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A MIDWEST-CENTRIC PUBLICATION FOR THE VEHICLE-ASSISTED ADVENTURE TRAVELER

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES OCTOBER 2026 ISSUE 10 VOLUME 7

CORE MEMORIES AT KOAR reliving the 9th annual keweenaw Overland adventure retreat

ROCKY MOUNTAIN MILES 35 YEARS OF TREAD LIGHTLY! gear of the month

SOMETHING IN THE WOODS tcteardrop owner gathering

the pipeline revisited

IN THIS ISSUESOMETHING IN THE WOODS

Monsters of the Northwoods

TREAD LIGHTLY! TURNS 35

Stewardship in Action

THE ROCKIES ARE WORTH THE MILES

Wrapping up an Epic Overland Trip

OLD GRAVE ROAD

Midwest Nomad Mystery Investigation

CORE MEMORIES AT KOAR

Looking Back at KOAR Number Nine

GATHERING OF TEARDROPS

Owners Meet for a Weekend Campout

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR October always feels like a turning point. The rush of summer gives way to cooler mornings, changing leaves and campfires that feel a little better at the end of the day. After a very busy season, it’s also a chance to look back at where we’ve been. In this issue we’re celebrating another incredible KOAR, sharing stories from the road, wandering into a little Northwoods history and folklore, checking out some new gear, and talking about something that has become increasingly important to Northology: taking care of the places that make all of these adventures possible.

GEAR OF THE MONTH

A look at some favorites

PIPELINE REVISITED?

Working on a Replacement

We’re not quite finished with 2026 yet, either. Fall 4x4 Fest and Overland the Red are still ahead, followed by our November National Forest Cleanup, when we’ll trade some trail miles for work gloves and give a little back. It’s been a full year—sometimes exhausting, often surprising, but filled with good people and some pretty great adventures. Thanks for continuing to read, share, show up and be part of this little community we’ve built together. Cindy

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SOMETHING IN THE WOODS CRYPTIDS, MONSTERS AND OLD STORIES FROM THE GREAT LAKES NORTHWOODS

BY GHOST WRITER

ID YOU HEAR THAT?

Spend enough nights in the Northwoods and it isn't difficult to understand how monster stories get started. After dark, the familiar forest changes. A porcupine can sound enormous crashing through dry leaves. A fox can scream like something decidedly unfoxlike. Trees groan, wolves howl somewhere beyond the firelight, and an unseen animal moving through brush inevitably sounds much larger than it probably is. Probably. Across Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota, stories of strange creatures have been told for generations. Some began as lumber-camp jokes. Others are surprisingly modern. And some belong to Indigenous traditions far older than the states whose maps now cover the Great Lakes. Together they form a wonderfully strange bestiary of the Northwoods.

THE WENDIGO Long before lumberjacks populated northern logging camps with fantastic beasts, Anishinaabe people told stories of the Wendigo. This isn't simply an old-fashioned version of Bigfoot, nor is it just an imaginary character in Marvel Comics (in my “I love Wolverine” era.) Wendigo belongs to a much deeper Indigenous cultural tradition. The Ojibwe People's Dictionary defines Wendigo as a winter cannibal monster. Traditional Great Lakes stories describe a terrifying being associated with winter, ice and consuming hunger. In Wisconsin Ojibwe oral tradition recorded by the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Windigo could appear as a gigantic ice monster capable of devouring people. There is something particularly Northwoods about the imagery. In the old days, winter here could genuinely kill you. Lakes froze. Snow isolated families and communities. Hunger wasn't metaphorical.

Against that backdrop, a monster representing endless appetite becomes considerably more frightening. Modern movies and internet illustrations have often transformed the Windigo into an antlered, deer-skulled creature. That familiar horror-movie image shouldn't be mistaken for a universal traditional Ojibwe description. The older stories are stranger — and considerably more interesting. THE HODAG — WISCONSIN'S FAVORITE MONSTER If the Windigo belongs to ancient tradition, the Hodag comes from the opposite end of the folkloric spectrum. In 1893, Rhinelander lumberman and notorious practical joker Eugene Shepard reported encountering a ferocious animal in the woods near Rhinelander. The creature eventually acquired an impressive collection of anatomical features: horns, enormous fangs, powerful claws and spikes running down its back and tail.

Then Shepard produced evidence. In 1896, visitors to the Oneida County Fair could pay to see a supposedly captured live Hodag inside a darkened enclosure. The monster moved and growled. Terrified spectators caught glimpses before being hurried away. There was one minor problem. The Hodag was made from wood, hide and horns and manipulated with hidden wires. The hoax worked spectacularly well. Newspapers spread the story far beyond northern Wisconsin, and even after Shepard admitted to the deception, people still wanted to see the monster. Years later, they still do. The Hodag has become inseparable from Rhinelander itself — proof that sometimes discovering a local monster isn't nearly as fun as inventing a really good one. THE MICHIGAN DOGMAN Northern Michigan has its own monster. The Michigan Dogman is generally described as a large, upright canine creature roaming the forests of northern Michigan. Its explosion into popular culture can be traced directly to April 1, 1987. Traverse City radio personality Steve Cook created a song called “The Legend” as an April Fool's prank about a doglike creature appearing in northern Michigan in years ending in seven. Then listeners started calling. People claimed they had encountered similar creatures — sometimes years before Cook's song aired. That helped turn a radio joke into one of Michigan's best-known modern legends. The often-repeated story that Dogman encounters began with lumberjacks is shakier: Cook has explained that he invented the story for the song. Nevertheless, reported encounters that followed the broadcast took on a folklore life of their own. We can practically see a Northwoods legend being created in real time.

