Paddling, ATV riding, backpacking, Jeeping, and some fishing along with other outdoor activities possibly accompanied by a Golden Retriever named Pixie and/or Irish Setter named Brynleigh. Follow the first part of the journey working towards retirement in 2026 and afterwards, spending even more time in the outdoors. Maybe we can even dabble into some remote property and a cabin build!
Good day, I am Scott Thede. I love spending time with friends and family in the outdoors. I also cherish the peace and solitude when doing activities solo that often includes my Golden Retriever, Pixie. It is time I cherish to reflect and reset.
As retirement approaches, I plan to have a cabin somewhere in northern Michigan. Join me and my pups in our adventures.
Please SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss any. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the question. We use the Cardo Packtalk Bold. These radio systems are always being updated. When we purchased, the Bold was in play. That is no longer available, and models like the Edge are in play. They all talk with another fine. Any questions, please let me know.
Hi! Great video! Can you tell me how your gps signal was up there? Did you have any issues? We are heading up there in a few weeks but am a little nervous about not knowing our location once we are several miles into it. Thanks!
Thank you for stopping by the channel and watching this video. Also, I appreciate the positive feedback on the video, thank you! I have ridden five 50" loops in the U.P. of Michigan. Danaher Plains, Silver Creek, Baraga Plains, the nearby Two Hearted Trail, and of course what you saw in this video, Pine Ridge Trail. All of these trail systems along with Drummond Island received 100% reliable GPS signals. I use an iPad Mini without a cell plan and it works perfectly. I would not worry as long as you have a primary and backup device, you will be fine. Watch out for the hidden stumps on the sides of the trails or those that tend to blend in. If you ride the Two Hearted Trail, when you get to the very large burn area that is the area surrounding Little Perch, Little Pike, & Pike Lakes area, be sure to take the trail to Pike Lake. We did not and I have been kicking myself ever since for not doing it! On the Pine Ridge Loops, there is a little detour trail that goes down to the Blind Sucker River that I would recommend. Lucky you, enjoy the ride!
@@motorman512 You are welcome and enjoy! I made some corrections to my earlier reply. I thought the video you watched was the Two Hearted Trail but it was the Pine Ridge Trail. Sorry for the confusion.
I am sure Kyle will get a laugh out of this! It was questionable for me. I would have spent time addressing the brakes. But, as you will see this Friday, there was a reason why the brakes were not optimally working. Thank you for the comment Keith. I look forward to our upcoming ride together.
Yes, the signs are well done and it is very apparent where to go. I remember when we walked through the campgrounds, there were lots of different signs. But if you have a map system like Gaia GPS or Alltrails, and you have the route loaded, it shows where the trail continues at a campsite number and then you will see the related trail signs again. Alltrails has the route in their database while for Gaia GPS, you would need to import it in. Since Alltrails is free, probably just use it. Enjoy the walk and be sure to take those very short little side trails towards the cliff's edge to catch the better viewpoints. It is absolutely amazing!
Thank you so much! Riding Leota this weekend. Drummond at the end of September. I have an added ride, Canam 650 XT. I still like and have the Polaris Sportsman 570 EPS, but the twin 650 is hard to beat! I'm ready to ride together when it works! The trails at Wayne National Forest were absolutely awesome!
My friend has a place nearby, so we ride there often. In May, the trails were whooped out something awful. If they have been groomed since, it sure doesn’t look like it. We’re going back at the end of September, if they’re this bad I may ride up to St. Helen again. Lost Arrow is a good spot for dinner if you go back. It’s maybe 10-15 mins from the trailhead. We usually ride there straight from the trail.
Great information, thank you. This ride was in June of this year and I am planning on riding the north loop in the next week. This video shows that the trails were decent. I rode the White Cloud trail a month ago and that trail was the worst when it came to the "whoops". Thank you for the dining location tip. It is nice to have options directly from the trail. I do like riding St. Helen as well, great choice! Thank you for stopping by the channel and watching this video.
Noted, thank you. Here is a map that shows all trails in Michigan. Use the stack paper icon on the upper right to remove all the checks since it looks busy. Then select 50” trails, etc.
