The Great Lakes are no strangers to shipwrecks, with numbers reaching into the thousands, the lakes harbor hundreds of years of history that one Benzie County man hopes to share.
Westmoreland Drawing (Courtesy of MichiganMysteries.com)
In July of 2010, Ross Richardson, a diver and local historian, was credited with finding the Westmoreland. It was and still is “one of the most sought after ships in the Great Lakes” (Richardson has kept the location of the vessel hidden in order to preserve the artifacts found aboard the steamer that sank in December of 1865). However, Richardson recently announced that he has discovered three more undocumented ships in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore waters.
Richardson stated that “Only one, the schooner ‘James McBride,’ is a previously documented shipwreck, according to [his] research.” The other two unknown vessels are reported to be over 100 feet long and are estimated to date back to 1860. Richardson reports that one of the ships contains numerous artifacts.
Richardson's Shipwreck Dive (Photo by Chris Doyal via MLive.com)
Richardson and a team of officials are working together to learn more about these ships in order to preserve and promote awareness of these ships. Richardson is also working with Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore officials to create an smart phones app that will allow anyone from a novice diver to an underwater archeologist to easily find known shipwrecks in the area.
Watch Richardson’s video of his shipwreck dive to the historic grave.
Learn more about Richardson’s passion for Great Lakes shipwrecks on his website, Michigan Mysteries.
Blog by Mark S. Carlson of Great Lakes Photo Tours
Photos by 2011 Autumn Dunes Eco-Photo Tour participants
The recent Great Lakes ‘Autumn Dunes’ Eco/Photo Tour weekend turned out to be a race against the weather that resulted in some fantastic photo finishes. Every year Mother Nature surprises our vision seekers with an array of meteorological challenges, Autumn 2011 was no exception and they loved it! After a few unexpected cancellations, our compact group of six participants quickly gelled into a family of visual artists with a single-minded focus, to capture in pixels, the magic and majesty of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Great Lakes Photo Tour 2011 (photo by Janelle Will)
Our first day began with clouds and scattered showers. No problem – we just focused our attention on intimate landscapes. Leaf-covered trails winding through the hardwood forests, wet and shiny maple leaves, the classic architecture of old farmsteads, all became one-of-a-kind subject matter complemented by the weather.
Wet Maple Leaves (photo by Janelle Will)
As the showers dissipated, we moved to the Lake Michigan shoreline where forceful winds delivered white waves and gray clouds into everyone’s viewfinder. Evocative images, full of Nature’s mood and temperament, recorded all the thrills. On the horizon, a promising blue sky was rapidly approaching.
Sky n' dunes (photo by Patrice Zinck)
From the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive our 360 degree views were full of open ‘dunescapes’ with puffy white clouds in blue sky. The D.H. Barns provided a focal point in the rolling landscape with Sleeping Bear Bay as the perfect backdrop. The Lake Michigan overlook deck became the best vantage point in which to admire the vastness of a picturesque paradise. From 360 degree views to a 180 degree difference in the weather, our October vision quest just kept getting better and better.
Boardwalk Over Dune (photo by Kristen Kernstock)
We finished our eventful day photographing every budding nature photographer’s favorite subject, especially in the Sleeping Bear Dunes, a Great Lake’s sunset. Wave-washed sticks, stones and feathers became artistic paintings in the sand while basked in the warm glow of late light with deepening shadows. A few clouds on the horizon created just the right accent to another mesmerizing sunset completing our picture-perfect day.
Stone on Beach at Sunset (photo by Michelle Potter)
The following morning, we trained our cameras on the D.H. Day barns bathed in first light. Cedar-shake shingles atop sculpted rooftops offered the finishing touches to another rewarding experience with a Great Lakes Photo Tour appreciating the “Most Beautiful place in America“, The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We hope you’ll join us next time.
Autumn Dunes Photo Tour 2011 Participants (photo by Janelle Will)
Great Lakes Photo Tours are held each spring and fall in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore with lodging provided by The Homestead. For more information on the next photo tour, visit Great Lakes Photo Tours or call Mark S. Carlson at 517.230.1655.
Read some thank-you notes and see more pictures from 2011 Fall Dunes Eco-Photo Tour participants.
Article “Spirit Song of a Michigan Ghost Forest” (8/31/11). Reprinted by permission from Earth’s Almanac. All photos are by Jonathan Schechter.
Walk silently through the haunting landscape of the ghost forest of Sleeping Bear Point Trail and wind spirits whisper to you and chatter among the skeletons of long dead cedars.