PAULDING LIGHTS Some Northwoods legends aren't creatures at all. Outside Paulding in Michigan's western Upper Peninsula, people have gathered for decades to watch a mysterious light appear in the distance. The Paulding Light has accumulated plenty of explanations: the lantern of a dead railroad worker, a ghost searching the woods, swamp gas and various paranormal theories. Researchers, including Michigan Tech students, have demonstrated that vehicle headlights on distant US-45 can reproduce the phenomenon. Which is admittedly less exciting than a headless railroad brakeman wandering eternally through the U.P. But knowing the likely explanation hasn't killed the story. People still go looking for the light. Maybe that tells us something important about all of these creatures.

WHY THE NORTHWOODS NEEDS MONSTERS

The Hodag belongs to Rhinelander because Rhinelander adopted it. Dogman belongs on a lonely Michigan backroad because that landscape makes the story believable. And Indigenous stories about the Wendigo remind us that people were telling stories about the mystery of this landscape for a very long time. There are still millions of acres of forest surrounding Lake Superior and stretching across northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. There are bogs where walking becomes nearly impossible, lakes without houses, abandoned logging roads disappearing beneath alders and places where your phone becomes nothing more than a camera. Most of us who travel those places understand perfectly well that there probably isn't a seven-foot dogman watching from the timber. Probably. But when something cracks a branch just beyond the light of the campfire, there is still that brief moment when everyone stops talking. And listens. And that, my friend, is definitely a Bigfoot watching you in the dark.

Cryptid stories aren't really about proving that monsters exist. They're about places.

NOTE: Our ghost writer may have used AI as a research and writing aid—he can’t exactly visit the library or turn the pages himself. Historical and folklore details were cross-checked with sources including the University of Minnesota’s Ojibwe People’s Dictionary, Wisconsin Historical Society, WCMU Public Media, and Michigan Technological University.

STICKERS & STICKER PACKS 2027 CALENDARS HOODIES & TEES P VC PATC H E S BOOKMARKS CAMP MUGS KOOZI ES H AT S

RETAIL LOCATIONS WOLF RIVER ROOTS W1702 WI-64 LANGLADE, WI

RIVER FOREST CAMPGROUND (SEASONALLY) 510 CO HWY WW WHITE LAKE, WI

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES STEWARDSHIP

TREAD LIGHTLY! AT 35: STEWARDSHIP IN ACTION For those of us who spend our free time exploring backroads, trails and public lands, access comes with a responsibility: if we love these places, we need to help take care of them.

The people who use trails can also be some of their strongest advocates and caretakers. That's especially important to the motorized recreation community. Keeping public lands healthy and keeping recreational opportunities available for future generations requires cooperation among enthusiasts, land managers, nonprofit organizations and the outdoor industry. Programs such as the BFGoodrich Outstanding Trails grants put resources directly into the hands of groups willing to do that work.

That philosophy is at the heart of Tread Lightly!, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. And this November, Northology Adventures will once again put those words into action during our annual National Forest Cleanup in Wisconsin’s ChequamegonNicolet National Forest.

A WEEKEND OF STEWARDSHIP IN THE NORTHWOODS

Our little cleanup in Wisconsin is part of that much bigger idea.

Our 2026 Cleanup Campout takes place November 6–8 at Boot Lake Campground, with the main cleanup happening Saturday, November 7. The project is being conducted in partnership with Tread Lightly! with support from the BFGoodrich Tires Outstanding Trails Program. Since 2021, Tread Lightly! has administered Outstanding Trails grants on behalf of BFGoodrich, helping recreation groups complete cleanups, trail maintenance, restoration and responsible-recreation projects on public lands.

DRIVE 35: LEARN SOMETHING, MAKE AN IMPACT Tread Lightly! is also marking its anniversary with Drive 35, a campaign supported by BRP through its Responsible Rider Program.

Saturday morning we'll gather at the Lakewood District Ranger Station at 9 a.m. KitchensBrew will have coffee waiting, followed by a short briefing from Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest personnel. Then we'll divide into teams, make our plan of attack and head into the forest. Volunteers should come prepared to work. We'll provide PPE and cleanup supplies, and trucks and trailers are especially useful for hauling what we find out of the woods.

This year's cleanup happens during a milestone for one of Northology's stewardship partners.

But this has never been just a work day. We'll have our traditional morning goody bags, and Saturday evening everyone is invited back to Boot Lake for a campfire, fellowship, s’mores, stargazing and giveaways.

Tread Lightly! is celebrating 35 years of promoting responsible outdoor recreation through education and stewardship. Its philosophy recognizes that recreation and conservation don't have to be opposing ideas.

35 YEARS OF TREAD LIGHTLY!

At the center is the Responsible Rider Masterclass, a free online educational program that offers Off-Road, Snow and Water courses covering safety, responsible riding behavior and environmental stewardship. They're designed for riders of all experience levels and aren't limited to any particular vehicle brand. Every time someone completes one of the courses, BRP donates $35 to Tread Lightly! stewardship projects. Completing all three can generate as much as $105. Drive 35 is supporting more than 35 stewardship projects around the country and it’s an easy way for recreationists to contribute.

