Ahhh, springtime in the Copper Country! It comes and it goes, folks, thus leaving us some wet, murky roads to pass over. Dan Brown and his buddies have found a way to amuse themselves in the mud, without getting their clothes too dirty! More than a few vehicles have that wonderful brownish hue, telling that their owners travel on the dirt roads. Water puddles and mud holes... attractive to children and grown men alike! :-)

Editor's note: As always, Pasty.com does not endorse riding in the back of trucks. Nor does it take responsibility for the "grown men" remark above! ;->

1st post, have been awake since Wednesday morning just to do this. Nah... but we have plenty of mud down here in Detroit too!

I want to wish my mom Phyllis Stukel, a very happy 70th birthday tomorrow!! I will unfortunately not make it to the party. I'm on a project in France and do not have the time to come home. But, I will spend my mom's b-day at Omaha Beach. I've wanted to visit it since I was a kid, so it should be great..

Well Opening Day was a breath of fresh air of spring. Traffic was humongous in downtown Detroit at 5:00 PM and I loved it.......
Go Tigers.........The whole city changes for the better......

Was the true identity of Z-man's awesome waterfall shot from yesterday disclosed? I was wondering if it was a different angle on Manabezho Falls.

What kind of fun do you call this? These boys should be occupied with cell phones, game boys,laptops, and MTV.

heheh mary ...... good caption ... :)

Hmmmmm!! Mary??.... Are men ever really grown!?

The answer to yesterdays waterfalls pic is Victoria falls. Awesome water falls at this time of year.

The photos taken by Dan Brown have frozen a moment in time to refresh ourselves. Please take another moment to notice the intencity of each photo; the vivid color fringed with such contrast between the brilliant sharpness of the scene and the faint background. He made me notice the softness and serenity, or the movement and excitement of his outstanding angles of each photo. Those are number one shots!!!!

Great picture. Keep mud and slush pictures coming, and throw in some pictures of black flies from time to time. It's nice to keep others envious with the beautiful pictures of the U.P., but please, not envious enough that they want to leave where they are. It's a delicate balance between living in a great place, and not making it seem TOO attractive, thereby importing all the things that most of us would be happy to do without. Hummm, is that elitest, or what? Oh well, I promise to be nice to tourists this time next year when we have settled back home in the eastern U.P.

A happy EASTER to all.

so, is that a ford?

with all us transplanted yoopers aiming to be home again....it's gonna be pretty crowded UP dere, eh?! can't wait tho...
so, is it a ford?

I was juat wondering, who repairs these roads when they are finished? Do they carry shovels and rakes in the back of their trucks and do it themselves? Just wonderind...

Speaking of wishes....I'd like to wish my Mom & Dad a Happy 50th anniversary tomorrow. Ken & Inge (Aittama) Thomas. You guys are the best and we look forward to many more years with you!

Repair ?
we just wait till the snow falls again next year to smooth it all out again !

Thank you, Richard, from a long time and frequent UP visitor, for promising to be nice to us tourists. In addition to the wonderful surroundings, it's the friendly people--not unlike your own Indiana neighbors--who make us want to return so often and spend our hard-earned Hoosier bucks in God's country.

Sounds like J.P.'s had a very deprived childhood...!?

i would also like to wish phylis stukel a happy 70th,(my aunt). remember many fishing trips to gratiot falls and seneca lake with her, and uncle pudgy. i hope you have fun at omaha beach, duff.

Just like driving on the muddy country roads in Oklahoma after a downpour! Slip-sliding everywhere!!! Don't miss Oklahoma, but sure miss the UP! Can't wait to get back up there.

By this time of year, we're sick and tired of shovels, and rakes remind us of the long winter ahead; so when the road gets too bad to drive over without bottoming out, we have a pank fest and pank it down again.

YAAAAAAAAAA_HOOOOO!!!!!

Looks like a Ford Ranger to me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Phillis in copper city from a friend in Texas & many more.

Dan Brown's photos of UP life are incredible! Keep it up, Dan.

This is Dan's sister. I'm so thrilled to see this picture! Love ya, Dan!

This reminds me of 10 years ago or so driving to and from Keystone (end of Copper Harbor) when you could only get there w/ big 4 X 4 trucks w/ huge tires. A bunch of locals would drive about 8 miles on roads like this and have to drive thru a huge dam and rocky terrain and then to "Paradise"-a beautiful sandy beach and we all would camp for the weekend. Now the loggers made the roads drivable for cars and to many people can get to Keystone and they're trashing the place not claening up after themselves, it's quite sad!!:(

There's exactly ONE road grader in da YU PEE. The poor guy who runs it starts every year over on the East end and starts grading all those road that da boys just tore up. Most years he never makes it to the West end by September, and by then it's too late.

Hey Mon! Down hea Jamaica way we no have no mud. Looks so fun, mon. I be up soon. BM

Please don't tell me they really made Keystone car accessible! :( That was the best place to go muddin' and camping! What is the UP coming to?!

