Marquette North Country Trail 23.5 miler

Some runs are just one foot in front of the other and nothing to get too excited about. Other runs are an ADVENTURE. My long run in Marquette was the latter.

 Matt and I jumped on the North Country Trail near Tourist Park. Andrew told us to follow the blue markers and we saw them immediately and began the hunt. My legs were feeling stiff from the previous day’s run and after the first couple of miles I had tripped a few times, nearly bringing myself to the ground in a dignified face-plant. After every corner, we searched for a new blue marker.

 It was like a run and treasure hunt all in one. The Marquette portion of the trail meanders through several cross country ski areas. Our single trail was easy to follow until we hit one of three webs of ski trails.

Then we got lost. When we realized we hadn’t seen a blue marker in a few minutes, we stopped. Out came the map. I’m pretty good at retracing my steps, but I was almost happy that we were lost. That meant we could turn around and go home, right?

 If I am totally honest with you, I was feeling crappy enough that I really wanted to just go back to sleep. We checked a few trail maps posted at intersections and eventually found our way back to the NCT. 1.5 extra miles and 45 minutes later, we were back on the path.

 A root and rock covered path made a lot of the trip slow-going. From miles 5-8, I was not a joy to be around. We climbed atop two rocky outcroppings that required an approach more like crawling on all fours than actually running. Andrew wasn’t kidding when he described this route as “a little hairy”.

 As we approached the lake shore, we felt the temperature drop and the wind kick up. Being that it was about 80F already, it was a welcome change. We ran atop coastal bluffs and down to the beach.

 We came up to a deserted beach and I said to Matt, “You know, I’m fine if we just hang on this beach for the rest of the day.” Our home in California rarely gets warm enough that sitting out in shorts is comfortable. I just wanted to enjoy it. Matt suggested skinny dipping, which I would have gladly done were it not nine miles back on cold/stiff legs afterward. We marveled at the small sandstone cliffs and I described to him the Pictured Rocks ones that were one hundred times more incredible than these.

 We reached Little Presque Isle Point and my mood had improved. Until about then, I was super crabby. I don’t know what it was, but I was not enjoying myself much. The terrain leveled out and we ran through a forest of Red Pine trees framing the view to Lake Superior.

 We continued on another mile before finally turning around. Just after we had done so, I heard a rustling from behind me. Matt skidded and fell to the ground. He sent my camera sailing through the air and landed hard on both knees. Scrapes and a pretty big bruise on his thighs, we decided to walk just a little bit.

 What is a good blogger to do when her buddy gets hurt other than document the occasion?

The return trip was much faster and I couldn’t believe how much better I felt. It sometimes takes me a long time to get into a run. Remember that horrible run I had in January? This one rivaled it, no doubt.

 Our new running buddy, Mr. Porcupine.

So if you’re ever thinking of running the Marquette Trail 50M or 50K, know that you’re in for a bit of walking and maybe getting lost if markers fall down. What a day.

We ended the night with Pizza Hut and some Jilbert’s Ice Cream with Jilly the Cow.

Have you ever gotten lost on a run? How did you negotiate your way back?