If you do not hear them you are not listening. I am sure the Anishinaabek knew the song in their day on Sleeping Bear.
The ghost forest is stark evidence of shifting sand dunes and endless winds that writes new pages daily in the story of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, an ever-changing masterpiece created by the last glacial retreat and now protected by our National Park Service.
Sand and wind in concert is powerful.
Although each grain of sand is just the tiniest of specks, in 1931 the U.S. Coast Guard buildings now in the town of Glen Haven had to be moved from Sleeping Bear Point before the migrating dunes buried them.
The story of sand dunes and ghost forests is without end, but to feel the earth moving forces of ice, wind and water that sing nature’s song you must walk the sands.
And I will walk there again in a land that is full of mystery and wonder, and home to black bears, bobcats and perhaps a few cougars.
NOTE: Final photo by Shaina O’Dwyer, Environmental Management System Management Representative of the Grand Traverse Resort And Spa.
During this most recent exploration of Sleeping Bear I was a participant in an environmental writers ecology tour sponsored by the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa www.grandtraverseresort.com with assistance and logistical support from the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Traverse Citywww.visittraversecity.comand the staff of the National Park Service at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshorewww.nps.gov/slbe.
You can find Jonathan Schechter on his blog at Earth’s Almanac, a blog of The Oakland Press.
According to AccuWeather.com long-range weather experts, the Midwest and Great Lakes regions will be “dealt the worst of winter this year.” 2011-2012 will be the fifth winter in a row with snowfall well above normal and temperatures well below average for Chicago, our neighbor to the south. Paul Pastelok, a long-range weather forecaster with AccuWeather.com said this winter will be similar to last year, in terms on both snow and cold. Last year there was one big storm that brought a lot of snowfall, but this year there will be several large storms.
The long-range weather forecasting team predicts our neighbors to the west in Minneapolis will have “especially awful” cold. Since we are a neighboring state, we are likely to get some of the cold as well.
AccuWeather Lake Effect Snow Predictions 2012
La Niña is to blame for what is to come. La Niña’s occur when sea surface temperatures across the pacific are below normal. La Niña’s tend to bring winter storms early in the season, usually in December. There will be a long, frigid January and February. Even winter weather lovers have had enough of cold and snow by early spring, but the La Niña may keep the cold weather in the area well into spring.
Farmers Almanac Winter 2012 Predictions
The Farmers Almanac also predicts “average temps, very white, wet” winter for the Great Lakes. A very active storm track will bring heavier-than-normal precipitation (that means snow) to the area.
The Old Farmers Almanacreports that the Upper Midwest, including Traverse City, will have colder than normal temperatures with the heaviest snowfall in early and mid-December, early to mid-February and again in mid-March. They predict the first snowfall to occur the first week of November with rain and snow mix in mid-November and finally turning to snow in late November.
For those of you who can understand a ”prognostic discussion for long-lead seasonal outlooks,” it may be worth a read on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Predictions webpage. They update there predictions frequently.
Blog by Ileana Habsburg-Snyder (I love snowy winters, but without ice storms)
The National Park numbers are in for the summer season, but 2011 did not break the record for the most visitors. Park officials say that 2011 may be the second-busiest on record, as reported in the LeelanauNews.com article “Bullish Numbers at Bear Park.”
According to the article, the numbers are still coming in and Sleeping Bear Dunes has not reached “second-busiest year” status yet, but it is close. The year-to-date visitor count is 1,217,715 through the end of September, which is up 4.3 percent over 2010. The count is not close to the 1999 record of 1,364,834 visitors. The second-busiest year on record was 1988 when 1,317,530 came to visit the majestic dunes. There is a chance for beating the 1988 record this year.
Even with overall visitor numbers not breaking records, Deputy Superintendent Tom Ulrich says the number of visitors at the visitors center in Empire were up 61 percent from 2010. Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and the Dune Climb also saw increases over last year of 67.5 percent.
Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau reports the number of website visitors is also up from 2010. Early in the year the number of website visitors was only slightly higher in 2011, but then the numbers of visitors jumped 19% for May, June and July. The big spike came in August when there was an over 300% increase. September 2011 numbers are up 175% over 2010.
Leelanau County merchants are reporting a good fall season as well. Sally Guzowkoski, the president of the Leelanau Chamber of Commerce, says that traffic is up all over Leelanau County during the midweek as well as on the weekends. She is surpassed by the number of people coming in to the office midweek.
