Girls Gone Wildwood

Changing colors on the Thornapple River  Visiting western Michigan as we transition to fall has made for a great week of running. For our last long run here, Ann's dad dropped us off in Middleville and we ran back to his house on the  North Country Trail , which traverses 4,700 miles from North Dakota to Vermont.  Nice canoe/kayak put-in in Middleville The North Country Trail is the longest in the National Trail System, but it feels very different from the Pacific Crest and Appalachian trails; distinct sections pieced together along short stretches of road. Our first stretch, the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail through Middleville, wound along the Thornapple River, through a marsh, and under a tunnel of trees.  We're on a giant chair! Trail distances-- we're in staunchly in the middle Tunnel of trees Mile markers and exercises to do along the way (no, we didn't do them) This section ends at a small road, to a bigger one, and then back onto a dirt road before getting back on

  Susan and I came to Michigan for a week to visit my Dad and family, who live on Gun Lake which is surrounded by running trails. The same weekend we were visiting the Yankee Springs Fall Festival trail races were happening, so of course we signed up. We decided on the 25k for  2 reasons, one mainly because the 50k is 2 looks of the 25k and the other was I wanted more time to spend with my family.    a family of runners The Yankee Springs Fall Festival trail race is a small, local, backyard feeling trail race put on by Switchback Endurance , it's everything I love about trail racing. The feel of it reminded me a lot of the Peterson Ridge Rumble races. Start line selfies The course takes place in Yankee Springs recreation area on beautiful rolling single track trails, which loops by 2 different lakes, Hall & Deep Lake. There is actually a decent amount of elevation gain (for Michigan), around ~1200 feet. There were 4 different aid stations, which seemed like a lot, but it was

Hall Lake Last weekend I flew to Michigan to surprise my dad, which ended up not actually being a surprise since he read an email I sent to my stepmom about coming. It was still nice for him to pretend to be surprised. As we normally we do we spent each morning running on the trails around Gun Lake and Yankee Springs Recreation area and the afternoons trying local microbrews.  Me and Dad Every summer when I visit we run these trails, I have posted about them a few times, but this was the first time I have been on the trails in the fall. The trails felt so different with all the leaves off the tress and being able to see a lot more of the surrounding area.  Every time I start to get a little burnt out on running the same trails all the time, the seasons change and the trails start to feel different and new again. This is one of the things I really love about trail running.  I am ready for all the changes this Winter is going to bring us. 

North Country Trail                    Almost every summer I go visit my dad and family for a week in Michigan at their house on Gun Lake . The lake is surrounded by Yankee Springs State Recreation Area , which has enough trails to host a trail marathon . The North Country Trail also runs through the park. I only became familiar with the North Country Trail a few years ago, when dad and I were looking for a new trail to run. It passes through 7 states: New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota and is the longest of the 11 National Scenic Trails  at ~2,800 miles. After discovering and running it a few years ago, I have wanted Susan to come visit Michigan and run it with us.  Susan, dad and me trying to do a selfie Susan has become part of our family, so convincing her to come wasn't hard. My step-sister, Gretchen spends the summer at the lake with her 2 sons, Alex (12) and Jake (8). My dad and stepmom being like most grandpar