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June 2007 Ever since my first ride to the U.P., I found myself looking at the map above my desk thinking about what it would take to ride from one end of the U.P. to the other. At first glance I thought that would be from Ironwood to De Tour Village, but a closer look made me realized that there was a little more to it. It was 4:50am when I finally rolled over and turned on the TV for the weather report. According to the weatherman, I was clear to ride so I crawled out of bed to take a confirming peak out the window. I think I was even happier not to see any wind blowing through the trees. It was going to be a long ride and the less wind the better. First I switched on the coffee maker, then the computer and then hopped in the shower. Its funny how all the second thoughts about the ride had now disappeared. Worries about my bike breaking down and dealing with road idiots were all left behind with yesterday’s thoughts. It was a chilly morning as I wheeled the Suzuki out of the garage. The thermometer read 47 degrees. Not warm, not cold, but still leathers. I had packed and secured everything to the bike the night before so it was all just waiting for me. As I looked down the driveway I could see a light mist rising off the lake as the sun poked through the oaks. Already I was really starting to feel the thrill of the upcoming ride. It wasn't long before I pulled out onto Highway 51 and began my ride north towards Hurley, WI. From there I would hook up with US-2 and eventually take Highway 122 north where I would cross over into Michigan's Upper Peninsula. From there I would ride to Munising and stop for the night, continuing the ride to De Tour Village in the morning. From there I would take the car ferry over to Drummond Island. It was a lay back ride up Highway 51. Not a lot of truck traffic or traffic at all for that matter. Just outside of Merrill, I found a roadside park so I pulled over to stretch. It’s always the same aches that hit me after riding for any length of time. First it’s my butt and tail bone, then come the sharp pains in my upper neck and shoulder blades. Later I learned to keep the wind off my neck which cut down on he shoulder pains. Of course my hands always seem to ache these days as well so I've learned to do some hand and finger stretches that help.
The rest of the ride up Highway 51 to Hurley was nice and peaceful. As I came up to Hurley I debated about topping off the tank, but figured I’d gas up in Saxon. A decision I found myself almost regretting later. The more you ride, the more it becomes a habit to keep your bikes tank full. I didn't even realized I had entered the U.P. until I was a couple miles down the road and saw a sign that said Ironwood Township. I was on Hwy 505 or Lake Road as the map listed it. I'm not sure of the original purpose for the road was, but it was in good shape. The road started out as a ride through the woods and than came a few houses. For the most part I couldn't see Lake Superior as it tried peaked out of the woods and behind the houses as I rode by. Occasionally I'd ride by someone working outside who would look up and give me one of those "What are you doing here" looks. I don't suppose they see many bikes riding through. Eventually, the road opened up to this little park on the Lake Superior lakeshore so I pulled the bike off the road. It was called Little Girl's Point County Park and offered a nice place to take a break from the road. The temperature was climbing now so I decided to pack away my chaps. As I sat there gazing out on the lake I didn't see or hear anyone. It was late morning so I couldn't help but wonder where the people were although having listed to the sound of my motorcycle for a few hours, I found myself really appreciating the sound of silence.
Shortly after leaving Little Girls Point, my gas light came on. Now with 40 miles of gas left, I found myself thinking I should have gassed up in Hurley. Still how far could I be from Ironwood anyway? About 15 miles later, I was still wondering that same thing when I finally drove past the Ironwood airport and came to a stop at the intersection of Hwy US-2. I quickly found the first a gas station and filled up my tank. Seeing a Subway, across the street I pulled over to enjoy some lunch. A 3 hour plus ride lay ahead of me so I might as well do it on a full stomach. Page 1 of 5
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