Karin's Request

Well, Miss Fish, here ya go. Remember, we weren't really there all that long! I'll let the images "speak" for themselves. Enjoy!

The Crystal River Part 2

We dawdled awhile by the river, enjoying the late afternoon sunlight and the grassy marshes that the river passed through, then piled back in the car to head back to Karin's. But less than a mile down the road we crossed over a bridge and Karin mentioned that there was a canoe portage there where the river passed through three large drain pipes under the bridge. I turned the car around and we all tumbled out again.


Here is a look upstream at this beautiful, placid river.

Karin noticed a trail along the east side of the river so off we went, exploring the riverbank. One of the first things I noticed was all of the beaver activity. Lots and lots of trees had been felled in the woods along the river. It all looked pretty old, nothing recent that I could see, but it was neat to see all the stumps with chew marks in them, rather than the clean, straight cut of a lumberman's saw.

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Here's a close-up of the stump, clearly showing the tooth marks in the wood. This was one of the bigger trees that was felled. Most were only about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. This tree would have been stripped of its upper branches once it was down.

Here's another that didn't quite get finished, but enough damage was done that the tree died, and it's now full of holes and excavations, providing homes for many birds.

I loved the feeling of this place, the quality of the light, the softness of the earth, thick with duff, below my feet--had it been warmer I would have taken my shoes off.

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The base of this long-dead tree was strewn about with wood chips, most likely from a pileated woodpecker looking for bugs.

I didn't want to leave this place. The calm of the waters, the gentle sunlight through hazy clouds, a feeling like I was in some kind of fairy forest. I could almost believe that I was somewhere untrammeled by man, that I was alone with the beavers and the birds. Along this river I experienced one of those moments when I feel at one with a place. It's such a fleeting feeling, because as soon as you recognize it, it's gone. It's that moment when there are no thoughts, no conscious "me" but rather a worldly "all", when I am no longer projecting myself onto my surroundings but rather letting my surroundings wash over and within me. It is these moments that I long for, that instant when I am one with the world.

The Crystal River

After spending a few hours in Glen Arbor, we headed east out of town on Highway 22, then took a right at county road 675. The sun was just starting to peak out and I was looking forward to a pretty drive across the Leelanau Peninsula back to Traverse City. As we drove around a bend in the road this beautiful little river came into view. I quickly checked for traffic and veered off onto the shoulder, much to the delight of my fellow travelers (they like it when I do spontaneous things).

We piled out of the car and started exploring the river. Here Karin, Lori and Lisa are enjoying the scenery.

The Crystal River is a lovely, shallow, slow moving river that winds its way through the western part of Leelanau Peninsula. Karin said she has kayaked the river but that there are some parts that are so shallow you have to get out and drag your boat. Sounds like my kind of river!

The current was so slow moving there was barely a ripple on its surface.

The sunlight grew stronger as we dawdled along the riverbank. What a gorgeous fall afternoon.

So calm was the water that the opposite bank was clearly reflected on its surface.

The area is dominated by hemlocks and birch trees. I love these trees. They are both cool climate trees and so we don't see many down state. The birches especially are "north woods" tress and any sight of them makes me long for a cozy log cabin, flannel shirts and a hot cup of tea.

For me there is no substitute for clearing my mind like taking a walk in the woods. There's so much to see, so much to know, that it takes me right out of my head, erases stress, reminds me that my life is just a tiny part of the greater glory that is the world that sustains us. I cannot help but think that if people spent more time outdoors, exploring, learning, getting to know their world, that they too would be much happier for it. Our ever-increasing distance from nature is perhaps the greatest failing of modern man and our "civilized" world.