I originally posted these hike reports on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
10/27/02
Hello all!
I just want to remind all the SE Michigan hikers that this place is nearby...
I hiked with some friends on Saturday from the Marsh Boardwalk to the tip of the Lake Erie sandspit here for a total of about 8 miles. We used a combination of trails through woods, marsh and along beach. The Canadian national park service likes to limit the number of trails in the park for wildlife purposes, but you could probably double or triple the hike total if you hiked down the eastside of the spit as well.
Anyway, you get views of two lighthouses, a couple of offshore islands and passing freighters. The woodlands are nice, but most of the interior spit is marsh. That is unique in its own way. The place also harbors cacti.
We saw an old cemetary and several thousands ducks in one large mass flying about one foot over the lake at breakneck speeds. The visitor's center is nice with helpful rangers and film clips. There is a group camping area, but I'm not sure about camping regulations.
This is not rugged hiking by any means, but it is extremely beautiful with great sunsets only 35 minutes from downtown Detroit. It should be on every Metro hiker's regular hike list.
Mike
BTW, the trees had very little color. They were all still green. Lake Erie regulates the temperature. They should have color well into November.
02/04/03
Cross the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit and head to Pointe Pelee National Park in Canada. It's a long sandspit into Lake Erie.There are two offshore lighthouses, miles of snow-covered beach, a completely frozen Lake Erie - looks like the Arctic - and ice formations at the southern tip of mainland Canada. There are about 7 or 8 miles of trail and a really nice visitor's center. It's probably an hour or 1.5 hours from you. And the trip to Canada is really fun if you've never done it. Bring birth certificate or passport.
5/28/3
Re: Point Pelee
Hi Jeremy!
Point Pelee is a bit of undiscovered "Detroit" gem. I've been there 8 or 10 times in the past decade. In the winter, it has impressive ice formations and feels like the arctic. In the summer, it has miles of beautiful beaches. In the spring and fall, birds and butterflies cram the point.
PP is about 45 minutes from the Detroit/Windsor border. You can shoot straight there or loop along the lake. If you loop, you can stop at the Ojibwa Prairie Preserve in Windsor, Fort Malden in Amherstburg and the John R. Park Homestead along the top of the lake. There are a few other conservation areas in the vicinity. I'd do an Essex County Conservation Area Web search to find them. TheChrysler Canada Greenway is a bike trail that gets near the point from near Windsor.
I've always enjoyed hiking the park, although it is a bit small to be a classic hiking destination. I would spot a car at the Visitor's Center and go back to the Marsh Boardwalk Trail. I would walk the boardwalk and then take the hike/bike trail south to the tip, using the various park trail systems to increase natural surroundings and hiking distance. They are all connected. This ends up being in the neighborhood of seven or eight miles.
BTW, there are some nice dirt "unofficial" trails that parallel the hike/bike trail at various points just inland from the beach. These are the best options when creating a longer distance hike in the park. There are many types of marsh here and some are quite beautiful. When you reach the tip, you can take the motorized tram back to the Visitor's Center parking area or hike the beach. Be sure to check out the cactus area. Funny to think of naturally occuring cacti on Lake Erie, but here it is.
The park is about seven kilometers in length and both sides can be hiked along the beach. One of these days, I'm going to hike the entire east side, but I've only gone a few miles so far.
There is an organizational camp in the park, but individuals camp at Wheatley Provincial Park. This place is nice with bluffs onto Lake Erie and some nice interior water elements. A bit further up the coast is Rondeau Provincial Park. This is a great, great place that is large and mostly undeveloped. The campground area isn't much, but I've been wanting to get back. I think it might just have the best Western Lake Erie hikes. I also want to bike Pelee Island.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Ramsdell Nature Park: Hike Notes
I originally posted this on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
Ramsdell Nature Park
05/04/03
This place used to be an old farm. The farmer spent lots of time creating ponds and natural stuff and decided in his will to give the property to the county parks system. It's not what I would call a great hike, but it is a really nice place and I really enjoy it because I can just see that farmer sitting up in heaven - if you believe in that sort of thing - having a laugh at how much fun I was having. I got caught in a thunderstorm there once.The way cool thing is that the farm house is a residence for the park caretakers. They get to live there free if they mow the trails and do maintenance. Doesn't sound like a bad deal to me. BTW, I figure there are 5 or 6 miles of trail in the park.
Ramsdell Nature Park
05/04/03
This place used to be an old farm. The farmer spent lots of time creating ponds and natural stuff and decided in his will to give the property to the county parks system. It's not what I would call a great hike, but it is a really nice place and I really enjoy it because I can just see that farmer sitting up in heaven - if you believe in that sort of thing - having a laugh at how much fun I was having. I got caught in a thunderstorm there once.The way cool thing is that the farm house is a residence for the park caretakers. They get to live there free if they mow the trails and do maintenance. Doesn't sound like a bad deal to me. BTW, I figure there are 5 or 6 miles of trail in the park.
