Raft Fun at Big Bass Lake

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The Marion YMCA Bus Ride

Do you remember the Lucille Ball movie, “The Long, Long Trailer”?  Well, on a trip to our property in Michigan from the Marion YMCA we had an old bus to get us there and the trip took a long, LONG time!  It seemed that the top speed of that bus was between 45 and 50 miles an hour in speed zones of 65.  And, for that entire trip we only passed one vehicle and then we did so by going over a railroad track without first stopping and opening our doors.  We were halfway around that person before realizing the tracks were just ahead of us.

 Some of the boys joked that the guy we passed was probably some Amish farmer with a literal two horse engine!  Our bus driver made several stops for bathroom breaks, lunch, and for fuel.  The trip of 360 miles took nearly eleven hours to get us there so since we left at 8 am we didn’t arrive until 7pm leaving us little time to set up the tents and get our camp site in readiness before nightfall.

 Along the way we sang songs, played alphabet games with road signs, snoozed, or just enjoyed the scenery.  However the scenery was just likeIndianauntil we passed Grand Rapids, Michigan, and got onto Michigan 37 for the final eighty miles of our journey and that was all through the Manistee National Forest.  At the time the kids were riveted at just how big that forest actually was as they marveled at passing lakes and streams.

The bus really went slowly up a big hill just outside Baldwin, Michigan, and then the kids looked behind them for a glance at a long dirt road snaking through the forest behind them as if they could see for miles.  Finally just past the Club 37 restaurant we left Michigan 37 and proceeded for the last twelve miles down back roads to Big Bass Lake.  The kids were amazed that we were still in that same forest and for the next ten days, that forest was to be their home. 

We stopped a mile short of our goal at the Big Bass Lake store to get some last minute snack food before proceeding to our property.  But, what a long, LONG trip that had been only to be rewarded with some hard work setting up camp before bedtime.  The fun part of that trip was to commence the next morning.  That long, LONG day was finally about to end. 

Stay Away From This “Paw”

I know that we all have pa’s in our lives but here is one paw that you don’t want showing up on your property. Yes, there are a number of critters that pass your way almost daily like squirrels, raccoons, possum, deer, and rabbits, but this is one track I wouldn’t want to find on my back lawn.

Still bears are getting more common in the Big Bass Lake area considering how deep the forest is in and around the lake. The Manistee National Forest is vast and just behind the lake in almost any direction are vast acres of this national forest. Bears are increasing in number and are also becoming more bold, especially when food is lacking to them.

This is another close up and blown up picture of a bear’s paw that was seen near the channel between Big and Little Bass Lake. So make sure your garbage is in a secure as possible location. And, just be careful out there when hiking in the woods!

The Manistee National Forest From Lake Michigan

I took this picture with my feet in Lake Michigan feeling the cold water lap around them with wave after wave. This picture probably best describes the closeness of the Manistee National Forest to the shores of Lake Michigan as only that small sand dune separates the two. Just over that sand dune is a camping area with picnic tables galore and the road that takes one back out to US 31, and then a short jog over to the Freesoil Road and then back to Big Bass Lake.

Hiking trails also abound in this area. This area also has two multi-step lookout towers that provide you with an excellent panorama of both the Manistee National Forest and Lake Michigan.

An Afternoon at Pine River

After a stop at the Dublin General Store (mentioned a few days ago), the Salesian Boys Club kids and I set out for the Pine River Bridge near Wellston for an afternoon of hiking and dining.  Our gourmet special for the afternoon was hot dogs and potato salad.  First, though, the kids descended down a spiral wooden staircase that was situated over a spring that gently flowed down beneath their feet. 

Once at the bottom, there was a sandy trail that led under the spacious Pine River Bridge and into the picnic ground.  While one of the boys and I began to prepare lunch, my older member, Jughead, took the rest of the boys on a hike along the river where they could observe both canoes and kayaks floating by.  They walked to where they could easily observe the island (above) and then returned back to the picnic area.

By then delicious hot dogs awaited them along with several condiments plus potato salad and soft drinks.  Then the kids played Frisbee or just took it easy before our return walk under he bridge and back up that spiral staircase to our car above.  You know, come to think of it, I never took the kids over that bridge by way of the car as our destination was in the opposite direction back to Big Bass Lake. 

Even so the kids were always impressed with our Pine River side trips that gave them an afternoon away from our campsite at Big Bass Lake.