EDUCATION IS GOOD. ACTION IS BETTER. We talk a lot about responsible recreation in the off-road and overland communities. But stewardship becomes meaningful when we actually show up. Sometimes that means staying on designated routes. Sometimes it means learning why a particular area is sensitive or respecting a seasonal closure. Sometimes it means teaching someone new to the sport how to do things correctly. And sometimes it means putting on work gloves, loading garbage into the back of a truck and spending a cold November Saturday cleaning up a National Forest. That's where education and action meet. This November, Northology volunteers will be working alongside the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest with support from Tread Lightly! and the BFGoodrich Outstanding Trails Program. At the same time, anyone can participate in the larger stewardship effort by taking BRP's Responsible Rider Masterclass.

CLEANUP SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Meet at 9am Lakewood Ranger Station 15085 WI-32, Lakewood, WI COFFEE FROM KITCHENSBREW Briefing and volunteer assignments HANDS-ON STEWARDSHIP Supplies and PPE provided. Bring a truck and trailer if you can CAMPFIRE & GIVEAWAYS Join us at Boot Lake Campground for fellowship and giveaways

You don't need to run an organization or organize a major trail project to make a difference. Learn something. Pick something up. Volunteer for a work day. Teach someone else to recreate responsibly. And leave the places you explore a little better than you found them. Thirty-five years later, that's still what Tread Lightly! is all about.

JOIN US NOVEMBER 6–8 Camp with us for the weekend at Boot Lake Campground or simply join the cleanup Saturday morning. We'll meet November 7 at 9 a.m. at the Lakewood District Ranger Station for coffee from KitchensBrew, our Forest Service briefing and volunteer assignments before heading into the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The event is free, but volunteers should register in advance so we can plan supplies and crews. If you can’t make it, you can grab a donation ticket to help out! Bring your gloves, your truck and trailer if you've got one and a willingness to help. We'll provide the coffee and a trail lunch!

Tread Lightly! celebrates 35 years of responsible recreation with Drive 35, powered by BRP’s Responsible Rider Program. Take a FREE Responsible Rider Masterclass—Off-Road, Snow or Water—and BRP will donate $35 to Tread Lightly! stewardship projects. ONE COURSE = $35 ALL THREE = UP TO $105 Learn safety, responsible riding and stewardship. Open to all riders and vehicle brands. Take a course: https://treadlightly.org/responsibleri dermasterclass/

NOTE: Readers in this community along with the awesome Northology Ambassadors Dakota, Renza, Chris, Melissa and Michelle, put stewardship into action in our Leave it Better Summer program. We are tallying the amount of trash collected and will be announcing winners soon!

TRAIL RIDES / CAMPING / LIVE MUSIC / CLASSES /

FOOD / RAFFLES / DOOR PRIZES / SWAG BAGS

PRESENTS THE 2ND ANNUAL

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NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES SPECIAL SERIES

THE ROCKIES WERE WORTH THE MILES

“WE'D SEEN PHOTOS OF THESE MOUNTAINS AND HEARD OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES ABOUT THEM FOR MONTHS, AND NONE OF IT PREPARED US FOR WATCHING THEM ACTUALLY TAKE SHAPE ON THE HORIZON.”

The Last Part of an Adventure Series By Jarrod Nobbe Crossing out of New Mexico and into Colorado felt bigger than a welcome sign should. We pulled off for one last stop before heading toward the Wet Mountains, topping off fuel and taking one more look at the gear. Up to that point, the trip still had a safety net. We were close enough to a town or a highway that a problem wouldn't have stranded us for long. That changed once Colorado came into view. We'd seen photos of these mountains and heard other people's stories about them for months, and none of it prepared us for watching them actually take shape on the horizon. It hit like adrenaline, showing up before anything had actually happened. This was the last checkpoint before the route started asking more of the 4Runner and the camp setup, and more of us too. The miles behind us had been long and hot, flat enough to make the mountains feel overdue. Now the road was finally climbing toward the part of the trip we'd been chasing since the first mile out of Pisgah.

INTO THE WET MOUNTAINS The Wet Mountains gave us our first taste of Colorado dirt pretty quickly, though it took a forty-five-minute detour from town before we hit our first fire road. Once we started climbing toward the peaks, the difference showed up fast. The road felt sharper than anything we'd driven earlier in the trip, with loose rock under the tires and washboard rattling through the cab. After days of flat miles, the elevation made the whole route feel more awake.

“SOMETIMES THE ORIGINAL PLAN IS THE BETTER PLAN, EVEN IF YOU NEED TO WASTE 15 MINUTES PROVING IT TO YOURSELF.”

We had a campsite saved on onX, which should have made the decision easy. Naturally, curiosity got involved. I mean, we were in Colorado. Can you blame us? So we drove a little farther up the road to see what else was out there, then turned around and went back to the spot we already had marked. Sometimes the original plan is the better plan, even if you need to waste 15 minutes proving it to yourself.

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES SPECIAL SERIES Once we pulled in, the day finally came to a halt. We set out the loveseat and table and cracked a couple of drinks. The mountains, vast and distant but somehow feeling close enough to touch, took it from there. There wasn't much around us besides timber and cold air, and a sky that felt way bigger than it had any business being. It felt like the payoff for the long haul across the flat middle of the country. We weren't deep into the Rockies yet, but we were off-grid with the 4Runner parked and the tent open. The route was finally moving into the highcountry chapter we'd been waiting for.

