Idlewild Park

pier at Idlewild Park (photo from the Ludington Daily News)

based on a news article in the Ludington Daily News

The culmination of a three-year project was realized on October 25, with the dedication and opening of public access to Idlewild Lake. The project, named Idlewild Lake Access Park, has been part of the dream of those who are seeking to restore Idlewild. The village was formerly a preferred vacation spot for African-Americans, before civil rights and equal access.

The new park is located on about 10 acres of land at the south end of the lake. Facilities include an accessible fishing pier, picnic tables, a sandy canoe beach, and water pump. Most of the park is on a bluff overlooking the lake, with a paved ramp leading to the water.

The park's creation has been a partnership between the Michigan DNRE and Yates Township. Ron Olson, DNRE recreation division chief, said, "The no-fee park will be a good place symbol for Idlewild and a functional place for people to enjoy the lake."
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Holland Downtown Will Have Temporary Ice Rink

family skating (photo by JHY)

from various sources

Holland, Michgan, City Council has approved $6000 for the creation and maintenance of a temporary outdoor ice rink, as an experiment. The exact location is still under consideration, but two possible sites are between College and Columbia Avenues, on 7th or 8th St. The other location is Riverside Park.

The money will be used for a liner, 18-inch high boards, brackets, a resurfacer, and other construction needs to prepare the site and maintain the rink. Although the usability of the rink will depend completely upon the weather, Councilwoman Nancy DeBoer calls this an “experiment.” To build a permanent rink would cost in the neighborhood of $1-4 million dollars. This option is a very inexpensive way to test the idea, and gauge local interest.

The temporary rink will be 70 feet by 100 feet. The Council plans to determine the exact location within two weeks, and materials should be on-site in a month.

See WHTC
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Michigan AG Rules Highways Open to All Modes of Travel

by JHY

Complete Streets Coalition seeks to promote better planning for highways and streets, so that all users have a good chance of safe passage. Not everyone agrees with the idea of building streets with bicycle and pedestrian lanes included. The concept has been challenged on the basis that these non-motorized uses are not included in "highway purposes."

On October 21, 2010, the Michigan Attorney General's Office handed down a ruling which states that all such uses are, definitely, included in "highway purposes."

The conclusion states, "A pedestrian and bicycle pathway may be established within the right-of-way of a county road built on an easement granted for highway purposes, without first obtaining the consent of each owner of property abutting the highway."

Many historical rulings were referenced in the decision. It was noted that although easement uses must be confined to the purposes for which it was reserved, that all modes of surface transportation, and public communication/ utility transmission have historically been included in those purposes.

When a highway is not restricted in use (such as an Interstate federal highway), it is open to all suitable uses. The Court added that the uses to which highway easements may be put evolve over time, in recognition of technological developments.

This is great news for the future of transportation in Michigan.

See Michigan AG Ruling
See Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance
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See Grand Rapids Opens First Complete Street

State Forest Facilities Face Yet More Budget Cuts

tenting (photo by JHY)

based on a news article at M-Live

This year, yet again, there is less money to maintain State Forest facilities in Michigan. Another $300,000 has been taken from the forest recreation budget, leaving just $240,000 for maintenance of 133 rustic state forest campgrounds and more than 60 miles of non-motorized trail.

"We’re going to have to go in a different direction," said Lynn Boyd, chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Forest, Mineral and Fire Management division.

Trails, including ski trails, will only be maintained where there are contractual agreements, or arrangements with volunteer groups in place. Money from the new recreation Passport program (the voluntary $10 fee associated with license plate purchases) will not begin to trickle down to the agency, for use, until 2012.

As a result of budget cuts, 12 State Forest Campgrounds were closed in 2009. These will remain closed. Half may be turned over to the recreation division of the DNRE for management as mini-state parks.

Only the The VASA Trail in Acme, Ogemaw Hills in West Branch and Blueberry Ridge in Marquette will be groomed for skiing this year, as they are worked under contracts. All other trails will remain open, but unmaintained.

A recent hike at Sheep Ranch Pathway, near Baldwin, bore evidence of the no-maintenance status. Selective logging over the past two years has left portions of the trail in bad shape. The treadway is obliterated. In one day, a handful of volunteers could restore it, but for now, the state has no means to provide the quality of recreational opportunities that it advertises.

See Sheep Ranch Pathway
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Grass Fire at Nordhouse Dunes

Nordhouse Lake (photo by JHY)

based on a news article in the Ludington Daily News

A small grass fire was contained at the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness in Mason County last week. A hiker discovered that an abandoned campfire on the northwest shore of Nordhouse Lake had spread, and began to knock the fire down even while summoning the U.S. Forest Service.