To mel, Yes they made it accessible for cars UP TO THE DAM and to many people can get out there now. I can remember when cars were only able to drive about 1 mile if even from the end of the road in the Harbor--they throw toilet paper and garbage all over the ground now--it really is a shame. At least we used to pick up our trash and keep the place clean. "Paradise is no longer "PARADISE"

The real truth is it's a Mazda pick up with Ford badges. Sorry Ford fans. Regardless (Mazda, Ford, Chevy or Dodge etc) they all generally get you from point A to point B with a semblence of comfort. Treat them bad like this and you visit the mechanic more often. I know, used to drive the boss's truck this same way.:)

Greeting from beautiful Ft. Carson!!!! Just got back from a tour in Iraq. All I know is that it's great to be back. Keep our troops in your prayers.

Mudjacker - you are correct, it is a Mazda - the tri-color taillamps are the difference, Fords only have red and white. Both were built at the Edison Assembly Plant in New Jersey until its recent closing.

A HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!!!
HYVÄÄ PÄÄSIÄISTÄ KAIKILLE!!!

I know this is off-topic, but earlier Richard mentioned black flies and it made me curious. I have never visited the Keweenaw before the end of July and I've never had to deal with them. I'm beginning to plan our summer trip, and I wondered when it is likely that the black flies are gone?

Reminds me of the Rice Lake Road......Spring break-up..1950. I was stuck to the axles with 4 friends in my father's '48 Buick.....Dad was not happy with me!!!...I had been "city girl" and didn't know about such things...but I learned fast.....

TO: Cindy ST Clair Shores, MI


I found the State Park (Porkies is great) websites to give (like this site does) some inside, color to what's happening. Also, all are staffed by personnel that walk the talk - so to speak. May - June can be bad, like everything a lot depends on the weather, wind direction etc.

Cindy....Depending on where you go, the black flies are always around, but the best times to not get bugged too much is July and especially August. August is generally the best month around here.

Muddy Roads, It' probably fun to tear up the roads for some people . Its not so much fun for the people who want to drive the roads at other times of the year, especially if they dont have 4 weheel drive vehicles. Do these people ever think of road maintenance? If it's not used by loggers it may never be graded or very seldom. If they want to play in the mud they dhould get off the road make some mud pies. Road maintenance can become very expensive. These juveniles should find something more constructive to do

Let's remember the deer flies and fish flies. There used to be the mosquito abatement program but in 'Reagan's reign' he abolished it and the flies thanked him.

Looks like a logging road to me, and if you have seen the logging roads at this time of the year, there is not too much damage that you can do to them any more, and actually what they are doing may in some way be improving them a bit. Looks like fun to me!!

By Disgusted, MI on Friday, April 9, 2004 - 04:30 pm:

I agree with UP guy.

This picture is the worst one I have ever seen on Pasty.com. It embodies the few bad points of the UP. These people have no respect for the land or wilderness and seek only to destroy. I would bet the farm that these are the same people that are destrying such once beautiful areas as Keystone Beach. They are the reason now a days most property have signs posted "No Trespassing".

<Toivo sez:> Mud is in the eye of the beholder.

For many people this picture will bring back fond memories. Like participating in the annual "Clean Snowmobile Challenge" at Michigan Tech's Keweenaw Research Center during an early thaw which has made muck out of some of the access roads to the trail up toward Copper Harbor. Or like being on a forestry trip and suddenly finding yourself wondering whether you should turn back or keep going - - because if you turned back you might not make it.

Whatever the story behind today's "Glimpse of life in the U.P.", Dan Brown did a masterful job of capturing the scene - - a couple of lonely birch trees nestled among the evergreens on a half-snowy bank ,watching some intrepid adventurers make their way down life's muddy road.

You say this is the worst of Pasty Cam? Some who have been-there-done-that may say it's one of the best ;o}

Amen to Uper1!

You know, if some people would just learn how to lighten up a little, maybe there wouldn't be so much strife and turmoil in this world...seems that a lot of people have just forgotten how to have fun!

If it is a logging road, then it is normally gated off so that they do not create extra work on the loggers/road graders. Once a logging road is abandoned, then it is fair game for the mentality up north.

If it is indeed an abdandoned logging road, then I would like to know where it is at. :-) YEEEEEHAAAAWWWWWW

No just boys and men like to play in the mud....grown women, who were always disciplined to be ladylike as little girls, enjoy it to when they can stick out their tongues to their moms and grandmas as they jump in a mud puddle!

I just want to be with a bunch of guys in case we get stuck. ;-) (I ain't pushing myself out alone.)

Beg to differ, but think that is a Ford Ranger, they did have 3 color tail lights as my 1994 did.
I think its a 1998 or 99 model as the orange lense is on top, 93 to 97 had the orange on the bottom.
Also if you look at the tail gate on the truck the Ford emblem is right next to the right tail light.

