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The Right of a Coyote to Live Next Door

Posted on December 27th, 2019
Who’s your neighbor? Five whitetail deer that ravish your tomato plants or your expensive landscaping? A squirrel that empties your bird feeder? A coyote eyeing your cat from behind a tree? In this Trail Talk blog for MichiganTrailMaps.com, Jim DuFresne looks at the issue of when people butt hea… read more

Hard to Delete a Trail Like Valley View

Posted on March 14th, 2019
In a park known for great beaches, spectacular views and towering sand dunes, the Valley View Trail in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore had none of those. Yet when the decision was made not to reopen this short, obscure trail after the 2015 wind storms, we lost a lot.  Read the latest Michiga… read more

#OptingOut of the #OptOutside Movement

Posted on November 23rd, 2018
The #OptOutside movement is full of good intentions but do they have to hold it today? Jim DuFresne our main blogger at MichiganTrailMaps.com, wonders if there isn’t a worse day than the final Friday of November to encourage people to go outdoors in Michigan. What this day is great for is plannin… read more

National Parks; A Bargain at Any Price

Posted on August 9th, 2018
The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass Last year when the National Park Service raised the price of the senior citizen lifetime pass from $10 to $80 we’re assuming there must have been a loud outcry. Jim DuFresne, the main contributor to MichiganTrailMaps.com, missed bei… read more

The Long Journey to a New Site

Posted on November 11th, 2017
This is a huge day for MichiganTrailMaps.com. After more than a year in the works our new web site has been launched. What an effort it’s been but we think it’s worth it. The site is cleaner, easier to use, much more mobile friendly. In this Trail Talk blog Jim DuFresne, who has been involved with Mic… read more

Outhouses: Taking A Load Off Your Feet

Posted on September 16th, 2014
A smelly outhouse? Not to Jim DuFresne. Our Trail Talk blogger loves what a privy provides in the middle of the backpacking trip; a roof over your head and a seat to take a load off your feet. MichiganTrailMaps.com has been on its summer sabbatical, researching trails and enjoying life in northern Mic… read more

Missouri Top Trails State! Show Me Why

Posted on December 2nd, 2013
North Mantiou Island Map Back by popular demand MichiganTrailMaps.com is staging its holiday sale again. Order a book and we’ll throw in one our trail maps, a $4.95 value! Order any book from our e-shop — maybe Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails & Water Routes, Backpacking In Michigan o… read more

A Trusted Friend: My Dana Backpack

Posted on January 30th, 2013
Editor’s Note: In the latest Trail Talk, Jim DuFresne writes about the Dana Design backpack he used for 25 years. The final adventure with it was while researching our new map of North Manitou Island last summer. The map is now out and available from our e-shop. The large format map measures 11 b… read more

Racing to a Campsite on South Manitou Island

Posted on August 26th, 2012
Backpacking in Michigan Editor’s Note: Jim DuFresne is on the Manitou Islands of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for two weeks working on a MichiganTrailMaps.com mapping project. Here is his first Trail Talk blog entry. For more on the islands, check out Backpacking In Michigan availab… read more

Selling A Book and Taking On Amazon

Posted on February 28th, 2012
Jim DuFresne It was a Sunday when the new MichiganTrailMaps.com e-shop was launched and then those of us who had worked tirelessly for three months to build it … waited. Patiently. What else could we do? The first order is always the hardest and as Sunday rolled into Monday and Monday rolled into Tue… read more
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