Point It North

The last two days in the saddle have been markedly different. Monday was just a short exploration, shoulder searching roads off of M-22 and finding myself in Manistee before I knew it.

The more you know...

Yesterday, I set my sights North again. M-22 was unknown to me beyond Frankfort but the call of Sleeping Bears was too strong of a draw to be ignored. Armed with two pb&j sandwiches, I explored. Rolling roads and small beach fronts towns gave way to tunnels of forest and hills which gave that optical illusion and you are always riding slightly downhill.

If you're going to name a town, go strong.

I found myself turned into a nature photog for much of the ride. Crystal Lake throwing me a curve as I wondered by a huge body of water was on my right and not my left. The tunnel like route M-22 takes leaving the lake feet away on your right and a cliff climbing up to your left.

Crystal Lake

The Sleeping Bear popped up immediately after the lake and I felt that smile of 'getting somewhere' creep up on my face. A nicely wide shoulder still offering a pathway to go further and see what's around the next bend.

Middle of Somewhere

A Quick Openning in the Trees

In the end, time closed out the day. The mind was ready to ride into the UP but this trip isn't just about riding and I spun back to return to Onekama. Along the way, I learned that the hills closest to Portage Point are the most brutal climbs I have found to date and they hurt to come back over. I had a mantra ticking out the cadence needed to crest, but that's for another time.

Drive, it seems, remains a constant.

The day in Cliff's Notes.