View from a rock along the west branch of the Peshekee River in Craig Lake State Park. The river is passable but beavers have built many dams along its route that have to be portaged. Dry land is hard to come by. Photo by Howard Meyerson
By Howard Meyerson
CHAMPION — This is moose country — wet and wild. There are deer, loons and mink, even bald eagles flying. And the night air here is punctuated by hooting owls.
At 6,983 acres, Craig Lake State Park in Baraga County is said to be one of Michigan’s most remote state parks. That’s because it is located in the west-central Upper Peninsula, three to four dirt-road miles off the highway, and another 1,000 feet on foot to water’s edge. That’s a long walk carrying a canoe and pack.
Craig Lake’s rocky shoreline, though, proves just the opener. There are six lakes in the park and miles of water to explore. Trails lead into the bush and a long segment of the North Country Trail cuts through the park. This is home to a variety of wildlife species; even coyote and wolf have left signs on the trail.
On this day, our second of four, we would see only beaver, a fat one contentedly munching on reeds and signs of many others; their lodges and dams are hard to miss.
We left our rocky, elevated campsite after breakfast and paddled up into the northeast corner of Craig Lake to the mouth of the West Branch of the Peshekee River. Once there, we portaged a log jam and several downed trees. Continue reading
A record 350 paddlers took part in the 17th annual Source to the Sea Trek in July and August, reports the US. Fish and Wildlife Service which operates the nation’s national wildlife refuges. During the Trek, Mainers and visitors paddle the Androscoggin River from Lake Umbagog Refuge to Brunswick, ME. FWS staffers say that because of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, the whole river is now accessible to the public, and paddling-related businesses provide jobs. Photo: Stew Stryker, Creative Commons
The Outdoor Journal 