Thru-Hiking the Chief Pontiac Trail, Pt. II: Proud Lake to Kensington

Along the banks of the Huron River and through the towering pines of Proud Lake, we retraced the generational footsteps of one of the Detroit region's oldest backpacking routes: the Chief Pontiac Trail. Join us on this concluding Part 2 of this series that follows this classic Michigan hiking trail from Proud Lake to Kensington Metropark!

Pro tip: try to get more than 3 hours of recovery sleep in the middle of a ~20 mile thru-hike.

The key word there is "try." Two of our more recent Expedition Detroit articles have centered on the elusive concept of a restful night's sleep in the outdoors. On one end of the spectrum, you have hammock camping: your best bet for a glorious slumber while swaying ever so slightly under a starlit night. Perfect for pristine, solitary, and obviously forested nights in the Detroit region's natural environs.

On the other end - and I shudder as I begin to type these words - you have my mid-Chief Pontiac Trail camping set-up at Proud Lake's Modern Campground. Let us be clear, there's nothing inherently wrong with this particular campground. However, when your sole camping option along the trail involves reserving a spot at one of the most popular campgrounds in the entire Detroit area, well, you get what you signed up for. I detailed my night from hell in our aptly-named "Five Guaranteed Ways to Piss Off an Entire Campground" article, so I won't rehash that horror story here.

Here's the plain truth: pursuing an outdoor lifestyle, including the lifelong adventures and benefits that accompany it, often comes with the price tag of "Type 2 Fun." Anyone will gladly identify as an "outdoor enthusiast" when running on a full night's rest, perfect conditions, amazing company, and immaculately-curated trails. The crowd thins a bit when your exhausted body further suffers through a horrendous night, the rain clouds roll in, nature has reclaimed what once resembled a trail, and you're completely alone.

In those "Type 2" conditions, our advice is simply to live, laugh, and get your ass back on the trail. Fully embrace the terrible hand that your outdoor experience has dealt you. Why? Because the adventure doesn't start until something goes wrong, and nobody likes a story where everything went right.

Day 2 on the Chief Pontiac Trail started with this exact mindset. Three hours of tortured sleep. A torrential downpour rolling in. Exhausted legs. And ~8 miles to backpack.

Perfect variables for an unforgettable adventure. Let's get back to the trail.

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