Today was a tough hike. The North Country Trail is half a mile or more from the Manistee River, in the hills. Just getting up to it was a tough climb. And it doesn’t stay at that level. It’s comparable in difficulty to some of the trails on Isle Royale, and tougher than some. Just because it’s more accessible doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s not treacherous or anything, but… I underestimated it.
What I overestimated was… a few things. My ability to just jump back on the trail after several years, for example. I really should have trained more for this. Like my feet, which are too soft for all that boot time: I’m getting blisters. I have moleskin for them, but that’s just treatment; I should have prevented them.
The suitability of this backpack is another thing. Just because its only a couple nights doesn’t mean you don’t need to pack properly. I managed to get everything in – or strapped on – the pack (tent, sleeping bag, pillow, towel, camp shoes are all hanging from it) but it doesn’t carry that weight properly. My shoulders are as sore as my feet.
But I can brag a little about something done right. On the trail I met a couple, one of whom asked about the little camera bag hanging in front of me. He’d been carrying his around his neck, or in his hand, and was frustrated with that. I explained my brilliant trick of attaching the strap to the backpack, so it carries the weight of the camera, not my neck.
It was a good hike, pain notwithstanding. It’s mostly dense woods, so even the hilltop views were obscured by trees. I saw the expected wildlife, including one deer who didn’t run from me. Maybe “wildlife” isn’t the right word for it. I first saw some stray fur, which I had trouble identifying at first. Was it an animal that had died and been eaten? If so, where were the bones? A few meters more down the trail. Lots of parts missing, but clearly a deer, probably young.
There’s a suspension footbridge that connects the NCT with the Manistee River Trail on the other side. When I got there, the campers from the other site – whom I’d left there this morning – were already there. I’m hoping that’s a sign that the other trail is easier, and not just a reflection of my condition.