Nahma, King of Fishes

(Hiawatha Series #4)

By the shores of Gitche Gumee,
By the shining Big-Sea-Water
Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,
Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.
Dark behind it rose the forest,
Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,
Rose the firs with cones upon them;
Bright before it beat the water.
Beat the clear and sunny water,
Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.
There the wrinkled old Nokomis
Nursed the little Hiawatha.

– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Song of Hiawatha, Hiawatha’s Childhood

This is an ongoing series of letterboxes themed around Longfellow’s poem, The Song of Hiawatha. The boxes will be placed at various locations in or near the Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Named after Longfellow’s poem, The Song of Hiawatha, the Hiawatha National Forest is located in the central and eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The forest encompasses approximately 880,000 acres, and receives over 1.5 million recreational visits per year. The forest affords visitors access to white sand, scenic beaches and relatively undeveloped shorelines along three of America’s inland seas — Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron. From scenic and historic lighthouses to Great Lakes islands, from spectacular shorelines to the Midwest’s finest winter playland, the Hiawatha National Forest brings to life a myriad of fascinating and exciting natural, historical, and unique recreational opportunities.

Letterboxes in this Series…

• Song of Hiawatha
• Gitche Gumee
• Daughter of the Moon
• Nahma, King of Fishes

Naomikong Point…

The rocky points and bays of the Lake Superior shoreline west of Point Iroquois provide ideal fishing spots for fishermen today as they have for centuries. If you follow Lakeshore Drive west from Bay Mills to M-123, you will catch glimpses of this secluded shore of Lake Superior, but the way to really explore it is to hike. Several hiking trails can be found in the area, but our favorite is by far the hike out to Naomikong Point.

Full of history, this beautiful area gets its name Naomikong from an Ojibwa Indian word meaning “where the breakers strike the shore.” It was an important fishing ground and location of a mission outpost during the 1800’s and, at one time, an Indian Village was located on the shore here.

Naomikong Point itself appears rather nondescript, just a point of rocky land that juts out into Lake Superior, backed by a line of trees. But sitting here on this tip of land, nearly surrounded by the lake, the wind whispering in the trees, waves playfully lapping at the rocky shoreline, puffy white clouds floating carelessly in a azure sky, it is not hard to feel the words of Longfellow’s poem, Song of Hiawatha. It is not hard to forget the bustle of the world around you and truly believe that time has stopped.

Getting There…

You will need to consult a trail guide for hiking directions to Naomikong Point.

Clues…

After a short jaunt through the woods from the parking lot, the trail opens up to Lake Superior at Naomikong Creek. The rest of the trek follows the shoreline around a couple of smaller points and bays. When we were there, we walked a sandbar that ran out in the lake across one bay and had to jump rocks across another. We also were treated to the sight of a Bald Eagle nesting in the tall trees on Menekaunee point.

At the tip of Naomikong Point, a small peninsula stretches to the NW. Just east of this narrow finger of land, several large boulders provide an ideal place to sit and enjoy this treasure of a location. Among the boulders, find the split black one and site 170 degrees to a large black rock, frosted in light green moss. From here, 110 degrees to a white birch that leans to the SW. At the base, find your treasure.

Daughter of the Moon

(Hiawatha Series #3)

By the shores of Gitche Gumee,
By the shining Big-Sea-Water
Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,
Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.
Dark behind it rose the forest,
Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,
Rose the firs with cones upon them;
Bright before it beat the water.
Beat the clear and sunny water,
Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.
There the wrinkled old Nokomis
Nursed the little Hiawatha.

– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Song of Hiawatha, Hiawatha’s Childhood

This is an ongoing series of letterboxes themed around Longfellow’s poem, The Song of Hiawatha. The boxes will be placed at various locations in or near the Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Named after Longfellow’s poem, The Song of Hiawatha, the Hiawatha National Forest is located in the central and eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The forest encompasses approximately 880,000 acres, and receives over 1.5 million recreational visits per year. The forest affords visitors access to white sand, scenic beaches and relatively undeveloped shorelines along three of America’s inland seas — Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron. From scenic and historic lighthouses to Great Lakes islands, from spectacular shorelines to the Midwest’s finest winter playland, the Hiawatha National Forest brings to life a myriad of fascinating and exciting natural, historical, and unique recreational opportunities.

Letterboxes in this Series…

• Song of Hiawatha
• Gitche Gumee
• Daughter of the Moon
• Nahma, King of Fishes

Getting There…

One of our favorite places for an awesome view of Lake Superior is from a roadside rest area just outside of the city of Munising. Along this stretch of highway, sunlit Lake Superior waves lap at sandy beaches and the wind blows the sand into drifts along the shoreline. Heading west out of Munising along the Lake Superior shoreline, you will find this Michigan Historic marker at a roadside rest area.

Clues…

From the marker, walk East along the drive. Follow the trail that leads into the woods six posts past the overlook, to a sandy clearing. At 100 degrees a faint path leads to the place where concrete supports recall a bridge across the creek. You should be able to cross even though the bridge is no longer there. Standing at the edge of the cement support on the opposite side of the creek, 320 degrees points to a fallen birch tree which holds the letterbox.

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.

Lake of the Clouds

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…

From the Lake of the Clouds parking area, take the North Mirror Lake Trail toward the Escarpment Trail. At the junction, follow the Escarpment Trail to the east. After a while you will reach the first of several overlooks along the trail. At 50 degrees from this rocky viewing vista, the trail continues down a small hill into an area of scrub trees. Soon on your right will be another overlook area, this one gravel. Standing at the overlook, ahead of you lies a breathtaking view of the Lake of the Clouds. At 110 degrees a many-armed dead tree leans away from a fall; at 200 degrees stands a skinny pine; and at 250 degrees rests a large boulder. Tucked into a crevice along the west end of the top edge of the boulder, you will find the letterbox.

Superior Falls

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula boasts almost 200 waterfalls. Most of them are off the beaten path and require some hiking to get to. They range in size from 2-3 feet to over 100 feet. At 90 feet, Superior Falls, which lies on the Montreal River in the far northwest corner of the Upper Peninsula, is one of the highest Michigan waterfalls that is easily accessible. It is also one of my favorites because of the impressive rock walls of the canyon that surround it.

Getting There…

Superior Falls is located 14 miles NW of Ironwood, MI, less than a mile from the Wisconsin border. Take Wisconsin highway 122 north from US-2 about 11 miles west of Ironwood and go about 4.5 miles to a bridge across the Montreal River. Cross the bridge (you are now back in Michigan) and turn left onto the second gravel road. Follow it to a power station, and park your car there. There is a sign pointing to the left which brings you to a viewing area across from the falls. But the real way to appreciate the beauty of these falls is to walk down into the canyon.

Clues…

Follow the Scenic Access trail down toward Lake Superior from the second parking area. After walking around the power company building, follow the narrow pathway along the river to the falls. Just before the path ends at the rocks, watch on your left for a 3-trunk birch hanging out with a neighbor of a different species. Find the box in a root cavity hidden behind several rocks. Please be discreet and be sure the box is securely replaced and concealed when you leave.