Official Press Release from Leelanau Peninsula Vinter’s Association
(LEELANAU PENINSULA, Michigan) – In what has become a Northwest Michigan holiday tradition, the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association will hold the 2011 Toast the Season wine tour. Once again, two consecutive weekends of tasting and touring will be offered, November 5 & 6 or November 12 & 13. The self-guided tour includes a gift bag featuring local food items, and you may visit up to 8 wineries each day in any order you choose between the hours of 11am to 5pm Saturday, or noon to 5pm Sunday.
“Toast the Season is lots of fun, giving you a chance to experience the Leelanau wine trail, enjoy a great gift bag, taste some great wine and sample our food pairings,” explains Lucie Matthias of Chateau Fontaine. “It’s also a good time to get a start on your holiday shopping in our tasting rooms and at all the unique shops & stores in Leelanau’s villages. Deer hunting season starts on November 15th this year, and we see a lot of ‘deer widows’ too, who are looking for something fun to do while their husbands are away at deer camp!”
The tour features a special wine & food pairing at each of the 19 Leelanau Peninsula member wineries. At your starting winery you will be given a commemorative glass, an LPVA holiday ornament, a souvenir wine key and a holiday gift bag featuring local food including fair trade coffee from Higher Grounds Trading Company of Traverse City, cocoa-coated chocolate covered almonds from Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate in Empire, and (of course) Michigan cherries from Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor!
Tickets are available online at www.lpwines.com/toast along with Toast the Season packages from a number of local lodging partners.
Food Pairings
Below are a few of the tantalizing wine & food pairings!
Chateau de Leelanau will be serving the “World Famous Willies Chili” with Solem Farm Red.
L.Mawby will offer Nature’s Treat dried apples slices with Black Diamond aged white cheddar, paired with the L. Mawby Consort.
Ciccone Vinyards will feature an Italian Bruschetta with fresh ingredients straight from the garden paired with their 2009 Cabernet Franc.
Willow Vinyards will be serving up some naughty French Vanilla Pumpkin Squares with Caramel topping, paired with their Semi Sweet Gris.
Cherry Republic will pair a Gorgonzola, Pecan and Cherry Fondue using their delicious Cherry Bread and with their Great Hall Riesling.
Verterra is offering different food pairings with their Pinot Gris for each weekend: 1st weekend will be Char-Grilled Pizzetta with sun-dried tomato, fresh spinach, garlic, feta & mozzarella and the 2nd weekend will feature Santa Fe Sweet Corn Chowder.
Forty-Five North will be serving up carnitas tacos paired with their new 2010 Dry Riesling.
Tickets
Tickets for Toast the Season are $50 per person or $75 per couple (couple ticket holders receive two glasses, pours and food at each winery, but only one gift bag and ornament). Tickets are available online at http://www.lpwines.com/toast/.
The LPVA encourages using a designated driver or local transportation services when touring its wineries. Visit www.lpwines.com for more information including lodging packages at many great area hotels, B&Bs and resorts!
National Park Ranger Ryan Locke demonstrates the newly installed boot scraper at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (photo by Jonathan Schetcher)
National Park Ranger Ryan Locke is on the front lines of a war raging at Sleeping Bear Dunes NationalLakeshore, a quiet war being waged to combat the spread of invasive species. The first “boot brushstation” was installed at the popular Empire Bluff Trail last month with additional scrapers going in at South and North Manitou Islands and Leland. The scrapers are aimed to raise the awarness of backpackers and casual hikers that they are vectors in invasive species seed dispersal. The simple act of scraping your boot or shoe against the brush before and after a trail hike removes hitchiking seeds while the well worded colorful interpretive sign explains the science behind the war plan.
Congratulations to Ranger Locke who thought about a way to educate the public on invasive species seed dispersal and provide a way for the public to take immediate action. Locke called around to other parks with islands and then pitched the idea of a boot brush station to the National Park Service’s Invasive Species Coordinator Marcus Key who works at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Key ran with the plan and saw to it that 55 of these stations were produced to be placed in ten National Parks around our Great Lakes.
Locke explained the highest priority is to educate the public about the risk of transporting invasive species (such as garlic mustard and spotted knapweed) in the treads of, or on the laces of their hiking boots or hidden in camping gear to the Manitou Islands.
Do your part on your next Sleeping Bear visit: Wipe your feet!
