“Tour da UP IX

[junglejim]

Well Tour da UP IX is over. Just go back from a tee days touring the UP of MI. Everyone was either smart enough or too busy to go with me again this year. But that was their loss. The weather was as good as it gets, but traffic was the heaviest iv seen it there. (That would still equate to “light” in most people’s opinion”.)

I was a little late getting launched the first day. I stopped at 3 campgrounds all of which were full. It was getting dark. Luckily a sympathetic BMW rider who arrived only a minute earlier agreed to share his tent site with me. He proved to be a great guy. I stalled my leaving the next morning because I was heading east and wanted the sun to get get a little higher.

Camp 1

I intended to go up the Kewanaw peninsula but th fall colors were better farther inland so I stayed away from Lake Superior. There were fewer tourists there too. Roads were great.

In need of a shower I called a few motels and all were full. Two campgrounds I passed were full too. So I went off the beaten path and found a nice campground at the end of a gravel road. Only one other camper there but a couple more came in later.

Camp 2 before sunrise



Camp 2 before sunrise

Since my bike is still loaded Im going to ride to another local campground that I haven’t been to before just to try it out. And that will finalize the 9th Tour da UP.

 

[mikesim]

Enjoy, JJ!! I was hoping to get some fall rides in this year as the weather has been spectacular, but some health issues have forced an early winterization of the bikes.

Mike

 

[Frosty]

Nice Jim!
Next year after Osh Kosh, I am planning to take the RV thru the UP and down MI. Providing no show stoppers, I'll buy you an ice cream.
Ya, sure, you betcha!

 

[junglejim]

Mike, our tomorrow’s are more in question than ever. Hang in there. I’m trying to squeeze in 50 years of recreational opportunities that I missed.

Frosty, you just show up (or even get close) and I’ll happily buy the ice cream.

But for now I’m shopping for a tent with easier ingress and egress. Crawling in and out of my micro tent is a pain ( literally). A little more headroom would be nice too. Lots of options to sort through.

 

[Coyote Chris]

Mike, our tomorrow’s are more in question than ever. Hang in there. I’m trying to squeeze in 50 years of recreational opportunities that I missed.

Frosty, you just show up (or even get close) and I’ll happily buy the ice cream.

But for now I’m shopping for a tent with easier ingress and egress. Crawling in and out of my micro tent is a pain ( literally). A little more headroom would be nice too. Lots of options to sort through.

The UP is great this time of year....North shore of Lake Sup. is nice too. Love canoe camping in the Boundry waters in fall....Frosty and I took a back roads ride through the Palouse Hills to Idaho and had lunch at a nice Japanese restaurant. I am still going to try my new collection of 2 man tents...My Eureka! Midori 3 is still the best compromise for size and space I have found, but they are no longer made. Pleanty of tents out there.

 

[Coyote Chris]

Enjoy, JJ!! I was hoping to get some fall rides in this year as the weather has been spectacular, but some health issues have forced an early winterization of the bikes.

Mike

I feel for you. I too have issues but I am pretty mobile...but the weather is starting to down hill here. At least my winter wood supply is in.
Here is some I keep dry under the front porch.

 

[mikesim]

I have often heard that storing firewood next to your house while convenient invites termites and other undesirable critters to establish residence.

Mike

 

[junglejim]

I have often heard that storing firewood next to your house while convenient invites termites and other undesirable critters to establish residence.

Mike

True. - But ……
It depends.
Green (recently cut) wood is more likely than dry wood to cause problems.
It also depends on your geographic location. Some areas have different and/or more potential for insect issues.
It also depends on how far from the ground or insect breeding habitat.
And some species of wood are riskier.
Ground moisture often plays a Roel too.
Lastly insect populations tend to be cyclic having high peaks followed by years of low numbers.

Bottom line - know the risks in your particular area and the biology of insects pests so you can avoid trouble.

Personally I bring about 10 cords of dry wood into my firewood room in the basement every fall and heat my house all winter. I’ve not had any problems in over 50 years now. YMMV.

 

[mikesim]

Thanks for the info! There is nothing like heat from firewood. I think the warmth, odor and moisture from the burning wood excites some primitive memories in humans that satisfies us in some ways. We had a wood stove when I was growing up and many cold winter nights I would grab a blanket and pillow and sleep besides the wood stove. The house was mainly heated by an oil fired hot water system with radiators and we would only use the wood stove when it got very cold. The hot water heat kept the house comfortable, but it wasn't "satisfying" like the wood stove.

