Amish Repair Lookout Tower

A crew of 21 Amish workers,supervisors and support staff from the Conservative Anabaptist Service Program completed a number of projects in support of the Cadillac-Manistee Ranger District. They repaired the Lake Michigan Recreation Area-Staircase and platform reconstruction at one overlook and the removal and naturalization of the southern overlook.

As you can see, they did a marvelous job and the removal of the southern outlook was long overdue.  There really only needs to be one lookout tower at the Lake Michigan Recreation Area.  This volunteer opportunity allowed for a cultural exchange between the Amish and Forest Service communities.  My personal thanks go out to those wonderful Amish workers who made this new platform a reality.

The Ever Daunting Sand Dunes

Whenever I am at the Lake Michigan Recreation Area, I am somewhat leary of those majestic sand dunes before me. Being quite petite, for every step I take upward, those shifting sands take my feet several steps backwards instead.  And, since that sand is very hot to begin with frustration mounts as I seem to be getting nowhere fast.

That is why I prefer to capture them on film over that of mounting them.  In my mind I can climb them any time I desire ss I glance t my finished product.  I am a very unabashed climber in my living room as I mount those majestic dunes in my imagination as  I glance at several photographs of them.  And my feet do not burn much to my pleasure.

Now, I’ve never minded running down those dunes as that seems to be my favorite way of attacking them.  I always have my husband’s hand and patience in gong back up them.  I strongly prefer the dunes facing Lake Michigan between Ludington and the Hamlin Dam area as they are much easier for me to climb.  So why climb then when they are much easier to photograph?  Then I can leave my climbing to my imagination which is a far better climber than I could ever hope to be.  I love it when  plan comes together!

The Imaginary Line

I’ve never been much good at understanding imaginary lines such as the one that exists between the Nordhouse Dunes and the Lake Michigan Recreation Area. I like to call the former the primitive section of the Recreation Area where you can’t find roads or motor cards as it’s primitive as can be. Now where have I heard that line before?

What you can find here is unspoiled nature at its finest! There are miles and miles of land to explore. I love to take my huskie dogs Frick and Frack here because they have the time of their lives. This is where the Manistee National Forest hugs the shoreline of dunes and Lake Michigan in a shared respect for one another.

Once you get here you won’t want to leave.  If you want to get in touch with your inner self this is the place to be.  I’m always armed with a compass and canteen whenever I come to this place of the imaginary line.  I like to think of this area as my own private beach similar to the one on M-116 just outside of Ludington. 

If you’re ever in the area, give Nordhouse a try even if you might have to cross some imaginary line to get there from the Recreation Area. 

Inner Tube Fun at Lake Michigan

The last two days I have been talking about the Lookout Tower at the Lake Michigan Recreation Area. Today the focus is on what the kids from the Salesian Boys Club observed to the west, that being Lake Michigan itself. From the bottom of those stairs we hung a right and up one sand dune and down the very same and we were on the shores of that Great Lake. However this Area has unsupervised swimming. And, it is one of the few places where the Manistee National Forest hugs the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

The boys jumped into the lake with their inner tubes and spent an hour bobbing up and down in the waves. Then I tossed out a beach ball to them and they spent another hour either playing catch or trying to ride that large beach ball. A few of the boys spread out their towels to catch a few rays of the sun. I got a kick out of Mike Jones trying his best to force that beach ball underwater with little success.

After our swimming time, the boys enjoyed a grilled hot dog lunch at the picnic area before taking a short hike on one of the Recreation Area trails before heading home to Big Bass Lake. The Recreation Area was always a favorite off-site trip for any boys club group of boys. It provided them with almost a full afternoon of fun and exploration.

235 Steps Up to the Lookout Tower- Part Two

The Salesian Boys Club kids had themselves an hour once atop this lookout tower. For half that time they played king of the hill down the shaded dune to the east and had a blast. The sand was so cool there. Then for the rest of that hour, they just talked about what a great view they were taking in while snapping some great pictures with their cameras.

Then we all climbed back down those 235 steps and hung a right at the bottom.  We went up and down a singular dune and had all of Lake Michigan before us.  We spend about two hours swimming in that unsupervised area as well as getting a tan while sun-bathing. 

After that we grilled some hot dogs and had them with soda pop before heading back to Big Bass Lake.  This location was always a favorite with the boys even more so than at Ludington.  And, I had about a year before I would again be climbing those 235 steps with the next group of kids coming up to our property. 

235 Steps Up to the Lookout Tower- Part One

Wow! This brings back those memories with the Salesian Boys Club of Columbus, Ohio, when we came to the Lake Michigan Recreation Area. I recall that even in my late 20′s, I was tired by the time I got to the top of this lookout tower. To the east all you could see was the Manistee National Forest and to the west Lake Michigan.

Just to the east of the tower was a steep downhill run on a sand dune that was shaded by trees.  At the very bottom of the dune was all forest as the sand ended right at the bottom.  The sun rarely had any impact on that sun so the boys could go both ways without their feet getting scorched. 

The kids enjoyed the view and were more amazed at the forest side as all they could see were trees.  But they should have known that for ever since they left US 31, the last seven miles were all forest.  Yet once we got to the parking lot of the Recreation Area, there was one sand dune to climb and then Lake Michigan was before them for all the swimming fun they could ask for.

The question remains as to whether or not there were really 235 steps up to the top of that tower.  Each step was a hot one, though, as the sun did have access to those wooden stairs.  Thus it kept you moving fast all the way to the top. 

Tomorrow I will have some more on our trip to this lookout tower.

Recreation Areas of the Manistee National Forest

The Manistee National Forest is located in the west-central part of Michigan, a small part of which borders the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. It is comprised of 533,901 acres. There are 17 developed campgrounds including the one you see here.

