State Parks Forge Partnership with Leave No Trace

The National Association of State Parks Directors, composed of the leaders of America's fifty state park systems and Puerto Rico, and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, a nonprofit organization that teaches outdoor environmental skills and ethics, just signed a formal partnership agreement. The agreement is intended to engage individual state parks around the country with Leave No Trace on-site educational programs. The partnership will work to expose millions of park users to environmental messages and minimum impact skills as well as make available new training resources for state park employees.

Upon signing the agreement, Leave No Trace's Executive Director Dana Watts said, "This is a vital step for the thousands of state parks in our country. Leave No Trace is already the environmental ethics program of many federal land management agencies and this important partnership with state parks extends the clear, concise Leave No Trace program to people enjoying their local recreational resources."

The United States has 5,842 state parks and over 827 million people use the state parks each year. This agreement makes widespread Leave No Trace programming available to the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) as well as individual state parks.

Greg Butts, President of NASPD, noted that the Leave No Trace is a perfect fit for the nation's state parks stewardship responsibilities. Butts said, "It's a people program, it's a behavior program, and it's a program that will reduce maintenance issues and increase stewardship on the part of our park visitors."

The Leave No Trace program promotes a consistent, minimum impact message for visitors to recreation lands. The organization is dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people worldwide. Since its founding in 1994, Leave No Trace has provided training in every state in the U.S. and over 25 countries. There are more than 25,000 active volunteers and members who help provide trainings and outreach that impacts more than 22 million people annually in the U.S. alone.

a news release of Leave No Trace, "State Parks Forge New Environmental Partnership", Sept 28, 2007
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Get Off The Couch

Dow Opens Access Point on Pere Marquette Lake for Ice Fishing

"Dow’s goal has always been to be a good neighbor to the community who has given us so much," said Bill Berrett, general manager of Dow’s Ludington operations, as reported by the Ludington Daily News. "As we survey area residents, ice anglers in particular have been very vocal about the need to have access to fish from Dow's property on Buttersville Peninsula. After addressing all the associated issues, we are extremely pleased to have found a way to make this happen. Based on the input from the community and the positive response from our own employees, I am confident that the news will be well-received."

Dow Chemical Company has opened the access road off Lakeshore Drive, Ludington, on the Buttersville peninsula from Jan 1 to March 15. This allows access to the sand dock area on Pere Marquette Lake. The site was originally closed for chemical industry security reasons. By adding a gate on the road, the company can both meet the security regulations, and grant access during the winter months.

Anglers have continually fished the lake in this area, but had to walk around the peninsula known as the sand dock to get there. This was often a dangerous walk, but one that people were willing to risk for the pike and steelhead which seem to like that area of the lake.

Users do so at their own risk, and Dow will not plow, maintain or monitor the site.

from the Ludington Daily News, "P.M. Lake site to be open Jan. 1 to March 15", by Brian Mulherin, Jan 2, 2008
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Fishing

New Year's Day at the Beach

West Olive resident Scott DeVries rides a wakeboard as he skis Tuesday during a snowstorm. photo by Chris Potter, Muskegon Chronicle

It was just an ordinary day at the beach... in Michigan! Snow and wind can't keep some enthusiasts from water skiing, wakeboarding, and scuba diving.

The West Michigan Water Ski Association's Grand City Show Skiers headed for Pigeon Lake near Holland on New Year's Day for some water fun. The annual tradition began in the 1970's when the group wanted to extend the water skiing season.

Men and women, aged 12 on up participate. Several families have multi-generation involvement.

Most skiers wear wet or dry suits, but one man chose to ski barefoot around the lake this year in swim shorts. He then had to swim to shore in the frigid water. His friends were waiting with a bucket of hot water which they poured over him.

Not far away, scuba divers suited up for some forays under the ice.

