Wine Country II: Leelanau

 
You must complete the Wine Country Word Puzzle to get the location of this letterbox. Once you know the location, follow the clues below to find the box.

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Clues…

Find the trail 250 degrees from the old water pump. Follow this path over a fallen birch and along the edge of the bluff. At the clearing where the path ends, you will be treated to an incredible view up and down the Lake Michigan shoreline. The multi-armed white one at 100 degrees holds the box.

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Cathead Bay

TLC Needed!

This box is in need of a new logbook as the current book has been severely damaged by water; if you are headed this way and would be able to replace the logbook for me, I would be most appreciative. Please contact me for more info. Thanks!

 
If a quiet, sandy, Lake Michigan shoreline, secluded walks over wooded terrain and inland lakes with views of migrating waterfowl pique your interest, Leelanau State Park is the place to visit. Its two separate sections include the popular day-use, camping, and lighthouse-museum area and the undeveloped southern tract, woven with lightly used trails through woods and over dunes, marshes and interdunal wetlands.

Leelanau State Park was established in 1932 when the U.S. Government gave 30 acres of this land to the State. Thereafter, more land was acquired until the park reached its current 1,300-plus acres. The northern section is located at the tip of the “little finger” of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, at the cusp where Lake Michigan meets Grand Traverse Bay. Here, Lake Michigan yields a rocky shoreline for hikers who can take advantage of one of the rustic campsites, enjoy the picnic areas or enlighten themselves at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, an interpretive maritime museum. Many people enjoy sifting through the rocks along the shoreline for Michigan’s state stone, the Petoskey stone.

Four miles south of the developed section is the larger, southern section of the park, where about 1.5 miles of sandy Lake Michigan shoreline await you. More than 6 miles of trails loop through this tranquil part of the park. If you’re up to it, climb the stairway to the dune-top observation deck overlooking Lake Michigan. Or head inland to Mud Lake and view waterfowl during their spring and fall migrations.

Getting There…

The southern section of Leelanau State Park is located on the Leelanau Peninsula about 3 miles from Northport. Take County Road 629 north out of Northport to Densmore Road (Airport Road), then head left to the parking lot.

Clues…

From the trailhead parking area, follow the Lake Michigan trail to the Cathead Spur. After breaking out of the trees, follow the sandy trail straight ahead to the water’s edge. When you reach the water, turn back and walk at 120 degrees to a small group of white pines in a sandy hollow (you can just see the tree tops from the beach). Once you reach this grouping, stand between the two largest trees closest to the lake and take a bearing of 130 degrees. Follow this to a sandy trail which leads up toward the trees (next to a sprawling, gnarled cedar). When you reach the top of the path and are about to enter the trees, see the fallen log at 60 degrees.

Whaleback

 
Whaleback, the brooding hill which rises over 300 feet above the western shoreline of Leelanau County, has been the subject of concern and speculation for many years. The largest undeveloped tract of shoreline property remaining in Leelanau County, the big hill just south of Leland is one of the most recognizable landscape features in Leelanau. Over the years, many people have expressed concern for the future of this landmark, encouraging the Conservancy to work toward the preservation of the property. There seems to be a special quality to this particular place. In the spring, fingers of fog move up the deep ravines in the western face of the hill. Most people have never set foot on the property, but many look up at Whaleback from Lake Michigan or across Lake Leelanau, and they want to think it will stay pretty much the way it looks right now.

Named for its whalelike silhouette, Whaleback is a point of focus for anyone looking out over Lake Michigan, from any high vantage point in the northern half of Leelanau County, as well as from many Lake Michigan beaches. Encompassing 117 acres and 3700 feet of lakeshore, Whaleback’s towering bluffs rise 300 feet above Lake Michigan and yield spectacular views.

This is a very pretty hike with a gradual ascent through hardwoods that in the fall provide an excellent color tour hike. In the spring, sweet woodruff crowds the understory. This pretty, sweet-smelling plant is an invasive species that gives the woodland an almost fairy-like appearance; unfortunately it chokes out all but the hardiest natives, such as baneberry, jack-in-the-pulpit and squirrel corn. Conservancy naturalists are working to create a more balanced environment.

As you walk north along the top of the bluffs, look left for a patch of thimbleberries (their leaves resemble those of the maple). A very common plant near Lake Superior, thimbleberries only grow in this one stretch of the natural area, and they are extremely uncommon in Leelanau County.

Before reaching the overlook, notice how tall hemlocks and hardwoods create a cathedralesque canopy. These trees often shelter bald eagles — look for them flying above the observation deck as well as out over the water.

From the viewing platform, you’ll see just how fragile this bluff is. On its western- most face, erosion has caused plants to lose their footing. Here, gravel and sand rumble down the bluffs into the lake. If vegetation does maintain a roothold in these exposed areas, what grows is usually ash, birch, pine, and hemlock. Don’t guess these trees’ age from their size. Poor soil on steep slopes has stunted the growth of some real old-timers!

Getting There…

The trailhead sign for the Whaleback area is on M-22, just south of Leland. Turn and park in the trailhead parking lot.

Clues…

NOTE: The terrain here is rigorous — there is at least a 1/2 mile uphill stretch on a narrow, rough, rocky path on the way in.

Follow the main trail as it gradually heads uphill to the viewing deck. After taking in the gorgeous view of Lake Michigan, make your way back to the main trail and head north on the outer loop. When you come upon a trail at 135 degrees, stop at the intersection. See a split trunk at 115 degrees, about 25 paces from where you stand. Please take a round about way to reach the trunk so a social path does not form. Find the box hiding in the trunk.

Grand Traverse Lighthouse

History…

Construction on the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, which sits on a point of land between Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay known as Cat’s Head Point, was completed in 1852. The original tower and keeper’s dwelling, located south of the current structure succumbed to fire and erosion, and were replaced by the existing tower and dwelling in 1858. In 1899 a brick fog signal building was constructed on the corner of the lighthouse grounds.

The station was maintained and operated for many years by the U.S. Coast Guard, until in 1972 when the tower light was replaced by an automated beacon on a steel tower. This tower is located near the beach off the corner of the lighthouse. After the USCG vacated the premises in 1972, the buildings stood vacant for several years, and in 1985 a local group, known as the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Federation, took on the project of restoring the buildings and grounds for the purpose creating a “living lighthouse” for public enjoyment. The lighthouse, including the tower, is open to the public, and houses a museum which is open during the summer months.

The Grand Traverse Lighthouse is located north of Traverse City on the Leelanau Peninsula, within Leelanau State Park. A Michigan State Park vehicle permit is required for entry and can be purchased at the park. Leelanau State Park has a series of several miles of hiking and cross-country skiing trails if you have time for a more intensive hike after visiting the lighthouse and letterbox placed here.

Site Notes…

This box is located within Leelanau 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.