The Manistee National Forest is a place of water, trees, sand, and a diverse recreation opportunities. Most of the Forest’s developed camping locations are located in mixed woods of birch, maple, and pine along either a stream, river, or lake. With all this water, fishing and boating are popular. But water sports run a close second to hiking and plain old relaxing.

In a forest as heavily harvested as the area now called Manistee National Forest, it is difficult to find old-growth woods. The only area in the Forest with this feature is along the Pere Marquette River; the rest of the Forest has the look of a new forest. During the late 1930s through early 1940s, the Civilian Conservation Corp planted an amazing number of pine trees to reforest the area. Look for tree planted in neat, even rows in a precision order not seen in nature.

The western edge of the Manistee National Forest is bound by Lake Michigan. There is only one developed forest campground located on its shores. It is appropriately named Lake Michigan and is in the Lake Michigan Recreation Area. Lake Michigan campground, sandwiched between the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness and Nordhouse Semi-primitive Motorized Area, feature sites for car, tent, recreational vehicle (RV) and motor home camping enthusiasts. Lake, Dunes, and Semi-primitive area features provide Lake Michigan Recreation Area with a delightful number and variety of recreational opportunities, making it a great location for a family camping vacation.

Three major rivers wind through the Manistee National Forest to Lake Michigan. They are Pine, Manistee, and Pere Marquette Rivers. Pine River, the “smallest”, winds its way as a fast flowing waterway to the Manistee River. For those who think they might want to challenge Pine River, it is recommended for only experienced canoeists who do not mind taking an unplanned dip. The Manistee River is a wider, slower moving, “family” river. And, fisherman claim the Pere Marquette River is the best fishing river in the Forest.

There are several hundred miles of trails winding through the Manistee National Forest. Some trails are designated for mountain bikes while others are specifically designed for off- road-vehicles. Even more are reserved for foot traffic only. The Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness, adjacent to Michigan Lake Recreation Area, offers miles of interesting foot-only trails through 3,500 to 4,000 year old sand dunes. Between the 140 foot high dunes scattered along Lake Michigan’s shoreline, visitors find patches of vegetation and small water holes and marshes full of wildlife.

The North Country Trail (NCT) is a National Scenic Trail which, when completed, will stretch across 3,200-miles of this country. About 100 miles wind across the Manistee National Forest. Although the developed campgrounds of Bear Track, and Bowman Bridge aren’t adjacent to the NCT, they are close enough to be a base camp for the Trail’s many hikers.

One of the more interesting recreational activities found in the Manistee National Forest is morel (mushroom) hunting. The most popular of the edible mushrooms found in the Forest’s woodlands, morel hunting attracts novices as well as expert searchers. The best time for morels is May but with more than 100 different types of mushroom, mushroom hunting is a summer-long activity. With some being poisonous, be sure to bring a good mushroom identification book.

The Manistee National Forest has a great deal to offer its visitors: miles upon miles of trails for about every mode of travel imagineable; a variety of bird and water fowl keep birdwatchers busy from one season to the next; exploring the edge of a placid lake in a canoe or experiencing the thrill of tubing down a churning river; and, the pleasure of sitting next to a campfire under a sky filled with twinkling stars.

 

Climbing Those Many Steps

In my younger days, I could run all these steps to the top of the lookout tower without even breaking a sweat.  Now in my advancing years, it takes a tad longer to climb the some 400 steps to get to the top and what you see is just the first tier of steps.  There are several more but when you do get to the top you have a super view of both the Manistee National Forest to the east and Lake Michigan to the west.

This particular lookout tower, and there are two here, is at the Lake Michigan Recreational Center which is about midway between Scottville and Manistee, Michigan.  It is about seven miles due west of US 31 and full the full extent of that ride all you can see are trees from this national forest.  Once you park in the lot there is only a small sand dune between you and Lake Michigan and this staircase is at the base of that dune.

Just below the tower is  a huge shaded dune down to te very essence of this forest.  Rather than hot sand, it is a cool walk due to the shade offered by the forest.  Sometimes I wish this site would have an escalator for us older folks.

Lake Michigan Recreational Center Lookout Tower

One of my favorite places to visit is the Lake Michigan Recreational Center which is about twenty miles from where I live. There are no lifeguards at this beach so swimming is at your own risk. The center is off US 31 halfway between Manistee and Scottville. From that point on all you’ll find is a curvy road and the Manistee National Forest until the road ends.

The Manistee National Forest actually touches the sand dunes and that is all there is between the forest itself and Lake Michigan. Climbing the lookout tower is an exercise in itself especially in the summer. But what a view once you reach the top. The stairs to this tower are just before the path over the dunes to the beach.

Once on top you can not only view Lake Michigan but on the flip side is the neverending forest where you can see for literally miles.

There is also a camping ground at the center along with a picnic area, restrooms, and even showers.

The Lake Michigan Recreational Area

Here I am atop the lookout tower at the Lake Michigan Recreational Area with a beautiful view of the Manistee National Forest behind me. In front of me is Lake Michigan in all its glory so you get the best of both worlds from this vista. Directly behind me and under me is a vast sand dune that reaches down into the bowels of this forest.

I had taken a boys club trip to this are and the kids were busy taking my picture while begging to take a swim on this rather hot day. We had brought inner tubes to enjoy a rather wavy day. The kids had a blast swimming and this is the time where we had laid our towels and other materials down and gone into the water. After about an hour of frolic we went back ashore only to find nothing of our equipment! We thought someone had ripped us off but unknown to us, the current of Lake Michigan was the culprit.

It had taken us downshore about a half mile without anyone noticing a thing. As we walked back on shore we found all our stuff right where we had left it. All that seemingly movement without us feeling a thing! Remarkable.