CRESTED BUTTE, KEBLER PASS, AND LAKE IRWIN Crested Butte had been circled on the map long before we crossed into Colorado. Between the mountain bike riding and the dirt roads carved through the mountains around town, it was one of those places I kept hearing about and coming back to. Once we actually rolled into town, it was clear why. We stopped into a couple of different bike shops downtown, then grabbed an early lunch before heading out to the bike park just outside town. There were more bikes on the street than cars, and every sidewalk downtown seemed full of people who looked genuinely happy to be there. After the Wet Mountains, we had a better feel for how the 4Runner handled Colorado roads, so the goal for Kebler Pass wasn't to go hunt down the hardest line we could find. We wanted good dirt and a solid camp, with enough elevation and alpine scenery to justify all those flat miles it took to get there. Kebler Pass is popular for a reason, and it didn't take long to see why once the road started climbing through the aspens. The farther we drove, the more the Elk Mountains opened up around us.

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES SPECIAL SERIES

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES SPECIAL SERIES It still kept the truck involved, but the pace felt easier than the rougher sections we'd already found. For once, I wasn't whiteknuckling the wheel and wondering if every rattle was normal. Progress. For camp, we headed toward Lake Irwin and found a spot tucked into the aspens. A short walk from the truck opened into a wide view across the valley, with snow still hanging on the higher peaks. The only small problem was leveling the tent. My traction boards hadn't made it in time before the trip, so the backup plan was a few cut 2x4s I'd tossed in before leaving. Not fancy, but it worked. We ended up staying two nights. The camp was too good to leave, and after putting in so many miles to get there, parking the 4Runner under the aspens and waking up in that same spot again felt pretty good.

WE ENDED UP STAYING TWO NIGHTS. THE CAMP WAS TOO GOOD TO LEAVE,

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES SPECIAL SERIES CAMP HUNTING AT COTTONWOOD LAKE Cottonwood Lake looked easy on paper. It sat outside Buena Vista, tucked back from the main highway, right in that sweet spot between Crested Butte and Leadville. After two nights near Lake Irwin, we figured this one would be simple. Roll in, grab a spot, done before dark. Then we actually got there. The first camp option was gone. So was the next one. We kept easing farther back, checking pullouts, hoping for something along the water, only to find out once we were out there that lakeside camping wasn't really in the cards at Cottonwood. Turns out the plan in your head and the ground in front of you don't always agree on things. Honestly, I wished we'd aired down sooner. The road wasn't impossible, but it was rough enough to make the truck feel loaded down again, and loose rock and tight turnarounds don't exactly make for a relaxed site search, especially once it was clear every decent spot already had someone parked in it.

We finally found enough room to make it work. Technically, we didn't have a single neighbor, unless you counted across the road, which was lined with tents and campsites end to end, basically its own little subdivision. It was hands down the most populated spot of the whole trip, off-grid in name more than in solitude. Lucky for us, the brush and timber between our site and the road pulled noise-barrier duty, thick enough to keep us out of earshot and out of sight of half of Colorado's camping population that week. Still, the tent got level, dinner happened, and Cottonwood left us with another one of those Colorado reminders: the plan gets you close, and the road gets the final say.

“COTTONWOOD LEFT US WITH ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE COLORADO REMINDERS: THE PLAN GETS YOU CLOSE, AND THE ROAD GETS THE FINAL SAY.”

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES SPECIAL SERIES

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES SPECIAL SERIES WHAT THE ROAD MADE CLEAR After Leadville, it was time to point toward Colorado Springs and let the 4Runner sit still for a few days before turning east for the drive home. The trip out had done what it needed to do. We'd made it from North Carolina to Colorado, lived out of the truck, found some incredible camps, and learned enough about the setup to know the way back needed a simpler approach.

LEADVILLE WAS WAY, WAY UP THERE Leadville didn't ease us into the elevation. At 10,512 feet, even normal camp stuff felt different. Walking around camp took a little more effort, and every small climb had a way of reminding us we were a long way from North Carolina. We moved the 4Runner more than once to get the tent facing the lake and mountains, which probably looked ridiculous to anyone watching. Worth it, though. Once the tent was open, the whole setup looked straight out over the water, with the mountains behind it. If you're going to be slightly annoying about your parking angle, that's the place to do it.

“ONCE THE TENT WAS OPEN, THE WHOLE SETUP LOOKED STRAIGHT OUT OVER THE WATER, WITH THE MOUNTAINS BEHIND IT.”

A few things stuck with me before we turned back east: A full load changes everything: Weekend shakedowns help, but they don't fully prepare you for a truck packed for days of camping, riding, and highway miles. The 4Runner held up fine. Colorado just made the weight harder to ignore. Camp plans need backups: A saved spot is a start, not a guarantee. You don't know if a site will actually work until you're standing there, sizing up the road in and the ground itself. Local advice is worth listening to: Apps and maps got us close, but people changed the route more than once. The Ozarks proved that first, and Colorado kept proving it. The build has a next step: The stock setup carried us across the country, which says a lot. It also showed me where stronger suspension, better tires, and a fuller recovery kit would open more doors next time. The best parts weren't always the planned ones: The route gave us bike laps, river camps, cold swims, camp neighbors, and a few "where the heck are we?" moments. That's probably how a trip like this should end: tired, dusty, already thinking about what comes next.

With camp handled, we finally left the truck parked and set out on foot. The hike made the thin air even more obvious, and then we somehow talked ourselves into a swim that sounded refreshing until the second we stepped in. Cold mountain water has a pretty quick way of ending all debate. By evening, the people around us started drifting together. What began as four or five separate groups who'd never met turned into one shared fire, twenty or so people deep, and before long we were trading route notes and swapping stories like old friends. There's something about strangers pulled into the same circle by nothing more than a fire that changes a night, and this one had that. Dinner was still freeze-dried, because overlanding only gets so romantic. But sitting there in the cold with new friends, a lake in front of us, and the mountains holding the edge of camp made Leadville feel like the right place for the westbound route to land.