Sharon Hills Preserve: Hike Report
I previously posted this hike report on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
05/30/02
Oh, I also checked out the Sharon Hills Land Preserve on the east side of Sharon Hollow Rd. near Manchester. It has a 1.2 mile "trail"that I lost about half way through. The nice part of this place was a bald-topped hill with nice views and some globally rare oak savannah habit. Bet some weird birds pass through this spot. I hope they get more land - currently about 70 acres. The Sharon Short Hills are some of the most impressive hills in SE Michigan.
05/30/02
Oh, I also checked out the Sharon Hills Land Preserve on the east side of Sharon Hollow Rd. near Manchester. It has a 1.2 mile "trail"that I lost about half way through. The nice part of this place was a bald-topped hill with nice views and some globally rare oak savannah habit. Bet some weird birds pass through this spot. I hope they get more land - currently about 70 acres. The Sharon Short Hills are some of the most impressive hills in SE Michigan.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Somerset State Game Area Hike Reports
These are some hike reports that I originally posted on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group:
01/19/01
Honorable mention: Somerset SGA - a nice 2 to 3 mile loop around a lake with an island in the middle. That would make a great camping spot in the fall.
01/23/02
Just thought I'd post about this nice little place in HillsdaleCounty...
Yesterday was a glorious sunny day near 50. So, after sending my students on their merry way, I headed off for some hiking. I started at the small parking area (US-12 west from US-127 to Stearns Rd., right turn, lot 3 miles down on right - S of Jackson), then dropped down a big hill. I looped a rather large marshy lake with ghost trees along its edges. The great thing is that lots of the hills were once farmland, so they had a mountain bald feel to them. If ound one spot that would make a really nice campsite that had views of the whole area.
There was also an isolated peninsula that looked out on a second large lake. This would also be great for camping - no one would ever find you. Then I doubled back for a loop along the largest lake -Lombard. It has a nice island in the center and lots of the shore is pine-forested. The whole place reminded me of Wakely Lakes Foot Travel Area, although at about 1,000 acres it is a good deal smaller. Still, it is in the middle of nowhere, so car sounds are pretty rare even on the roads. And I bet the stars would be incredible.
Oh, yeah, details. I'm thinking you could put a 7 or 8 mile loop together. Dispersed camping is legal from Sept. 10 until May 15.
01/19/01
Honorable mention: Somerset SGA - a nice 2 to 3 mile loop around a lake with an island in the middle. That would make a great camping spot in the fall.
01/23/02
Just thought I'd post about this nice little place in HillsdaleCounty...
Yesterday was a glorious sunny day near 50. So, after sending my students on their merry way, I headed off for some hiking. I started at the small parking area (US-12 west from US-127 to Stearns Rd., right turn, lot 3 miles down on right - S of Jackson), then dropped down a big hill. I looped a rather large marshy lake with ghost trees along its edges. The great thing is that lots of the hills were once farmland, so they had a mountain bald feel to them. If ound one spot that would make a really nice campsite that had views of the whole area.
There was also an isolated peninsula that looked out on a second large lake. This would also be great for camping - no one would ever find you. Then I doubled back for a loop along the largest lake -Lombard. It has a nice island in the center and lots of the shore is pine-forested. The whole place reminded me of Wakely Lakes Foot Travel Area, although at about 1,000 acres it is a good deal smaller. Still, it is in the middle of nowhere, so car sounds are pretty rare even on the roads. And I bet the stars would be incredible.
Oh, yeah, details. I'm thinking you could put a 7 or 8 mile loop together. Dispersed camping is legal from Sept. 10 until May 15.
Sterling State Park: Hike Reports
These hike reports were originally posted on the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo group.
7/01/03
Re: Trail Report: Sterling State Park
Jeremy,
There are no rustic campsites. All 256 are RV accessible. Also, the campground is out in the open. Shade would be at a premium. However, you could probably just set up your tent and pull your sleeping bag down to the beach and sleep near the waves. I've always liked the view from Sterling into the lake. And I'd love to see a sunrise. However, there are several power plants visible from the campground - the largest is the Edison plant which tends to dominate the southern view. Basically, if you have a couple of friends from college and want a nice place to down a few beers around the campfire with really nice showers, this is the place.
During non-summer months, Lake Erie beach camping is available at Erie State Game Area farther south.
So, Sterling is not unpleasant, but it wouldn't be my first choice to camp at.
7/01/03
Hello!
