Leelanau.com Blog
leelanau county news • traverse city news • michigan news

Michigan author Jerry Dennis shared this except from his new book The Windward Shore from University of Michigan Press with us on Absolute Michigan. It features Leelanau's Lake Michigan shore, so in case you missed it, here is is!

The Lake in Winter
by Jerry Dennis

(January, Cathead Point, near the tip of Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula)

It changes every day, every hour. It is a thousand lakes, changing faces with every shift in wind and light - flurried by offshore wind, whitecapped in squalls, colored flannel gray or pearl-white or stormy black beneath the winter clouds, a dozen blues when the sky is blue. (more...)

This week's photo is Lake Michigan ... from Empire Bluff with a Christmas Eve sunset, from and featuring photographer Ken Scott. See this photo and nearly 300 more in Ken's snow slideshow!

You can check out all kinds park & trail information on our Sleeping Bear Dunes Homepage and get snow & trail condition updates at Ski Leelanau!

There is no better way to get outside and burn off some of those extra holiday calories than by joining a Park Ranger at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on a guided snowshoe hike every Saturday. Meet at 1 p.m. at the Visitor Center in Empire for these popular weekend afternoon adventures. They take place every Saturday, starting on January 7, 2012 and going through the month of February. Dress in layers, wear waterproof boots, and don’t forget to take your camera along to capture the wonders of winter.

Park Rangers meet interested snowshoers inside the Visitor Center to first provide basic snowshoeing instructions, and then directions to a trailhead or off-trail area pre-selected by the Park Ranger. If you do not have your own snowshoes, the National Park Service will loan you a pair free of charge (they are limited to 30 participants so email or call them to pre-register). While exploring outside, the Park Ranger will encourage participants to inquire and learn about winter’s effect on the park’s unique features. Be prepared to be outside until about 3 p.m.

Not only is snowshoeing easy, fun and good exercise, it is also an activity that can be enjoyed by all ages. The Park Ranger-led hikes are mildly strenuous, yet they proceed at a leisurely pace for no more than one and a half miles. This allows visitors an opportunity for discovery, adventure, and to look for signs of wildlife or evidence of ancient glaciers. Some snowshoers simply want to experience and enjoy a winter wonderland, which is what you will find at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

There is no charge for the programs, however, participants need to display the park entrance pass or have an annual pass to join in the fun. Reservations are not required, but are suggested, especially if you wish to borrow snowshoes or are with a group. Please call (231) 326-5134, ext. 328, for details and to make reservations. For more in-depth information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, visit www.nps.gov/slbe.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore invites you to join them at the Visitor Center Auditorium in Empire this Saturday, December 17 at 1 PM for a shipwreck program presented by diver/historian Ross Richardson.

The shipwrecks of the Manitou Passage have attracted underwater explorers for decades. Today, the underwater photography of these explorers allows landsmen to visit the shipwrecks from the comfort of a warm, dry chair. Ross Richardson has spent the last decade searching for and documenting shipwrecks off the coast of west Michigan. He is credited with discovering the location of the legendary steamer Westmoreland, which sank south of Sleeping Bear Point in 1854.

Offshore of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore lies the Manitou Passage. Although this 36-mile long waterway offers some protection from the open waters of Lake Michigan, even the waters of the passage can be treacherous. Many ships seeking shelter sank in this passage, hitting shoals and sandbars and running aground before being destroyed by the waves of Lake Michigan. There are 16 known shipwrecks in the passage and around the Manitou Islands, but there may be as many as 45 wrecks still undiscovered on the bottom. Many wrecks are well-preserved and offer clues on how they surrendered to the strength of the big lake in the days before advanced navigation when ships relied on basic tools like a compass, clock, and chart.

For more information, please call the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134 or visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe. Also, check out their Facebook page!

This week's photo is Flying Crane by GLASman1. He captured it this May in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore . See it background big, on his map or check out more shots in his Sandhill Cranes slideshow. You learn more about these majestic birds and see another shot from Mark on Michigan Birds: Sandhill Crane from Michigan in Pictures!

This week's photo was taken by Andy McFarlane last November from atop the Sleeping Bear Dunes on the way to the shipwreck that had washed ashore. Check it out background big and in his Sleeping Bear Shipwreck slideshow.

All November on Absolute Michigan we are featuring shipwrecks.  Leelanau is not without its own shipwrecks stories, and the tale of the wreck of the Rising Sun is one of these (be sure to click the pic for a larger view too!). Pyramid Point - Shipwrecks of the Manitou Passage from Life Along the Manitou Passage probably tells it best:

The remains of a shipwreck can be seen if you stand on top of Pyramid Point with the sun at your back. In the water below lies what is left of the iron boiler of the steamship RISING SUN.

The date was October 29, 1917. Coming south through the Manitou Passage, the steamship RISING SUN was going south for the winter carrying farmers and their harvest from Summer Island. She strayed off course in high winds and snow and went aground at night on the Pyramid Point shoal. Passengers and crew struggled ashore through the frigid surf and sought help from farmers living in nearby Port Oneida. The Sleeping Bear Point Coast was alerted and arrived by surf boat the next morning to find only an elderly man still on board. He slept through the ship's grounding!

An interesting side note is that the Rising Sun was owned by the House of David, a religious organization based in Benton Harbor that is a fascinating story as well! You can also check out the location of the Rising Sun and other Leelanau shipwrecks on this diving map of Leelanau.

The photo comes from the excellent online photo collection of the Traverse Area Historical Society. It was taken on October 29, 1917 by Carrie (Labare) Craker. (From the left) Martha (Popa) Craker is shown holding her daughter Julia Craker, W. A. Craker and Clifford Craker. The remainder are unidentified.

John McCormick aka Michigan Nut is one of my favorite Michigan photographers, and he recently took a vacation on the Leelanau Peninsula. Here's a slideshow of his photos and for a real treat, check out his Flickriver.

What can you say except for "Take THAT doubters of the most beautiful place award!"?

Terry took this shot of North Bar Lake and Lake Michigan from the Pierce Stocking overlook. Check it out bigger and in his slideshow.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore sent this over:

Fall was traditionally "shipwreck season" on the Great Lakes, and before radio communications were used at sea, ships could not call for help. Spotting a vessel in distress from the shore was the only way rescue crews knew that their assistance was needed. Therefore, 100 years ago beach patrol was an essential duty of a U.S. Life-Saving Service (LSS) surfman, who set out each night to hike the shoreline in search of ships in distress.

You have a chance to experience a little of what that was like on Saturday, October 8 and/or October 15 as you join Park Rangers to recreate a traditional evening beach patrol. Dress for the weather and meet at the Sleeping Bear Point Life-Saving Service Station/Maritime Museum in Glen Haven at 7:30 p.m.

You'll hear an in-depth explanation of the patrol process and some local shipwreck stories inside the station, then join National Park Service Ranger for a lantern-lit hike along the beach. There are always a few surprises along the way and everyone should carry a flashlight for safety. Wind and rain will only make the patrol more authentic, so be ready for any weather!

Unlike the original surfmen, hikers may turn back at any time during the one-hour, one mile roundtrip beach walk and return to the Maritime Museum where they will be welcomed by a volunteer and find shelter.

The entire program lasts about two hours. For more information, you can call the National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134, visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe and join them on Facebook.