michigan MCCCT record?

[slowstepper]

Seems to me ,  somewhere I saw a story / and or video on a couple of guys going for the record ,  doing the whole MCCCT in just a few days.  I think the guy who did it was an ISDT guy.  anyone have links / more info?  or at least confirm I'm not crazy?

[MIxr650r]

The upper and lower?

[MIxr650r]

Sorry I think I misunderstood you. I thought you were asking about the old MCCC (Michigan Cycle Conservation Club) Upper and Lower Peninsula Dual Sport Safari ride that was originally mapped and GPS’d by Jeramy Valley.

[adam728]

Rumor has it Mike Lafferty and some others did it in 28 hours, non-stop. I've never been able to find any real conformation.

 

Buddy and I did it a few years back, Gladwin up and over to White Cloud, then back up to the connector and back to Gladwin. XR650R and DR650.

 

Our time? 5 days, something like 46 hrs moving. We skipped nothing, and even doubled back the first night to hit a few miles we missed due to losing the trail. A few ride reports and tracks I found showed some groups skip fair amounts of the actual MCCCT by riding paralleling 2 tracks and such.

 

[DJ_MI]

On 2/12/2020 at 6:33 PM, adam728 said:

Rumor has it Mike Lafferty and some others did it in 28 hours, non-stop. I've never been able to find any real conformation.

 

Buddy and I did it a few years back, Gladwin up and over to White Cloud, then back up to the connector and back to Gladwin. XR650R and DR650.

 

Our time? 5 days, something like 46 hrs moving. We skipped nothing, and even doubled back the first night to hit a few miles we missed due to losing the trail. A few ride reports and tracks I found showed some groups skip fair amounts of the actual MCCCT by riding paralleling 2 tracks and such.

 

Nice! I haven't found many accounts of people actually riding the whole thing or even just the arch.

I rode the arch in October.  I started in White Cloud and rolled into Gladwin almost exactly one week later (yeah, I'm slow).  I too doubled back when I realized I missed sections and I'd drop a waypoint whenever I'd leave the trail so I knew where to pick it back up.  Not for bragging (almost no one has even heard of the MCCCT) and obviously not for setting any kind of record, but for my own personal satisfaction of completing the challenge I'd given myself.

[adam728]

21 hours ago, DJ_MI said:

Nice! I haven't found many accounts of people actually riding the whole thing or even just the arch.

I rode the arch in October.  I started in White Cloud and rolled into Gladwin almost exactly one week later (yeah, I'm slow).  I too doubled back when I realized I missed sections and I'd drop a waypoint whenever I'd leave the trail so I knew where to pick it back up.  Not for bragging (almost no one has even heard of the MCCCT) and obviously not for setting any kind of record, but for my own personal satisfaction of completing the challenge I'd given myself.

Nice! It's a BIG ride, regardless of skill or speed. I'm collecting parts and building up a KTM 300. I should try and plate it and give the loop another go. Come to realize we did this in 2016 (7 years already?!), and I'm not getting younger.....

[DJ_MI]

2 hours ago, adam728 said:

Nice! It's a BIG ride, regardless of skill or speed. I'm collecting parts and building up a KTM 300. I should try and plate it and give the loop another go. Come to realize we did this in 2016 (7 years already?!), and I'm not getting younger.....

For sure. It was the greatest adventure of my life. I’ve been working on plans to try it again this year and would like to double back from Gladwin to Fife Lake and do the cross state this time.

 It’s a lot different planning it a second time. I’m actually more nervous now since I know what I’m really in for. Last time I was blissfully ignorant to just how hard it was going to be. 
 

Did you camp, hit motels or both when you did it in ‘16?

[adam728]

10 hours ago, DJ_MI said:

For sure. It was the greatest adventure of my life. I’ve been working on plans to try it again this year and would like to double back from Gladwin to Fife Lake and do the cross state this time.

 It’s a lot different planning it a second time. I’m actually more nervous now since I know what I’m really in for. Last time I was blissfully ignorant to just how hard it was going to be. 
 

Did you camp, hit motels or both when you did it in ‘16?

Both. Buddy's dad met us in Luzerne and then Chandler Hill campgrounds for the 1st two nights. Nights 3 and 4 we crashed at the Cadillac Holiday Inn. 

