MI man hiking from Detroit to Ironwood
A Michigan hiker on an in-state odyssey has stopped in Marquette for a night of rest.
Chris Hillier is from downstate Taylor.
He was intrigued by a proposal from Governor Rick Snyder last November for a 924-mile trail system from Detroit’s Belle Isle to Ironwood.
It’s so new that it doesn’t even have a name yet, “and when I heard about that, I thought I could be the first one to through-hike it, and that’s a very attractive proposition to a long-distance hiker. So, on April 26th, I started from Belle Isle, and I’ve hiked to here so far,” Hillier said.
The project will require about 200 miles of new trails, but that’s not stopping Chris from going all the way.
He’s hiking somewhere between 15 and 18 miles per day.
“The trail across the Upper Peninsula is all North Country National Scenic Trail, and the folks there have just been really supportive, help with maps and all along the way. I have to give them a big thanks,” he said.
Chris expects to hit the trail again Wednesday afternoon, and if his schedule holds up, he plans to arrive in Ironwood in early-to-mid–July.
He has a blog about his trip, and you can find it here.