The Ride So Far: 2020: CTD-Pt2 - Day 5

Day 5 - Connect the Dots Part II

After leaving the Farm, it was another 3 1/2 mile to Hayes State Park. Along the way I passed our former home at the lake, and the spot where my grandparent’s hotel had once stood on Lakeshore Drive. It’s a mile long, and the narrow road lies between many of the cottages and their docks and a narrow strip of beach on Wampler's Lake. There was a lot of activity at most of the cottages as their owner prepared to open for the weekend. I then went back to the main road and continued on into the state park.

Could you resist?

Even though Hayes State Park was just a couple miles from my childhood home, this was my first night to camp there. Growing up, the state park was something summer people did, and since we had access the lake and dock at the Hotel, I hadn’t been in the park until my late teens. I visited a few more times since, taking Linda and our boys there for swimming and hiking during family visits.

I had an online reservation through the Michigan DNR, which was good, since this was my first weekend night on the road, and a “Campground Full” sign was at the gate. At the gatehouse, the staff was really thrown off by my lack of a “vehicle”. They asked my name, and then just told me my campsite number. I had to ask for a map, and then I started pedaling back to my site

A quiet morning on another lake.

In the full campground, I was the only touring bicycle, and all my “neighbors”, and many of the people walking by, had questions for the guy with just a bicycle and a tent. A couple at the site next to mine offered me a frozen bottled water, (which I used to chill my bottles overnight). Another guy from the site across the drive came over to chat and was fascinated by my Trek 920. Even though he was a “car” guy, he wanted to know about the wide tires, disc brakes and the non-traditional frame on an apparent road bike. Everybody that walked past was social distanced, though you could tell there was a natural tendency to want to move closer. And in chatting, it turned out many of the people I talked to were camping and RV’ing to avoid crowding family homes or traditional hotels for family gatherings.

Charging up for the last day.

Once I had my tent set, I rode out a few miles to a quick shop for a few dinner items. I picked up a Jiffy Pop, a large cup of ice and a bottle of Diet Coke, and a Gatorade to start the morning with. I then headed back to my campsite, cooked my dinner and ate. The Jiffy Pop over the JetBoil turned out to be a disappointing fail, and I will have to research that a little more for next time. With all the conversations and the trip to the store, it was well past sunset before I finally went for my shower, and then crawled into my tent for the night.

I slept well in the campsite, and woke at sunrise without an alarm for my last morning in camp. Breakfast was another home mixed oatmeal, and I finally finished the last of my fruit from my Wednesday shopping. Dropping off my trash on the way out of the campsite, I realized a young raccoon was trapped in the nearly empty dumpster, and I let the gatehouse staff know on the way to the main road.

5 miles of new pavement!

It was a beautiful early morning to be riding, and I even had light tailwind out of the south. On the way past the Farm, I was able to say hi to my sister and niece, who were busy working on updates to the house they would soon take over. After a brief visit, I continued on my way. Every road would be familiar for most of the route to Lansing, and it was rural Michigan riding at its best. It was mix of farms, woods, lakes and marshes for the first 20 miles, as I rode north through Norvel and Grass Lake.

Along the way I started exchanging texts with my friend Steve, who was going meet me enroute between Jackson and Lansing. We tweaked our converging routes via text, and finally connected a few miles outside of Leslie. Despite the miles between our homes, Steve and I have managed a ride together every summer since 2006, including multiple DALMACs, TOSRVs, a RAIN, and handful of Hilly Hundreds. With everything canceled, the tour was our connection for 2020. And just by coincidence, Steve showed up in the same DALMAC jersey I was wearing.

The courthouse in Mason, MI

We were quite a contrast, Steve on his bare road bike, and me loaded for the week on the road. We looked like the King and the Squire from Monty Python’s Holy Grail. I joked with Steve that if anybody asked, I would just say I lost the coin toss. We stopped for lunch in Leslie, and there we coordinated our next connection with Steve’s wife Maria, who would meet us in the next town up the road. We met her in Mason, and stopped for MSU Ice Cream on the town square. Along with my ice cream, and this being Michigan, I also had a bottle of Faygo Root Beer, and collected the last cap* for the trip!

And that's why we love Faygo!

From Mason, it was a dozen or so miles to Steve and Maria’s house, riding many familiar roads from my 2 years in Lansing. This was the last day of the trip, and for first time since Monday night, I would be sleeping indoors. My box of clothes for the drive home was waiting for me, but before I showered, I unpacked and laid out my tent to dry. I was also able to start a load of wash, and all before Steve pulled the pork steaks off the grill. We relaxed over dinner with stories and family catch up. It was a perfect evening finale to a trip planned under the strangest of circumstances.

Sunday’s plans were up in the air, until Enterprise car rental called and asked if a full size SUV, available in 2 hours, instead of Monday, and at the compact car rate, would be okay! I said yes, and we drove out the airport to pick it up. It was HUGE, but that meant no bike disassembly! With my transportation home settled a day early, the 3 of us did an easy lunch ride to the MSU campus, on the very nice trail network south of Lansing. After a week, it was fun to ride a nearly empty bike, especially with friends.

Back at Steve and Maria’s, my personal baggage truck was easily loaded with my bike and all my gear. My unexpected journey was coming to an end. Everything had worked better than I could have hoped; my bike, my gear, my body and the “from scratch” route planning. It is a great feeling to be able to drop into an ‘On the Road” routine in just one night, and to ride day after day, and still look forward to the next. And best of all had been the people along the way, with their friendliness, interest and support. I can’t wait for the next journey, when ever, and where ever, that might be.