Mike

 

[Coyote Chris]

True. - But ……
It depends.
Green (recently cut) wood is more likely than dry wood to cause problems.
It also depends on your geographic location. Some areas have different and/or more potential for insect issues.
It also depends on how far from the ground or insect breeding habitat.
And some species of wood are riskier.
Ground moisture often plays a Roel too.
Lastly insect populations tend to be cyclic having high peaks followed by years of low numbers.

Bottom line - know the risks in your particular area and the biology of insects pests so you can avoid trouble.

Personally I bring about 10 cords of dry wood into my firewood room in the basement every fall and heat my house all winter. I’ve not had any problems in over 50 years now. YMMV.

Correct. There are subterarinian termites in Spokane. I have never seen their mud tubes. Or heard of anyone having them. And they need moisture. What is that?
About October, I take the seasoned split wood and bring it to the cement front porch. Many would say its over seasoned but oh well, I burn what I have. I have never seen a termite tube on my seasoning hill. I got up this morning and saw cars slowing down in front of my house 100 yards away...WTH? Then I saw these termites 30 ft away.

 

[Coyote Chris]

Thanks for the info! There is nothing like heat from firewood. I think the warmth, odor and moisture from the burning wood excites some primitive memories in humans that satisfies us in some ways. We had a wood stove when I was growing up and many cold winter nights I would grab a blanket and pillow and sleep besides the wood stove. The house was mainly heated by an oil fired hot water system with radiators and we would only use the wood stove when it got very cold. The hot water heat kept the house comfortable, but it wasn't "satisfying" like the wood stove.

Mike

For me, its a mental necessity. I suffer from SAD terribly. Having a fire in the heatalator from 5pm to 10 pm makes the evenings better. Two glass doors look on the kitchen table and two on the other side of the chimney look on the living room. They radiate alot of heat but mainly the heat comes from heating the metal firebox . Cold Air flows into the vent by the floor and up the fire box and out the upper vent. A small fan speeds the process. Great to have when an ice storm/wind storm takes out the grid for 5 days. The stones in the chimney get warmish and release heat after we go to bed. My wife likes to sit on the hearth and soak up the heat, but she makes sure she doesnt block the radiation to my chair. LOL!
(Had a pot bellied stove in ILLinois. It worked but I like this much better)

 

[Frosty]

I miss a wood fire in the Winter.
There is a fireplace in the sitting area at the end of the pool under the roof, but it is gas.

 

[Coyote Chris]

Welcome to winter.

 

[mikesim]

I miss a wood fire in the Winter. There is a fireplace in the sitting area at the end of the pool under the roof, but it is gas. View attachment 23402

I miss a wood fire in the Winter. There is a fireplace in the sitting area at the end of the pool under the roof, but it is gas. View attachment 23402

I miss a wood fire in the Winter.
There is a fireplace in the sitting area at the end of the pool under the roof, but it is gas.

View attachment 23402

Showoff!

Mike

 

[junglejim]

There’s nothing like wood heat. The radiant heat warms quickly and thoroughly. It simply isn’t the same as being in a warm house.

Heat transfers in several ways. Radiant heat is quick. Heat travels by conduction too but getting burned is kind of a disadvantage. Convection is a little slow for immediate warming.

My wife complains about being cold when she’s sitting in her chair next to a big window. I keep telling her to move her chair to a warmer place. Nope! She goes and gets a blanket to wrap up in. We heat with wood stove throughout the winter. We use our geothermal spring, and fall for heat and for cooling in the summer. The warm air from the geo system is only slightly warm and the blower runs a lot. Gas fired forced air is much hotter and their blowers are more forceful.

We put our geothermal system in about 15 years ago. It has been almost trouble free since. Big tax rebate at the time too. Those were the days.

 

[Coyote Chris]

There’s nothing like wood heat. The radiant heat warms quickly and thoroughly. It simply isn’t the same as being in a warm house.

Heat transfers in several ways. Radiant heat is quick. Heat travels by conduction too but getting burned is kind of a disadvantage. Convection is a little slow for immediate warming.

