Yooper Tours: on the North Country Trail

Alex Maier sets out on his 550-mile hike across Michigan's Upper Peninsula on the North Country Trail. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is the highlight of this section, but he finds many hidden gems along the way.

Alex is joined by some friends on these sections, which follow the shoreline of Lake Superior. He faces an intense thunderstorm and even learns a little something about what goes into making the North Country Trail.

The forests in Michigan's Upper Peninsula have turned golden and orange as autumn settles in. It's the perfect time for a hike through the Porcupine Mountains State Park, which contains some of the last remaining old-growth forests in the Midwest. The white pines here are over 400 years old. The sense of wilderness that one finds here is unparalleled in the U.P.

Michigan's Upper Peninsula itself is a hidden place, but there are hidden places within hidden places. Alex explores the Trap Hills, a remote section of the trail with incredible views that you wouldn't expect to find in the Midwest. This section also comes with a historical lesson in the mining history of the area.

Now that it's winter, Alex is in new territory. This is his first time attempting a multi-night backpacking trip in the snow. Temperatures reach 0 degrees Fahrenheit and he finds out that he may have underdressed for the weather.

For the final section of the U.P. Alex decides to go big. He sets out on a 65-mile hike that will take him home to Marquette in February. There's over three feet of snow on the ground and progress is painfully slow. It's not long before he has to admit that he may have bit off more than he can chew.