This weekend, we got heavy. And it wasn't just the cookies, either.
Last year, local good guy Patrick Cotant went big for Norte. Our local youth cycling organization has grown in leaps and bounds over the past couple of years, and with more and more ambitious programs, more kids on teams and clubs, and a big shift to advocacy and city infrastructure, Patrick wanted to do something. So, he rode nearly two hundred miles in two days. This year, he called in some friends to join up.
And so "Patrick's Heavy Ride with Friends" was born. Twenty-five riders signed up to ride from Traverse City to the Mackinac Bridge, a 136 mile ride though iconic Up North towns like Elk Rapids, Charlevoix, Petoskey, and finally nearly to the shadow of the Mighty Mac. That's where we come in.
Just like at the Less Cancer Ride, we hooked up the Adventure Hub and loaded it full of camping gear, food, coolers, and plenty of custom Norte sugar cookies. It was packed to the brim with bags, but there was still plenty of room to get all of those bikes back to town after a night of camping.
The riders split into a more casual group and a slightly quicker group, with the casual group taking an hour's head start. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Overnight strong lightening storms and heavy rains stopped just in time for that first group to leave at 6 am, with a massive tailwind giving them a nice nudge as they headed north. The sun broke through the clouds just as the second group rolled out and shone brilliantly over the sunflower fields and cherry orchards all the way to Charlevoix.
It wouldn't have been a group ride without a nightmare flat. Of course it was the rider with the deepest rims and of course the tube he packed was the only 80mm valve stem out of the whole bunch, and of course that one somehow had a hole it in. Everyone checked their pockets for the longest stem and we gave it a good go, but there was just nothing to be done. We blew out three separate chucks and used three CO2s, making it one of those infamous $45 flat tire stops. We hated to leave a man behind, but with no SAG, out came the only tool that could save the day; a cell phone.
With some other activities on the agenda, Dan and I turned back, leaving the guys with 80 miles left to go from Charlevoix to the Bridge. With plenty of powerful riders, high spirits, and elevated blood sugar levels at the food stop, we weren't worried at all about the dozen adventures carrying on the mission. We were, however, slightly worried about the 20 mile per hour head wind that awaited us. I'd put together a route that, if I'm honest, was just a bit of a Hail Mary. I knew parts of it were on gravel road, but the quality of those roads was a total guess. Maybe that bad flat got all of our misfortunes out of the way, because we found rocky nirvana. Those quiet golden roads were perfect; firm gravel, rolling hills, incredible views, and we didn't see a single car for nearly 18 miles. As we neared the junction with a busy highway and a small side road, we pressed our luck again. The 'Dead End' that flashed was true for cars, but not for bikes. Winding through a small shoreline neighborhood, we braved about 25 yards of singletrack to pop out on still more gorgeous gravel and pavement. Save this route and add it to your bucket list.
Our adventure saved us grinding headlong into the wind next to RVs and semitrucks for an hour, and we're already planning a loop to revisit some roads that we won't soon forget; add Peebles Road, Shooks Road, and Michigan Trail to your mental map and go find them.
We'd planned a strategic evac at Short's Brewing Company's Elk Rapids facility and met Dan's wife for lunch. After nice and neat 101 miles, a big veggie burger and a beer certainly hit the spot. The sun was well and truly out by now, and the timing could not have been better.
And how about the fundraiser? Well, we're really close! We raised $12,285.29 towards our goal of $12,500. It's not too late to help out; consider chipping in and making a really good day on the bike even better.