Today’s trek to Broomhead Road was exciting, because I’d be meeting my friends Amy and Bruce Eckert, plus my hubby, Ed, at the end of the day. It was also fun because Trail Angel Ellen Whitehead hiked the first mile (1.2 km) with me, along with her dog, Hank. Once those two turned back, I trekked ahead into Kalkaska, a trail town.
The first order of business was to grab a latte at Moose & Stella’s Cafe. The coffee was good, but gosh, the food looked amazing! Better than the Pop Tarts I’d downed at the campground.
The trail headed out of town on a road walk, where I’d be turning left near the small airport on 
Airport Road. Long story short, I missed the turn. The road wasn’t marked as Airport Road; instead, if I’m right, it just had a sign saying, “Dead End.” By the time I realized I’d missed the turn, I’d gone a mile (1.2 km) out of my way, plus backtracking. Rats.
Heading Toward Broomhead Road
Once on the trail, things got better. The path wound through pretty forestland and past small lakes, include the Sand Lakes. Amy and Bruce arrived in the area in the afternoon, then grabbed my car from Log Lake and shuttled it to Broomhead Road. Then they hiked in to meet me.
Ed, meanwhile, arrived after 7 p.m. The four of us enjoyed a nice meal and readied ourselves for the hiking to come.
Snowshoe
MI NCT miles today: 18.5 (29.8 km)
MI NCT miles to date: 685.5 (1,103.2 km)
Total NCT miles to date: 1,453 (2,338.4 km)
Total NCT miles to go: 3,147 (5,064.6 km)
