By Joan Young, Contributing Writer Are you one of the people who doesn’t always find just going outside to be satisfaction enough? There’s no shame in that. Not everyone is wired the same. But there are a lot of ways to increase the gaming-type rewards or the silliness/fun factor. Of course there are the classic pursuits: birdwatching, plant/flower identification, climbing,…
By Joan Young, Contributing Writer Within Oceana County and the Manistee National Forest hides a trail system that offers plenty of recreational opportunities throughout the year. However, its primary purpose is a series of cross-country ski loops, including some of serious difficulty. These are diligently maintained by the Oceana Cross-Country Ski Association (OCCSA). Just 12 miles south of Scottville, the…
By Joan Young The Michigan Dragon Trail that will ultimately circle Hardy Dam Pond near White Cloud in Newaygo County continues to move toward that goal. There are now 34 miles of the proposed 40+ that are open for quiet recreational use. “The Dragon” moniker comes from the shape of Hardy Dam Pond as seen from the air. It looks…
I bet you can walk 100 miles By Joan Young, contributing writer While you are shaking your head in the negative, let me tell you why I think you can do this. Not only that, I’ll tell you why I think you should. Eight years ago, in 2016, the North Country Trail Association began an experiment to try to attract…
Trekking the North Country Trail: How’d That Work Out for You? By Joan Young, MCP Contributing Writer. On Dec. 1, 2021 Amber Township resident Joan Young began her journey to hike the entire North Country Trail continuously. Young, 74, was the first woman to completely hike the NCT, completing 20 years of segmented hikes in 2010. She began her trek at…
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