MLive says: “Michigan wilderness at its best can be found at Pigeon River Country State Forest. It's known as the home of the state's elk herd and there are designated viewing spots where you can try to catch a glimpse of the stately creatures. You'll find both forests and fields filling the 100,000-acre piece of land. When you visit, keep an eye out for all kinds of animals because elk are far from the only wildlife you'll see. There are also lakes, streams and several campgrounds to explore here.”
October 18, 2019
There is nothing, literally nothing, more beautiful and refreshing than fall in Michigan. The autumn equinox brings shorter days, crisper air, and colorful landscapes to the entire state. I know that fall and winter can bring on some serious concerns for people; but for me, it is a time to feel completely and utterly at peace with myself. I strive to make the most of less daylight, I bask in sunshine when it comes, and take nothing for granted as my furnace fires up and my kitchen transforms from a vibrant rainbow of fruits and veggies to seasonal Michigan staples. I consider myself lucky to feel at ease with the change of seasons. What better way to ease into that change, than to take a trip to Michigan’s beautiful northern counties to catch peak color.
Peak color is a time frame when a certain percentage of the trees have changed color, but not yet started dropping leaves. It’s a sweet spot that takes your breath away for about 1-2 weeks every fall. Here’s a really cool web page breaking down peak color, why leaves change color, and best times to visit certain areas from a Smoky Mountains visitor’s website. I found it super informative and very accessible.
On October 18, Bill and I packed up the car with a weekend’s worth of hiking clothes and a large dog, and took off upstate. Bill had to attend a meeting in Pigeon River Country (PRC) that evening and I was along for the views. PRC is known for a few remarkable things:
1) Spotting elk
2) Being managed as wilderness, unlike other tracts of state forest
3) Having a successful advisory council, made up of local and non-local individuals who have interest in preserving the land
When we arrived around 3 pm for an event preceding the meeting, we grabbed some snacks and admired the displays in the Discovery Center. The event we were attending was the 45th anniversary of the PRC Advisory Council - there was an hour-long program featuring notable individuals who had helped found the council, managed the forest, and who volunteered to help protect the land. It was humbling to listen to them tell their stories of a lifetime spent in the forest we were sitting in.
After the program, Bill joined the advisory council for a meeting, and I took off into the woods with Bela (the previously mentioned large dog) for a hike.
I’d heard about PRC for years from my dad, who has been coming up to this region for years to hunt and camp. However, it was my first time on PRC land myself, and I was eager to explore.
Bela and I took off on the Towerman’s hiking loop - about 4 miles in length. It was nearing dusk, and we didn’t have a ton of daylight left; we kept a nice strong pace through the first 2 miles. Bela even posed for some forest portraits!
Around the two-mile mark, we came to a spot called the witness tree. The witness tree is a large pine at the intersection of two township quarters, and existed when the original land survey was done for the State of Michigan. At that time it was 8 inches in diameter; now it is a tree I can wrap both my arms around.
We kept on our hike through the woods after resting by the witness tree for a bit; I took photos and Bela chased chipmunks - we were both remarkably content. Our next stop was at the Beaver Pond, which is a gorgeously still pond in a large clearing where the forest drifts into more of a savanna; we were lucky to catch it at the golden hour on this specific evening.
We slowed down significantly after visiting the Beaver Pond. At the ripe old age of 8, and being a massive dog, Bela needed a more leisurely pace as we made our way back toward the trail head on our hiking loop. We spent a lot of time admiring trees and watching the forest floor change on our way back.
When all was said and done, we’d spent a little over two beautiful hours on our hike discovering little secrets of PRC: the abundant diversity of wild mushrooms, the sounds of elk well-hidden in the forest, the magic of upturned tree roots, and the tranquility of a truly wild place.
Back at the Discovery Center, we ate some snacks together and waited for Bill to finish his meeting. It was dark now, so sat up on the porch of the old cabin and settled in to a nice full body massage for Bela. When Bill emerged from the meeting, we made our way to Bellaire (about an hour drive from where we were in PRC) to get dinner at Short’s Brewing! I had wanted to visit Short’s for some time now, and it was on the way to our BnB. We enjoyed some pub-exclusive beers, a pesto pizza, and live music - it was perfection.
After dinner, we made our way to the BnB on Thayer Lake for a long sleep with full bellies.