Loved it! I need to sell my Raptor and get a quad like yours... Never even crossed my mind to ride a trail in the winter. We snowmobile but even then it's tough with lack of snow sometimes, this would fill in those voids for sure! Man you make epic videos! Thank you again and can't wait to watch more of them!!!😊
Thank you so much for the encouragement and feedback! If you like the winter riding on an ATV, you may want to check this winter ride at Kalkaska on the many hills. Lots of deep snow and hills. I have no idea how the ATV's did as well as they did! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SUkF6nM-vvU.html
Thank you for watching this video. I am hoping to add Emma to the videos when she is a bit older. She is the best Granddaughter, thank you! I am glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for the kind words.
Thank you for watching this video. I did hear that the dam was to be removed. The road looks treacherous as well. The eco system on this river and the Hersey River were impressive. It seemed like the wildlife was thriving on both of these rivers. I enjoyed the Little Muskegon. My favorite part was this one. The fish count was massive!
Yes, it is a different kind of riding. We did not see that in the many Ohio Wayne National Forest area trail systems. Perry was wet and muddy for sure. Thank you for the comment!
Thank you for watching this video. I am glad you enjoy the trails in Michigan. I liked even more the Wayne National Forest trails. If you have not, check out Drummond Island. It is a nice ride across the bridge and along Lake Huron with a Ferry boat ride to the island. Thanks again!
Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind words. If you liked this video with the large hill, you may like the Perry State Forest videos that I am doing now. Lots of hills! Also, there will be several videos on Wayne National Forest that were super awesome going up and down mountains in southeastern Ohio. These areas will be a repeat for sure!
@@MyLifesReward Oh yes, we've rode Bull Gap a few times, lol. Trail footage and you narrating was perfect! I enjoy watching and learning alot from your videos. We've rode all over Michigan too but you keep it fresh in my mind, plan great or better routes I have not taken and it makes me feel like I'm on my bike running down the trails with you.😀
@@johnnewell6348 Your feedback is sooo helpful, thank you! I don't receive many comments, but I do value those that are received. When doing this, it is not clear what is resonating with viewers and what is not. That is why when you and others take the time to comment, it means so much to me. Thank you so much.
@@MyLifesReward You are most welcome! What you are doing as far as format and process is perfect! I can't think of anything to change in the production and delivery of your videos😀
At your 7:12 minute in the video I took pictures in June 2023 of a 450 pound black bear that we would have ran right into had we taken that diversion you guys were at without looking up at the top of the hill in your video. I will try to send the picturs over to you.
That would be something to see! I would love to see the photos. Thank you for stopping by the channel and watching this video. The Kalkaska area is some of my most favorite riding.
I just found your channel. We have property on that stretch since 1957. I grew up paddling that river since the early 70s. I Just paddle Rustford pond to our property below 155th on the 4th weekend. I felt like i was home watching this video.
Thank you for visiting the channel and watching this video. The dam there is very interesting! I was confused while portaging around it as to whether it was private property. I enjoyed that part of the paddle. I especially enjoyed the river portion closer to Morley where I saw so many fish, amazing! Also, I heard the the old dam at Altona is being removed at some point. There are two additional videos paddling from Morley to Dagget Road bridge, and from Dagget to Croton Pond. The third video was with my Grandaughter Emma. She had a blast!
Great job on this and hopefully many more videos like this! Very informative and especially like how you showed the maps to each trail and an excellent description about each trail. I noticed your riding a Polaris 570. I'm looking to purchase a Kodiak 450 but would really like the Grizzly 700 but not sure if it is too wide for these trails, your thoughts? Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for the positive and great feedback!! The Kodiak is 46.5” wide and the Grizzly is 48.4” wide. As long as it is under 50”, it will work. My Polaris 570 is 48”. I just bought a Canam Outlander 650 that is 48” wide. If you want to hill climb in sand, the bigger engine is recommended. Also, there are the rougher 72” trails in Michigan. Thanks again!