Warning: this is a bike report:)
After $13 million dollars of renovation, I figured that SterlingState Park (Monroe, on Lake Erie) might be interesting to checkout. So, Kathy and I got on our bikes and spun around the place.
We started near one of the beach houses and followed a new 0.6 milepaved trail just inland from the beach. Very nice.
Then, we shot across a new bridge across interior marsh and zoomedaround the 2.8 mile Marsh Trail. Again, this trail is paved. We saw lots of birds and enjoyed the lush foliage that lined the trail. We also loved the many turns on this trail that made the biking interesting.
As we finished the loop, we followed a paved path along the park road and more interior marsh. I'd imagine this section added a couple of miles to our bike. So, we only ended up biking about 6 miles and did most of the park.
Then, we got off the bikes and walked the 1 mile round trip shoreline trail along the Lake. Nice views.
Every structure in the park is new. The beachhouses are new. The gigantic park headquarters are new. The trails are all smoothly repaved. The picnic areas are new. There are also nice interpretive displays in a couple of spots that focus on things like the old Monroe Piers. Anyone who had ever visited this place prior to the renovation will be impressed. Much improved.
However, there were some big disappointments. The new trail system seems only to add a few paved miles to the original system. I was hoping for much more. The park also ignores about half its current acreage. Uplands interior to the marshes are not used at all. I am hoping that eventually, some natural trails will be created here.
My biggest disappointment was the lack of any renovation to the US Army Corps of Engineers contaminated dredge site between the beach and boat launch. This area still has a rusty fence around it. There are paths along the top of the dikes that have been fenced off for as long as I've been alive. I was hoping walkers might get access to these. But no. And the shoreline trail did not even get repaved.
However, this park is much better than before. The campground is now right on the lake and I can already see the connector trail to the City of Monroe being worked on. It will make a nice daylong bike in a few years.
07/12/04
While Sterling SP (Monroe) is not a hiking destination, it does have a nice set of paved trails. They are also doing a really nice job of restoring marsh to the old campground and headquarters areas. Demolition of a nearby paper plant is in progress. The end result will be an enlarged battlefield park connected to Sterling along a Lake Erie marsh.
7/01/03
Re: Trail Report: Sterling State Park
Jeremy,
There are no rustic campsites. All 256 are RV accessible. Also, the campground is out in the open. Shade would be at a premium. However, you could probably just set up your tent and pull your sleeping bag down to the beach and sleep near the waves. I've always liked the view from Sterling into the lake. And I'd love to see a sunrise. However, there are several power plants visible from the campground - the largest is the Edison plant which tends to dominate the southern view. Basically, if you have a couple of friends from college and want a nice place to down a few beers around the campfire with really nice showers, this is the place.
During non-summer months, Lake Erie beach camping is available at Erie State Game Area farther south.
So, Sterling is not unpleasant, but it wouldn't be my first choice to camp at.
7/01/03
Hello!
Warning: this is a bike report:)
After $13 million dollars of renovation, I figured that SterlingState Park (Monroe, on Lake Erie) might be interesting to checkout. So, Kathy and I got on our bikes and spun around the place.
We started near one of the beach houses and followed a new 0.6 milepaved trail just inland from the beach. Very nice.
Then, we shot across a new bridge across interior marsh and zoomedaround the 2.8 mile Marsh Trail. Again, this trail is paved. We saw lots of birds and enjoyed the lush foliage that lined the trail. We also loved the many turns on this trail that made the biking interesting.
As we finished the loop, we followed a paved path along the park road and more interior marsh. I'd imagine this section added a couple of miles to our bike. So, we only ended up biking about 6 miles and did most of the park.
Then, we got off the bikes and walked the 1 mile round trip shoreline trail along the Lake. Nice views.
Every structure in the park is new. The beachhouses are new. The gigantic park headquarters are new. The trails are all smoothly repaved. The picnic areas are new. There are also nice interpretive displays in a couple of spots that focus on things like the old Monroe Piers. Anyone who had ever visited this place prior to the renovation will be impressed. Much improved.
However, there were some big disappointments. The new trail system seems only to add a few paved miles to the original system. I was hoping for much more. The park also ignores about half its current acreage. Uplands interior to the marshes are not used at all. I am hoping that eventually, some natural trails will be created here.
My biggest disappointment was the lack of any renovation to the US Army Corps of Engineers contaminated dredge site between the beach and boat launch. This area still has a rusty fence around it. There are paths along the top of the dikes that have been fenced off for as long as I've been alive. I was hoping walkers might get access to these. But no. And the shoreline trail did not even get repaved.
However, this park is much better than before. The campground is now right on the lake and I can already see the connector trail to the City of Monroe being worked on. It will make a nice daylong bike in a few years.
