Michigan UP U.S. Hwy 2 conditions
 

Hi
I live in west central WI and am planning my first tour of the 2010 season. I would like to head up to Ashland, WI then enter the UP and head east to Hwy 45 and reenter WI.

I seek advice on the Hwy 2 and 45 part of the route. What can I expect for traffic volume in May/June? Is there enough shoulder to ride? BTW, is it a very hilly route?

Thanks

Here's some maps that might be helpful: http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,...6053--,00.html and http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/northlakes.cfm.

I appreciate the links to the maps. I do though seek advice on people that have traveled that route.

..." What can I expect for traffic volume in May/June? Is there enough shoulder to ride? BTW, is it a very hilly route?"

Sign up for this:

http://www.bikely.com/

It allows you to map your route. In the "show" option you can select profile and see the route profile. It will also give you climbing feet.

I did some biking in the UP in mid-May back in 2007. I rode up the western side of Lake Michigan, spent some time on the UP, took a ferry to Isle Royale, and then headed home down the eastern side of Lake Michigan. Some of my route overlapped with sections of what you're talking about.

On the way up I followed 2 westward from Norway (a little east of Iron Mountain) to Watersmeet. I then took 45 northward from Watersmeet to Rockland, at which point I followed 26 out onto the Keweenah Peninsula. On the way back I did a lot of my west to east travel on 28, but got down to 2 by Naubinway, and then stayed on 2 all the way to 75/ the Mackinac Bridge.

I found the sections of 2 and 45 I rode to be totally fine. There wasn't much traffic, yet there were decent shoulders. I was pleasantly surprised.

The western portion of the UP was hillier than I expected, but the eastern part was pretty flat. The climbs weren't super long, but there was a lot of up and down which I found to be fairly tiring. Also, I couldn't believe the easterly winds I experienced while heading east... I'm not sure how uncommon that is, but it was a killer to face that wind several days in a row.