Eek! Sorry I have not been keeping up on my blog. I went on a few afternoon trips and spent a long weekend camping with my family, but I have not had time to write about it all.

The good news is abundant! First, I have many pictures to upload and stories to tell (I scared a heron by accident)! Second, I am leaving for Alaska soon! I do not usually use so many exclamation points, but I am quite excited today. My bags are packed, batteries are charged, and my books and crosswords are ready!

Coast Guard Festival is this week which means that work is exceptionally busy. Plus, old friends always come in from out of town for the festival, so I have people to see before I leave for Fairbanks. This means I will not be able to get my Hackert Lake pictures up for a while, but there will be much more time when I get back.

Thank you for the best wishes on my trip!

Muskegon State Park

Anyone who knows me or has seen this blog knows what I am doing here. I am using my very first summer as a college graduate to reconnect with my natural surroundings and to make new connections with people who share my interests. I am hoping to inspire others through humorous stories, enlightening narratives, and majestic photos. Today nature inspired me and I feel like I saw familiar places through a new perspective. It happened as I made my way up and down the hills and dunes of Muskegon State Park.

Muskegon State Park is a large park that spans quite a few miles of Memorial Drive, leading to Scenic Drive and along Lake Michigan. The park includes beaches on Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan as well as multiple hiking trails on diverse terrain, a campground, picnic area, boat launch, and fish cleaning area.

I have been to Muskegon State Park many times. I have family in Muskegon and we regularly visit the bay area (what the local people have called Snug Harbor and the Devil’s Kitchen for as long as we can remember). The relatively flat section of the main hiking trail is an area where I have walked since I was small enough to be carried and I remember ice skating on Lost Lake the year that I got skates for Christmas. This is all true, but I have not actually hiked the trails. I have seen a section or two here or there, but these trails go over the dunes, cross from one side of the street to the other, and snake between the lakes, even wrapping around the small and untouched Lost Lake, so I decided to explore them today.

One of the best things about the hiking trails is that it is almost impossible to get lost. The area is between a few roads, the lakes, and park buildings. You may wander around for a few miles before you hit one of those, but you are not going to end up lost in the forest, eating ants and wintergreen berries, rubbing sticks together. I set off with this in mind and it made it easy for me to enter the forest ready to explore with no worries. I was prepared with the map that I got from the DNR website and was pleased to see that the trails are clearly marked. The map is available here.

The trailhead is at the end of the parking area in the state park. I did not find maps anywhere at the park, but they are available online and I suggest printing one off, unless you just plan to do all of the trails (which would take a long time). I walked for a few minutes and decided to head toward the Blockhouse (a very cool Muskegon landmark). I had only been on the B trail for about ten minutes when I entered a darker area between some dense trees. I looked through the shrubs ahead and stopped dead in my tracks. There was a large deer about twenty feet away from me. It just stood there, looking at me. I just stood there, too. I had no idea that I could get so close to a deer! I was especially surprised because I had my whole pack on, which included a few tinkling karabiners and two water bottles with clicking ice; this certainly was not a stealthy set-up. I did not want to move because I knew that I would scare the deer away, but I only had a few brief seconds to stand there before it bounded away.



That set the tone for the whole rest of the hike. I came upon four deer total and they all looked happy and healthy. One of them was drinking water and playing in the reeds on the opposite side of Lost Lake. I came down a ridge and looked across the lake to see the deer standing there, completely unaware of my presence. I stood there for about ten minutes before rounding the bay and getting in a little closer for a picture. It eventually noticed that something was near, but it seemed unthreatened and walked away, unhurried.



The last deer was in the small strip of trees between Memorial Drive and the state park parking area. I was walking down the street to the park entrance and I just happened to look between the trees toward Muskegon Lake when I noticed that something was looking back. I had my camera ready that time and got a few pictures before the deer bounded off.

I will have to finish my expedition and see all of the trails because this was the best hiking experience that I have had since I have become more serious about hiking. It was absolutely wonderful to see deer, the lakes, ridges, valleys, and forest. I did probably five miles in all, which was an invigorating mix of flat forest and somewhat steep hills, but there are miles and miles more that lead from the Blockhouse to Lake Michigan and back to Muskegon Lake.

If you are looking for a shorter hike, do the Lost Lake loop. It is under a mile and leads from a trail near the park headquarters to the lake and back. There are deer, frogs, herons, other birds, and wetland flowers all along the lake (well, in the summer at least). Be careful on the trail out! The Y trail area is pretty wet and can get really muddy, though the park has added some nice footbridges and boards to make the path easier.