The event even attracted some spectators, those who chose to stay dry and warmer. But skiers such as Scott DeVries countered, "It's always fun to go back to the office and brag to people what you did for New Year's."

from the Muskegon Chronicle, "Water skiers brave chill on Pigeon Lake", Jan 2, 2008
from the Holland Sentinel, "Brave souls chill out in new year", by Stephen Kloosterman, Jan 2, 2008
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Get Off The Couch

North Country Trail Re-route Near Mesick to be Explained January 10 in Manistee

Proposed NCT reroute near Mesick in red, existing trail and connectors in blue and black

The Grand Traverse Hiking Club Chapter (GTH) of the North Country Trail Association is working hard to establish approximately eight new miles of off-road trail near Hodenpyl Dam Pond and the village of Mesick.

GTH leaders have initiated talks with Consumers Energy company, the primary landowner along the proposed route for the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT). Consumers Energy has responded positively, and although formal agreements have yet to be secured, plans are moving forward.

Arlen Matsen, of GTH, writes that the reroute will proceed "from the Marilla Trailhead [on Beers Road] east towards Hodenpyl Dam. This route continues along the back-water through tall pine trees interspersed with views of the water. Crossing M-115, it will continue along the river on an abandoned railroad bed, eventually reaching M-37." Volunteer Lower Peninsula Trail Coordinator, Joan Young, has also walked portions of the proposed route and reports that the new miles will be as beautiful as any to be found in lower Michigan as the trail winds along the Pond, and the Manistee River. Camping opportunities along the route are available at several commercial, but rustic campgrounds.

From M-37, until the route rejoins the existing NCT, there is still work to be done to determine where the trail would go.

The village of Mesick is very interested in connecting to the NCT via a spur trail, to become more of a trail town. This would be a great asset for the trail as well, since there is nowhere that a long distance hiker can re-supply or take a day off at a motel so close to the trail for many miles south through the Manistee National Forest.

At the southwest end of the new route there will be changes which affect the Spirit of the Woods Chapter's trail. The northernmost 2.5 miles of existing trail in the National Forest, north of Beers Road, would no longer be a part of the NCT.

On January 10, at the Lake Bluff Audubon House in Manistee, Grand Traverse members Dick Naperala and John Heiam will present details of this plan and the current level of progress. This will be the program of the regularly scheduled chapter meeting for the Spirit of the Woods. There will be a brief business meeting at 7pm, and the program will begin at 7:30. The meeting is open to the public. The Audubon House is located at 2890 Lakeshore Road, just north of Orchard Beach State Park.

by Joan H. Young
See Spirit of the Woods Chapter of the North Country Trail Association
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See North Country Trail

Mason County Historical Society President Reports

It was another busy year for the Mason County Historical Society. During the year we consummated an agreement with the City of Ludington which will allow us to operated a Port of Ludington Maritime Museum in the old Coast Guard Station. Presently, we are working with architectural firms to create a "top notch" museum. We are also working with the city to help them obtain ownership of the Station from the General Services Administration.

An endowment fund was established with the Community Foundation for Mason County along with a separate Maritime Project Fund. This was made possible through the generous support of our members. The endowment fund will provide long term income to support the operation and tasks of our Society. Contributions to the endowment fund are not spent by the Society, but rather conservatively invested by the Community Foundation. The earnings from these investments will provide future revenue for our needs. In addition, we have created a Maritime Fund for those who would like to contribute directly to the Mason County Historical Society.

Our Farm Tool Skills Learning Center [at White Pine Village] is well underway and should be completed by next summer. Construction is nearly complete for our Agricultural Equipment Buildings. Progress on other projects is moving at a slower pace. You will learn more about these and other activities at our annual meeting.

Exploring sites of historical interest can be an interesting way to "get off the couch" in a low-impact way. This is the reason such activities have been included in the Get Off The Couch resource. - Editor

by Dick Rathsack
from History Happenings, "President's Message", Nov, 2007- see FAIR USE notice.
See White Pine Village
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Historic Sites

Great Lakes Precipitation Masks Evaporation

Recent water-level declines in the Lake Michigan–Huron system correlate with an increase in evaporation over the past century and a half.

The extent of falling water levels on North America's Great Lakes may have been hidden by higher precipitation in the past few decades, which could have obscured higher evaporation rates in the region. photo: NASA

The water levels of Lakes Michigan and Huron may be dropping faster than anyone realized. Higher precipitation in the past few decades may have masked the rapidly falling lake levels.

