K College Get Outside Challenge

You and your team have completed 400 miles on trail! As you exit the northern boundary of the Yankee Springs State Recreation area, you reach the 400-mile mark on Chief Noonday Road near Middleville, MI. Chief Noonday, also known as Noahquageshik, was part of the Grand River Band of Ottawa, and lived much of his life in the area. His legacy lives on in several place names in the area and also happens to be the name of the NCT chapter of SW Michigan, whose trail you’ve been enjoying, The Chief Noonday Chapter. While you’re in the area, you might also take the time to learn the history of the Match-e-be-nash-e-wish or Gun Lake Band of the Potowatomi, who were forced from further East side of present-day Michigan to a riverside-camp on the Gzigmazek (Kalamazoo River) in what is now downtown Kalamazoo, and then again North of town to the area around present-day Shelbyville. The Gun Lake Tribe spent several years trying to gain recognition from the federal government before finally being recognized just before the turn of the century. You might also consider taking an off-trail detour to the Ziibiwing Center for Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways, run by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe in Mount Pleasant. Afterward, it’s time to get back on the trail and head for our next 100 mile landmark on the Thornapple River.