07/12/04
While Sterling SP (Monroe) is not a hiking destination, it does have a nice set of paved trails. They are also doing a really nice job of restoring marsh to the old campground and headquarters areas. Demolition of a nearby paper plant is in progress. The end result will be an enlarged battlefield park connected to Sterling along a Lake Erie marsh.
Woodtick Peninsula Hike Reports
I posted the following hike reports to the Great Lakes Hikes Yahoo Group. They may contain some useful information:
09/28/00
If you live in SE Michigan and get the bug for a slightly more rugged hike, this might be a possibility.
The hike follows a peninsula of land along Lake Erie. You may have to over/under fallen trees and you will definitely have to wade if you want to go farther than a couple of miles. There is no "trail", but generally stay as close to the shoreline as possible.
At certain points, the hikeable portion of the peninsula breaks into a series of small islands. Just wade to the next one - the water is usually only about a foot deep.
Bald eagles nest nearby and all kinds of birds and aquatic mammals are present.
The drawback to hiking here is an obvious industrial presence. The hike starts just behind a power plant and other factories can be seen along the shore. But, you can also see lighthouses and passing freighters.
Camping is legal with a free DNR permit from Oct. 1 to April 1. Watch for hunters in season, hike with a partner and make drop-off arrangements if camping, rather than leaving your car at the trailhead.
Directions to Hike: Take I-75 to the Erie/Temperance exit just north of the Michigan/Ohio border. Go east from the exit towards the power plant. The road dead-ends into a small parking area. Continue east on foot to the beach. Then, hike south along the shore or up on the factory dikes.
Contact Information: Contact the MI DNR at Pointe Mouillee State Game Area: (734) 379-9692
1/19/01
Monroe County: Erie Marsh Preserve/Erie State Game Area. The Woodtick Peninsula in the game area is a 4 mile hike each way. It involves wading in the shallows and ends at an island at North Cape. And campable from Oct. 1 to April 1. And if the state ever got its act together, the peninsula could connect to about 8 or 10 miles of dike in the Nature Conservancy's Erie Marsh and about 2 or 3 miles of dike in Luna Pier. You could hike for 20+ miles with a little effort. Also, two or three more bald eagles nests.
1/28/01
Monroe: Erie Marsh/SGA: Take I-75 to the Erie Rd. exit just a fewmiles North of the Ohio border. Go East until this road dead ends ina parking lot in sight of a power plant. Hike East until you hitLake Erie. Begin hiking south to the end of the peninsula. [Note: Iwas out there this weekend, and winter ice forms a natural bridge into the preserve, allowing for a 10+ mile one-way hike.] Contact: Pt. Mouillee SGA at (734)379-9692; maps available at dnr.state.mi.us
7/16/01
I'd also like to backpack the Woodtick Peninsula in Monroe County. It's legal with a free permit during the fall/winter, but I know boaters camp there all the time in the summer and I think you might be able to convince a DNR guy to let you camp there. It's the only place where you can legally backpack on Lake Erie in Michigan - 4 miles or so each way in a little-known area.
9/22/03
On Sunday, I did a little exploratory hike at the Woodtick Peninsulain SE Monroe County. This was a small beach hike. My intent was to judge the current composition of the peninsula. I found that the series of islands that made up the peninsula last year are now connected. However, the connection to the southern peninsula is problematic. One route takes the hiker through knee to waist high water. The second passes through what looks like ankle high mud. The third passes through disorienting marsh reeds. None is a particularly easy solution. I didn't feel like running the gaunlet, so I stopped at 1.5 miles out and decided to return. I'll head back in the coming weeks to find the correct route. Still, the peninsula looks ripe for the taking.
10/04/03
Hike Report: Woodtick Peninsula
A few weeks ago, I reported on the status of the Woodtick Peninsula in extreme SE Monroe County. I had the choice between mud, water or marsh reeds. Today, I went back. The wind was blowing pretty strongly out to sea. This meant that the water in Lake Erie was being stacked up along other areas of the shore. This left water levels along the western shore noticeably lower. It was clear that this had been happening for a few days because the shoreline mud hada chance to solidify. This advantage to the hiker was nullified in some spots by the fact that the solidified wet sand that was present a few weeks earlier had turned into dry, shifting powder. But, I'll take solid mud any day.
Anyway, in years past, there had been a break in the peninsula very near to the base. This made it quite difficult to make it to the later portions of this 5 mile one-way shoreline hike. I even saw small boats pass through the gap at times. One of my favorite hiking moments was when one of these boaters asked me if I was shipwrecked. "No, just hiking," was my response.
This year, the peninsula seems pretty much solid. There was only a small section of weak mud. Several other hikers had placed drift planks on top of the mud. Patiently, I balanced my weight onto these and had little trouble passing onward.