Carol Nilsson, USFS Fire Information Officer, reported that the fire was pretty much under control when crews arrived. The area burned was small, about 0.2 acres. Nordhouse Dunes is a popular federal Wilderness. If a fire would have gotten a hold the area could have been devastated.

Nilsson added that they are seeing fires burn quite deep this fall. The area is rich in peat, and fires tend to burn underground. This allows them to spring up, on the surface, at a distance away from the point of origin. Always douse fires to prevent this from happening, rather than simply breaking them up.

See Nordhouse Dunes
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Hudsonville Hiker Dies in New Hampshire

Wilfred Chalut (photo from obituary notice)

based various news stories, and the obituary

Will Chalut, age 64, of Hudsonville, MI, is described by friends as fun-loving and generous, but he died October 1, in a tragic accident in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Chalut was hiking Friday afternoon in Waterville Valley, along Sabbaday Falls on the Swift River. It was raining, and the trails were slick. He slipped into the river, and was carried out of sight by the current.

Fish and Game Department spokesman, Lt. Jim Goss, reported that they were unable to find the man, but his body was recovered the following day, caught in brush near the middle of the river.

Fox 17 News spoke with Chalut's son who said, "The fact that he was enjoying life to its fullest when he died is the only comfort we have in this moment of profound shock and tragedy."

See Hudsonville Man Dies In New Hampshire
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Kayaker Rescued After 24 Hours

James Olsen

based on a news story at 9&10 News

James Olsen set out for some grouse hunting, kayaking on Backus Creek and the Cut River in Roscommon County, yesterday. But Olsen didn't return home that night, and his wife called the Sheriff.

The search began at about 2 am on Tuesday. Temperatures in the 40s only increased everyone's concern. The search was conducted by helicopter and kayak. Woods in the area is very thick, making foot travel nearly impossible.

Late this afternoon, Olsen was found, walking near M-18, far from where he had begun his outing. He explained that he had become lost. With low temperatures predicted again for tonight, everyone was relieved to have found the man before dark.

News Channel 9&10 includes a video at their site.

See Police Find Missing Kayaker
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Deadly Summer on Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan (photo by JHY)

by JHY

This past year has been unusually dangerous for swimmers and boaters on Lake Michigan. The Coast Guard reporting year runs from October 1 to Sept 30, and during the period just ending there were 66 drownings.

This includes rivers and tributaries which feed the lake, in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Since October 1, there have been an additional two drownings in Ludington. Charles Wolfson, US Coast Guard civilian search and rescue coordinator stated that the usual number of deaths per year is closer to 40.

Ten of the deaths have been attributed to rip currents raised on windy days. Many adults seem to feel that the warning flags pertain to children, but not to them, reported Ottawa County sheriff's Sgt. Keith Koeman. Most officials agree that part of the cause is the high temperatures, which enticed many people into the big lake, when they were unfamiliar with its dangers.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Lauren Jorgensen said, "People think of Lake Michigan as a lake, but they should really be thinking about it like an ocean. Conditions can deteriorate very quickly."

The National Weather service reported that the number of high-risk days for rip currents this summer was 42 from June through August, while last year the number was 43. Their conclusion is that the key factor must be something other than rip currents.

No matter the causes, anyone who ventures into or out on Lake Michigan needs to consider the special risks in a large body of water.

See Manistee Drowning- What You Should Do in a Rip Current
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Another Failed Sugarloaf Revival?

unused lift at Sugarloaf Resort (photo from abandonedbutnotforgotten.com)

compiled from several sources

It appears that yet another attempt to revive the Sugarloaf Ski Resort in Leelanau County, MI, has failed.

Most recently, Eneliko "Sean" Smith of Las Vegas has just bowed out of a proposed $10 million deal to refurbish the property and actually open some hotel rooms by mid-summer 2010. He also stated that he would have the resort ready for skiing by November.

Owner Kate Wickstrom wants a large sum of money upfront to pass the property to Smith, and Smith counters that this is unreasonable. Smith claims that he made more progress toward reviving the property than any previous purchaser. He reports that he was discussing a lease of the ski hills, had interest from hotel brands, and that the U.S. Tennis Association was interested in restoring the indoor courts. However, late this summer, Smith announced that he was pulling out of the project.

Everyone agrees that the amount of money that would be required to put the area back into operation is immense. The property has not been in service for ten years.

