Gems of the Northwoods: Hike & Canoe Michigan & Wisconsin

Program Registration: 3:00-4:30 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the Education Hall to register with the program staff, get your room assignment, keys, and any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Prior to dinner, there will be a social starting at 4:45 p.m. Get to know your fellow Road Scholars while enjoying local wine and hors d’oeuvres.

In the dining hall.

Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will review COVID-19 protocols and will adhere to applicable requirements and guidelines throughout the program. Field trips will be led by the Group Leader along with at least one naturalist staffer. Transportation to/from program sites will be by 15-passenger vans. Meals will be held in the dining hall of Trees for Tomorrow, except for when we do not return to TFT in-between field trips, in which case we will have field lunches. Periods in the schedule designated as “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

In the dining hall.

Located in the Northern Highlands American Legion State Forest, the Fallison Lake Nature Trail showcases many of the diverse plant communities common to our areas. This trail begins on the highlands in a mixed coniferous-deciduous forest consisting of balsam fir, red pine, white pine, sugar maple, paper birch, trembling aspen, big-toothed aspen. On the backside of the lake we will hike down a series of steps that will take us through a black spruce/tamarack bog and eventually leading to an untouched stand of eastern hemlocks that are hundreds of years old. We’ll then return to TFT.

In the dining hall.

To prepare us for the week ahead, TFT naturalists will work to teach us the basics of paddling. This instruction will cover basic canoe strokes such as the forward and backward strokes, J-stroke, C-stroke, and the pry and draw strokes. After learning the basic canoe strokes, we will put these strokes into use, learning how to keep the canoe moving in a straight line, maneuver through a slalom course, and to spin a canoe 180 degrees while staying in the same location. Then, as time allows, we will paddle around the lake to practice these newly acquired skills and observe the aquatic plant and animal life on the lake.

In the dining hall.

Tonight, we’ll take the vans to canoe Baker Lake and Tamarack Flowage. Connected by a shallow channel, these two bodies of water are a staff favorite for a peaceful evening paddle. Evenings in the northwoods see the wind subside, and temperatures decline. This is the perfect time of day to view wildlife such as loons, bald eagles, great blue herons, and maybe even get the opportunity to hear barred owls calling in the distance.

In the dining hall.

We will head north in the vans to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where we will have the opportunity to step back in time and view the landscape as it was over a century ago, in the Sylvania Wilderness Area. When it was originally purchased by Albert D. Johnston in 1895, the lumber baron’s intent was logging the timber. However, upon arrival to the area he was astonished by the beauty that stood in front of him. Instead of going forth with harvesting the timber, Mr. Johnston built a home and decided to preserve the land. Thanks to this “change in plans,” Sylvania is one of the last tracts of old-growth forests in the Northwoods.

We’ll enjoy a field lunch at Clark Lake.

Located just north of Sylvania Wilderness Area lies another gem of the area, Bond Falls. This waterfall is created as the middle branch of the Ontonagon River tumbles over a thick belt of 1-billion-year-old basalt bedrock. The fractured bedrock divides the falls it into numerous small cascades, with the main falls dropping over 40'. Bond Falls is one of the Upper Peninsula’s most photographed waterfalls. After our hike, we’ll return by vans to TFT.

In the dining hall.

We’ll join Trees For Tomorrow naturalists in the education hall as they discuss the flora and fauna of the Northwoods. Topics will be determined closer to the program and will change phenologically with the seasons.

In the dining hall.

A tributary of the largest drainage basin in the U.S., the Wisconsin River flows approximately 430 miles through the state before emptying into the Mississippi River near Prairie du Chien. We will paddle a meandering stretch near the river’s headwaters, where the river is wide and shallow, and the slow current is perfect for learning to maneuver a canoe in moving water. Along its shoreline, participants will encounter vast stretches of large silver maples, making this an excellent place to see bald eagles up close and personal.

Field lunch at Newbold Park.

Next, we’ll visit Lake Nokomis Cranberry Farm. A billion-dollar industry for the state, Wisconsin produces over half of the world’s cranberry supply on 21,000 acres of crop land. Annually, Wisconsin produces over 5 million barrels of cranberries. At the farm, we’ll learn how this tart little berry is commercially grown and harvested. While there, we will have the opportunity to visit the unique cranberry gourmet gift shop.

In the dining hall.

After seeing it firsthand, we’ll join TFT naturalists in the Education Hall as they discuss the history of the Wisconsin River and learn how it claimed the title of “the hardest working river in the nation.”

In the dining hall.

Located on Michigan’s shoreline of Lake Superior, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park encompasses roughly 60,000 acres making it Michigan’s largest state park. The Porcupine Mountains themselves arise abruptly from Lake Superior to form a 12-mile-long escarpment which parallels the lakeshore. At approximately 2 billion years old, the mountains are a section of one of the oldest mountain chains in the world. Because of this striking topography, lumberjacks of the past could not access this area, leaving behind 35,000 acres of old growth hardwood forest. According to the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, this forest is believed to be “the biggest and best tract of virgin Northern Hardwoods in North America.” This old-growth forest combined with the breathtaking views overlooking Lake of the Clouds makes this park a one-of-a-kind ecological landscape in the area.

Field lunch on the shore of Lake Superior.

Within the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park lies the Union Mine Interpretive Trail. During the mid-1800s, the Keweenaw Peninsula’s “Copper Country” was the nation’s leader in copper production. This trail takes a brief look into that rich copper mining history of the area. Following the Union and Little Union rivers, this trail winds its way through a cool, shady hemlock forest. Where, along the way you will pass through the remnants of abandoned copper mining operations.

On your own.

At leisure.

In the dining hall.

The Manitowish River is a pristine sandy bottomed river with a steady current. This river meanders through heavily wooded conifer forest, before opening up into wildlife-rich marshlands. The water on this stretch is so clear that if you look closely, you can see River Redhorse, Smallmouth Bass and sometimes Muskellunge swim right below your canoe! For those birders out there, keep your eyes peeled for kingfishers flying along the shoreline, great blue herons hiding in the grasses, or even a trumpeter swan sitting around the next bend of this majestic river.

After reaching a take-out point, we’ll head to a rest stop off of Highway 51 for a field lunch.

After lunch, we’ll return to the Manitowish River for a second, longer leg of canoeing. We’ll then ride back to TFT for our last dinner together.

In the dining hall. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

The Group Leader will present a slideshow containing pictures from the participants’ experiences during the week. Following the slideshow, participants will have the opportunity to meet one of the TFT education raptors. We will talk about their story, why they are not releasable, adaptations that allow them to be efficient predators, their life history, and ways we can help them. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

In the dining hall. This concludes our program.

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!