Lakes Michigan and Huron are often considered to be one single system since they are interconnected at the Straits of Mackinac. Dredging of the St. Clair River where the lakes drain into Erie, the next lake in the chain, has been considered as a possible reason for the lowering water levels.

However, the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and Duke University have been examining data collected from 1860 to 2006. They have found a slight correlation between precipitation and the 11-year sunspot cycle.

They did find that the increased precipitation since 1970 is masking the expected drop due to evaporation. "Evaporation made a dramatic switch in 1977 from less than –1 millimeter per year (mm/yr) to almost 4 mm/yr, according to the team's modeling. 'We see some patterns but not enough [to be] consistent with climate change,'" Cynthia Sellinger of GLERL says, referring to both increased evaporation and decreased precipitation.

Other researches claim that the model used is too simple. The independent U.S.–Canada International Joint Commission (IJC), which advises on policy and management for the Great Lakes, is examining possible reasons behind the lower Michigan–Huron lake levels. IJC expects to report results by spring 2009.

Frank Quinn, formerly a GLERL hydrologist and a current participant in the IJC study says, "my contention is that the current low levels are due to changes in water supply," mainly between the upper lakes and Lake Erie. He also concurs that the relatively simple data analysis in the new research does not capture long-term natural hydrological cycles of the lakes, including glacial rebound. Other human impacts include not only dredging, but such things as gravel mining.

read the full story at Environmental Science and Technology, "Great Lakes evaporate away", Nov 21, 2007
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Get Off The Couch

New Trail at Bowman Lake is Complete

New Bowman Lake Trail

The new Bowman Lake trail section is now complete. There is an informal parking area where the Bowman Lake trail and the North Country trail cross with a signpost and decals for the Bowman Lake trail.

Back in June of 2006 we asked Baldwin District of the Manistee National Forest if they would consider opening a new trail in the Bowman Semi-Primitive Area using some abandoned and overgrown roads west of the existing North Country Trail section. After discussion and evaluation they agreed early this year.

The new trail, not yet officially named, will run southwesterly from an unimproved parking area along 40th Street, cross the NCT and then turn southeasterly, continuing until it intersects the existing Bowman Lake loop trail. The route is approximately 2.7 miles long and about half way it passes within 100 feet of the NCT, where we have a connector between the two trails. This new trail will allow three loop hike options of (approximately) 1.5, 5.0 and 6.5 miles.

There will also be a secondary route that leaves the new trail, heads west to a wetland area and then curves back around to rejoin the main trail. This was flagged in 2007 but we'll be adjusting the actual location until sometime in 2008 when construction of this segment will start.

The tread is being routed mostly along the old road. We've gone off road only where drainage is very bad. We've wound the trail back and forth along the old road trying to use the highest, best drained portion. We've brought in duff and deadfall to help define the new corridor and disguise the old roadbed.

Regulatory signs are being added and encapsulated maps installed at both ends. We'll be watching the tread and may make a few adjustments next year. The terrain is mostly flat or gently rolling and it looks like it might be decent for cross-country skiing. The area is mature hardwood forest with little to no understory vegetation.

Many thanks to Deb Krieger, Don Dekker and Rich Krieger from the NCTA and Kathy Bietau from the Baldwin District Forest Service who have put in many hours planning and working to get this trail completed. Also a big thank you to Bill Kelly and the summer interns from Baldwin District Forest Service for helping to blaze the trail.

Maps are available from Rich Krieger at or the Baldwin District office.

from newsletter of the Spirit of the Woods Chapter of the North Country Trail Association, Jan 2008 and Oct 2007, by Rich Krieger
See Spirit of the Woods Chapter of the North Country Trail Association
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Hiking

Murphy Family Searches Mauna Kea One Last Time for Missing Hiker

Sisters-in-law, Sarah O'Hare and Bridget Wallman traveled from Michigan to Hawaii on the day after Christmas to make one final attempt to find their father. Brian Murphy, a 67-year-old retiree from Detroit went hiking on December 5 and never returned. While he was out, a blizzard settled in on the summit of Mauna Kea, where Murphy was walking. He never returned. His car, with his wallet inside was found in the parking area. An official search was conducted for six days, but no trace of the hiker was found.

