The 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Adventures

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Looking Back on 2019

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 


To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/


Well, 2019 went by quickly!

I had over a dozen speaking engagements, including:
Quiet Adventure Symposium at Michigan State University
Schoolcraft College's "Coffee & Conversations" series
Many libraries and community centers




See my 2020 speaking engagements here or in the sidebar to the right.
I'm honored to be a feature speaker at Lakeside Chautauqua, and re-booked at Schoolcraft College and the Quiet Adventure Symposium.



It was my honor to lead an all-women team of hikers on a Moosewatch Expedition on Isle Royale in May (I'll do this again in 2020).



My 2019 team


And I did a lot of hiking on my own this year, exploring places I know well, 
and some trails new to me.




Trail along the Boardman River



Empire Bluff Trail


Jordan River Valley Trail


I hope you had a wonderful 2019.
Happy trails to you all in 
2020!
May you have many adventures waiting for you in this new decade.

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Year-End Hike

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 


To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/





I was able to fit in a little hike during the holiday festivities. I headed to the lakeshore to hike one of my favorite trails, Empire Bluff.





The trail was a little snowy and icy at the bottom, but cleared off at the top. The day was mild and almost windless.






It was a little foggy, but most of it burned off while I hiked.


It was mild enough to take a break to watch the colors of Lake Michigan.

Merry Holidays to all.



Sunday, December 1, 2019

Kettles Trail

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 


To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/




Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has almost 100 miles of designated hiking trails (details here). 
A new trail recently opened in the park:


Trail Description: The trail is 3.0 miles long; the first 1,000 feet of trail is universally accessible with compacted crushed stone surface. The rest of the trail is compacted earth.

The Kettles Trail has some significant slopes through kettle moraine terrain with steep hills,  valleys, and ponds or bogs. 
...The overall typical trail grade is 10%; the maximum grade is 21%.

I hiked it just as the leaves were beginning to fall.
Here are some highlights:





















Location and more info HERE.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Swanson Nature Preserve

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 


To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/




The Leelanau Conservancy has preserved some wonderful tracts of land on the Leelanau Peninsula. 
I recently hiked the Swanson Preserve. It is a slice of land that runs from M22 to the shoreline of Little Traverse Lake.




The hike is short, but lovely. It winds through a cedar swamp and over a little stream. Boardwalks lifted me over the wetter parts.
Over 200 varieties of plants have been identified here, and the conservancy has a wildflower rescue program where plants are potted and sold in the spring to help support the work of the conservancy.
Here are some photos:









Trails are blazed




The pileated woodpecker has done some work here




Some trees couldn't hold on during a big blow




Woodpecker tracks on birch bark









Little Traverse Lake











Exoskeleton left behind









It's a short, worthwhile hike. There's even a bench along the little lake to take a moment to watch the light play on the water.


Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Jordan Valley Pathway

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 


To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/




With colors peaking Up North, I headed to the Jordan River Valley to do a 2-day hike as the leaves began to let loose and flutter to the ground.
This hike is located east of Torch Lake near Alba.
More info from the DNR HERE.

Check out the brilliant colors:













This loop hike is listed as 'moderate.' 
It was just over 21 miles...





...with a total climb of almost 2,400 feet.


A wonderful walk in the woods.