I don’t know what else to say about this expedition, so I will let the photos do it for me. They will be uploaded to the Photobucket soon (there is a link on the main page). Have fun and be careful out there!

Benton Lake, Newaygo County, MI

Benton Lake is a 33 acre lake located near Brohman, Michigan, in Newaygo County. The lake’s public access is about four miles west of M-37 on West Pierce Drive. The public access includes a Manistee National Forest campground as well as a covered picnic area, small beach, fishing dock, and boat launch.

I have been to Benton Lake a few times lately and it is always clean and calm. I did find out that there is a fee for using the park, which is $4 per day and can be paid for at a self-registration station when entering.

We went out to Benton Lake on Memorial Day weekend because it is not a popular area. The beach is not big enough to draw a large crowd and the surrounding towns are small (by the way, do not count on getting supplies near here—Brohman and Bitely both have only one very small grocery market each and not much else). We were happy with our choice and had the lake to ourselves for the whole, hot, cloudless day.

Outside of the picnic area are a few barbecue grills, which we used for lunch. There are multiple garbage receptacles available to make sure that the area is free of litter and there is plenty of room to accommodate multiple families. The only thing to consider is that there are not picnic tables by the grills, so you have to transport your food from the grills to the picnic pavilion. We would have done that, but feeling improvisational we decided to pull our chairs up around a large stump and created our own picnic table. You could do just fine with a sturdy plate and someone who watches where they walk!

The water in Benton Lake is not as clear as some other lakes that I have seen, like Lake Ann, but you do not notice the turbidity until you reach the deeper water (which is actually not very deep). In the shallow areas of the lake you can clearly see down four to five feet with no problems. This is how we spotted a few turtles and fish while we paddled. By far the best bit of wildlife that we noticed was a large bald eagle that swooped down to the far end of the lake and attempted to snatch something from the water.

All of these things make Benton Lake an enjoyable place to camp*, paddle, or picnic. The best parts are the mix of wildlife and the fact that the lake has no residences and is completely surrounded by national forest. Visit Benton Lake when you want the amenities and do not want too much company.

*Sorry I do not know anything about the campground. It is separate from the park area and I have not used their camp sites. If you have used it, tell me what you think!

P.J. Hoffmaster State Park

P.J. Hoffmaster State Park is a beautiful park with much to offer. It has picnicking areas, a nicely kept campground, beach, and a diverse set of hiking and skiing trails.

It is a state park, so you either need a sticker or need to purchase a day pass, but it is certainly worth it.

I have carried my kayak from the parking area down to the beach many times and it will make you pretty tired, but the staff told me that it is fine to launch from the beach outside of the swim areas. The whole shoreline in front of Hoffmaster is undeveloped, so the paddle is really nice on a calm day. There are three miles of beach available and the excess space makes this a more comfortable and roomier option when Grand Haven's beach is packed. Plus, if you want to do some walking, there are a few scenic overlooks that give you a great view of Lake Michigan.

My friends from Grand Rapids love to come out here to hike at P.J. Hoffmaster because of how extensive the trails are. If you drive into the park, you need to go all the way to the end of the main drive. This is not clearly expressed in the signage, but you will pass the Visitor's Center sign, picnic areas, and a sign for the park office. At the end of the drive is a loop and there are large, colorful signs for the ski trails and the hiking trails. The trails themselves feature meadowland, hills, old-style Michigan forests, beach areas, and hind-dune forests. Some of the trails are flat and easy while others are hilly and more difficult. The sign at the beginning of the trails has a key to tell which ones are which. I think there are more trails that begin when you first enter the park; check with park staff for more information.

The trails are kept clear, which made me feel like I was not really "in the wild," but sometimes it is pleasant to take a hike and not have to find your own path. The cedar forests are not like anything I have hiked before and the experience is definitely worth the trip if you do not live in the area.

Plus, I found this guy! I was hiking alone in the rain and did not see other hikers, so I left him to finish his path undisturbed, but I had to take a picture. My mascot: a creature that comes with its own backpack.

Blog Fliers

Yes!

My poster from my friend Sam is done. I love it! It looks like those kind of retro ads for state parks and stuff. Very cool.

I will have some made and start giving them to my favorite shops pretty soon. We need some more people in this operation. Come on! The message board only has one post and it is mine. Haha. Oh well; you have to start somewhere.

I did some hiking today out at Hoffmaster State Park. It is not far from where I live yet I have never walked their trails. Weird. They were really beautiful and green today. It rained a little, but I didn't mind. I think it helped keep the bugs away.

I'll write about that for my next entry. See ya!

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! We aren't having very nice weather currently, but hopefully some of you are getting out.