O'Hare reported that the duo was realistic, saying, "I think you have to protect your heart -- you're going to go home alone."

Nevertheless, about 25 volunteers, and firefighters joined the renewed search with the sisters. They checked tree to tree and under bushes. They looked in crevices where Murphy might have tried to find shelter from the weather. With new information from the family members concerning how Murphy might have reacted, and what his abilities would have allowed, three additional days of searching were conducted.

After finding no signs of Murphy a second time, firefighters terminated the search yesterday.

The sisters are headed home with some sense of closure. They thanked everyone who helped in the search. "We feel they put in extraordinary effort. We're enormously grateful," O'Hare said.

from Honolulu Star Bulletin, "Hiker’s family makes final search", by Robert Shikina, Dec 31, 2007
See Search for Michigan Man Missing in Hawaii Called Off
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Get Off The Couch

Fish & Wildlife Service Promotes Connecting People With Nature

Selected FWS employees from across the nation were nominated to represent their regions at the December 3-7, 2007 "Connecting People with Nature: Making it Happen in Your Community" training workshop at the National Conservation Training Center. The week was both motivational and informative. The goal of the workshop was to "motivate and prepare participants to serve as ambassadors at their field stations and in their local communities to work with children and families to develop strong, enduring conservation values by connecting people with the natural world."

To that end, regional representatives heard from a host of fabulous presenters, including Director, H. Dale Hall, NCTC director, Rick Lemon, recently retired Mamie Parker, professor and demographics expert, Emilyn Sheffield, and wildlife photographer, Dudley Edmondson, among others.

The over-arching theme was to connect people with nature, which director Dale Hall has identified as one the Service’s six highest priorities. He told participants in his address that if we don’t do this, nothing else we do matters. The message was consistent, clear and succinct: Build a citizen base with a conservation ethic or risk extinction. In other words, if there was an endangered species list for government agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would be on it.

Speakers encouraged participants to develop strategies to help Americans, specifically those in key demographic groups to establish a personal connection with nature. Professor Sheffield painted a lucid picture, keying in on the changing demographics in the United States. She encouraged the Service to make connections with people of color by highlighting our refuges and other natural resources as vacation destinations and recreation venues. The workshop culminated with a poignant play about Rachel Carson.

from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3, December 2007 Newsletter (a pdf)- see FAIR USE notice.
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Get Off The Couch

Getting Acquainted with a Good Snowflake

From Stellar Dendrites to Capped Columns, snowflake watching is a sport with a whole new vocabulary. But in sunny California, physics professor Kenneth Libbrecht grows flakes, photographs them, and then mails them to Michigan. Well, maybe only if you buy a book or some note cards. Libbrecht is chairman of the Physics Department at the California Institute of Technology and the author of the Field Guide to Snowflakes.

In 1951 the International Commission on Snow and Ice produced a widely used classification system for solid precipitation

"Each snowflake is like a fingerprint. The odds of getting two the same is really astronomical and too low to even consider," said Bill Borghoff, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Dendrites make the best snowflakes for skiing, snowman building and sledding. When they pile up the result is a fluffy powder, because the crystals are thin and light. If it's windy the snowflakes fracture, and there will be less accumulation because the fragments pack down more. Flakes are also smaller if the temperature is lower.

Studying snowflakes can help scientists understand crystal formation, and important field of knowledge to the computer industry.

The Beloit Daily News says, "Locations near large lakes or rivers are a good place to start looking for larger and more ornate flakes. For those who travel, snowflake watching is also common in areas such as Northern Ontario, Alaska, Vermont, the Michigan Upper Peninsula, and the Sierra Nevada mountains of California."

from Beloit Daily News, "How to identify snowflakes", by Hilary Gavan, Dec 31, 2007
See SnowCrystals.com
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Get Off The Couch

The Tradition Endures: 60 Years of the AuSable River Canoe Marathon

The Tradition Endures

"Have you ever watched the crazy running start to the AuSable River Canoe Marathon or watched the paddlers race through the night from Grayling to Oscoda?" asks the Gaylord Herald Times.