Jarrod Nobbe is a North Carolina–based outdoor writer drawn to the long way around. He writes about overland travel, mountain biking, hiking, camping, and the unexpected moments that come with building a route, chasing new terrain, and spending time beyond the pavement. From quick weekends close to home to bigger trips built around unfamiliar places, Jarrod brings a practical, first-hand perspective to the adventures, gear, and planning that make the experience worth chasing.

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES FEATURE

WHAT LIES ALONG OLD GRAVE ROAD?

INTO THE WOODS Armed with a backpack, old maps and a rough idea of where Camp 12 once stood, he headed into the forest near the Oconto River.

ON There are road names you pass without giving much thought. And then there’s Old Grave Road. Tucked into the woods of northern Wisconsin, it’s the kind of name that begs a question: Is there actually an old grave out there? That question had been nagging Midwest Nomad after camping in the area. So he started digging—not literally, thankfully—and eventually came across an old map that offered a tantalizing clue. Deep in the forest, it showed the location of an old logging camp known as Camp 12. And nearby, a grave. That was enough to turn a camping trip into a search for a little piece of Northwoods history.

Today, it’s quiet country. Cedar, pine, bogs and sphagnum moss have reclaimed the landscape. More than a century ago, it would have been a very different place. Logging operations filled these woods in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Railroad spur lines reached into remote camps, carrying men and supplies into a landscape where winter temperatures could plunge well below zero. Loggers worked far from hospitals and modern medical care, where even a relatively minor injury could become deadly.

Somewhere in these woods, the historical record said, Camp 12 once stood. Finding it more than 100 years later proved considerably harder. A mysterious old bucket offered one possible clue. The terrain seemed to match descriptions of an old railroad spur. But buildings, foundations and other obvious remnants of the camp were nowhere to be found. The forest had apparently done what forests do best: taken it back. As daylight faded, the search became an overnight backpacking trip. Camp went up beside a creek, dinner went on the fire, and the woods became remarkably quiet. The grave would have to wait until morning.

Midwest Nomad’s video combines dispersed camping, logging history, old maps and a genuine attempt to answer the question behind one of Wisconsin’s more intriguing backroad names. Did he solve the mystery of Old Grave Road? You’ll have to head into the woods with him to find out.

THE SEARCH FOR THE GRAVE The next day brought the real mystery. Using the historic map, Midwest Nomad made his way to Old Grave Road and into the area where the burial site was supposed to have been. No cemetery. No neat little fence. No obvious stone waiting among the trees. Just woods. There were depressions and mounds. Old cans. A few things that made him stop and look twice. He zigzagged through the area, searching for anything that might confirm that someone had once been laid to rest there. And that is where we’re going to leave you. Because finding an old grave in the Northwoods—or discovering what more than a century of forest can do to one—is much better experienced from the trail than spoiled on this page.

Watch the full adventure on Midwest Nomad’s YouTube channel, and subscribe if forgotten roads, overlooked history and wandering around the Northwoods looking for things that may or may not still exist sounds like your kind of adventure.

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES EVENTS

KEWEENAW OVERLAND ADVENTURE RETREAT RECAP We asked our community to help tell the story. All the photos in this recap are from attendees and volunteers. Thanks to all who participated and submitted photos!

NINE YEARS OF KOAR Before we talk about the trails, the campfires, the motos, the classes, the adventures and everything else that made KOAR 2026 what it was, we need to start with a thank you. Dylan & Joe with the results of the light contest.

KOAR simply would not happen without the businesses that continue to show up for this little event at the tip of the Keweenaw. Our vendors and sponsors bring far more than products and displays to Vendor Village. They bring their knowledge, their enthusiasm, their support and, in many cases, their friendship. They become part of the weekend right alongside the rest of us. And this year, that was especially true of our title sponsor, ChiTown 4x4. Joe Krelle and the ChiTown crew didn’t come to Copper Harbor just to hang a banner and work a booth. They jumped right into KOAR. They got out on their motos, explored, spent time with attendees and generally enjoyed the heck out of the weekend — exactly the way we hope our partners will experience this event.

Cait & Jordan Schutt participating in the ChiTown 4x4 Light the Night Shootout

ChiTown 4x4 has supported KOAR for years, but having Joe and the crew so fully involved this year meant a lot to us. Their support helped make the event possible, but their participation helped make it KOAR. There’s a difference. To ChiTown 4x4 and every vendor, sponsor, partner and small business that hauled themselves and their gear all the way to Copper Harbor to spend the weekend with us: thank you. You were a huge part of the success of KOAR 2026, and we hope you know how much we appreciate you. Photo by Jason Fletcher

The ChiTown crew living it up at the bonfire.

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES EVENTS

THE HEART OF CAMP Vendor Village was once again the heart of KOAR each afternoon. Our vendors brought some seriously great displays, giving attendees a chance to see gear in person, ask questions and spend time with the people behind the brands. Maker’s Outpost added something completely different to the mix, filling the village with original art, photography, handcrafted goods and plenty of Keweenaw inspiration. The Kid’s KOARner let the little ones get creative, learn and run off some steam. Clinics brought everyone together to learn and share knowledge, while the Adventure Passport gave attendees a reason to wander from booth to booth, meet our vendors and partners, collect their stamps and get entered to win. It was exactly what we want Vendor Village to be — less trade show, more community gathering. Photo by Jason Fletcher

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES EVENTS

KOAR-9S Dakota and Michelle took the lead on our KOAR-9 program this year, sharing practical tips for adventuring safely with our four-legged travel buddies. It was a fun addition to the education lineup and a great way to give the dogs of KOAR a little time in the spotlight, too.

