any regulations about hanging food or storing food in bear safe containers. No matter, though. I have explained to Jeff that we are hanging all food and scented items in the bear bag. He tags along to help me pick a tree and after a few attempts, the bag is in the air and secured.
Sunset time. I have seen many fine sunsets in my life. Tonight’s might have been the best I have ever seen up to this point. The orange glow of the star on the horizon, the light blue skies over the dark blue water. I get to thinking and ask myself, have I ever seen a sunset over water? Surely I have. Three vacations in Hawai’i, but did I see a sunset? This puzzles me and I cannot shake it from my mind for several moments. Have I not previously seen a sunset over water? I return to the present moment, snap some photos, and try to create a lasting memory of this scene. The sun disappears beneath the horizon and more stars begin to appear. It will be dark soon and both of us prefer to in our shelters sooner than later.
There is little light remaining when we get to camp. I brought a book but do not feel like reading it. I see the glow of Jeff’s iPad through his rain fly. It is a peaceful evening and I am ready to call it a day. Making sure to put my glasses in a safe place, I stash them in the gear loft above me. Headlamp off. Goodnight.
Dunes After Dark
Normally I would not write about noises in the night, or what I think I may or may not have seen, but in this case I feel it is worth sharing.
About an hour and a half past night fall, I heard nearby leaves being moved around. Squirrels? This late? Maybe, I thought. The noise gets louder and louder until I realize something is very close to our camp. It stops, then resumes, stops, resumes. I hear an animal chattering and it sounds as if it is right outside my tent, possibly between our tents. Moments later, I realize that this is actually more than one animal. At least three. They continue to scurry around in the leave. Chattering. Raccoon? Possum? Coyote? I did not feel like peeking outside to find out so I will never know for certain, but wait, there’s more.
Later, well after midnight, I was only lightly sleeping. While my eyes were closed, I sense a beam of light shine over my eyes. I calmly open my eyes but there is nothing but darkness. No lights. I turn over and try to get back to a deep sleep. Flash. Another beam of light shines over me and this time I glance underneath the rain fly. Darkness. I sit up and quietly get my glasses. The Marmot Limelight’s fly has a small, circular plastic window on it. Nothing. I sit back just as several flashes of light hit my rain fly and the ground around me. The beam of light then finds Jeff’s tent and I wonder if Jeff had to get up in the middle of the night. The sound of foot steps come and go. After a minute or so I call out to Jeff.
“Jeff,” I whispered. “Jeff!”
“What, Paul?”
“Did you just get back? Were you outside?”
“No. Haven’t left my tent,” he replied.
It is difficult to not go 0 to 100 when something like this happens in the backcountry. I realize we are not that far from parking lots and people, but a flashlight beaming on my shelter after midnight is a strange occurrence. I remain on alert for the next half hour or so. Who the hell was that person? A late night-hiker passing through?
I do not sleep well for the remainder of the night.
Morning Light, Breakfast, and Back on the Dunes
Day two. It is a chilly but clear morning. Those extra layers that I mentioned earlier are really no help. As I said before, I have not grown much as a backpacker in the past couple years. I do want to start hiking several overnights each year. By 2020 I would like to have hiked most of the trails and areas that I have been reading about over the past couple years.
I think I can hear Jeff still sleeping so I decide to go for a walk. Twenty yards or so from my tent I discover that we camped no more than twenty yards from a trail. Was this the Middle trail or the Algoma Ridge trail?
Upon my return to camp I retrieve a map from my pack. Jeff hears me and peeks out to say good morning. According to the map, we are in between the Middle and Algoma Ridge trails. How did this happen? We certainly did not notice that the Algoma Ridge trail was so near to our tents. Whoops. This likely explains the flashlight or headlamp that shined on us last night. I am now convinced it was a lone hiker that was just passing through after hours. I have not night-hiked before but I hope to walk around in the dark on future hikes.
In the morning we return to the beach and feel the breeze from Lake Michigan. I am ready for some more instant mashed potatoes but Jeff declines. The bear bag is still hanging where we left it.
A few protein bars later and we are tearing down camp. I am trying to force the two extra pair of pants somehow into my pack. Jeff, this being his first hike, is working on determining the best way to fit everything into his bag. I only help him with packing the tent. Impressively, he manages the rest of the items.
The plan for our second day is to continue south on the Lake Michigan trail until we dead-end into the only remaining trail option: the aptly named Nordhouse Dunes (ND) trail. The ND trail is at the southern end of the wilderness area, near a boundary with Ludington State Park.
Lake Michigan trail? Nordhouse Dunes trail? Whichever entity is managing this land is very literal when it comes to naming trails but I suppose that is for the best. Anyway, during my planning process and research, I underestimated this trail intersection and it took us several attempts to find any trail at all. We stopped several times, looking forward, backward, and side to side. There is sand everywhere and half a dozen side trails that lead in different directions. After going off-trail more than once, we agreed we were now on the correct path and walking in the direction of the parking lot.
This path has very light elevation to tackle and, on this cool day, was a very enjoyable stretch of trail. Less than forty-five minutes later we were back at Nurnberg Road trailhead and dropping our packs to the gravel beside the car.
Final Thoughts
I enjoy sharing my experiences on the trail, and this was my first true step back into backpacking. I hope to someday return to the Nordhouse Dunes. This trip, and the lessons I learned, have sparked my curiosity regarding lightweight and ultralight gear. I plan to review my gear and determine where I can decrease weight and maybe look into ultralight shelters.
Having Jeff join me was quite fun. He seemed to enjoy himself. While the trails were not too difficult, we did discuss finding some more challenging hikes in the future.
You could say that this trip to Nordhouse Dunes has kickstarted me towards getting back into backpacking. I have researched several areas across Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina that I hope to visit in the next several years. I tested several new pieces of gear on this trip and afterwards, made so many impulse purchases for gear as I wanted to get back out as soon as possible and thought I was ready to take on more challenging, longer hikes.
The time spent on the trail at Nordhouse Dunes will stay with me for a long, long time.