Upper Peninsula Overland - 6th Annual

[TJDIV]

Strange year.

I was going to write this up last night- you know, rush it out before bed and hope a few people saw it. I'm not really the type to half-*** things, but lately time just seems to be screaming by.

Strange year, but a really cool trip.

I think 99.99% of us chasing adventure have a love-hate with the clock. Where is my pause button? I've flown twice since the trip, was in Miami yesterday, in NYC today and on a 6am to Chicago on monday...

We planned this year shooting from the hip. As many of you that follow our group know, Kristian is a DAD ( seriously, and congrats! ) and is now living in Vail - I've taken what I call a TDY assignment to Manhattan, and TJ has been championing the growth of a ridiculously fun business going into its 4th year.

So we defaulted to our favorite spots in the Yoop; The Keweenaw, Huron River, and Grand Marais- and made up our minds to have the best trip we could.
I flew in from NYC on Friday night, and first thing Saturday morning we were off and running to Gladstone to get some steel stock for the half-a-dozen fabrication initiatives we had *somehow* found ourselves obligated to. ( I say "we" with fabrication, because I have to take pics and drink the beer ).

2 weeks before the trip, I was breaking the rules- browsing craigslist. Which = 1960 Forward Control...... you can catch up on that wrestling match when you have another cup of coffee...

The Forward Control was one of the main reasons we wanted the steel. So was TJ's M416 Trailer-build, my 2003 Tundra rock sliders, and a plethora of miscellaneous "wouldn't it be cool" items...

"Forward Frank" didn't make the trip. Don't get your hopes up, dreams crushed, etc. We already went through that! ( consider 5 days, 18 hrs, two-dozen troubleshooting issues resolved, to lead to a 0320-morning-of-the-trip value spring failure )



>>>>> on the road

We had good friends fly in from Dallas and Chicago to team up with us this year. Our focus on the 'family-oriented' aspects of the trip were ratcheted up. Making sure the kids enjoy this trip is always a top priority. I never really got a total count of attendees or vehicles- I know we had 24 trucks on the confirmed list, and right around 45 on the head count.

THE TRIP & PICS:
We all met up at High Rock Bay on Thursday - the details were to just 'arrive on your own time' and camp for the night.

The end of the road @ HRB

The business end of getting there - not too wet this year, but it can get pretty gnarly when the rains hit.

Epic camp sites

Joe's trailer in the morning sun-

Our "back-up to Forward Frank" vehicle options.....

2003 gun-metal gray vinyl wrap.. I really like how it turned out!

It was the year of the RTT ...

..................to be continued

 

[TJDIV]

The sunrise setting at High Rock Bay is out of this world. I was the only soul rambling around and enjoyed taking pics of it....

Seriously, the kids had a blast

 

[TJDIV]

It's fun to see the kids open up, socialize and make new friends... I vaguely recall some of my trips as a kid, especially with my grandfather. I know they'll remember this for a long time.

Darrin and Colton flew in from Dallas for a father-son trip...

 

[TJDIV]

The next day we packed up and made way for the mouth of the Huron River. One of our favorites because we're right by the beach, camping in whispering pines and looking out at the Huron Islands. Amazing.

Ana snapped this pic, almost accidentally, as she was shooting b-roll for our video.

Huron sunsets never disappoint...

 

[TJDIV]

We only got two nights of camping (our group) as 5 of us had to fly out on Sunday morning...

Dusko and Ana have been friends for years, he joined us from Chicago and had the RTT on the M416 to himself for two nights!

Some kids shared corn... LOL

We enjoyed plenty of fun driving, Brockway Mountain drive, along Lake Superior, and off road

And always took a minute to enjoy the sunsets...

I'm not sure what next year will hold. I know we'll do a trip, and I hope it's a great one. We need this time together. Time to remove ourselves from NYC, Dallas, travel for work, 300 daily emails, and stress. I hold onto that connection with the U.P. like I hold onto freedom itself. It's very hard to explain, but I know you get it.

Life is short, time off is difficult, not finding the time isn't an option.

Here's to next year..... and more sunrises and sunsets.

-Tom

 

[taco2go]

Great write-up Tom. Feeling it, man. Congratulations on all the accomplishments, and for getting back to heart of it all. You and Kristian started an endeavour that reveals and reminds travellers of the soul of the UP- 25 vehicle convoys notwithstanding.
Here's to several more years of special and different UPO's.

Sorry I could not make the trip again, but I have been fortunate to get up there a few times for work, and always take a day to camp somewhere.
I'm going up to manistique and then maybe the garden peninsula to get some pictures over this weekend.

Anyway, great job and Safe jet setting.

 

[tjtoytech]

Strange year, indeed! Nice write-up.

I already cant wait to see what we end scrambling to finish at the last minute for UPO2014.

It was all worth it - as always!! Great times, with great friends, in the greatest places on earth!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TJDIV]

Video from this years trip:

 

[upcruiser]

Well put Tom. While we were bummed not to be able to make it. We had a pretty good excuse. ;-) That video is really fun to watch. One thing I am glad to see is that this venture has stayed true to its grassroots nature, not trying to be something that it is not. It is a family friendly way to see some old friends, meet some new ones and show case one of the most beautiful areas of the world.... Which just so happens to be off the beaten path radar and not a causality of its amazing natural beauty.

We will be back next year, making it a priority. Whether it is part of the UPO trip or not I am going to do a traverse of the whole UP, Wisconsin to the Sault, then down to Drummond. Probably take a week plus but will be epic. Just planting the seed yah know.

 

[grogie]

Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing and yes time goes to fast.

I'm taking my newly built trailer to the U.P. next month. It will be my first visit there.

 

[rkj__]

Cool.

 

[98roamer]

Tom- excellent report and beautiful pictures. It's reports like this one and UPOverland that got my wife and I interested in the UP. We were in Paradise, Whitefish and Tahquamenon Falls (Black Bear Stout hmmm good) last weekend on our way back from Canada. We've both be bite by the UP bug, (100s of times). We were only able to camp one night at the River Mouth area were the Tahquamenon river dumps into the lake, which was very secluded and wild. We'll be back very soon!
Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[conifers4]

Awesome, great write-up

 

[TJDIV]

Well put Tom. While we were bummed not to be able to make it. We had a pretty good excuse. ;-) That video is really fun to watch. One thing I am glad to see is that this venture has stayed true to its grassroots nature, not trying to be something that it is not. It is a family friendly way to see some old friends, meet some new ones and show case one of the most beautiful areas of the world.... Which just so happens to be off the beaten path radar and not a causality of its amazing natural beauty.

We will be back next year, making it a priority. Whether it is part of the UPO trip or not I am going to do a traverse of the whole UP, Wisconsin to the Sault, then down to Drummond. Probably take a week plus but will be epic. Just planting the seed yah know.

We're in for Drummond. Let's make it happen.

 

[TJDIV]

Tom- excellent report and beautiful pictures. It's reports like this one and UPOverland that got my wife and I interested in the UP. We were in Paradise, Whitefish and Tahquamenon Falls (Black Bear Stout hmmm good) last weekend on our way back from Canada. We've both be bite by the UP bug, (100s of times). We were only able to camp one night at the River Mouth area were the Tahquamenon river dumps into the lake, which was very secluded and wild. We'll be back very soon!
Thanks for sharing with us.

The bugs get ya every time The TQ area is very cool, I haven't spent nearly enough time over there.