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES EVENTS

MOTOKOAR MotoKOAR was back in a big way this year, with Joe Krelle and Kelly Wicklund leading riders out to experience the Keweenaw on two wheels. It was exactly what MotoKOAR is supposed to be — get out of camp, ride some incredible roads and trails, explore this beautiful place and have a whole lot of fun doing it. Joe and Kelly brought their experience and enthusiasm to the rides, and we loved seeing the adventure-moto side of KOAR continue to grow.

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THE ADVENTURES Of course, the best part of KOAR is getting out and exploring. Attendees scattered across the Keweenaw to hit the trails and two-tracks, chase waterfalls, visit scenic overlooks and discover all those little places that make this peninsula so special. Some took the adventure to the sky on our seaplane tours, while others simply picked a route and went wandering. And because no Keweenaw adventure is really complete without one, there were plenty of stops for fresh thimbleberry donuts along the way. KOAR gives you the ideas — where the day takes you is entirely up to you.

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GATHERING AT THE DELLS CELEBRATING COMMUNITY, CAMPING IN TEARDROPS AND THE CHANGING SEASON IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN

BY CINDY POPE There’s something about a fall camping weekend that just feels right. Cool air, changing leaves, campfires after dark—and, in this case, a whole collection of tiny campers gathered in a clearing among the autumn trees. We joined the TC Teardrops owners group for a fall campout at Dells of the Eau Claire County Park, bringing our TC Terrain and our two camping companions, Daisy and Rayne, along for the weekend. The park made a pretty spectacular backdrop for the gathering. Known for its rocky river gorge, forest and historic Civilian Conservation Corps structures, Dells of the Eau Claire has the kind of Northwoods atmosphere that seems made for an autumn campout. This was our first visit there and we took advantage of the may trails for hiking, one of them being a segment of Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail.

THE CCC SHELTER Todd and Carol hosted the weekend and with help from Leah, decorated one of the park’s historic CCC shelters which became the heart of the gathering on Saturday evening. They decorated the old stone-andtimber shelter for the occasion, turning it into a festive headquarters where everyone could come together.

And, as is often the case with a good camping weekend, food played a starring role. Brandon and Jess of Kitchensbrew cooked up a taco bar for the group, and there’s something particularly satisfying about filling a plate with tacos after spending a cool fall day outside. Add a shelter full of campers swapping stories and catching up with friends, and you have the makings of a pretty great evening.

A HARVEST MOON Nature provided a bit of decorating of its own. The Harvest Moon rose incredibly bright over the campground, illuminating the night and adding one of those unexpected moments you couldn’t have planned any better if you tried.

HARVEST THEMED CAMPERS Todd & Carol went well beyond simply organizing a place to camp. There were goodie bags, T-shirts and swag for attendees, along with a teardrop decorating contest that gave everyone an excuse to get creative. The theme was harvest, and the little campers were so cute! We took some liberties with our entry- I figured the northern lights peak around the fall equinox so I went with a northern lights theme, with a fun light to boot! We did not win but all entrants got a cool prize.

We settled in with Daisy and Rayne, our TC Terrain tucked among the trees and that brilliant moon hanging overhead. It was the sort of night that makes you linger outside a little longer than usual. That may be what we enjoyed most about the weekend. It wasn’t about a packed itinerary or rushing from one activity to another. It was simply a group of people with a shared love of teardrop camping getting together in a beautiful place. We ate well. We laughed. We admired each other’s campers. The dogs got to be part of the adventure. Good people, good food and a lot of fun. Sometimes that’s all a camping weekend needs.

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WIS CON SIN OFF ROAD TRAILS WEST EVERGREEN - OFF HIGHWAY MOTOR VEHICLE RECREATION IN “WISCONSIN’S COUNTY OF TRAILS”

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GEAR OF THE MONTH OCTOBER: FIELD-TESTED FAVORITES FOR CAMPING, OVERLANDING, AND ADVENTURE TRAVEL Gear of the Month highlights field-tested products built for camping, overlanding, travel, and time outside. Each month, Northology takes a closer look at gear that has been used, researched, packed, or put through realworld trip prep to see where it fits, what it does well, and who it's for. September’s lineup leans into the pieces that make a full trip easier to manage: a lighter rooftop tent, a dependable power station, a camp stove that can handle real meals, and a trail helmet built for rougher bike days. By Jarrod Nobbe

WOLFBOX MEGAVOLT 24AIR Specifications: Price: $140 Function: Jump starter, tire inflator, power bank, and emergency light Battery capacity: 24,000mAh / 88.8Wh Peak output: 4,000A Tire inflator: 160 PSI max pressure with 45L/min airflow Best use: Road trips, overlanding, tire top-offs, and roadside prep

WHY IT STANDS OUT: The WOLFBOX MegaVolt 24Air fits into the trip-prep category I like most: gear that stays out of the way until it suddenly matters. Topping off a tire, jumping a battery, charging a phone, or lighting up a roadside stop are all small problems until they slow the whole day down. Having those jobs covered in one compact unit keeps the vehicle kit cleaner and easier to manage. The tire inflator is probably the feature most drivers will use before anything goes wrong. A quick top-off before a long highway stretch or after a rough access road is easier when the compressor already lives in the truck. It still needs to stay charged, and a dedicated compressor is the better call for heavy off-road air-down days. For a compact backup tool, the MegaVolt 24Air covers a lot of useful ground without swallowing cargo space.