My husband and I spent all day Saturday out on Benton Lake with our friends and it was a great day trip. We saw a Bald Eagle! How often do you get to see one of those in the wild, right? Anyway, I will write a piece about it and put it up soon.

Also, I am heading up to the Sleeping Bear Dunes area on Tuesday with some friends that have never been there. We should have some awesome pictures after that trip.

Have a good week and email me if you have any suggestions. Thanks!

Being Prepared continued

This story was kind of long so it is a continuation of the last blog, but it gets its own post.

3.)Gas:

This is another one that I am usually very good about, but there was one time recently when a series of events almost ended in me calling for a tow-truck in the middle of the forest. What happened was that I was driving my husband’s car and the gas gauge in it is a little goofy, so the last quarter of the tank goes really fast. I went up to Pine Lake with my friend Sam and we did not think to stop and get gas when we were in Scottville (which has a nice Wesco, by the way, and is usually one of the last towns I see before heading into the Manistee National Forest). We went up US-31 and turned a few times, driving for nearly forty minutes through forest and farm land, seeing no gas stations, and spent the afternoon at Elbow Lake and Pine Lake. Well, the gas gauge went all the way to E and the even lower than that in just a few minutes. We used the GPS to look up a few gas stations and called each of them. Every one within ten miles was closing. See, it was 8:59 PM on a Sunday. Yep. The nearest one that we could find that would be open later was a BP that the GPS had listed on something like 10 ½ Mile Rd, so we decided to make the twelve mile drive or so. Mistake. That gas station does not exist. In fact, the GPS had us go for about twenty-five minutes into the forest and our finish line was in the middle of a two-track with not a gas station in sight! I had to laugh out of frustration, but the worst part was that we had been talking about our own GPSs and how reliable they have been. Yep. Not so much. But the adventure does not end there. We turned around, in the dark, and started back toward Free Soil, knowing that it was our only hope for gas. The gas light came on after a few miles and we had twenty minutes to go, but we had no choice but to keep driving. Finally we were just a few miles outside of Free Soil and we called the gas station to make sure they were open. Nope. The lady said she was just closing. It was 10:59. What kind of luck is this?? We rolled up to the gas station about thirty seconds later and the attendant turned the lights off. I sighed and sat in defeat while Sam went to the window and asked if we could still pump gas really quickly. The lady agreed, we thanked her profusely, and that is why you should have a full tank of gas when you head into the middle of nowhere!

4.) Being Safe

I haven't had any accidents in my hiking, paddling, and camping excursions for many years, but I am prepared for an accident and we try to prevent them. I will admit that we are a little lax about life-jackets sometimes when we are in very still, shallow water, but we always have them handy and wear them on larger lakes, rivers, etc. I have a first aid kit that is always in my gear. We always tell a few people where we are going and keep in touch with them when we can until we head home. Plus, this spring we had a lot of wildfire warnings in Michigan forests because the conditions were hotter than usual, very dry, and windy. Make sure that you follow the park guidelines by putting out your fire completely, using water and stirring it to make sure all of the coals are extinguished.

If you have any other ideas about being prepared, please share!

A Blog About Being Prepared!

Let’s talk about being prepared for your trip!

I am not new to the outdoors, but I am relatively new to kayaking and hiking. I have had quite a few adventures already and only a couple of mis-adventures, but we have learned from our mistakes and want to share them. How about a list?

1.) Food

Being active outside means you need food and water. Most of us know to bring refillable water bottles, but you can usually find a small store to buy something to drink if you forget. Food is a different story. My friend Lauren and I were out in Brohman a few weeks ago and did not think to pack a cooler for the day. We just figured we’d find a Meijer (this *is* Michigan, after all) and pick up some veggie dogs and find a place to make a campfire. Why not, right? Well I tend to forget that some towns are small enough that they do not have a Meijer and most mom-n-pop grocery stores do not carry veggie hotdogs, vegan burgers, tempeh, or any of the other meatless products that I eat. Lauren and I found out the hard way and had to change our plans. Being flexible meant that we could still have a fun day, but it would have been nicer to just pop open the back of my car and pull out the cooler and some vegetarian food. So make a checklist! I do not take my food selection for granted anymore.