@@MyLifesReward you are most welcome sir! You did this exactly as I would hope! Well, sounds like a Grizzly may be in the future for me. I apologize for all the questions.... what kind of navigation do you use? I like how its mounted to the bars and looked like you won't ever get lost with it. Also curious as the tablet and who makes it? I haven't had a lot of good luck with this sort of stuff! Thank you again😃
My first reply did not take, that is a first! I guess it went somewhere in the bits and bytes hole! I welcome this kind of engagement, so no worries. For navigation, I use Gaia GPS at gaigps.com. It has integrated apps for iOS and Android. I use the web site to plan routes, download the routes and maps to my Apple iOS iPad Mini. This iPad does not have cellular service and uses the free GPS capability built into the device. Compliment this with wireless where you have that type of service allows the downloading and synchronization of data between the app and the web. Also, I recommend checking my website at mylifesreward.com/ and in the right margin, there is a link for Michigan ORV & trails and further down, there is a Michigan Trail reference that I put together. Best of luck and if you have questions or need help, please ask. We can Zoom or Teams if needed or continue with this thread or an email.
@@MyLifesReward Great info! Thank you so much for sharing! I will check Gaia GPS and will check out your website. I can't thank you enough for all the information and help! Either way or somehow exchange email addresses if you'd like. So far this year I've rode Ambrose and Mack Lake Trails. They were both good, Mack Lake was the better of the two. If I don't hear from you prior to, Happy 4th😀
ill be moving to west branch sooner the better . id like to go to bull gap again and spend a couple days there i climbed it in the snow but never in the summer. i heard if you take trail 6 it will take you to the bridge?
Thank you for your comment. I don't see any ATV trail that goes to the Mackinaw Bridge. I see a seasonal snowmobile route. If you happen to figure this out, please share it. Thank you so much!
Thank you for the question. No, once on Drummond Island at the ferry landing, since it is a state highway and the other roads nearby are quarry related. This is covered in the Drummond Island portion of the video.
The Western UP Loop is soooooo worth it. I based my trip up there two years ago off a previous video you posted. Greatest trip I've ever been on. We ended up camping on the shoreline at High Rock Bay next to the rocket site.
Camping on the shoreline of Lake Superior! Wow, that would be awesome! I loved that overland. I remember the mosquitos at the rocket launch area. Swarming bad in June. I’d like to do a variation of that trip again. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
So there was the video explanation that you watched and then the ride we did on Sunday putting it into practice! There were certainly enough other riders at Gladwin to practice the hand signals. Thank you for watching the video and I look forward to our next ride together.
Great question. The rails to trails near Old 131 is a great collector of logs and junk. There is even an old railroad car below the bridge for rails to trails. To avoid that mess, Westburg City Park seems like a good place that is near the 210th Avenue bridge. That would be an excellent paddle. It’s better in a canoe than a kayak since there are lots of low spots that have to be waded. Enjoy this magnificent river eco system!
Great question! Besides bridges, I do not recall any access site for this entire span from West Batterson Road Bridge to our exit at the M-72 Park. The entry at Batterson Road was super easy on the southeast corner of the bridge. There was not a single log jam when we paddled this in July 2022. We had to wade through maybe six areas with half being very close to Grayling just before the first M-72 bridge. Maybe we were lucky. Compare to other rivers I have paddled, this was a great paddle segment.
Thank you for stopping by the channel. I have right around 5,000 miles on it. Only two things have failed and one was the fuel pump. That was covered under warranty with a $50 deductible. The second was a shifter linkage that required a field repair with a zip tie. Otherwise, all other repairs were self-induced! Every year I consider a replacement and look at Can am or Polaris. But then, my Polaris keeps running! My Son was going to replace his Polaris with a Can am, but has said lately multiple times he will likely go back to Polaris. The ride on my Polaris is outstanding, no complaints. It feels like you are part of the machine when riding. I really have liked it and will struggle when I go to replace it. I wish Polaris would redesign the shifter and make it appear and function more like the Can am. More of a preference on my part. Best of luck in your research and decision!
@@MyLifesReward That's awesome to hear you have that many miles on your Sportsman. I have a 2014 Sportsman 800 that has been great, it's got 1100 miles on it and I was thinking it was getting up there in miles, but yours definitely has many more! I always contemplate trading it on something else but it works well and I got it dialed in so well for a big utility. It has a HMF exhaust, tuner, intake mods, and a clutch kit. I do like the new 570's a lot but the old 800 just keeps doing it's thing. Just rode the Alcona trail this past weekend and it ripped.