Overall, I hiked about 5 miles, 2.5 miles each way. Lake Erie was quite placid. The beach grasses were very interesting. One section had about 30 or 40 bunches shaped like Afros that were turning purple on the beach. A few had broken from their root system and were tumbling down the beach. Temperatures were quite nice. I also had to pass over the Consumer's Energy hot water outflow area. This was actually quite interesting because it created a large area of whitewater into the lake. Sandbars had formed around this outflowarea. Birds congregated in the many hundreds on these small sandy islands.
Two lighthouses were visible, several sailboats, as well as a lonely fisherman in a boat offshore.
Nice day.
The "trailhead" (one of the most dangerous trailheads in MI) is offof I-75 at the Erie Rd. exit. Drive east to the power plant and parkby the blue barrels. Walk to the lake and hike south.
10/05/03:
Well, the thing is only a mile off of I-75. It's not a park, just a parking area put there by Consumer's Energy. There always seems to be broken glass and for several years, a guy was living in his van there. He was an old Vietnam Veteran who would write warnings on all the area signs warning people to take care of the area or else.
One time, I was a little late in getting back before dark and I ended up raising the awareness of some toughs with a shoreline bonfire. They started to follow me. I picked up a big piece of wood and waved it around as I headed back to my car.
That said, the power plant people have cameras focused on the parking lot and they sponsor beach cleanups. I also see Luna Pier police patrols occasionally. The peninsula is worth it. Bald Eagles, truly wild areas, lots of broad lake views. But it is hard to get past the first half mile.
01/08/04
The Woodtick Peninsula (Erie, MI) solidifies in winter and the vegetation cuts down to reveal a more dependable hike along Lake Erie. Constant wind action also takes snow off the hiking routes. The water outtake from the power plant gathers bald eagles in the wintertime.
09/28/00
If you live in SE Michigan and get the bug for a slightly more rugged hike, this might be a possibility.
The hike follows a peninsula of land along Lake Erie. You may have to over/under fallen trees and you will definitely have to wade if you want to go farther than a couple of miles. There is no "trail", but generally stay as close to the shoreline as possible.
At certain points, the hikeable portion of the peninsula breaks into a series of small islands. Just wade to the next one - the water is usually only about a foot deep.
Bald eagles nest nearby and all kinds of birds and aquatic mammals are present.
The drawback to hiking here is an obvious industrial presence. The hike starts just behind a power plant and other factories can be seen along the shore. But, you can also see lighthouses and passing freighters.
Camping is legal with a free DNR permit from Oct. 1 to April 1. Watch for hunters in season, hike with a partner and make drop-off arrangements if camping, rather than leaving your car at the trailhead.
Directions to Hike: Take I-75 to the Erie/Temperance exit just north of the Michigan/Ohio border. Go east from the exit towards the power plant. The road dead-ends into a small parking area. Continue east on foot to the beach. Then, hike south along the shore or up on the factory dikes.
Contact Information: Contact the MI DNR at Pointe Mouillee State Game Area: (734) 379-9692
1/19/01
Monroe County: Erie Marsh Preserve/Erie State Game Area. The Woodtick Peninsula in the game area is a 4 mile hike each way. It involves wading in the shallows and ends at an island at North Cape. And campable from Oct. 1 to April 1. And if the state ever got its act together, the peninsula could connect to about 8 or 10 miles of dike in the Nature Conservancy's Erie Marsh and about 2 or 3 miles of dike in Luna Pier. You could hike for 20+ miles with a little effort. Also, two or three more bald eagles nests.
1/28/01
Monroe: Erie Marsh/SGA: Take I-75 to the Erie Rd. exit just a fewmiles North of the Ohio border. Go East until this road dead ends ina parking lot in sight of a power plant. Hike East until you hitLake Erie. Begin hiking south to the end of the peninsula. [Note: Iwas out there this weekend, and winter ice forms a natural bridge into the preserve, allowing for a 10+ mile one-way hike.] Contact: Pt. Mouillee SGA at (734)379-9692; maps available at dnr.state.mi.us
7/16/01
I'd also like to backpack the Woodtick Peninsula in Monroe County. It's legal with a free permit during the fall/winter, but I know boaters camp there all the time in the summer and I think you might be able to convince a DNR guy to let you camp there. It's the only place where you can legally backpack on Lake Erie in Michigan - 4 miles or so each way in a little-known area.
