WISSA-World Ice and Snow Sailing Association

This is one of the most exciting events ever to come to St. Ignace and the Straits of Mackinac.

World Ice and Snow Sailing Association

Coming to St. Ignace, Michigan Feburary 2012

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STS is coming to the USA in 2012        

A cool wind is blowing thru the world of windsurfing, and with it comes a fresh new way of racing. Developed in Latvia, the Short Track Slalom (STS) takes place on plowed ice. It packs more action into a tight space than any other form of wind powered competition.

A system of quick starts, rapid heats, and instant results makes racing dynamic and compelling. The close quarters and high speeds are spellbinding for sailors and spectators alike. Precision jibing, lightning acceleration and dramatic crashes are standard fare for this extraordinary new discipline. Think of it as a cross between sailing and short track speed skating.

The venue (a plowed area 200x200 meters) is a simple matter in cold climates. The small size, easy containment, and high action density make the STS a natural for the new world of spectators and media.

Get ready! World Ice and Snow Sailing Championships   coming to St. Ignace Michigan  

wissa.org

Bring it on!

A Hike at Rabbits Back Peak

To most, it's just a hump in the landscape on a Lake Huron Bay just outside of the city of St. Ignace in the village of Evergreen Shores.  To many who live here, it's much more....It's a history, a story of a time gone by, an era when this intriguing rock was a well-known landmark, a kind of "castle rock" of its day. It was a nickle climb, so they say. The land is populated by small two tracks, a reminder of a time that it was being developed for a campground but never really got off the ground.  It is full of majestic cedars and many varieties of evergreens and rock ledges as well as hidden cement footings that hold stories of a previous life in a bustling harbor town.

Towering over the Mackinac area, it offers a 365 view although the ancient cedars are starting to block some of the wide open view of years past.  It is the highest point in Mackinac County, 30 feet higher than the famous "Castle Rock" on I-75. 

                                                                                                               

                                                                    The Rabbits Back

                                                           Woods, Historic of Mackinac

Here is a rock of peculiar shape about three miles from the point where the Indians gathered in 1680.  Here, it is said MANABOZHO, the Great Hare, who was a Huron Deity, once gave a Huron the gift of Immortality tied in a bundle, ejoining him never to open it; The Indian's wife, however, moved by curiousity, cut the string, and the precious gift flew out.  Ever since then the Indians have been subject to death.

MANABOZHO was a Diety to all of the tribes in the Lakes' Superior and Michigan region, and our local tribesman say that he was usually in the form of a Great Hare, and was very kind to the Indians, but as the Indians began waring and adopting the ways of the early traders, he became so grieved that he turned himself to stone. Ever after those who had heard of his wonderful works, have in sorrow or want, gone to this spot and laid gifts around him, and they claim wonderful healings and other supernatural benefits from this great stone rabbit.

                                                                                      "CHIEF WHITE WOLF"

I remember as a teenager, new to the area, climbing this rock and thinking it was the coolest place I'd ever been.  I've climbed many times since then and this climb was with a non-profit group that we work with, The Great Waters Center for Lifelong Learning, most of the group are newer to the area and had only ever wondered what that hump represented.  A local Native American historian accompanied us to give the group the history of the "Peak" through his eyes.

As we stood atop the peak, an eagle soared over the cedars, the setting sun shed a late afternoon glow on nearby Mackinac Island and the St. Ignace harbor, the smell of cedars filled the air and fall was upon us.  There was no better place to be on that day.  All is good in our U.P.          Rabbits Back Peak

Brevort Lake Calm

1. Where did the season go?  Honestly, it’s been busy but I just found this picture that I took in August on Brevort Lake, at the Sunset Breeze vacation cottage and decided to post it so it would remind me of the summer that just turned into fall.  I didn’t miss it….I was there….participated in as many activities and events as possible and as busy as it was, this picture reflects the calm that sometimes we get to enjoy.  Nothing like waking up on this lake first thing and seeing the beautiful colors stretching across the 7 mile span, listening to the sound of an occasional loon but more often the quack of the neighborhood ducks taking a stroll along the shore.   Summer came and it left…..How did I not make time to report it all…..where does the time go?  

Ways to Fix Things Part Two ( A great look at a housing market fix)

Check out this website I found at tbwsdailyshow.com

These guys are on the money and give great insight to the housing problems and how we get back on track.

Dwarf Iris

Living along the Lake Michigan shoreline is always an adventure because you just never know what you will encounter, rare animals, birds, massive tall ships, foreign freighters, sunrises and sunsets that take your breath away or wildflowers that are unfamiliar.. 

 Recently, my husband during his  morning walk has encountered some workers on the Enbridge project, a gas pipeline company who is upgrading a station and a gas pipeline that crosses the Straits of Mackinac between the Lower and Upper Peninsulas.   They have a base station near historic "Pte. LaBarbe" and Sand Bay just west of the Mackinac Bridge. They seemed to be looking at the ground and covering  quite an area.   When asked what they were looking for, they responded that they are relocating the protected "Dwarf Iris" which apparently only grows in very few areas of the world, this being one.

I had been familiar with this flower from past projects but never really knew it's history so looked it up and decided to share so that if anyone wanted to search the flower, here would be the information. Its presence has stopped more than one development in this area that I've encountered. So here is some history:

   

What is a Dwarf Lake Iris?

Scientific Name - Iris lacustris

Appearance- Dwarf lake iris is a miniature iris with showy, deep blue flowers. The flowers are about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in width and 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches in height and are born singly on stems less than 2 inches tall. Leaves are up to 6 inches long and 2 inches wide and are flattened, sword-like, and arranged in fan-shaped clusters. Although flowers are usually blue, lilac or white flowers are sometimes found.