@@rzl07375 Love the Alcona trail. Sounds like you have lots of life left in your current ride. Amazing when fluids are changed and moving joints are greased, how long things can last! When I say self induced in my earlier response, it would be replacing plastic that broke when I made mistakes. One brake line that pulled out of the rear when the line caught on something. Polaris is a good machine brand.
I use Gaia GPS on an iPad Mini. I do like the mobile app better than the web interface. I use the web interface a lot to plan routes and waypoints that transfer to the mobile app. I just don't like how slow the web interface can be sometimes. I have used AllTrails, Polaris Ride Command, OnxHunt, and a few others. When it comes to being able to edit a route after saving, Gaia GPS did it the best when I looked at head-to-head comparisons 3-4 years ago. It is quite possible some of these other apps have enhanced their capabilities to improve this single thing that was essential for my needs.
I definitely need to check out the top 3 on your list 🙂 But I think once you ride the Indian gardens trail system in Harbor springs, Michigan( not far from the Indian river trails), you will find your NEW # 2 Trail 🙂
Kalkaska and Tomahawk Trail in Indian River are in conflict for me. These two could easily flip positions. You made the same comment about Indian Gardens ORV Route 5 months ago. I think I missed it because it is a route rather than a trail. I'm going to make it happen in 2024. Though because it is a route and not a trail and my Top 10 are trails, I could see me starting a Top 5 Routes in Michigan and maybe this will make the list! I have limited route riding with Drummond, Tin Cup, and the western UP. But those three alone are some stiff competition! Let's add the Indian Gardens ORV Route to the experience and see where it lands! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for the question! Depending on how much you have hiked in the past, if not much, this will be a life changing experience! It answered the question for me if I wanted to backpack the Appalachian Trail. I did find my answer in this adventure. I would prefer to paddle in a canoe the many rivers that are out there instead of hiking! But, my time spent walking across Michigan changed me. It gave me the time to think about my life, family, relationships I value, and so many more thoughts in reflection of a life so far. OK, well, that was not your question. You asked for tips and I have some. 1. I recommend walking from East to West like we did. The uphill portion comes on the east side of the state and once you get that out of the way, about where you cross M-33 between Mio and Rose City is more or less the end of it, the hard part is behind you. It is mostly downhill to Lake Michigan and easier with the sand that the horses and water run off churn up. 2. There are two Tick hotspot areas. In early spring we hiked along the south side of the Au Sable River around the Alcona Dam Pond area to crossing the river at Evans Road. My dog and I saw three different species of Ticks in this area. The other far more worse area for Ticks is from the Luzerne area all of the way to Grayling. It was so bad that to avoid the dozens upon dozens of Ticks crawling on our clothes, we walked about 17 miles on M-72 against traffic into Grayling. We even saw Ticks in the long grass along M-72, but well off the side of the road. Perhaps walking on M-72 was not the smartest thing to do, but maybe the lesser of two evils. For me it was avoiding Lyme disease. The good news is we did not see a single Tick east of Alcona Dam Pond and west of I-75 that represents maybe 2/3 to 3/4 of the trail. 3. I do not remember encountering any other hikers on the trail. We did have two small groups of horse riders. Point is it felt safe for two late 50 year old men! Carry bear spray that can be used for personal safety. A Spot device for an emergency is recommended. 4. If you do this in May, the bugs should not be as much of a problem except for Ticks. They are already out. If your hike goes into June or you section hike over time, bugs are a big problem in June in this pat of the state. 5. My RU-vid videos were a way for me to journal the trip. You may want to consider journaling to help remember the adventure, whether through video, writing, etc.! 6. Enjoy the moments, take photos or video, and make great memories. 7. The 42 mile Picture Rocks National Lake Shore was tougher for both Fred and I than the longer walk with the steeper elevation changes. We had full packs (24 lbs) with sleeping gear, food, etc. We slacked pack the walk across Michigan. More on that in #11. For Pictured Rocks, the reward were the many views along the lakeshore. 