My wife complains about being cold when she’s sitting in her chair next to a big window. I keep telling her to move her chair to a warmer place. Nope! She goes and gets a blanket to wrap up in. We heat with wood stove throughout the winter. We use our geothermal spring, and fall for heat and for cooling in the summer. The warm air from the geo system is only slightly warm and the blower runs a lot. Gas fired forced air is much hotter and their blowers are more forceful.

We put our geothermal system in about 15 years ago. It has been almost trouble free since. Big tax rebate at the time too. Those were the days.

Wow! Interesting.
I got rid of the oil heat in Illinois circa 1980 ( old converted school house on a acre at the corner of a corn field) with the trainer wife. Got Natural gas.... wow! What a difference! Turn up the thermostast and HEAT. Now I have baseboard heat and no air ducts to take out dog dander in filters. Very slow to react. Now 41 years with the real wife.....(I do miss my trainer wife of 10 years, but she ultimately decided that she really did want to have a child...and she had a wonderful child who went into industrial design. But for the first time in 23 years of life, with my trainer wife, I had a real family where people actually liked each other. I dont regret her.... She had 2 Hanovarians....you know those horse people!!!!! LOL!

 

[junglejim]

This is a report on Tour da UP X, not IX as the thread title states.

Abbreviated tour this year. There was was a 2-day window of good weather. I didn't even leave home until shortly after noon. Made only one wrong turn on day 1 which only resulted in a little longer ride over some roads I haven't ridden before. So maybe not wrong. Fall colors are nearing peak on only a few areas. The tourists were mostly gone but not the bugs. I hit several swarms of Oriental Lady bugs (Chris, Not oriental ladies). The front of the bike was covered in bug guts. It was nearly dark when I stopped for the night.

Day 2, 43 degrees in the AM, but sunny. Light traffic and saw turkeys and one bear. When I turned for home I found out where all the traffic was and made it home by 5 PM. One Oops with a planned gas stop. The gas station I planned to stop at was closed down. Next gas was 54 miles and I was showing 66 miles to empty. I don't like to run that close but I made it OK showing 10 miles to empty (which, judging from my fill amount I probably had closer to 30+). Of course AFTER I got gas the stations were much closer.

Eastbound on US2

Gass fill on Sunday AM. A new recond.

Empty road and beautiful colors (H 58 near Grand Maris to Munesing for those of you familiar)

Lunch stop along Lake Superior

 

[Coyote Chris]

This is a report on Tour da UP X, not IX as the thread title states.

Abbreviated tour this year. There was was a 2-day window of good weather. I didn't even leave home until shortly after noon. Made only one wrong turn on day 1 which only resulted in a little longer ride over some roads I haven't ridden before. So maybe not wrong. Fall colors are nearing peak on only a few areas. The tourists were mostly gone but not the bugs. I hit several swarms of Oriental Lady bugs (Chris, Not oriental ladies). The front of the bike was covered in bug guts. It was nearly dark when I stopped for the night.

Day 2, 43 degrees in the AM, but sunny. Light traffic and saw turkeys and one bear. When I turned for home I found out where all the traffic was and made it home by 5 PM. One Oops with a planned gas stop. The gas station I planned to stop at was closed down. Next gas was 54 miles and I was showing 66 miles to empty. I don't like to run that close but I made it OK showing 10 miles to empty (which, judging from my fill amount I probably had closer to 30+). Of course AFTER I got gas the stations were much closer.

Eastbound on US2
View attachment 24338

Gass fill on Sunday AM. A new recond.
View attachment 24339

Empty road and beautiful colors (H 58 near Grand Maris to Munesing for those of you familiar)
View attachment 24340

Lunch stop along Lake Superior
View attachment 24341

The Boundry waters and the north shore drive is gorgeous this time of year......and the mosquito count is low....And the kid count is low....I dont mind camping in the cold if the day warms up. Around the turn of the century, every other year I would go to the Boundry waters in Mid Sept. The last year I went was 2000, when a bear chased me out of my camp. A 500 lb black bear.
Coming home from Reno in the high desert of Oregon was nice too. Then 9/11 happened and I only went to Reno. I do miss the BWAC. But If I went back, I would take something bigger than a .380

 

[Coyote Chris]

Child bride and I went to that part of the world a number of times. Beautiful.

 

[Coyote Chris]

"On the road to Grand Maris.....
Where the mighty fishes play......
While fishing was seldom spectacular, Northerns were fun to catch and release.
Of the 40 years I was encarcerated in the Midwest, I never thought to ride up there...I did ride to Maine.