9/22/03
On Sunday, I did a little exploratory hike at the Woodtick Peninsulain SE Monroe County. This was a small beach hike. My intent was to judge the current composition of the peninsula. I found that the series of islands that made up the peninsula last year are now connected. However, the connection to the southern peninsula is problematic. One route takes the hiker through knee to waist high water. The second passes through what looks like ankle high mud. The third passes through disorienting marsh reeds. None is a particularly easy solution. I didn't feel like running the gaunlet, so I stopped at 1.5 miles out and decided to return. I'll head back in the coming weeks to find the correct route. Still, the peninsula looks ripe for the taking.
10/04/03
Hike Report: Woodtick Peninsula
A few weeks ago, I reported on the status of the Woodtick Peninsula in extreme SE Monroe County. I had the choice between mud, water or marsh reeds. Today, I went back. The wind was blowing pretty strongly out to sea. This meant that the water in Lake Erie was being stacked up along other areas of the shore. This left water levels along the western shore noticeably lower. It was clear that this had been happening for a few days because the shoreline mud hada chance to solidify. This advantage to the hiker was nullified in some spots by the fact that the solidified wet sand that was present a few weeks earlier had turned into dry, shifting powder. But, I'll take solid mud any day.
Anyway, in years past, there had been a break in the peninsula very near to the base. This made it quite difficult to make it to the later portions of this 5 mile one-way shoreline hike. I even saw small boats pass through the gap at times. One of my favorite hiking moments was when one of these boaters asked me if I was shipwrecked. "No, just hiking," was my response.
This year, the peninsula seems pretty much solid. There was only a small section of weak mud. Several other hikers had placed drift planks on top of the mud. Patiently, I balanced my weight onto these and had little trouble passing onward.
Overall, I hiked about 5 miles, 2.5 miles each way. Lake Erie was quite placid. The beach grasses were very interesting. One section had about 30 or 40 bunches shaped like Afros that were turning purple on the beach. A few had broken from their root system and were tumbling down the beach. Temperatures were quite nice. I also had to pass over the Consumer's Energy hot water outflow area. This was actually quite interesting because it created a large area of whitewater into the lake. Sandbars had formed around this outflowarea. Birds congregated in the many hundreds on these small sandy islands.
Two lighthouses were visible, several sailboats, as well as a lonely fisherman in a boat offshore.
Nice day.
The "trailhead" (one of the most dangerous trailheads in MI) is offof I-75 at the Erie Rd. exit. Drive east to the power plant and parkby the blue barrels. Walk to the lake and hike south.
10/05/03:
Well, the thing is only a mile off of I-75. It's not a park, just a parking area put there by Consumer's Energy. There always seems to be broken glass and for several years, a guy was living in his van there. He was an old Vietnam Veteran who would write warnings on all the area signs warning people to take care of the area or else.
One time, I was a little late in getting back before dark and I ended up raising the awareness of some toughs with a shoreline bonfire. They started to follow me. I picked up a big piece of wood and waved it around as I headed back to my car.
That said, the power plant people have cameras focused on the parking lot and they sponsor beach cleanups. I also see Luna Pier police patrols occasionally. The peninsula is worth it. Bald Eagles, truly wild areas, lots of broad lake views. But it is hard to get past the first half mile.
01/08/04
The Woodtick Peninsula (Erie, MI) solidifies in winter and the vegetation cuts down to reveal a more dependable hike along Lake Erie. Constant wind action also takes snow off the hiking routes. The water outtake from the power plant gathers bald eagles in the wintertime.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Dequindre Cut Walk Info.
I received this post on an email group that I belong to. I think that a hike down the Dequindre Cut might be very interesting. It's June 24th.
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris L. [mailto:clesnies@...]
Sent: Fri 6/8/2007 7:52 PM
To: clesnies@...
Subject: Re: Dequindre Cut Walk
Hello all, Sorry about the lack of updates. Been a little busy with other things at the moment. Ok, so we have scheduled the Dequindre Cut walk for Sunday, June 24th. While there were some good suggestions for parking, I think that parking near the new Staples on E. Jefferson on Joseph Campau might be the best choice. There's some condos over there, the Atwater Block brewery is there, and it's a reasonable distance to the southern entrance of thecut. Be prepared to be there at 10am. We'll nail down a specific meeting spot as the date gets closer. As far as what kind of attire should be worn, I would suggestfull-length jeans/Dickies along with a long sleeve shirt. You can pickup some button-ups cheap at thrift stores and they'll keep you relatively cool. I would recommend thick-soled shoes; no flip-flops, sandals, or slip ons. We'll be walking on rocks, dirt, assorted brush, in addition to whatever has been accumulated down there over the years(paint cans, glass bottles, rail spikes, rail ties, etc). I've included a Google Map of the walk in the bottom of this e-mail. This shows the approximate meeting location and highlights the actual cut in green. The cut itself is about 1 to 1.5 miles long. Factor in the walk from the meeting spot and you have a 2-mile walk at least. Expect to be out and about for 2 to 3 hours. Because of this, I would suggest bringing some water and some snacks - granola bars, trail mix, or pretzels work well. Someone asked about breaking off from the group during the tour. While I cannot stop anyone from staying at a bridge or deciding they need to leave in the middle of the hike, I would advise against it. There's pretty much only a couple easy ways in, and we'll be using two of those entry points on our hike. The issue of safety also comes into play here. One or two people alone are easier targets than a mob of 10-20 people. As far as talking points go, most of it will be informal. I'm not going to make everyone stand around for an hour while I blather on about nothing in particular. At each of the bridges there will be opportunities to stop and photograph the artwork.. While there we'll probably inform tour-goers of the particulars about the pieces at that spot. So there won't be continuous blather but expect bursts of it at each bridge. If you think that someone you know may be interested in hearing about this project, or may wish to contribute to the Dequindre Cut Walk in any way, send their e-mail address my way and I can include them onfuture e-mails.
