Iargo Springs - Iosco County

This is a majestic place hidden amongst the trees along the river's edge.  Water trickles from nearly every nook and cranny in the hillside.  On a hot summer day, the cool water and shade from the trees will provide a beautiful atmosphere.  Though not far from the road, when you are here you will forget about cars and anything modern.  All you will see are trees, water, birds, butterflies and steps... hundreds of steps, close to 300 of them.

This location isn't much of a trail but it sure will give you a workout.  There are many stops along the way to take a break but if you cannot handle a lot of stairs, this isn't the place for you, or at least don't venture all of the way to the bottom.  Year round I recommend taking water, you'll need the refreshment, and remember water works best, no juice or pops (soda).

Iargo Springs is located off M-65 on Iargo/River Road in Iosco County (Oscoda), Michigan.  It is a part of the Au Sable River system and a part of the Highbanks Trail.  Nearby is Lumberman's Monument (an upcoming post), Loud Dam, Cooke Dam, town of Glennie (to the north) and several camping areas.  Approximate GSP location is 44.440919,-83.675416.  Other activities can be found nearby, such as snowmobiling, fishing, boat launches, canoeing and hunting sites.  For lodging, look to Oscoda, Mio, Tawas, West Branch or Glennie.

Iargo Springs in a google search.
Iargo Springs - my photos @Webshots
Au Sable River Country website (recommended)

Clinton River Trail Mastodon

When MDOT and OCRC was working on the intersection of Adams Road and M-59, they made a discovery - mastodon bones.  There is a marker a bit south of the parking area on the trail.  The remains of the mastodon were moved to two places, one a nearby at Cranbrook.

Here are links for more information:
Earthcaching/Geocaching
MSNBC article
Channel 4 Detroit
Larry the Biker's Flickr (source of photo above)


For information on the trail itself, since it has it's own website and Facebook, I won't duplicate information other than this trail comes highly recommended.

Destinations Unknown

I'm looking for input on what trails I should highlight first.  Do you have a destination in mind?  If you don't have a specific trail, then do you know of the areas you will be travelling to this summer?  Comment, post, email to let me know so I can get you the information you need in a single post.  Until then I'll start blogging about where I have been.

I realize gas prices are insane, which makes taking a camping/hiking trip so much better.  You get to travel in our magnificent state of ours, experience some great trails and stay at some of the greatest campgrounds on earth.  You can do a weekend hiking trip for under $100 besides the gear you need, once you buy the gear you have it though.  I know $100 sounds cheap but I have done it on $100 many times.  Some trails cost a few dollars, some are free and some just require a state sticker.  Same with campgrounds.  Your biggest expenses will be food and gas.

Shoe Sale

As much as I hate to say it, you need more shoes (or boots). If you are a walker, hiker, runner, cycler, etc., you need proper shoes, and specific shoes for the activity. Now is a great time to assess the quality and quantity of your footwear. I add quantity to that because it never fails, any shoe I buy, it fails at least one requirement, so I'll buy 2. I need something comfortable, waterproof, skid resistant and warm... oh, and in a size 5 1/2 wide. The rare time I find the "perfect" boot, I will go back and buy 1 or 2 more to have in case the first gets worn out or wet and because it's so hard for me to find something that fits.

Shoe stores are clearing out and moving in new stock. Take advantage of those sales. Many stores have frequent shopper discounts as well. Many of us are getting our tax refunds back too. Did you get a gift certificate at Christmas and not use it yet? If there's not a sale, have you thought about asking a manager to knock a few respectable dollars off? Even if it's only $10, you can use that to buy some new socks. Having the proper socks also will aid in the comfort of your activity.

The wrong footwear can lead to all sorts of injuries, including falls. Safety first. You want to have fun on your weekends and vacations. Hospitals are nice and all, we just don't need to include them in our destinations.

Canton Couple Walking To Lake Mead 2500 Miles Away

The story is in the article here, just posted today by Fox 2 Detroit.

Spring Is Here - Kinda

The calendar says it's spring, but as we all know, here in Michigan spring isn't here until the snow has melted from under the pines in the Upper Peninsula.

Anyway, right now is a great time to start planning trips to those wonderful trails we have in this beautiful state. It's also time to check on your gear. When I say gear, I mean camping, walking, biking, hiking... whatever your pleasure may be. It's perfect for dealing with that spring-fever even if you can't go right away.

You'll need to restock any emergency supplies like aspirin, aloe, bug spray, epi-pens, etc. etc. Check to make sure things that require batteries weren't stored with batteries in them and have since corroded. You may have to buy new items if this is the case. Rubber deteriorates. Bugs eat holes through things. Stuff even comes up missing. It won't hurt to get one of those pay-as-you-go cellphones for a backup.

Since the economy is what it is, some of the things you may need to purchase might cost you a pretty penny when all added up. All work and no play isn't the way to live, so work on that supply list as soon as you can. This way all summer long you have nothing better to do but enjoy!

NOTE: The download for the county index is currently unavailable. I will replace it ASAP.

Paint Creek Trail - YouTube Video