Official Press Release of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
October 6, 2011
Sleeping Bear Dunes Confirms Type E Botulism in Recent Bird Die-off and Expects More This Fall
Four gull carcasses collected from beaches in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) have tested positive for type E botulism toxin (avian botulism). Type E botulism is a powerful neurotoxin that has been linked to large bird die-offs throughout several areas of the Great Lakes in past years. More than 200 birds have already been found dead on National Lakeshore beaches this summer, and based on trends from recent years, that number is expected to increase this fall.
Avian botulism is a paralytic, often fatal disease of birds that results when they ingest toxin produced by the native Clostridium botulinum type E; an anaerobic bacterium found in nutrient-rich lake bottoms. The bacterium spores rest in the gills and digestive tracts of fish living in many North American lakes. The spores can remain viable for years and are harmless until the correct environmental conditions prompt them to germinate. Type E botulism occurs only when the spores germinate and the bacteria multiply and produce toxin. Changes in the Great Lakes ecosystem have increased the growth of the botulism bacterium, which has led to an increase in birds poisoned by eating toxin-tainted fish or invertebrates.
The National Lakeshore is conducting a study of avian botulism to determine whether any steps can be taken to control outbreaks. Dead birds and fish are identified, counted, and collected for analysis. Dedicated National Lakeshore volunteers have helped discover that die-offs begin in the heat of the summer and reach their peak during the fall bird migrations. It is believed that the large flocks of migrating birds ingest the toxin in offshore waters, where it has been accumulating throughout the summer, resulting in the fall die-offs. These are usually detected when strong autumn storms blow the dead birds to shore. At this time last year, nearly 300 birds had been found dead, and then from early October to mid-November, another 385 birds washed ashore.
In addition to actively monitoring the shoreline for sick and dead birds, the park is collaborating with scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the University of Michigan, and Northwestern Michigan College’s Water Studies Institute, to conduct studies in the Lake Michigan nearshore environment to better understand the mechanisms of toxin transmission. Many of these studies are funded through President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to assure that Great Lakes beaches, fish, and sources of public drinking water are safe, and that the ecosystems that fish and wildlife depend upon are healthy.
Lake Michigan beaches within the National Lakeshore remain safe for swimming and recreation, however, park visitors should exercise caution upon encountering bird or fish carcasses. Type E botulism is not an infectious disease. It is a poison. You must ingest the toxin, usually by eating an undercooked infected fish or animal, to become ill. You are not at risk for contracting botulism by swimming in Lake Michigan. Visitors bringing pets to the park should keep them leashed and away from dead animals on the beach. Pets may be poisoned if they eat dead birds or fish containing botulism.
For more information, please call the National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134 or visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe. Also, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbdnl.
Official Press Release of the Environmental Protection Agency
Traverse City, Michigan – October 6, 2011
EPA Provides Over $1.1 Million for Sleeping Bear Dunes and Grand Traverse Band Watersheds
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced funding for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative projects in Northern Michigan totaling $1.1 million. The projects will help to restore the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Grand Traverse Band watersheds and put people back to work, using a conservation corps model to hire unemployed workers to improve habitat and clean up shoreline.
The National Park Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs projects were selected from 44 proposals totaling almost $25 million, which were submitted in response to a $6 million challenge that EPA issued in August to encourage federal agencies to sign up unemployed workers to implement restoration projects in federally-protected areas, on tribal lands and in Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes Basin. To qualify for funding, each project is required to provide jobs for at least 20 unemployed people.
“The tremendous response to EPA’s challenge underscores the large backlog of Great Lakes restoration projects that are ready to be implemented and the strong support that exists for using a conservation corps model to get the job done,” said Susan Hedman, EPA Great Lakes National Program Manager, today at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. “This week, EPA is announcing a total of eight restoration projects worth $6.6 million as part of this challenge. Each project will produce immediate, direct ecological benefits and will help to put unemployed people back to work.”
The National Park Service will receive $891,225 to expand wetland restoration work in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The Bureau of Indian Affairs will receive $255,365 to work with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians on watershed restoration – part of $876,810 awarded to BIA to allow it to expand its work with tribal governments to complete Great Lakes restoration projects in Indian country. Other tribes that will participate in the project are the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin and the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
“The National Park Service is very proud to contribute to this effort,“ said National Park Service Midwest Regional Director Michael T. Reynolds. “Our participation in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has given us a terrific opportunity to do restoration work in all of our Great Lakes national parks that might never have been accomplished otherwise, and on a scale that can really make a difference. This project at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will not only provide jobs in an area with a high rate of unemployment, but will also accomplish much needed work to restore impacted sites throughout the 71,000 acre park.”