Regards,Chris Lesnieski
E-mail: clesnies@...
Cell: 734-945-0280
Link:http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=102278440991339833954.00000112814a725467e82
Chris L. wrote:> Hello all!>> First off, I'd like to thank you for your interest in this project. > The more people we have involved or engaged in this project, I believe> the more successful and unique experience the walk will turn out to be.>> This initial e-mail is primarily for giving you my contact information> (found at the bottom) and to throw out a couple of ideas to everyone. > As this project becomes more fleshed-out, I will send out e-mails> updating everyone on the specifics of it. Of course, your input is> more than welcome on any of these issues or anything else you may> foresee!>> One issue which might seem to be the most problematic is the issue of> when. In terms of time of day, ideally it would be nice to conduct> this walk in the morning when it's cooler and when we are less likely> to encounter other people down there. In terms of a calendar date, we> will probably be looking at sometime in July. Holding it in two or> three weeks (early to mid-June) may be a bit of a rush. The Detroit> fireworks will happen the last weekend of June, so I don't believe we> need to make that weekend any busier as it is.>> The other issue - for now - is more logistical in nature. Mainly,> where will people park, get picked up at, enter and exit the cut, and> if anyone can provide transportation. It has been suggested that we> park somewhere close to the RenCen, possibly at McNarney's on Franklin> St. From there, entering the cut on the south end at E. Jefferson,> walking the entire cut to a few blocks north of Gratiot, where we will> come top-side on Division. For the trip back to everyone's cars,> having a bar or establishment that has some sort of bus shuttle us> back would be ideal. Vivio's was one name thrown out there that I> will be looking into.>> Now, here's some links to get people caught up on the background, the> location, and the types of things to experience down in the cut.>> Probably the most-linked article in regards to the cut:> http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/dequindre.aspx>> An update on the cut which links to a Freep article:> http://www.modeldmedia.com/inthenews/dequindrecut9207.aspx>> Google Map showing path to be walked:> http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=102278440991339833954.00000112814a725467e82> <http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=102278440991339833954.00000112814a725467e82>>>>> If you think that someone you know may be interested in hearing about> this project, or may wish to contribute to the Dequindre Cut Walk in> anyway, send their e-mail address my way and I can include them on> future e-mails.>> Regards,> Chris Lesnieski> E-mail: clesnies@...> Cell: 734-945-0280>
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris L. [mailto:clesnies@...]
Sent: Fri 6/8/2007 7:52 PM
To: clesnies@...
Subject: Re: Dequindre Cut Walk
Hello all, Sorry about the lack of updates. Been a little busy with other things at the moment. Ok, so we have scheduled the Dequindre Cut walk for Sunday, June 24th. While there were some good suggestions for parking, I think that parking near the new Staples on E. Jefferson on Joseph Campau might be the best choice. There's some condos over there, the Atwater Block brewery is there, and it's a reasonable distance to the southern entrance of thecut. Be prepared to be there at 10am. We'll nail down a specific meeting spot as the date gets closer. As far as what kind of attire should be worn, I would suggestfull-length jeans/Dickies along with a long sleeve shirt. You can pickup some button-ups cheap at thrift stores and they'll keep you relatively cool. I would recommend thick-soled shoes; no flip-flops, sandals, or slip ons. We'll be walking on rocks, dirt, assorted brush, in addition to whatever has been accumulated down there over the years(paint cans, glass bottles, rail spikes, rail ties, etc). I've included a Google Map of the walk in the bottom of this e-mail. This shows the approximate meeting location and highlights the actual cut in green. The cut itself is about 1 to 1.5 miles long. Factor in the walk from the meeting spot and you have a 2-mile walk at least. Expect to be out and about for 2 to 3 hours. Because of this, I would suggest bringing some water and some snacks - granola bars, trail mix, or pretzels work well. Someone asked about breaking off from the group during the tour. While I cannot stop anyone from staying at a bridge or deciding they need to leave in the middle of the hike, I would advise against it. There's pretty much only a couple easy ways in, and we'll be using two of those entry points on our hike. The issue of safety also comes into play here. One or two people alone are easier targets than a mob of 10-20 people. As far as talking points go, most of it will be informal. I'm not going to make everyone stand around for an hour while I blather on about nothing in particular. At each of the bridges there will be opportunities to stop and photograph the artwork.. While there we'll probably inform tour-goers of the particulars about the pieces at that spot. So there won't be continuous blather but expect bursts of it at each bridge. If you think that someone you know may be interested in hearing about this project, or may wish to contribute to the Dequindre Cut Walk in any way, send their e-mail address my way and I can include them onfuture e-mails.
