Falling For Michigan

A flash of autumn leaves catches my eye amid thick evergreens, orange and yellow so bright it seems the afternoon sun is casting a spotlight on a single patch of forest.

- Lukas Eddy

I glance up as branches blur past, only to see a flat grey sky hanging damply overhead. We are tearing through woodlands of pine, spruce, aspen , oak and maple in the Manistee National Forest on the northwest side of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, wrapping up the off-road season before the onset of winter.

My weary front tire scratches at the moisture-packed sand as much as the sand and old tread agree to the scratching. The brake light on Kevin’s Africa Twin winks, a hint for the sharp right-hand corner we’re approaching, and his rear tire sneaks loose before regaining traction. The exhaust on my KLR crackles as I chop the throttle and the heavy 650cc thumper does the braking before I open it up again. My rear tire carves an arc, tossing knob-shaped chunks of sand behind while I do my best to keep up with the Honda. Without a GPS, I must follow his lead, so mile after mile Kevin and I continue in this fashion, putting distance between ourselves and the rest of our group, while searching for a scenic photo spot....

Two days earlier, in brighter sun and colder weather, 10 bundled-up riders make an early morning departure from Uncle John’s Cider Mill, just outside the city of St. Johns, in central Michigan. The mill’s donuts and hot cider warm us for the chilly ride. After an 80-mile northbound jaunt up the superslab we head west on the same U.S. Route 10 that brings summer tourists into the small town of Evart, where we get snacks and cinch down our luggage before the 100-plus mile dirt ride to Interlochen. By the end of the weekend some of us will log over 300 miles through the soft, sandy mix of power line trails, rail trails and unmaintained seasonal roads.

The air is chilly, but the morning sun warms me quickly. I strip off my jacket and strap it to my bike between