Pros: Combines several vehicle-prep tools into one compact unit. 4,000A peak output gives it strong jump-start capability. Built-in tire inflator is useful for quick top-offs. 65W USB-C support adds charging value for small electronics. The emergency light adds value during roadside stops after dark. Cons: Needs to stay charged before a trip. A compact inflator won’t replace a dedicated compressor for repeated off-road tire work. The all-in-one design puts several important jobs in one unit.

KELTY ECLIPSE 35 SLEEPING BAG Specifications: Price: From $149.95 Temperature rating: 35 degrees Sizes: Short, Regular, and Long Design: Zipperless with an oversized integrated comforter Ventilation: Self-sealing foot vent Best use: Car camping, rooftop tent camping, and mild to slightly chilly-weather trips Pros: Zipperless design helps reduce twisting and snagging at night. Oversized comforter for a more relaxed sleep feel. Self-sealing foot vent helps manage warmer nights. Synthetic insulation is practical for camp use. Multiple sizes make it easier to dial in the fit. Cons: 35-degree rating has limits when temperatures drop. Packs larger than a minimalist backpacking bag. Zipperless systems may take a night or two to get used to.

WHY IT STANDS OUT: The Kelty Eclipse 35 targets campers who sleep better with room to move. The zipperless design and oversized comforter give it a more relaxed feel than a tight mummy bag, which works well in a rooftop tent, truck bed setup, or car-camping kit. It feels more like crawling into camp bedding than fighting your way into a narrow sleep system. Bonus: the foot vent stands out on warmer nights. You can dump heat without wrestling a zipper in the dark, and the hood gives your pillow a better place to stay put. The 35degree rating keeps the Eclipse 35 in the mild-weather lane, where cool nights are expected, and deep-cold camping stays off the forecast. It packs larger than a stripped-down backpacking bag, but in a rooftop tent, truck bed, or carcamping setup, that extra comfort is easier to justify.

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FSR 180 AWNING V2 Specifications: Price: $1,195.00 Coverage: 180-degree side arc with 90.4 square feet of coverage Weight: Approximately 43 pounds Closed dimensions: 90.5 x 5.9 x 5.9 inches Lighting: Integrated, dual-color, dimmable LED lighting Best use: Overland builds, SUVs, hatchbacks, and camp setups where rear access matters Pros: 90.4 square feet of coverage gives camp a useful shaded footprint. The rear hatch stays clear, which helps when you access the back of the vehicle often. Freestanding design keeps setup quick in calm conditions. Integrated dimmable lighting reduces the need for extra camp lights. Driver-side and passenger-side options make fitment easier to plan Cons: Windy conditions still call for guy lines and stakes. Integrated lighting needs a separate USB power source. The 90.5-inch closed length requires enough roof or rack space.

WHY TRUST US? Northology’s gear coverage comes from real use, close research, and firsthand experience from people who spend their time outside. Products are evaluated for how they perform during actual trips and how well they fit the way outdoor travelers pack, drive, camp, ride, and move through rough conditions. A product needs to make sense in the field. It needs to hold up after setup. It needs to solve a clear problem when space, time, weather, and access matter. Our recommendations are shaped by practical details that show up through use. We look at how easy the gear is to pack, how quickly it sets up, how durable it feels, and whether it continues to prove its value after the first impression wears off. When a product earns a place in Gear of the Month, it’s because it offers something useful for the trip and deserves a closer look from readers planning their next trip.

WHY IT STANDS OUT: For a vehicle-based camp setup, shade has to land where you actually spend time. The FSR 180 Awning V2 gives you 90.4 square feet of side coverage while keeping the rear hatch clear, so the back of the rig stays usable for gear, cooking, or bike work. Having rear access is a major win when the tailgate area becomes the spot you keep returning to all evening. The integrated lighting is also more useful than it looks on a spec sheet. Once camp goes dark, having dimmable light sitting over the hangout area saves you from stringing extra lanterns or chasing a headlamp around the truck. The awning still takes roof space and adds weight, so fitment matters. For overland setups that live out of the side and rear of the vehicle, the V2 adds shelter without blocking the areas of the rig you use most.

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COULD THE GOOD OL’ DAYS BE HERE AGAIN? WHY THE ROADLESS RULE DESERVES A DEEPER CONVERSATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT, MOBILITY AND COMPROMISE BY CINDY POPE For decades, the ChequamegonNicolet National Forest has balanced many different kinds of recreation across more than 1.5 million acres of northern Wisconsin. Hiking, hunting, camping, snowmobiling, ATV riding and motorized travel all have a place here, but opportunities designed for full-size four-wheel-drive vehicles have always been relatively limited. One of the notable exceptions has been the Pipeline 4x4 Challenge Trail in the Lakewood-Laona Ranger District. Known to wheelers as simply “the Pipeline,” it has a surprisingly long history within Forest Service planning. When the Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest Plan was developed, the accompanying environmental analysis

recognized an existing full-size 4WD challenge route in the Pipeline area and considered the possibility of creating up to 25 additional miles of 4WD challenge route on the Nicolet. There was an important condition attached: a new route would only be constructed if an agreement could be developed with a non-Forest Service organization to help monitor and maintain it. In other words, the idea that the fourwheel-drive community could play a role in maintaining its own recreational opportunities isn't new. Forest Service records also show that the Pipeline trail has required stewardship over the years. Restoration work on the Lakewood-Laona 4x4/Pipeline Trail was recorded in both 2013 and 2015. Earlier monitoring documents identified the Pipeline 4x4

Challenge as a 17-mile trail system and documented management concerns including invasive species. Closed since 2023 by an official order by a National Forest administration order, the future of the Pipeline is changing again.

