Bike the Heritage Trail and Kayak the Platte River

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Saturday, September 29, 2018

With temperatures struggling to reach 50, we drove north to take the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. On parts of it, I felt like I was on the Skyline Drive in Virginia. Then it opened out to immense sand dunes, one being 1000 feet tall. 

Then we took the bikes to the northern end of the park and biked the Heritage Trail that goes 27 miles through the park. Part of it is paved and part crushed gravel. It was Saturday, so lots of serious bikers were on the road biking in teams. You can bike Rt. 22 around the top of Michigan. It was 49 degrees with a little wind, but it was fine once you got going. We just needed better gloves.

We got back about 3:30, and put my kayak on the Platte River. They said it was a 2-hour float, but paddling steadily, I made it to Lake Michigan in an hour. It’s a great way to see how the fishing is. Weaving my way around and behind fishermen, some were catching, some not. One guy was fishing at the bottom of Loon Lake with the place all to himself. He said it was the best day ever, catching pike, bass and salmon, all on a TDK (?) wet fly. 

Martha fixed a great fish stew in the slow cooker using Walleye.