Write up from years back

https://drriders.com/michigan-mccct-loop-5-days-of-off-road-t18897.html

[DJ_MI]

6 hours ago, adam728 said:

Both. Buddy's dad met us in Luzerne and then Chandler Hill campgrounds for the 1st two nights. Nights 3 and 4 we crashed at the Cadillac Holiday Inn. 

Write up from years back

https://drriders.com/michigan-mccct-loop-5-days-of-off-road-t18897.html

Nice!  I actually read your ride report last year. I’m going to reread it tonight. 
 

I planned to stay in motels but I took camping gear knowing that I might not find a place to stay. I only needed it one night. Three other nights I was sure I was camping and got lucky to find a place to stay. I was really nervous the last night because it was really cold but I managed to find a motel. Good times!

[TheWolfman]

On 1/31/2023 at 7:08 PM, DJ_MI said:

For sure. It was the greatest adventure of my life. I’ve been working on plans to try it again this year and would like to double back from Gladwin to Fife Lake and do the cross state this time.

 It’s a lot different planning it a second time. I’m actually more nervous now since I know what I’m really in for. Last time I was blissfully ignorant to just how hard it was going to be. 
 

Did you camp, hit motels or both when you did it in ‘16?

What bike did you use for MCCCT?  I've always been a 2 stroke guy but seems like most are doing this on larger 4 strokes.  I currently have a Beta 200rr but will build another bike if necessary.  This has been on my bucket list since reading Cannonshots ride report nearly 20 yrs ago on AdvRider.

[DJ_MI]

On 10/22/2024 at 10:03 AM, TheWolfman said:

What bike did you use for MCCCT?  I've always been a 2 stroke guy but seems like most are doing this on larger 4 strokes.  I currently have a Beta 200rr but will build another bike if necessary.  This has been on my bucket list since reading Cannonshots ride report nearly 20 yrs ago on AdvRider.

I used a mostly stock 2021 KLX300.  1 tooth down on the front sprocket, hand guards and D952 tires F/R.  A few other things but nothing serious.

Like you, I first read about the MCCCT in his ride report.  I loved his story and the challenge that we have right here in our home state.  However, after actually riding it and comparing pictures/locations I don't know how he finished it in only 4 days.  We had a very similar pace for the first 2 days.  But then he somehow rode in 2 days what took me another 6 days.   I'm not fast and it wasn't a race.  CS is unclear on how long it took him and I even asked beforehand and he didn't know.  I'm glad that I didn't plan on a 4 day ride.  I had 9 days approved off work but had no idea how long it would actually take.  My point is don't go off of his RR for any kind of time or scheduling reference.  The adversity he describes likely isn't the whole story.

I ditched my plans to re-ride it last year.  Once I really started digging into the tracks and details I realized that I just wasn't ready to punish myself again.  My wife and I were in Mio a few weeks ago and we crossed the trail a few times and passed a motel I stayed at.  The memory of the pain is fading leaving the fond memories of the adventure remaining.  I'd love to have something to plan and work towards again... my grandest distraction ever!  Maybe next year. 😀

[TheWolfman]

3 hours ago, DJ_MI said:

I used a mostly stock 2021 KLX300.  1 tooth down on the front sprocket, hand guards and D952 tires F/R.  A few other things but nothing serious.

Like you, I first read about the MCCCT in his ride report.  I loved his story and the challenge that we have right here in our home state.  However, after actually riding it and comparing pictures/locations I don't know how he finished it in only 4 days.  We had a very similar pace for the first 2 days.  But then he somehow rode in 2 days what took me another 6 days.   I'm not fast and it wasn't a race.  CS is unclear on how long it took him and I even asked beforehand and he didn't know.  I'm glad that I didn't plan on a 4 day ride.  I had 9 days approved off work but had no idea how long it would actually take.  My point is don't go off of his RR for any kind of time or scheduling reference.  The adversity he describes likely isn't the whole story.

