More than a walk in the park, a death march

Only a husband will appreciate how wrong I was today. OK, so maybe a few wives might get it too. Walking around the same old campground has gotten a little boring so I suggested that we head to Ludington State Park and walk on one of the beautiful trails there.

Joan was skeptical as she was actually looking out the window at the rain falling, while I was looking at the weather radar online, which showed no rain. “It’ll stop raining by the time we get there,” I said. (Wrong).

At the park, with the rain still falling I pointed to a small break in the clouds and insisted that the worst of the rain was behind us. (Wrong again).

Fortunately, the tree canopy shielded us from much of the rain but it was still a little damp. As we headed out on one trail I noticed another trail headed closer to the lake, which I suggested might be an easier hike. (You guessed it, wrong once again).

As we got to the end of the Lost Lake Trail, I noticed yet another trail (Island Trail) that looked like a nice walk along Hamlin Lake. Always the agreeable one, Joan agreed to go a little further. It was still raining (you’d think you could trust radar) and the trail was muddy and at some places difficult.

Island Trail ends at the north end of the park, but always one to push the envelope I saw another trail, The Ridge Trail, that I convinced Joan would be easier and a more direct return route back to our car instead of doubling back on the Island Trail. (Joan was not too happy in the photo to the right finishing yet another hill)

So off we went on Ridge Trail, still headed away from our car, but with my promise that once we made the turn it would be a straight shot back to the car. Do I need to say it again: Really wrong this time.

The Ridge Trail was an up and down (it seemed mostly up) trail along a very long, sandy dune. After about the 15th ‘up’ section I showed Joan, who was now grumbling a little bit, the map with the dotted straight line that I had relied on when taking the trail.

As a former high school science teacher she was quick to point out that my map did not show elevations, which would have made a big difference in her choice of trails had she known. But forge ahead we did until we came to a very long stairway that plunged us back down to the old path that we should have taken in the first place.

At one point Joan looked around and said: “How can we keep going up when everything around us is below us?” It was a good question, but one that I didn’t have an answer for as the very next turn of the trail showed another steep sandy incline.

For a few minutes I thought I had worked us into another trail, one that would take us far from our car, but fortunately for me, and our marriage, I did have us on the right trail, one of the few things I did right all day.

By the end of the walk Joan was referring to the day’s adventure as “The Dune Death March.”
The rain did finally stop about ¾ of the way through the hike and Joan was generally a good sport about walking more than 4 miles when we had planned originally to walk about 1.5 or 2 miles. Despite the trail difficulties, the scenery was beautiful and we did see some swans and other wildlife along the trail.

We got home in time to watch the second half of the Michigan State football game, which was pretty much a rout (35-0 in favor of MSU) by the time we got home.

Tonight we accepted an invitation from the campground to attend a complimentary end-of-the-season chili dinner in the “Roundhouse.” The chili was good and we met some folks who stay here for the season. Very nice people and we will certainly come back here next year to visit again.

As we left the dinner I asked Joan if she would like to make a lap around the park before we went back to the trailer. Her answer is unprintable.