Michigan Young Adult Hiking & Rafting Pilgrimage 2023
Registration link: https://pilgrimage2023.eventbee.com
A weekend pilgrimage adventure with young adults from across Michigan!
WHY GO?
- Meet other young Catholics from across Michigan and build friendships
- Experience a weekend-long pilgrimage and enter into the peace only He can give
- Make room for a personal encounter with Jesus and grow in your faith
- Experience the beauty of northern Michigan in the summer
- Have an outdoor adventure hiking along a lake and through the woods, rafting down the Sturgeon River, camping, bonfires, and swimming in Lake Huron
- See the Shrine of the Cross in the Woods
- Return refreshed and empowered by the Spirit
THE OPPORTUNITY:
- Two nights of camping at Cheboygan State Park on Lake Huron with meals for all of Saturday and breakfast Sunday.
- Arrive Friday evening, July 21, when you can, to set up your tents (dinner on your own). We’ll begin as a group at about 7:45pm, but it’s ok if you cannot arrive until later.
- We will begin Saturday with a 10-mile hike on the North Central Trail (longer than last year's hike), culminating with a Eucharistic procession to the Shrine of the Cross in the Woods, followed by 2 hours of rafting on the Sturgeon River, then returning to camp for dinner.
- We will have Mass on both mornings and an overall pilgrimage experience with the opportunity to meet new friends while growing closer to God.
THE DETAILS:
- Ages 18-39
- Cost: $85
- Registration deadline is July 1st, but available space will fill up sooner than that. Don't wait too long to reserve your spot. Register at pilgrimage2023.eventbee.com.
- Individual cancelations may be possible upon request up to 3 weeks before this event. No refunds will be given after that time.
- Transportation & Tents: You may be able to carpool with others from your area, and others may have tents large enough to share. But you are ultimately responsible for confirming your own transportation to the campground Friday and back home Sunday. You are responsible for bringing your own sleeping gear, tent or confirming sharing with someone. Men and women must have separate tents unless they are married or related.
IMPORTANT:
Difficulty Level: Hiking 10 miles straight can be challenging. Bring the proper hiking shoes and be certain that you can hike that distance. It is a mostly level gravel/dirt path. Also, you must be comfortable rafting on a fast-moving, shallow river, though no experience is required. Rafts do not usually flip, but people sometimes fall into the river (you will have a life jacket). This is not white-water rafting, but it’s not a lazy river either. It can be exciting and a bit challenging. The Sturgeon River is the fastest river in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula with an average river depth of just 3-4 feet; however, there are deeper pools that can reach 5-8 feet.
Questions? Contact Patrick at dcya@aod.org, (313) 237-4647, or Dawn at dhausmann@dioceseoflansing.org, (517) 342-2506.
This pilgrimage is cohosted by the (Arch)Dioceses of Detroit, Lansing, Saginaw, and Gaylord, and of course, open to all young adults in Michigan and beyond.