A new book, "The Tradition Endures: 60 Years of the AuSable River Canoe Marathon," brings the reader 104 pages of highlights from what is billed as the longest non-stop canoe race in North America and the world's toughest spectator race. It contains over 100 new photographs from the races.

The Grayling to Oscoda Canoe Marathon is staged the last weekend in July of each year, and is North America's richest canoe race with over $50,000 cash and prizes awarded.

The book focuses on the last 10 years, taking up where an earlier volume "Experience the Tradition: The First 50 Years of the AuSable River Canoe Marathon," which sold out.

"One April, the father and son team of Bob and Mike Bradford paddled upstream on the AuSable all the way from Lake Huron in Oscoda to Grayling 112 miles," said Jon Thompson, one of the book’s authors. "Then they portaged with their canoe and camping equipment over to the Manistee River and paddled all the way to Lake Michigan, about 151 miles. Along the way, they encountered ice on some of the ponds behind dams and had to portage a total of 31 miles."

"The Tradition Endures" includes:

• The best canoe racing teams ever
• The world’s toughest fans
• Unbelievable training stories
• Weather versus the Marathon
• The Memorial Monument lives!
• The aging of the Marathon

The book is a fundraiser for the AuSable Marathon with 100% of the purchase price going to the AuSable River International Canoe Marathon. Volunteers working on the book are authors John Cook, Nancy Lemmen, and Jon Thompson and Photography/Editing Assistant: Pam Williams.

from the Gaylord Herald Times, "AuSable Marathon focus of new book", Dec 22, 2007 and AuSable Canoe Marathon book order form
See AuSable Canoe Marathon
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Boating

Sled Dog Racing- A North American Tradition

Mushers at Au Gres Fun Run photo from M.U.S.H.

Sled dog racing is one of North America's oldest winter sports and can be traced back to the Eskimos and Northern Indians. They depend on teams of sled dogs for faithful companionship, assistance in hunting and as a sole means of transportation during the long winter months. In 1908, the first formal racing event the "All Alaskan Sweepstakes" was run from Nome to Candle and back, a distance of 408 miles, with a winning time of 119 hours, 15 minutes, 12 seconds.

In January 1925, Nome once again became the site of another historic race. Diphtheria was discovered and the supply of antitoxin was inadequate to avoid an epidemic. A reply of 22 native and mail teams forged through the rough interior of Alaska and across the frozen Bering Sea to deliver the serum on time. Sled dog teams have also aided exploration of northern frontiers by Byrd, Peary and Amundsen.

Artic breeds such as Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyeds and Siberian Huskies are frequently used in sled dog racing but other breeds have also been used and crossbreeds are common. Belgian Tervurens, Border Collies, Labrador Retrievers and other breeds may be seen in many races together with their crossbred cousins. Often referred to as the Alaskan Husky – the Alaskan Husky is the hybrid sled dog.

The dogs of today's racing teams have strong, slightly arched backs, well-angled shoulders and a deep chest, denoting good lung capacity. Compact tough feet and a protective coat of hair aid the dogs. Size is also a very important factor with most racing dogs averaging 23 inches at the shoulders and weighing less than 55 pounds. An overweight dog, like an overweight person cannot run marathon distances at a competitive pace. Drivers favor dogs that are even-tempered, gentle and able to stand the pressures of a rigorous training and schedule. A sled dog may put in 2,000 miles in a training season and be transported in vehicles many thousands of miles over the coarse of a 3-month season.

Sled dogs are among the best cared for animals in the world. Because the sport is based on athletic performance, the Musher must be constantly alert to anything that might endanger the health of his or her dog team members. Many mushers use a balanced and fortified meat-based diet to provide the compact, highly digestible high quality protein and energy that the dogs need.

Mid Union Sled Haulers (M.U.S.H.) holds races throughout the state during the winter months. Western Michigan venues include Jan. 12-13 Fort Custer St. Pk., Jan. 19-20 Lost Lake Boy Scout Reservation, Farwell, MI, and Feb. 16-17 Wooden Nickel Memorial, Baldwin MI.

from Mid Union Sled Haulers, M.U.S.H.- see FAIR USE notice.
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Get Off The Couch