Regards,Chris Lesnieski
E-mail: clesnies@...
Cell: 734-945-0280
Link:http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=102278440991339833954.00000112814a725467e82
Chris L. wrote:> Hello all!>> First off, I'd like to thank you for your interest in this project. > The more people we have involved or engaged in this project, I believe> the more successful and unique experience the walk will turn out to be.>> This initial e-mail is primarily for giving you my contact information> (found at the bottom) and to throw out a couple of ideas to everyone. > As this project becomes more fleshed-out, I will send out e-mails> updating everyone on the specifics of it. Of course, your input is> more than welcome on any of these issues or anything else you may> foresee!>> One issue which might seem to be the most problematic is the issue of> when. In terms of time of day, ideally it would be nice to conduct> this walk in the morning when it's cooler and when we are less likely> to encounter other people down there. In terms of a calendar date, we> will probably be looking at sometime in July. Holding it in two or> three weeks (early to mid-June) may be a bit of a rush. The Detroit> fireworks will happen the last weekend of June, so I don't believe we> need to make that weekend any busier as it is.>> The other issue - for now - is more logistical in nature. Mainly,> where will people park, get picked up at, enter and exit the cut, and> if anyone can provide transportation. It has been suggested that we> park somewhere close to the RenCen, possibly at McNarney's on Franklin> St. From there, entering the cut on the south end at E. Jefferson,> walking the entire cut to a few blocks north of Gratiot, where we will> come top-side on Division. For the trip back to everyone's cars,> having a bar or establishment that has some sort of bus shuttle us> back would be ideal. Vivio's was one name thrown out there that I> will be looking into.>> Now, here's some links to get people caught up on the background, the> location, and the types of things to experience down in the cut.>> Probably the most-linked article in regards to the cut:> http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/dequindre.aspx>> An update on the cut which links to a Freep article:> http://www.modeldmedia.com/inthenews/dequindrecut9207.aspx>> Google Map showing path to be walked:> http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=102278440991339833954.00000112814a725467e82> <http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=102278440991339833954.00000112814a725467e82>>>>> If you think that someone you know may be interested in hearing about> this project, or may wish to contribute to the Dequindre Cut Walk in> anyway, send their e-mail address my way and I can include them on> future e-mails.>> Regards,> Chris Lesnieski> E-mail: clesnies@...> Cell: 734-945-0280>
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Ocqueoc Falls Article
The Alpena News has an interesting article about Ocqueoc Falls:
http://www.thealpenanews.com/stories/articles.asp?articleID=4149
http://www.thealpenanews.com/stories/articles.asp?articleID=4149
Rogers City Bike Path
The Alpena News had an article about the Rogers City Huron Sunrise Trail.
Excerpts:
"Completion of design work later this year will set the stage for a proposed extension of the Rogers City Huron Sunrise Trail from P.H. Hoeft State Park to 40 Mile Point Lighthouse.R.S. Scott Associates, Inc. has been selected to design the extension, which would add another 2.1 miles to the 3.2 miles of existing bike path that runs from Rogers City to the state park."
"“It completes the original application, which was from Seagull Point to the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse,” Schaedig said. “40 Mile Point Lighthouse is a good destination point.”
Article Link:
http://www.thealpenanews.com/stories/articles.asp?articleID=4230
Excerpts:
"Completion of design work later this year will set the stage for a proposed extension of the Rogers City Huron Sunrise Trail from P.H. Hoeft State Park to 40 Mile Point Lighthouse.R.S. Scott Associates, Inc. has been selected to design the extension, which would add another 2.1 miles to the 3.2 miles of existing bike path that runs from Rogers City to the state park."
"“It completes the original application, which was from Seagull Point to the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse,” Schaedig said. “40 Mile Point Lighthouse is a good destination point.”
Article Link:
http://www.thealpenanews.com/stories/articles.asp?articleID=4230
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