2.) Directions:

I am usually very good about planning my route ahead of time and making sure that all of my addresses are saved into my GPS or pointed on my map, but I occasionally forget to bring my road maps with me because I rely on my GPS. That is a mistake. Alex and I tried to find McCarthy Lake for almost an hour one day and had quite a misadventure because of my lack of directions. The GPS put us on the wrong section of road and I could not put in the address because the roads were largely unnamed. We were in Manistee National Forest, so there are not homes nearby and often the dirt roads do not have names. Well, I put an intersection address into the GPS and it seemed right at first. Then the GPS made me drive through a field to reach a little-traveled two-track. I did it because we had all-wheel drive, so why not, right? Yeah, the “road” that I was on went over a stream with a “bridge” that I was supposed to drive over. No way! I will post the picture and you will see why that was not possible/safe/realistic. It was made of a few trees dating back to, psh, like the year 1800 and the boards weren’t even nailed down! No way, TomTom! We had a good laugh and had to reverse my car all the way up the hill and find a place to turn around. We gave up on McCarthy Lake after that and went to our next destination. I mean, we had to laugh about it! What else can you do? Nothing. There is no point in being mad. If I had been more meticulous with my details and planning then I would not have had any questions about where to go. Plus, this was when I found Elbow Lake by accident, which is my favorite place to kayak.

We are a friendly people...

I have sent out quite a few messages to people telling them about the blog and what my goal is here. I haven't had any responses, but I am hoping that I hear back soon. I am more of a face-to-face person, though, so I am looking forward to getting out and actually talking to people about the blog. I really want to make friends with more outdoors enthusiasts and help make a place where we can share information and learn from each other.

I think my only fear is that people will not be accepting of my style. I mean, I have basic kayaks, I own absolutely nothing that has a North Face tag on it, and I usually look like I am ... I don't know, heading to the flea market or something. So let it be known that you can come as you are. I am not going to be a snob to anyone (I live in Grand Haven--snob heaven--and I hate that about my town).

I have two more articles to put up, but I have to find time to edit them and find accompanying pictures. Hope you are enjoying the heat! This is crazy!

Spreading the Word!

Yessssss!

My friend Sam designed me a poster for the blog! It is *epic* and I will have it up soon. I am hoping that I can get some fliers printed pretty soon so that I will have them available for my next day trip. I frequently run into other granolas on my adventures and it would be cool to give them a small flier to say, "Hey! Check this out!" Also, I am working on a Facebook page. I think it will be easier than me harassing my friends with links!

I am hoping to get out for the holiday weekend, but won't have the whole time free. Boo. Anyway, have fun and be safe everyone! I'll be putting up some more pieces that I wrote today. Thanks!

Pine Lake near Wellston, MI

Pine Lake Rd near Wellston, MI leads to Pine Lake Campground and boat launch in the Manistee National Forest. You can reach the ground by finding where Pine Lake Rd heads west off of Bosschem Rd. The road ends at the campground.

Pine Lake is a larger lake (compared to the ones that I normally kayak) and can get a little windy, but it has many coves and harbors which give you sanctuary from the wind and can be very calm, especially in the morning and evening.

The boat launch lacks a dock and is good for smaller fishing boats and canoes/kayaks. I have not yet stayed at the campground, but have used the facilities to picnic and they are nicely kept. I know this is a small detail, but the fire pits are extra cool because they have grills that can be spun around to cook or turned away to accommodate a larger fire. Cool, right!?

The shore just left of the launch area is not very exciting. There are a few cottages and unremarkable shoreline, but the far side of the lake is beautiful. The rest of the shoreline is forested and full of wildlife. You can see many fish in the water, turtles, ducks, geese, and maybe even an otter (I swear I saw one!).

It takes a while to kayak around the whole lake, but it is worth it. Just south of the campground and picnic area there is a very distinct cove that is full of lily pads and reeds. It is very shallow and home to many fish and turtles.

The campground is just over ten minutes from Wellston, MI, but I have not been into Wellston yet so I do not know much about the town. Pine Lake and Elbow Lake are only about twenty minutes apart so we have made the trip to the Irons/Wellston area a few times now and toured both lakes together. They make a nice pair and you should try to get out there some time during the summer. Have fun!

Elbow Lake near Irons, MI

Elbow Lake is another one of Michigan’s turquoise lakes. When the sun is overhead, the lake is a brilliant green. The bottom on the boat landing side has the feeling of soft clay, while the far side of the lake is deeper and has a darker bottom. The lake water is clear throughout and has some interesting sunken landscapes.

My friend Alex and I originally found this lake by accident. We had been lost trying to find another lake and decided to head to Pine Lake instead. We saw signs for Driftwood Recreation Area right before a sign that read “Elbow Lake Boat Landing.” Neither of us knew what a “boat landing” was so we decided to stop and we were pleasantly surprised.

