‘Ladies of Leelanau’ celebrate the Solstice by running, and running.

By Ashlea Turner
Sun staff writer

The Summer Solstice, June 21st, is always cause for much celebration as we honor the longest day of the year. This year’s Solstice brought much reason to celebrate for the ‘Ladies of Leelanau,’ a local running team. For the second year in a row, the ‘Ladies’ completed the North Country Trail Relay in historic fashion. Among 30 teams, we were the only all-women’s team to succeed in completing the long and arduous race.
The North Country Trail Relay is a 77-mile long race that begins just west of Mesick and ends near Baldwin. The race is run entirely on the North Country Scenic Trail and celebrates trail running and team spirit. This particular section of the trail runs through the Huron-Manistee National Forest and is quite hilly with lots of switchback trails, views of the Manistee River, beautiful hardwood forests and lots of roots. It is open to foot traffic year-round. Sections of the trail are also open to mountain biking and offer wonderful climbs and sweet descents.
Traditionally, teams of six runners complete between 10 and 13 hilly and “visually orgasmic” miles per person. This year’s five members of the ‘Ladies of Leelanau’ were empowered to run about 14 to 16 miles each. Team members Laura Hood, Jessie Houghton, Patty Sutherland, Evie Rhynard and myself absolutely love the challenging hills and the gorgeous scenery that the North Country Scenic Trail provides.
How do we ladies prepare for and finish the race? All of us enjoy distance running, especially on trails, and train by running regularly and running longer on the weekends. All of us have run at least one marathon, including the Anchorage Marathon in Alaska, the Detroit Marathon, the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City and the North Country Trail Marathon that takes place in September every year. We also stay fueled by drinking lots of water, eating Scoobie Snacks, pounds of trail mix, and of course, bananas. Most importantly, however, we empower each other.
At 3:10pm on June 21st (the official beginning of summer), the ‘Ladies’ howled like wolf goddesses in honor of summer’s arrival and the power of the all-women’s team. But the ‘Ladies’ still had about three more hours of running ahead of them in order to complete the race. After about 12 hours of running, navigating old fire roads, and laughter, the ‘Ladies of Leelanau’ completed the race and were ready for their next challenge. Jessie Houghton, the Alpha runner of the group, summed up the day perfectly by saying that she was “proud to be a member of the only all-women’s team.” What a perfect start to healthy summer.
The ‘Ladies’ are looking for more women to run against us in the race next year. Come on, ladies. For more information, go to www.truheat.com/nctrcourse.
Running like the locals
If you’re a runner living in Chicago, you probably run between Lake Michigan and Lake Shore Drive through Lincoln Park, with thousands of other runners. If you’re a runner living in New York City, you probably run through Central Park, with thousands of other runners. But if you’re a runner living in Glen Arbor, where do you run? Well, wherever you run in the Glen Arbor area, I can guarantee that you won’t be running with thousands of other runners. This area is home, however, to both great road and trail running. Although the local runners are reluctant to give away all of their secret running haunts, here are a few.
For a classic trail run complete with beautiful vistas of both Lake Michigan and Big Glen Lake, try Alligator Hill, where it’s always a bit shady and always very challenging (read HILLY). One can access the Alligator Hill trail network from Pierce Stocking Drive or from Forest Haven Road, both just south of Glen Arbor. Looking for a trail that has something for everyone? North of Glen Arbor and The Homestead lies the Bay View Trail network. One can park at the trail head off of Thoreson Road and run short, run long, run hilly, flat, or a little bit of both. Jessie Houghton, a local runner, loves the Bay View trails because “there are just so many possibilities for a great run.” And don’t forget to stumble up the hill to Lookout Point. It’s worth it.
Too often runners can be found in the sunniest and most traffic-ridden places in the summer. For excellent road running, free of traffic and direct sun, try the following routes. For a shady, flat and scenic road run, try Northwood Drive along Big Glen Lake. If you’re looking for a good road workout complete with long hills, try the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. Long hills are accompanied, of course, by long descents. Have fun. You can park at the entrance and run the 7.4-mile loop, stopping at the inspiring lookouts for a break. Make sure not to go in the middle of the day when the drive is void of wildlife but full of tourists. There are even bathrooms. Perfect.
Several of these trails are part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and require a parking pass. Consider buying a year-long pass for $15. This will allow you and your family access to all of the trails and beaches in the Lakeshore for the rest of the year.
For a healthy summer of running, drink lots of water and don’t run in the middle of the day when the sun is beating down. One last piece of advice: Don’t forget to jump in the big lake after your run. You’ve earned it.