Porkies

To the native Ojibwa people, the well-worn chain of mountains rising from the waters of Lake Superior reminded them of “kag”, the woodland Porcupine. The mountain range they called, “Kag-wadjiw”, the “Porcupine Mountains.”

Porcupine Mountains State Park was established in 1945 by Michigan’s Legislature to protect the last large stand of uncut hardwood forest remaining in the Midwest. Since then, many changes have taken place in the way we live; however, the Porcupine Mountains are almost unchanged.

The Park is situated on 60,000 acres along the Lake Superior shoreline of Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula. The remote interior, the towering pine and hemlock, seem to defy time. The solitude of the park is mysterious and exciting. Towering virgin timber, striking geologic formations, abundant wildlife, secluded lakes and waterfalls, and miles of wild rivers and streams make a visit to the “Porkies” a trip to remember. The DNR maintains nearly 100 miles of trails within the park, leading hikers to the most spectacular overlooks and vistas. Remember that the “Porkies” are rugged — steep grades, stream crossings and wildlife are frequently encountered.

Clues…

About 1.5 miles past the place where the Porcupine Mountains Historical Marker stands on the Lake Superior side of M-107, find the trail head for a political sort of trail. Follow this trail for approximately 1 mile to the junction with the southern end of a popular scenic trail. Take the junction, heading to your left through magnificent old growth forest. Upon reaching the turning point, after a long steady incline, there will be a huge dead pine immediately to the left of the trail and a small grassy overlook to the south. Find the box tucked into a log 270 degrees from the grassy viewing area or 150 degrees from the huge pine.

Big Sable Point Light

Site Notes…

This box is located within Ludington State Park. A Michigan State Parks vehicle pass is required for entry and can be purchased at the park. Please check the park web site for dates and hours of operation.

Clues…

This box is missing and will be replanted in a new location.

She Flies…

Clues…

A Michigan Historical Marker stands before the childhood home of America’s “First Lady of the Air.” Upon locating this historic homestead, proceed south toward the farmer’s field. On your left, in a small grove of trees, find the box where two stones lie at the foot of a large beech.

Holland Harbor Light

History…

The first lighthouse built at the entrance to Holland Harbor was a small, square wooden structure erected in the late 1800’s. Only a few years later, the lighthouse service installed a new light atop a metal pole in a protective cage. The oil lantern was lowered by pulleys for service. At the turn of the century a steel tower was built for the light, and in 1907 the present structure was erected. Named the Holland Harbor South Pierhead Lighthouse, it has a gabled roof that reflects the Dutch influence in the area. The stout lighthouse, popularly referred to as “Big Red,” was automated in 1932. When the U.S. Coast Guard recommended that it be abandoned in 1970, citizens circulated petitions to rescue it. The Holland Harbor Lighthouse Historical Commission was then organized to preserve and restore this landmark.

Although the lighthouse sits on the south breakwall of the Holland Harbor channel, the barrage of luxury homes, condominiums and private neighborhood associations along the south shore of Lake Macatawa in recent years has made it impossible to get to the lighthouse on this side of the channel without knowing somebody or trespassing. Fortunately, there is an unobstructed view from the north side of the channel at Holland State Park.

Clues…

This box is missing and will be replanted in a new location.

Whitefish Point Light

First lit in 1849, the Whitefish Point Light shares honors with that at Copper Harbor for being the first lights on Lake Superior. It stands guard over the entrance to Whitefish Bay, sometimes the only shelter to be found for a ship trying to escape the fury of the lake. Whitefish Point is known as the “Graveyard of Ships” as more vessels have been lost here than in any other part of Lake Superior. Raging northwest winds, building up over 160 miles of open water, create waves of unbelievable proportions. These violent storms and wild waters erupt with a suddenness that often catches sailors unprepared. The mountainous waves strike harder and more often than any ocean wave. The waves come roaring in from two or three different directions, ricocheting off the shores and returning with even more intensity. These monstrous storms, of hurricane force and duration, strike with all the ferocity and brutality of any ocean storm.

The very first ship known to sail on Superior, the sixty-foot trading vessel Invincible, perished in gale-force winds and towering waves near here in 1816. Many other vessels have suffered the same fate. Some were big, well-known ships such as the Edmund Fitzgerald, and their destruction made headlines across the country. Others were smaller unknown vessels, but every loss was tragic. Hundreds of vessels, including the famed Edmund Fitzgerald, lie on the bottom of the bay and its approaches. The lighthouse marks the end of an 80 mile stretch of shoreline known as Lake Superior’s Shipwreck Coast. This light has shined onto the big lake unfailingly for nearly 150 years, except for the night when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down.

At 4:30 p.m. on November 10, 1975, as the Edmund Fitzgerald struggled towards Whitefish Bay, forty-eight miles to the south, the light and the radio beacon at the remote navigational station at Whitefish Point suddenly clicked off. The Fitzgerald, already crippled by non-functioning storm damaged radar, was now without homing capability from the automated system at Whitefish. The Fitzgerald was left to fend for itself in unbelievable weather conditions.

To many lake sailors the light is more than a navigational marker, it is a welcoming call from home. The Whitefish Point Lighthouse is a remarkably modern and functional structure. This is especially notable when you consider that it was built in 1861, the beginning of the Civil War. A steel cylinder some eighty feet tall, it is supported by a skeletal steel framework. The iron skeleton with a very wide base gradually narrows to support a central steel cylinder. The narrow cylinder in turn supports the octagonal parapet and lantern room above. A red dome caps the lantern. This design was intended to take stress off the building during high winds.

The surrounding buildings were once home to the Coast Guard personnel stationed at this light and responsible for its maintenance. Automated by the Coast Guard in 1970, the Light Station no longer has a resident keeper. Appropriately, the dwelling now houses the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, a group of divers researching the wrecks, opened the museum in 1986. This is the only museum dedicated to shipwrecks on the Great Lakes.

The lighthouse and museum are open from May 1st until October 31st, daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (open Friday and Saturday only in November). The museum is very informative and interesting, and well worth the cost of admission. There is no charge to visit the lighthouse grounds.

Getting There…

Follow M-123 north through the town of Paradise, about 11 miles to the end of the road at Whitefish Point.

Clues…

Follow the narrow cement path from behind the observation tower. When you meet up with the wide, sandy path, follow this down toward the water. The beach at Whitefish Point is one of the few places you can find concentric banded agates, so watch the stones as you walk! Follow the water’s edge in a northwesterly direction past several rows of old wooden pilings that extend out into the water. Once you reach the last row of pilings, locate three pines growing on the ridge at 170 degrees. Standing on the back side of these pines, see a red-tipped post in the woods at 260 degrees. Following this same directional line, you will find a double-trunked pine, just a few steps beyond the post. Find the box hiding under a dead branch at the base of the pine.