The boat landing is nothing more than a sandy spot on the lake with a few parking spots, but it does the job. I have seen fishing boats launch from this spot, but it requires wading into the water a bit since the area is very shallow. Be careful where you step because the damp areas next to the boat landing are littered with frogs, turtles, and (if the time of year is right) tadpoles!

The lake does not seem too remarkable upon first glance, except for the pleasant color, but the shoreline across from the boat landing and the cove area on the far side of the lake are the best parts!

Painted turtles definitely call this lake home. There are many trees that have fallen in along the shoreline, which creates a perfect place for turtles to sunbathe. There are many small and medium-sized fish that can be seen in and among the fallen trees as well. The lively scenery makes the lake a fun and exciting place to kayak.

There is a part of the lake that completes the elbow shape. It is a shallow area that has the lighter, sand and clay bottom with cabins and cottages around it. The narrowed area that leads to this cove is indeed so shallow that you can have trouble getting through, even in a kayak! Alex and I explored this area a little, so I will tell you to save yourself the trouble. There really isn’t anything to see over there unless you really dig summer homes.

The lake access spot can be found on the west side of N Bass Lake Rd in Lake County, just north of W 10 Mile Rd. Go about 8.5 miles east of Free Soil on E Free Soil Rd until you hit N Bass Lake Rd, where you turn left/north. You can miss the small sign for the lake, so keep an eye out. Don’t pass up the Orchard Market in Free Soil. It is one of our favorite places to stop and buy Michigan cherries and other adventure supplies.

And if you get gas in Free Soil, thank the lady for staying open for granolas who really needed gas one night in May!

Lake Ann, MI

Lake Ann State Forest Campground and boat launch are on Reynolds Rd about three and one half miles north from US 31/Honor Highway. The campground consists of a higher loop and a lower run of sites right on the lakeshore. The lakeside sites are frequently taken during weekends in summer, but there aren’t any bad sites since the nearby roads are not very busy and only an occasional car can be heard around the lake.

The best part of the Lake Ann area is the lake itself. Lake Ann has a few nice harbored areas that are frequently guarded from the wind and surrounded by nice forests and some cabins. The lake waters are incredibly clear and you can’t help but love seeing the underwater landscapes. The plants and seaweed grow nicely in the extremely clear water and you can almost lose your bearings if you get too caught up in looking down into the water; it’s like looking into another world.

I have kayaked and camped on the lake a few times since my family discovered the campground last year. Our best trip was in early May when we experienced some unusually warm weather and stayed for three days. The nights were still cold, but we came prepared with extra blankets and long underwear. The best part about camping in the cooler weather is the lack of mosquitoes. Plus, percolated coffee always tastes better when there is a chill in the air, so we had a great trip and were the only people camping there.

One of the nights was completely cloudless. There is no light pollution. Only a slight dull glow in the sky can be seen in the direction of Traverse City. We took advantage of the lack of people on the lake and the starry sky by bringing the kayaks out in front of the campground. The sky was unbelievable! I do not think that night-kayaking is the safest activity, but we put flashlights on the boats and stayed close to the shore until we were content and needed to go back to our campfire.

There are a few hiking trails that are right across the campground on Reynolds Rd. I didn’t get a chance to see how strenuous the trails get, but we did walk a few of the shorter trails and were pleasantly surprised but multiple small lakes or ponds that are tucked into the forest.

All of these things make Lake Ann a great place to stay. If you don’t have time to stay at the campground you can see the lake from a small beach at the end of the drive through the grounds. There is also a trail that goes in front of camp sites and leads to the boat launch, but I have not seen how far around the lake the trail goes. The boat launch is good for kayaks and canoes but can also accommodate somewhat larger boats. There is not a dock, so you have to be able to jump in after you shove off, which may involve some wading. I don’t know much about the fishing in the lake except that I have only seen small fish there.

Lake Ann is wonderful. Stop and see for yourself!

Who are you and what are you doing here?

Who needs two blogs? Me, I guess. This is my new blog that is just for travel writing. I have been having so much fun out in the woods and on the water and I want to share my adventures and knowledge with everyone, but I want to keep it separate from my grumpy opinions on books and college classes.

So this is the beginning. I am going to take my favorite travel stories from the other blog and put them here, but I hope that I will be able to keep writing about new trips, too.

On top of all of this, I'd like to connect with people in Michigan and talk about good places to camp, hike, and paddle. I have already come across many bodies of water and parks that are great, but there are little or no resources on the internet that list them. Together we can share own knowledge, our tips about what to look out for, and everything that you need to know about having a vigorous or relaxing time in the Michigan outdoors.

Keep an eye out for new posts and tell me if there is anything you'd like to see. You can drop me an email at drenofthewild@gmail.com. Have a good day!