“The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians is very pleased to announce that we have received $255,365 to be utilized over 2 years. We will be using the award to employ 4-5 individuals for ‘on the ground’ field work,” said Tribal Chair Derek J. Bailey. “The work crew will be supervised by a Grand Traverse Band/Natural Resources Conservation Service collaboratively funded position. Work will include removing woody debris, planting grasses and shrubs, river shoreline restoration, and hands on placement of bank stabilization materials.”
Selected projects will advance the goals and objectives of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan, developed by EPA with 15 other federal agencies in 2010. The action plan, which covers FY 2010 through 2014, ensures accountability by including measures of progress and benchmarks for success over the next three years. It calls for aggressive efforts to address five urgent priority “Focus Areas”:
• Cleaning up toxics and areas of concern.
• Combating invasive species.
• Promoting near-shore health by protecting watersheds from polluted run-off.
• Restoring wetlands and other habitats.
• Tracking progress, education and working with strategic partners.
More information on selected projects is available at http://www.glri.us
I came armed with vague, childhood memories of great sand dunes . . . and a bike.
Last fall, my parents headed up to Platte River Campground to enjoy the splendor of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. I accepted their invitation to join them since I thought that this might be the best road biking opportunity in Lower Michigan. I really had no idea how true that would be.
I was doomed to experience full days of gloom and rain since I took up residence in a tent, but my patience was rewarded with beautiful, cool days perfect for gallivanting around the lakeshore. I used the rainy days for reading about the dunes and planning my activities. There was so much to do and so little time, so we extended our stay by several days.
North Bar Lake
One of the greatest treasures the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has to offer is the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, named for the lumberman who built the road in the 1960s and operated this Sleeping Bear Dunes Park until his passing in 1976. It became part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 1977.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is special because it contains points of historic significance, provides ecologic educational opportunities, and offers enjoyable, recreational challenges. I visited the drive on two separate occasions so I could take in all that it has to offer.
The Cottonwood Trail
The Cottonwood Trail at scenic point four meanders through the ever-changing dunes. I couldn’t resist the challenge of embarking on this 1.4-mile hike to photograph the curious signs of erosion, the incredible blowouts and phenomenon of ecological succession, and characteristic plant life, such as juniper berries, bearberries, and buffalo berries. The Cottonwood Trail allows visitors to tour the delicate terrain, but it is the fragility of this environment that prompts me to stress the importance of staying on the trail.
Cottonwood Trail
I could see Glen Lake from the Cottonwood Trail. Also visible from scenic posts two and three, Glen Lake was carved out by glacial erosion and separated from Lake Michigan by the development of a sandbar that is now home to the village of Glen Arbor and the D.H. Day Campground.
The D.H. Day Farm is another spectacular view from the Cottonwood Trail. Built in the late 19th Century, the D.H. Day Farm is named for the man who donated 32 acres of land to the State of Michigan in 1920. This land became the D.H. Day State Park that became part of the national park in 1977.
The Bike Lane
The science and history of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore certainly drew my attention during my visit, but my primary reason for journeying to this area was the prospect of riding my bike on its challenging terrain. I couldn’t resist meeting the challenge of the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive on my cyclocross bike, Jake. That painted white line along the side of the road designating the bike lane screamed, “Ride me!” I really had no choice.
The Pine Plantation
It hurt, but I enjoyed the challenge of the climbs followed by the reward of the descents. One particular hill between scenic posts eight and nine gave me a little trouble. Jake’s gearing wasn’t easy enough for me, so I stalled halfway up. As I was camped out on the side of this hill, several cars went by, including my parents’. They stopped and asked if I wanted a ride, but my pride wouldn’t let me. I told them to go on, clipped in, and proceeded up the hill. After that grueling climb, I turned into the parking lot for scenic points 9 and 10 where visitors looked at me in disbelief. I think they thought that I was crazy. Perhaps they were right.
That grueling climb wasn’t without its reward. I bombed down the final, long downhill to the pine plantation at scenic point 12.
It is short, but the route is interesting enough to do two or three times. I had to use everything I had to climb those hills, from my last bit of strength to sheer determination. The fun and excitement of each descent was enough to convince me to tackle the next hill.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive isn’t the only riding opportunity for cyclists in and around the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The incredibly hilly land is a giant playground for anyone willing to brave this adventure. Anyone who experiences the freedom of this area will leave with much more than just memories. One will leave with the goal of returning to finish this great adventure.
Diane Ursu is a blogger and cyclist living in Mid-Michigan who shares her experiences at Moronacity.com.
RSS Feed