GOOD FRIDAY __†__

Looks like good yooper fun to me.... and that truck looks familiar... Is it Breeze with a few Bootjack buddies?

Mudding is MINT !! The U.P. is a rugged place... where you have 9 months of winter and 3 months waiting for summer!!!! It isnt a place for the weak,, isn't it a place where the men are men and the women are too> hahaha. I love the U.P. i was in arizona once and a man saw my hurley t-shirt not the Hurley brand ones but my hurley wisconsin shirt and he asked "are you a hurley girl?" lol and i asked.. "have you ever gotten squirrely in hurley".. he said yes!

If that's an old logging road, best one one i ever saw, so i really doubt it is. For one thing it's way to wide, trust me i know!!

Steve, I can show you a few logging roads that wide up here...

The difference between men and boys, are the price of their toy's.
Come on now, hasn't every guy (and a few gals) done this at least once?

uper1 i'm from up there

i don't care what anyone says, that's a main road

Gee Steve, I live here now and I have been on those roads...

jj and uper1, Thanks for the info on the black flies. With or without them, the Keweenaw is a great place, but it looks like we'll be safe mid to late July. I appreciate your response.

It's no main road Steve, lighten up..if it were..this is evidence for criminal prosecution, destruction of property.

More power to the "northern rednecks" for having fun that hurts no one but them.....As the "southern rednecks" would say to urge them on......"He** Yeah Boys! TURN IT UP!"

Hey S'uthern RedNeck, sounds like you have been watchin a lil of that Sunday Nascar racin and Daryl W,great stuff! I miss the south, love the northeast corner of Tennessee....have a good day ya'll!! Went to Bristol several years ago, it was a blast!!! :)

Oh, I see everybody here...with their coffee...ready, waiting, hearts pounding, palms sweaty...wanting so bad to win the FIRST POST Race...... :)

Have a good day y'all...I'll check back this afternoon for the updated pic. ;-)

Na Na,... Na Na Na Na,...HeyAyAy...where's the first post of the day ay? :)

Wake up Toivo!!!!

Too Funny! Sure miss those childhood days! We also used to ski on roads like that! No, not cross country as many health minded folks do today. We sped along hanging onto a rope tied to the bumper of the truck! What fun!

Does anyone here know for a fact where this road is? Is it possible in your mind that this could be the road to their house and they are just trying to get home? There are people who live like this in the UP, ya know! Some of them even pay for the road maintenance themselves so it's up to them! Why worry about it? Just be thankful you aren't sitting in mud right now!! Or maybe you just wish you were!

Way to have fun with trucks and mud boys!

I'm wondering who jj_greenville_troll is...
Greenville MI is my hometown. (I got to school at nmu)

It's a Ford Ranger, and was most likely built in the Twin Cities

to steve in racine, what you see in the brown picture is why more and more roads up here are being blocked off, the logging co.s are putting in thousands to build these roads and what you see in the picture is why you cannot go off road anymore to look at this beautiful copper country,

Funny. Someone recommends getting of the road for muddin' 'cause maintenance is so expensive, next one saying he agrees - that people have no respect for their environment! Sure seems to me to be other way round - respect for the env. means not to make any more mudholes, I'd say.
But to the important point: Always thought the Mazda was the rebadged Ford, not vice versa. In the US, that is - over here, we get a Mazda from Thailand badged as a Ford (Ranger)!
No matter what badge, you can tell it's not a Chevy but a Ford by the fact it is driving, not stuck! (For evidence, go a couple of days back right here on pasty.cam!)
He he ;D

I can't believe all the negative responses to this picture. These people are a bunch of yuppies who never leave the safety of the interior of their homes. They own 4 wheel drive "SUVs" but don't know why it is 4 wheel drive. If they ever ventured out in the real world and the real woods they would find they cannot damage the environment. Even if they got their SUVs stuck in the woods they would find it makes no difference two months from now. It would only create a water hole for animals to drink from and frogs to live in.
If you look at the picture you would see the truck is not even sinking into the road but is slipping on the soft mud on top of a frozen base. Plus there is another truck in the picture and more tracks then both of theirs on the road.


Grant
PS: the same people complaining about this picture cause more damage and waste of natural products by purchasing new every two.

this is so makin me homesick! i just moved to deleware and this is what i love doin! and to kevin in CA, heck ya! my friends and me love doin this! muddin! the best way to have fun in april and may! bombin around up at keystone or in sveds field in dollar bay! i get to come home in may...guys wanna take me for a ride?:)

I agree totally with you, Grant in GR!

Nicole-- You are NOT going home next month!!? I'll meet you there, and let's rip it up!!

mel in wa! is that mari!? shut up! i totally forgot that i wrote that i was goin home! you werent supposed to know! PLEASE dont tell Mindy!!! i didnt want you to know but oh well! figure them guys know how to rip it up?

Hey Dan!
Awesome pic! I wish I had been out there with you guys.(I am assuming this is from retreat.)Ok well go have lots of fun and I will see you around.