Wednesday night, Germfask, Michigan at the Northwoods Outfitters, we have much to tell. Tuesday was a challenge in that it rained all day, in the afternoon it was so heavy that we holed up in the trailer with books and our very weak internet connection. I am reading a biography of Paul Newman, an odd footnote to the wild woods of Michigan. We went to the Seney National Wildlife Refuge on Tuesday morning, a 95,000 acre set aside for ecological habitat. We drove a 7 mile observation drive and saw a pair of loons tending two babies by diving for long periods of time and then surfacing with fish to feed their young. There is a very diverse habitat of bogs, multiple ponds and islands in larger lake like areas. The entire area was logged off, clear cut, and then burned in the late1800’s. Dikes and dams were then built after the wetland were drained off to sell the land as farm land. This was a complete failure. In 1935, it was made into a Wildlife Area and many dikes and dams were removed though some have been left to assure the level of multiple lakes and ponds. Trumpeter swans were first reintroduced as were Canadian geese. The native plant life and animals have returned over time, to include the Timber Wolf which is now controversial. The wolf has been so efficient in reducing the deer population that the local people who depend on deer hunting tourists coming to the Wildlife Refuge for allowed deer hunting. Locals are feeling an economic hurt by the lack of deer. We met some local people who were volunteering at the Refuge who described very well the challenge of urban area people who do not live with the wolves but have more votes are whether or not wolves should be culled.
Today, Wednesday, we left early on a beautiful clear day to drive to the Painted Rocks National Lakeshore. It was about 35 miles from our camp and encompasses Sable Falls, which we hiked to see, and the Log Slide. This is where the logs were slid down the sand dunes from about 400 feet up and made it to Lake Superior in a matter of seconds. People are warned at the top that though you can slide down quickly, it may take hours of hand over hand to get back up. They added that rescue must come from miles away so basically to climb down was to get the Darwin Award! We watch with trepidation in another part of the park where people climbed down another dune, perhaps 200 feet high, with warnings posted everywhere that is was unstable and that you could suffocate in a slide due to the unstable nature of the dune. They had children by the hand and one was carrying a baby. Darwin award is one thing but taking an innocent child with you is another. We went on to Miners Castle which is one of the cliffs along Lake Superior which was first worked by the glaciers and then ultimately eroded by the Lake to reveal beautiful colored layers hence the name Painted Rocks. Tonight is so different from last night. Warm, fewer mosquitos, and I am actually sitting outdoors typing this entry.
Tomorrow we move to a new place but have enjoyed the owners of Northwood Outfitters. They rent cabins, canoes, and kayaks and have a small store with stuff hikers and kayakers need. Rachel and David would love being here and kayaking to the the Refuge. Postscript: The name Germfask, we thought was a German name. Nope, the first male founders made up the name based on their last names. No ladies allowed.
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| Lunch at the Eatery in Germfask on rainy day. You can have the Jolly Burger or anything you want that is fried! |
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| It was bright and well decorated. This is where the Germfask regulars eat their Friday night fish fry! |
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| Sable Falls in the Painted Rocks National Parks. At least 100 steps down and 100 steps up! |
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| This the sand dune with all the warning signs and roped off, you can barely see the ropes. They families were climbing down the far right shoulder. Yikes! |
Be well all.
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