8. I think I would do a hammock over a tent for pack weight savings and restful sleeping comfort. I learned this on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore backpack trip in September 2023. 9. Long stretches of no water. If you are backpacking and sleeping over night, you may want to consider stashing some water on the trail where there are not frequent water sources. I have my Gaia GPS map shared if you would like it showing water sources and many other amenities. Just say the word and I can point you to it. 10. For Fred and I, we stayed at a hotel/motel every third day of hiking to shower, sleep more restfully, and for dining out. 11. We slacked packed all 19 days. We had two vehicles, one at each end, and then stayed at a campground or disbursed camp. Also, we did not do this walk on 19 consecutive days. We sectioned hike during the cooler months of April, May, September, and October. 12. Day 1 and Day 2 of the hike, I had Covid. Being sick and trying to do this is not recommended! 13. Make sure your footwear is tried and true. Protect your feet and tend to hotspots with bandages, duck tape, whatever gets the job done to keep your feet working with the least amount of pain. 14. It helps with another person to keep you going. Fred helped me on the walk across the state and I helped him on Pictured Rocks and paddling some rivers. 15. If you are thinking about doing it, then do it! None of us are getting any younger and it may not be an option later for any number of reasons. 16. If you want any other details or support, just ask. If you want to keep it private, feel free to email me at scott@mylifesreward.com. 17. The feeling walking into Empire, MI is nothing I have experienced before in my life. Having my family meet us at the lighthouse was glorious! I wish you all the best and enjoy the walk!
@@MyLifesReward yes, I'd like to see the Gaia maps. That'd be awesome. I'm planning a round trip hike. I'm gonna start at Lumberman's Monument area to Empire back to Lumberman's Monument, all at once. And it's going to be a test for me as well to see if I like it enough to do the AT. I'm watching thru your videos and I seen how bad the ticks are. Ugh. That's kinda nerve racking. I do plan on posting videos to YT. Mainly for my family to watch me but also just to journal my journey. I noticed that you guys are doing 10 miles a day thru the vids, or close to it. Were those miles moderate or hard to do? I think I'm on day 11 or 12. I'll definitely finish them tomorrow. I have tried to get other people to come hiking with me but no one is available. Unfortunately I'm not able to afford many hotel rooms but I am planning on 1 hotel, several paid campsites, and staying at a friend's house near Lake Michigan. At first I wasn't planning on bringing my gators until I seen your videos. Now, not only am I bringing but I'm soaking them in permetherin or deet or whatever. I have enjoyed your videos so far. I'm really glad you shared them. Thanks man, I appreciate all the helpful tips.
Day 1 and Day 2, we did 19 and 24 miles. The remainder of the days, we did around 10 miles a day. The reasons: we are old and out of shape, plain and simple! Our original plan was for about 12 days one way. Yes, Permethrin, I missed that tip, we did that as well in the infested areas. We tucked our pants into our socks and supplemented with gators saturated with Permethrin as well as my shoes, socks, pants, and shirt. I am glad the videos are helpful! Here are the Gaia GPS shares: Water sources: www.gaiagps.com/public/o7Gqlr27FTzequmTxmyH6cKr Campsites: www.gaiagps.com/public/JI5OsMTmCVTL6edW2x2AeVpc Restrooms: www.gaiagps.com/public/TAzzFw6y893k2RBAO6ciR8o1 Our Actual Route: www.gaiagps.com/public/w3olgzkd1vpCP0beEJ40Obet All of the best!
Thank you for watching this video. I am using an iPad mini with no cellular service and the App is Gaia GPS. The mount is a combination of multiple RAM products. The RAM Handlebar mount RAM-B-408-75-1U or alternatively, the RAM Handlebar mount RAM-B-231U, RAM Double Socket Arm RAM-B-201U, & the RAM X-Grip RAM-B-166-UN8U. Any questions, just ask.
Thank you for watching this video. I am using an iPad mini with no cellular service and the App is Gaia GPS. The mount is a combination of multiple RAM products. The RAM Handlebar mount RAM-B-408-75-1U or alternatively, the RAM Handlebar mount RAM-B-231U, RAM Double Socket Arm RAM-B-201U, & the RAM X-Grip RAM-B-166-UN8U. Any questions, just ask.