A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Mike Brown of the Lakewood-Laona Ranger District about full-size motorized recreation in the forest and, specifically, the loss of the Pipeline 4x4 Challenge Trail, FR 52222. The catalyst is something much larger than recreation. And it looks like the trail will not be open any time soon.

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES ANR Pipeline Company is proposing its Northwoods Project, which would add approximately 92 miles of new 36-inch natural-gas pipeline, primarily alongside its existing pipeline system through northern Wisconsin and a portion of Michigan. Thirty-seven miles of the proposed pipeline are in Oconto County alone. The project is currently going through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission process, with construction anticipated to begin in 2028 if approvals and the current schedule proceed as planned. Construction of something on that scale means clearing, heavy equipment and major disturbance within the pipeline corridor. For those of us familiar with FR 52222, the consequence is significant: the Pipeline Challenge Trail as we've known it is being lost. So I asked Mike a pretty obvious question. What happens now? That's where the conversation became much more interesting. Rather than looking only at the loss of one trail, we talked about what fullsize recreation in the Nicolet could potentially look like in the future. Could another appropriate area eventually provide a replacement challenge trail? Could existing roads and legal routes be used to create longer overland-style experiences connecting play areas and challenge sections? Could we create something that gives people a reason to explore the National Forest responsibly rather than simply drive to one isolated obstacle area? These are ideas, not approved projects. There are environmental reviews, Forest Service planning processes, funding, maintenance and plenty of other considerations between an idea and a trail appearing on a map. But there is an opportunity to have the conversation.

REMEMBER THAT SURVEY? This is also where something many of you did a year or so ago becomes important. A survey was circulated asking users about full-size vehicle recreation and

what they would like to see in the National Forest. Many of you took the time to fill it out. That information matters. Land managers can't plan recreation based simply on what a handful of people say they want. They need information about who is using the forest, how they're using it, what kinds of experiences they're seeking and where demand exists. That survey gives the Forest Service another piece of information to consider as it evaluates the future of full-size motorized recreation. It also helps distinguish what we're talking about from simply asking for more difficult Jeep trails.

“RATHER THAN LOOKING ONLY AT THE LOSS OF ONE TRAIL, WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT FULL-SIZE RECREATION IN THE NICOLET COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.” The overland community often wants something different: legal routes where we can travel through the forest, connect destinations, camp, explore and occasionally encounter technical sections along the way. A thoughtfully planned network connecting existing Forest Service roads, recreation areas and appropriate challenge opportunities could offer a very different experience from a traditional OHV park. The survey responses can help show whether that's something the community actually wants.

ACCESS AND RESPONSIBILITY GO TOGETHER There was another theme running through my conversation with Mike that may ultimately be even more important: stewardship. If we want a seat at the table when future recreational opportunities are discussed, we should also be willing to show up when the forest needs us.

B L A C K R H I N O W H E E L S . C O M

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES That means picking up trash. It means helping maintain legal recreation areas. It means respecting closures and staying on designated routes. It means educating new users and being willing to contribute time, equipment and labor to protect the places where we recreate. And we're going to have an opportunity to demonstrate exactly that. Northology is partnering with Tread Lightly! on a cleanup in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, with support from the BFGoodrich Outstanding Trails Program. The program exists specifically to help offroad organizations undertake publicland restoration, trail maintenance and responsible-recreation projects. Since 2021, Tread Lightly! has administered Outstanding Trails grants on behalf of BFGoodrich, supporting stewardship projects around the country. For our cleanup, volunteers will bring trucks, trailers and willing hands to help remove trash from the forest. PPE and cleanup equipment will be provided, and we'll work alongside our partners to leave the area demonstrably better than we found it. Yes, cleaning up someone else's garbage is considerably less glamorous than wheeling a new trail. But the two things may be more connected than they appear.

SHOW UP FOR THE PLACES YOU WANT TO KEEP The Forest Service's own planning history shows that partnerships have long been part of the equation for expanding full-size 4WD opportunities on the Nicolet. Years ago, the Forest Plan analysis specifically tied the possibility of an additional challenge route to having a non-Forest Service partner available for monitoring and maintenance. That should get our attention. We can't demand access to public land while expecting someone else to do all the work required to maintain it. What if, instead, the full-size and overland community became one of the groups the Forest Service knew it could call?

Imagine clubs, businesses and individual recreationists helping with annual cleanups, trail work, monitoring, signage and responsibleuse education. Imagine established partnerships with organizations such as Tread Lightly!, along with industry support that can help provide tools and funding. Imagine demonstrating— not just saying—that we're invested in the long-term health of these places. Then imagine pairing that relationship with the information already collected through the recreation survey.

“RATHER THAN LOOKING ONLY AT THE LOSS OF ONE TRAIL, WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT FULL-SIZE RECREATION IN THE NICOLET COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.”

The loss of FR 52222 is disappointing. Nobody involved in this conversation is pretending otherwise. But perhaps the Pipeline Challenge Trail doesn't have to be the end of the story. Maybe its loss becomes the reason we finally have a broader conversation about what full-size recreation could look like in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest: a replacement challenge opportunity, thoughtfully connected overland routes, responsible users and a community willing to put some sweat into maintaining the privilege of being there. Nothing about that future is guaranteed, but we have an opportunity to help shape the conversation. And the first step may be remarkably simple: Show up. Give back. Leave it better. Then let's see where the trail leads.

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