Paths in Petoskey
Weary of the stay-at-home routine of the past almost two years, my traveling shoes recently begged for a little adventure. The clamor for something to do got loud enough that I finally yielded and packed them and a weekender bag. I decided to check out the northern Michigan area near the town of Petoskey. A good book on tape made the 190-mile drive feel brief.
My self-assigned marching orders were to walk/hike every day and then to read and write at the historic Stafford’s Bay View Inn, built in 1886. Before leaving home, a friend supplied me with a priceless offering of 14 detailed maps of Petoskey area hiking trails and nature preserves, complete with an overview key that showed all their locations.
After my arrival Friday afternoon, early-winter dusk loomed, but I figured there was enough daylight to get in a few walking miles. Just in case, I took my headlamp along! I headed for the McCune Nature Preserve. It hosts an extensive trail system just outside town. The ground was lightly covered with snow, and walking was easy through the quiet hardwood forest—perfect in the wake of the three hour drive from home. Trail signs made it easy to negotiate each junction. Two times, the trail dipped down to a wetland with bridges across two gentle streams flowing near-black against the snowy banks and the fading light. The four mile saunter was exquisite.
On Saturday morning, I decided to drive north from Harbor Springs to Cross Village along the iconic M-119 “Tunnel of Trees.” I understand those 20 miles can be a hot mess in summer with hordes driving their rigs and campers along the narrow, twisting road atop a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, craning their necks to enjoy the green canopy of trees. The fall colors are even more popular. But I? I went on a snowy, icy day in late November, and had the place to myself. (This was fine until the point where I needed the driving skills honed on Colorado’s winter roads to extricate myself from a byway...)
Along the way were two more excellent hikes. At the Hoogland Family Nature Preserve, I had a new and magical experience. Alone in the quiet woods, I was reveling in the natural beauty on a trail along a wide ridge between two ravines. Most of the trees had lost their leaves, but not all. When an almost indiscernible breeze came up, hundreds of oak leaves chose to let go and drift to earth in a brown blizzard around me. All I could hear was the whisper of arrival when they landed on the snow blanketing the ground, coming to rest in a sprinkle of remembrance of the glory of autumn.
My second hike of the day was at Elmer Johnston Nature Preserve, again through an old hardwood forest. Along the way, a bench was strategically placed in a large hilltop meadow looking west to a grand view of Lake Michigan. I did not stop, but can imagine Elmer Johnston and his family there. What a gift to us all, when such people gift their land for preservation and enjoyment by generations to come.
Upon arrival at Good Hart, the General Store (a must-visit place) yielded some great holiday shopping, as well as a few more books to add to my pile. I decided to head home by a quicker route to insure time for a stop in Harbor Springs, a stop at Tom’s Mom’s Cookies on my mind, plus a wander through some of the Main Street galleries.
Sunday morning, my final hike was situated just off M-131 and my route south to home. Bubbling Springs Nature Preserve offers a small trail system, but a fun thing to discover: the bubbling spring! Northern Michigan has lots of them (who knew?). Sadly, they are not hot springs, but in summer I’m sure the cool water is refreshing. Because of the snow, the trail was not easily evident, but luckily a mother and son were out walking their puppy and showed me the way. Once on the trail, the blue trail paint on trees made route-finding easy (as was true in all the preserves). However, I did find myself wondering, what if I was here without those clues? Even in small areas in these northern woods, it is easy to get turned around!
All of the places I walked are preserved under the auspices of Little Traverse Conservancy. Here’s a shout out to this group, whose mission is “to protect the natural diversity and beauty of northern Michigan by preserving significant land and scenic areas, and fostering appreciation and understanding of the environment” in five counties! Check it out at ltc@landtrust.org.
The sandy bottom where the springs bubble up = artful!
I headed home feeling mentally refreshed from this quick get-away in this remarkably beautiful place called Michigan. The weekend was a pleasant reminder that adventure does not need to be grand to be good. Enjoy your day, whatever adventures come your way!
