Archive for July, 2010

Morning at Higgins Lake

Friday, 16th July 2010; 6:32 am - Location:

I slept reasonably well last night, though It reminded me why I’d rather not live like this long term. I don’t sleep in one position all night, and it’s difficult to move much in a sleeping bag in a small tent. Furthermore, the hard ground makes moving necessary, because pretty much every position puts pressure on some point.

This campsite is just off the main road on this side of the lake, so every vehicle that drives by is a bit loud. Fortunately there aren’t a lot of them at night. The expressway to the east, however, is a near-constant whine, especially noticeable in the otherwise-quiet of the night.

CCC (no P)

Thursday, 15th July 2010; 9:49 pm - Location:

Rather than spend more time on the scooter riding to Roscommon or Grayling, and waste remaining daylight in a restaurant there, I rode to a nearby local gas station / convenience store for dinner. The scooter was nearly on Empty as well. I picked up a turkey sub from their deli counter and a can of ice tea, some overpriced Pop-Tarts for breakfast tomorrow, and a beer to enjoy at the campsite tonight.

This state park is a good example of the unique value of government parks. Higgins Lake is not wilderness; it’s mostly a cottage/resort lake. But the two state parks on its north and south sides maintain real public access. If you can afford a day pass, you can use the lake. The camping areas provide similar affordable vacation access; you don’t need to own or rent a house. And government parks are held to minimum standards of naturalism, unlike the KOA down the road.

Another unique benefit is that state parks also provide educational opportunities. For example, this park is (by no coincidence) on the site of a former government project: a nursery for the Civilian Conservation Corps. So it has a CCC museum, which gives those with a little curiosity a chance to learn about something that I doubt is even mentioned in history books any more.

In a nutshell: after the deforestation of much of the US in the 19th century replanting had begun, but it was going too slowly, and land was being destroyed by brush fires, erosion, etc. In the 1930s it was impossible for most teens and young men to find work. So the CCC put them to work planting trees. As one observer later put it (paraphrased) the land and a whole generation were going to waste, and the CCC saved them both. It was a huge government program, and it did a great thing. And you can learn about that by going camping.

As the sun went down, I visited the CCC museum and walked one of the adjacent trails. I already knew about the CCC, but I learned a bit about how it worked, with saplings raised here at Higgins Lake then shipped around the state for planting. The trail showed how they planted trees too densely at first, producing unnatural and unhealthy woods. A good experience… only at a state park.

Cran-Hill Ranch

Thursday, 15th July 2010; 8:29 pm - Location:

You know, for a blog the info in this thing sure is out of chronological order….

On my way out of Big Rapids, I was surprised to see a sign for Cran-Hill Ranch. This is the summer camp I went to a few times in high school. As a self-absorbed teen who didn’t have to drive there himself, I had little idea where it was, though I suppose if you’d pressed me at the time I could have told you it was up north and about an hour away. Now I know.

I figured I was close enough for a short detour, so I took one. There it was, between Cranberry and Hillsview lakes. It’s been 30 years, so my memory was pretty hazy, but I recognized it immediately.

First camp site: North Higgins Lake

Thursday, 15th July 2010; 6:44 pm - Location: ,

I’ve arrived at my first night’s camp site, about 8 hours after I set out. It was about 170 miles, which is… a long ride.

The site is at North Higgins Lake State Park. I actually passed a couple other state parks on the last leg of the ride, but this one had looked best of the parks on the area based on the web site. For example there’s a park practically in downtown Harrison. But it’s practically in downtown Harrison. Another appeal is that it’s fairly close to Cheboygan, so it’ll be a short ride tomorrow, allowing time for an afternoon side trip to Mackinac.

That last leg was a pretty nice ride. It was all on Old 27, the highway before they put in the expressway that parallels it. Like M-61, it’s just two lanes, and everyone who’s just trying to get from Point South to Point North is on the expressway. Unlike M-61, it feels more inviting, with big trees right off the shoulder.

The pause that refreshes

Thursday, 15th July 2010; 4:58 pm - Location:

Just a short stop in Harrison to stretch my legs. I just spent a week on M-61, a two-lane 55mph highway with a whole lot of long, straight stretches. My speed was 35-40mph, but there was little traffic, so no one had any trouble just zipping past me in the opposite lane.

I came to M-61 by an unplanned route. I’d found a nice road that ran akin the river (sorry, I don’t know which one), but it abruptly turned into a dirt road. I didn’t feel like goin several miles in wet sand/gravel, so I turned around and made my way to M-61 earlier than I’d planned. You know, if your going to pave part of a road, why not just finish the job? Or at least put up a sign like they do for “no outlet” subdivisions, letting you know before you head down them?

Big rapid lunch

Thursday, 15th July 2010; 1:23 pm - Location:

I’ve stopped for lunch in Big Rapids, home of Ferris State University. I have mixed feelings about the place. I am technically an FSU alumnus, having graduated from their art school in GR. When I later worked for them, the main campus in Big Rapids was the source of usually-indifferent but sometimes-helpful IT support. It was also the source of no help whatsoever with the unfair labor practices of the art school. Not that I’m bitter or anything.

The ride from GR has been pleasant enough, considering the weather. I’d forgotten how hilly it is NE of town, with my speed bouncing between 25 and 45 mph depending on which side of the hill I was on. It’s been mostly overcast, with the wind generally behind me. Not nearly as warm as the forecast threatened. The storm system I saw coming from Wisconsin earlier is passing just north of here, part of why I’ve stopped for lunch here and now.

The restaurant is Cranker’s Coney Island (“an eclectic eatery”) located a few blocks from campus. It’s a family restaurant type place, with sandwiches, full breakfast menu, and so on. I’m having a gyro and fries from their lunch menu: yummy.