UP anyone?

I am off this week and am secretly planning a trip to the UP as i have lived in mi for 7 years and have never been there yet. i plan on taking off wed am and coming back (sometime).....war dept is gonna be pretty mad when she finds out.
will post a few pics when i get home

 

I wish I could ride along there is no way out of work for me. Or away from the kids lol. The only advice I can give you from sledding up there is get gas when you can and don't run too low there is lots of miles between some towns.

 

lots of great roads up there, one bit of advice, never pass up the chance to fuel. gas stations are few and far between sometimes depending on where you ride to. My last trip up there I went to tecquamena falls. then spent some time running on hwy. 2 beautiful ride

 

Yeah, Tahquanemon falls is a must. Take the swim suit, fun to play in the lower falls if it's hot. There is also a very nice state forest campground near the lower falls. All the access roads are sand so ride carefully.

Never been there but pictured rocks is also supposed to be a must do.

As said before, not much up there. When you see gas you should fill up.

Don't run into any deer or moose!

 

Take highway 41 all the way to Copper Harbor. It's friggin gorgeous there. Probably the best set of twisties north of the bridge.

Also, if you get to Marquette, ask someone how to get to the Covered Road. It's not a very long road, but it's pretty neat.

If you roll through Ishpeming, stop at Da Yoopers Tourist Trap.

Pack lots of bug repellant if you plan on stopping for any length of time. The skeeters are brutal.

The speed limit is 55 through all of the UP, except highway 75, which was 65mph back in '98, dunno about now.

 

Or the occasional Bear!

Rode all over the upper LP. Only went in a cage to the UP.

Wonder if Schooter has his scoot ridable. He's going to school in the UP I believe, and probably ready to get out for the summer.

 

I might just add to stereomind's post to take 41 up to Copper Harbor, but then take M26 on the way back. I think M26 has better twisties than 41!

 

i was just in the up from friday to wednesday... ya i go to school in houghton... riding in the copper country is a MUST take 41 all the way to the point... best road ever... i took it on my car on the way to formals...

I dont have a favorite place to eat or stay up there... as i spent most of my money secretely buying bike parts and just ate taco bell when i ate out... definately ask for pickeled aggs when you stop, grab a pastie... and skeeter on here lives in iron mountain- cool dude that will lend a hand with whatever you need.

umm, and if you manage to end up in houghton on a friday or saturday... i could probably find you a party where it's $3 or $5 for a bottomless cup..

it's only my first year and never had a bike up there so i dont know many secret spots...yet

 

ha! well, i'm back...left at 0600, stopped for a b-fast burrito at 0700 and put the pedal down (so to speak). was a beautiful morning. no riding partners today.
one of my many fill-ups

the trip to st. ignace and vicinity was relatively uneventful (except for the bridge construction. I HATE RIDING ON EXPANDED- METAL BRIDGES. GIVES ME THE HEEBIE JEEBIES!!!)





it seems a shame but i gotta admit, having never been north of grayling and not having much time (actually just had 1 day to ride) i didn't have much of a plan once i crossed the bridge. my next trip up there will be at least 2 days and either camping or moteling it.





they were doing construction and i hit a huge hole right at the 75/23 split in mac city (all the way across the roadway) and i think i took out my left fork seal...yeah me!
i decided to bring 23 down around the lake coming home...
that makes for a really really long trip (lots of small towns and stop lights).




all in all a great day to ride. NOW I REMEMBER WHY I HATED MY 650 NIGHT HAWK !@@$%& (i will not travel more than to/from work without some type of highway bars!)

my bike requests that i stop approx every 100 miles for petro...my body requires that i stop every 75 miles or so to get off and walk around.

last stop-n-stretch about 35 miles from home...busted a$$ from here to home and couldn't wait to get off of this thing


572 miles round trip and averaged 40 mpg...a very long day on a little bike. i really wanted to see how the "new" bike would perform and i must say that she ran flawless (er, um, uh, except that 2nd gear didn't grow back yet...) although i wish i could say the same about me :mrgreen:
got home at 815 tonight, am pretty exhausted, my face is burnt, have bugs in my teeth, and my ears are still ringing.

sorry to bore you all with my piddly trip but thought i'd share anyway.
ride safe and hope to see you out there some time.

cheers

 

glad your trip went alright. shoot me a PM if you ever come back. I've got plenty of room to camp if you want to head over to the western side of the UP.

 

So dbikers..pardon my down under ignorance but what's a UP...looks like you had a good and tiring ride any'ow.

 

ha! hey bushy....the "UP" is michigan's Upper Penninsula
the blue is my route...to the west on my way north and along the lake (to the east) on my way south

 

I'll be hitting up the UP and the LP next weekend. Taking a trip around the lake. Starting in Green Bay and heading North. Coming back across the lake on the Muskegon - MKE ferry. Can't wait.

 

to anyone that will be in the vicinity of the bridge, i'd recommend checking out Legs Inn and the tunnel of trees

 

Its hwy 119 outside of charlevoix I think its actually called the tunnel of trees, and its an awesome ride, winding and twisting, single track road more or less, think it was made for horse and carriage when it was first laid