Range - Dwarf lake iris only grows around the Great Lakes and occurs near the northern shores of Lakes Huron and Michigan in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada.

Habitat - Occurring close to Great Lakes shorelines in cool, moist lake shore air, dwarf lake iris is found on sand or in thin soil over limestone-rich gravel or bedrock. Habitat is along old beach ridges or behind open dunes. Changing water levels can open new habitat for the plants.

So, the plant thrives here and its fun to know it when you see it.  I'm not worrying that they'll be disappearing anytime in the near future but always find it amazing that this northern climate has so many interesting discoveries  and they are right under our nose.   I'm curious as to how many will get transplanted or saved  with this new pipeline upgrade and how much that will cost in environmental studies and implementation,  who monitors it.....always interesting statistics.   

In any case, it is certainly worth a stroll along your favorite northern Michigan shoreline

Spring is here and this is why I know

WILD BEEFSTEAK MOREL MUSHROOMS

 I always know when spring is really here because the buzz is all about the mushrooms....who's seen them, where do you think they are etc.  I've never been very good at hunting them all though on occasion we have hit a few jackpots but I defer to my daughter and a couple of friends to really produce the find of this local and very popular Northern Michigan delicacy. People are very protective of their spots, even my own kids wouldn't divulge their spots but just offer to drop a off a few extras to keep us happy.  I guess they were afraid I would broadcast the whereabouts and that would be the end of their secret spot.

This little batch above is the first of the year, beefsteaks as they call this particular morel,  pan fried with a little olive oil, garlic, onion and a dash of sea salt and pepper.  There is NO better dish to come off my stove, (well with the exception of the addition of a little butter which I'm trying to cut back on).    Thanks to our friend, "Mountain Joe" who I would trust with my life to know the difference between the real and false morels.  Now if you don't hear from me again, I was wrong but my moneys always on "Mountain Joe".

For anyone wanting to know more about wild mushrooms, check out this link   Hunting Morel Mushrooms in Upper Michigan   Just another great Northern Michigan activity.....

Why the beefsteak name?   if you close your eyes, sometimes you could imagine you were eating a succulent, tender, juicy bite of steak. (but it's better). 

An Adventure Across the Ice Bridge

The early day crack on the ice bridge

A horse drawn dray rounding the corner on Market Street

The two restaurants open this winter

It was early in the day when I decided that today would be a good day to cross over to the island to get some work done. The past few days have been mild and the ice had shifted just enough to make this traveler a little leery of the safeness of the trail.  We loaded our machines from home and drove down to the Mackinac Grille where we launched and headed over.  It was a beautiful clear day with a dusting of clouds  but the wind was cold and fierce and much of the snow had blown off leaving a vast expanse of black ice but the trail was good and marked well with xmas trees.......  There was one small crack about a mile out, not enough to cause any concern and we scurried over it.  How fun to land on this island in the middle of winter, no boat or air schedule just you and your machine. What an experience to witness winter on Mackinac,  what a special place.   Word was out that the DNR has been ticketing people without trail permits, must be something new.......not remembering it ever being required previously unless you went the trails or into the state park area.  I guess they must now consider the ice-bridge, a trail, hmmmmm, bet you'll find an argument there.  The picture above is of the two restaurants now open and serving food, great places for lunch or dinner...UNELSS you're the DNR officer that just issued 40 tickets that day on the ice bridge for no trail stickers or lack of helmets (so he said:)  Hmmmm, things were rumbling on the island and I guess it came right from Lansing to enforce it.

After spending several hours with my client, we headed back,  my client catching a ride to the mainland of St. Ignace as the sun was starting to set in the west.  After passing through a spontaneous stop by a local female DNR officer, we carried on.  As the spot with the original crack got closer, I noticed the crack had enlarged and now there was water, maybe 3 feet or so.    I stopped and looked closer,  didn't like what I saw and wasn't ready to cross unless I saw another machine cross.  The on-coming machine stopped as well, looked at me and I suppose was thinking the same thing, (like stupid vs. stupid).   My husband Jim said we've got to cross it, apparently thinking it was OK and not too deep, he was not going back to find another way around.  As he flew across, he dipped and the water flew up......  but made it safely across.  My heart sunk out of my body and I turned to my friend and said close your eyes and hold your breath we're going across.  I veered a little more to the south and gunned it, hit the crack, dipped, came up and landed on smooth black ice....we made it.  The momentum sent us spinning sideways until we hit a patch of snow,  sending my client off the back and me off as well, as I watched the machine coming down on me,  I threw my foot up as to not get crushed, it obliged and stood back up.   Safe! We all looked at each other....are we nuts? are you kidding?   Wow, what a rush.....after we laughed hysterically at what we had just gone through, and the machine now was limp with broken shocks, we  doctored her back, loaded up and headed home.  All were fine, no broken anything and enough excitement to last us all a while.   What you've got to do to make a living up here!  LOL!

For the record, if you want to purchase a trail permit, you can get them right downtown St. Ignace at Ace Hardware. Also, many people travel this bridge back and forth to work whenever the bridge is good, they know what to look for or they find out the latest conditions.  It's not for the faint of heart.....and no one can ever guarantee anything but traditions are made and carried on and life goes on up here in the great white north.  Just need to be careful, inquire from the locals and pay your insurance up.

Ok, so this Saturday, I think I'll stick to snowshoeing, I see there's an outing at Tahquamenon  Falls with the North Country Trail to Trail group. Sounds like a much tamer activity.

A little more on the ice bridge