I ditched my plans to re-ride it last year.  Once I really started digging into the tracks and details I realized that I just wasn't ready to punish myself again.  My wife and I were in Mio a few weeks ago and we crossed the trail a few times and passed a motel I stayed at.  The memory of the pain is fading leaving the fond memories of the adventure remaining.  I'd love to have something to plan and work towards again... my grandest distraction ever!  Maybe next year. 😀

Thanks for the reply.  Reading through all the reports, it does seem like the actual trip times are all over the place.  Did you keep track of your total miles including all the extra miles to run out to campsites/hotels/gas/food/etc.?  Any idea of approximately what percentage of the MCCCT is on paved roads?

Grew up riding around Indian River and accidentally stumbling on some of the MCCCT sections when I was younger. It wasn't until later when I read CS report that I understood what it was all about. We still have a place in IR which seems like a good break point for some maintenance on the bike and body. 

[DJ_MI]

8 hours ago, TheWolfman said:

Thanks for the reply.  Reading through all the reports, it does seem like the actual trip times are all over the place.  Did you keep track of your total miles including all the extra miles to run out to campsites/hotels/gas/food/etc.?  Any idea of approximately what percentage of the MCCCT is on paved roads?

Grew up riding around Indian River and accidentally stumbling on some of the MCCCT sections when I was younger. It wasn't until later when I read CS report that I understood what it was all about. We still have a place in IR which seems like a good break point for some maintenance on the bike and body. 

No prob!  I love talking about it.  It was such an adventure.

I captured the entire ride on my GPS.  801.8 miles total.  575.5 miles on the trail.  That includes back tracking for nav mistakes.  The track I assembled from the MIDNR data was 541.6 miles on the trail.  There was a lot of errors in there.  There is also a lot of "smoothing" so it's always going to be a little shorter than the actual track.  The MIDNR track was 10,059 track points and my actual recorded track (trail only) was 78,187 points.

I don't have any way of really knowing how much was paved but it's not very much.  I'm looking at the tracks now and there's a 6 mile stretch along US131 and another stretch near Indian River and some down near Gladwin.  I'm sure there was more that I'm forgetting.  Most of the road connectors where trail isn't available was gravel.  Most of the off trail riding I did for food, fuel and sleep was on paved roads.

IR is a great place to have a base.  It's about 50 north east of the halfway point.

A side note is that I'm so grateful to have the whole ride captured by the GPS.  I realized afterward that I can look at the time stamp on pictures and find that point in the track for the exact location.  I took hundreds of pictures and I wish I would have taken more but it's cool to see where on the map I took the pic.

[Mildride]

19 hours ago, DJ_MI said:

I used a mostly stock 2021 KLX300.  1 tooth down on the front sprocket, hand guards and D952 tires F/R.  A few other things but nothing serious.

Like you, I first read about the MCCCT in his ride report.  I loved his story and the challenge that we have right here in our home state.  However, after actually riding it and comparing pictures/locations I don't know how he finished it in only 4 days.  We had a very similar pace for the first 2 days.  But then he somehow rode in 2 days what took me another 6 days.   I'm not fast and it wasn't a race.  CS is unclear on how long it took him and I even asked beforehand and he didn't know.  I'm glad that I didn't plan on a 4 day ride.  I had 9 days approved off work but had no idea how long it would actually take.  My point is don't go off of his RR for any kind of time or scheduling reference.  The adversity he describes likely isn't the whole story.

I ditched my plans to re-ride it last year.  Once I really started digging into the tracks and details I realized that I just wasn't ready to punish myself again.  My wife and I were in Mio a few weeks ago and we crossed the trail a few times and passed a motel I stayed at.  The memory of the pain is fading leaving the fond memories of the adventure remaining.  I'd love to have something to plan and work towards again... my grandest distraction ever!  Maybe next year. 😀

Did you plate the KLX? Conflicting opinions now that ORVs are allowed on most northern county roads. 

[adam728]

On 10/30/2024 at 7:07 AM, Mildride said:

Did you plate the KLX? Conflicting opinions now that ORVs are allowed on most northern county roads. 

There is a ~6 mile section that runs on US131, where you absolutely must be plated. Also, north of Gladwin you run on M30 (must be plated), and Sugar River Rd is mapped as off limits to ORV's, so you need to be plated. Not sure on all the other little road hops. But I would not do it without being plated.