Locals still have hope. Several web sites support the concept, and there is a Facebook group "Friends of Sugar Loaf."

See Sugar Loaf Needs Tooth Fairy
See Smith Pulls Sugarloaf Bid
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Century Lumber Days Sept. 24-26

Hartwick Pines Museum

a news release of Michigan DNR

Step back in time to the 19th-century at Hartwick Pines State Park's Logging Museum Sept. 24-26 and listen to a brass band, smell the aroma of food cooking over an open fire and watch as lumberjack re-enactors prepare for logging season. The annual "19th-Century Lumber Days" offers visitors the chance to experience what life was like at logging camps in the 1890s. The program takes place Friday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a reopening for a special event from 6:30 to 9 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Dodworth Saxhorn Band is America's premier 19th-century brass band. They have performed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the White House and many other venues across the United States. The band brings America's past to life through music, song, audience participation, drama, poetry, dance and theatre. They will share their music through informal, strolling performances all weekend and through hour-long concerts on Friday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 25 at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at the Logging Museum.

Food historian Susan Odom will present a selection of the wide variety of food that camp cooks served to the lumberjacks, and will discuss how important that food was to the men and the livelihood of the camp. Odom has demonstrated historic cooking at many historical museums and historic sites throughout the Midwest, including Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Greenfield Village. Cooking demonstrations will be ongoing throughout the weekend.

A Saturday-only special event, "An Evening in the Logging Camp" takes visitors back to 1896 to meet members of the Salling, Hanson and Company's "Section 9 Camp" as they prepare for the winter logging season. Visitors are invited to gather at the Visitor Center and walk by lantern light along the quarter-mile trail to the Logging Museum, where costumed interpreters will portray several members of the camp. Visitors will meet Karen "Bessie" Michelson (later Karen Hartwick), a local boardinghouse owner, the landlooker, the camp clerk, camp cooks, a teamster and the shanty boys. These camp members will talk with visitors about life in the camp, the variety of work that was done and the dangers of the job. This special event takes place Saturday, Sept. 25. Visitor Center doors will open for this event at 6:30 p.m.

Hartwick Pines State Park is located at 4216 Ranger Rd. in Grayling. The Logging Museum is administered by the Michigan Historical Center. This event is free. However, all motor vehicles entering a state park or recreation area must display a 2010 Motor Vehicle Permit, available for purchase at the park entrance or on-line through the Michigan E-Store at www.michigan.gov/estore. Cost is $24 for a resident annual and $6 for a resident daily. A non-resident annual is $29 and a non-resident daily is $8.

See Hartwick Pines Logging Museum
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Oceana Cross Country Dirt Tour- Oct 10

biker on Oceana County Road (photo by JHY)

by JHY

Get out your mountain bike and prepare to tour Oceana County's back roads! This event is not a race, but a scenic tour of 66 total miles, on October 10. Join the cookout afterwards!

All this can be yours for a donation only. There is no required fee, but a $5 donation will help fund the post ride picnic.

The course is a 66-mile, out-and-back 33-mile combination of country roads. Only a total of 1.5 miles is paved, and some roads are loose sand, so fat tired bikes are recommended.

The course begins in Muskegon County at Sand Road, near Happy Mohawk Canoe Livery on Fruitvale Road. Meet at 10 am. The course generally heads north to Ferry, Walkerville, and Tuckett Lake in Mason County. Riders will then return to White River Campground for the cookout. Tent camping is also available.

Contact Bryan Myers or check "Owasippe Trail Users" group page on Facebook.
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Walkin' Jim Stoltz Dies of Cancer

from his web site

info from Walkin' Jim Stoltz

"Walkin’ Jim Stoltz set off on his last forever wild hike on Friday, September 3, 2010." So begins the notice on Walkin' Jim's web site. Many Michigan lover's of the outdoors have heard Jim in concert or read his poetry. With a brother who lives in Honor, Michigan, Jim was often doing concert tours in this state.

His programs were a unique blend of music, images and monologue. He hiked thousands of miles, and many long trails, collection material for his programs, writing songs, and taking pictures. Jim loved the earth and was a crusader for environmental causes.

In addition to concerts, Jim wrote poetry, published as "Whisper Behind the Wind.” His book, “Walking with the Wild Wind: Reflections on a Montana Journey,” is a personal journey of his philosophy.

Walkin' Jim called Montana home, and lost his battle with cancer there, this week. He was 57.

See Walkin' Jim Stoltz
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