Way to keep your spirits up in the rain, it can be hard to do. Thanks for taking us along!

In spite of my screen name I live in Alpena, MI now and know the HCP fairly well. Yes, the northern portions are not well traveled hence the trail isn't as well maintained. You may want to try and hike from Clear Lake State Park towards Rattlesnake Hill over towards Town Corner Lake; in my experience that's where you'll have the best chances to see elk up close. If I may make a suggestion: please carry at a minimum bear spray; there are a few of them roaming around the Pigeon River Country State Forest especially since cellular service is very limited in the area. Also, you may want to try hiking the Hoist Lake Foot Travel Area down around Curran in the national forest. Thanks for the videos!

Oh a blast from the past! I hiked this loop clockwise in mid May of 2018 over 6 days. At that time the Pigeon River bridge was still there but the Black River one was out. I was able to ford but it took a hot minute and it was a bit scary/muddy/treacherous. I trailside camped and also camped in a few state forest campgrounds. I didn't see hardly any animals at all. I relied heavily on the blazing because the path was hard to follow whether from massive blow downs or because of routing through clear cuts. I've hiked a lot in Michigan but I do not find this trail to be worthwhile. It's not that pretty, too many clear cuts, faint trail, and the hustle is not worth the reward. Good luck on your next adventure thank you for sharing 😊

WOW, pretty impressive. You must love backpacking. Do you enjoy hiking solo? I really like your videos. They keep getting better.

Hey just heads up ..they cleaned up the trail and blazed it better this fall and fixed a lot of signage..and word is they will be starting on the bridge this coming spring ...I will be attempting this hike memorial week

Hey Acorn! I did half of the High Country Pathway back in October 2022. While I was researching the trail, I came across your original video when you went out during late winter. I thought it was the coolest thing when I found your entry written in the log at Canada Creek Shelter! I started at Pigeon Bridge as well and hiked clockwise to Pine Grove for my first night. The water was so high I had fjord while holding my pack over my head! I nearly dropped it in the river when I sank into the mud lol. The hike from PG to Canada Creek Shelter was rough, 22 miles with wet feet, I was so happy when that shelter came into view. Got a great fire roaring that night and decided I’d cut it short and stop at Clear Lake State Park.. so I still need my redemption trip! Anyway, I hope you get a chance to check out my High Country video!!

was very good to see you hiking again, very much enjoy your videos, and just remember hike your hike and have fun.

Yes that was Indian pipe

Oh yeah, the music that you choose for your videos,IMO, is perfect.

It’s a shame that Michigan has trails like this that were developed years ago and now they are in total disrepair. There are a lot of hikers that hike trails if they are reasonably maintained and that brings in tourist dollars.

I love the music