Pictured Rocks, day 3.

Saturday, 5/26:

Our final morning on the trail, Tyler finally mentioned something that I had seen coming, “How would you feel if we hiked to the next campground and then bribed a camper to give us a ride to your car?  My treat.”

The great thing about the Pictured Rocks coastal trail is there are numerous bail-out spots.  The next campground was three miles away.  The previous day, I kept thinking to myself, that backpacking this kinda stinks, but if it were a run, the sights would come every half hour or so, instead of every 2 hrs.

“I could leave my backpack with you at that campground and run the rest of the way, if you don’t mind waiting a few hours for me there.” I suggested.

After repeatedly asking me if I was sure about the decision to run the thirteen miles to the car solo, I left my backpack on a picnic table at Twelve Mile Campground and was off with a water bottle in one hand, camera and snack in the other.  In the interest of saving space, I didn’t bring my usual hiking outfit.  Had I done that, I wouldn’t have had the right things to go for a run.  It was a win-win situation for the both of us.  I got to trail run and he got to nap in the shade while he waited for me.

So off I went along the trail.  The only thing that didn’t work out well with me were my water resistant shorts.  Not that you want to know, but the heavy seams chafed my butt crack something fierce as I ran along.  Since it was a pretty heavy mileage week with the marathon just four days before and my longest backpack days, it was admittedly pretty slow.  But the terrain was much flatter than I was used to and I found myself still managing a respectable pace. 

I dodged roots in the trail, hit the beach, passed the light station and Shipwreck Graveyard (a ship hull is lodged on the beach, it is pretty cool).  As I passed a group of hikers about midday, I heard one say to another, “That looks like fun.  Why did we run on the road this morning before our hike?”  Hehe, I couldn’t believe it didn’t dawn on them until they passed.

My heart leaped with each footstep.  Trail running, I really do love you more than backpacking.  One stretch of trail went through five miles of virgin forest.  I heard nothing but my footsteps and the birds in the trees.  It was beautiful.  Running through the woods is my favorite.   I couldn’t believe how the fatigue that morning had turned to exhilaration.  This was definitely the right decision!  I got to see the rest of the sights, got to run this perfect trail with only my thoughts.

Thirteen miles after I left Tyler, I found the parking lot.  I quickly drove to pick him up, caught an outhouse baby wipe bath and we headed for Munising.  My first stop after returning Tyler to his car was where?  You guessed it, that Dairy Queen.  I had a hot dog and Oreo Cheesequake Blizzard.  I returned home on a different road, stopping in Marquette along the way.  I was pretty pooped and needed a little bit of a walk to wake up.  I settled for Lower Harbor Park and the massive ore shipping docks.   

Matt and I will be returning to Marquette next week to do some trail running, I’m really looking forward to it.  Matt and I have just three or four locations we wouldn’t hesitate to move to.  Marquette is definitely one of them.  Openings don’t come often, so it may be a wait for this particular place, but it definitely has all we need.  A bonus is that our families are within a day’s drive.  My parents are 2 hrs, his 10 hrs.  Pretty good buffer if you ask me.