Wisconsin

 

One of the hundreds of lakes that dot northern Wisconsin, this one is just north of the town of Woodruff on Hwy. 57

I spent about three weeks in Wisconsin helping with the cranberry harvest before coming back to Michigan to finish getting ready for the trip. My spare time while there was often spent looking for good places to eat since my motel room only had a refrigerator and microwave. There are an amazing amount of good places to eat for the remoteness of the area and unlike cities where most restaurants are centrally located together either in suburban malls or downtown, this area has most of its best restaurants spread out on various small lakes. These small resorts rely on seasonal rushes and consistent patronage of regulars during the off seasons to survive.

My Klepper sitting at Black River Bay on Lake Superior in Michigan's upper peninsula just north of the cranberry marsh.

I got to take my Klepper (folding kayak) out on Lake Superior the first weekend I was there. I was in five foot waves and a freezing wind which was a bit wild, but it did well. I am still learning what this boat and myself can do. It's advertised as one of the most sea worthy boats there is and has been used in all parts of the world under all kinds of conditions. Every time I use it I appreciate more of just how well it is built and what it can do.

 
Looking out of the Black River Harbor into Lake Superior.

I also took my kayak out into the Lac du Flambeau region which is part of a large chain of lakes in Northern Wisconsin. The Chippewa Indian Reservation and Casino are on the lake and the amount of wild land surrounding this area is as extensive as any place I have been in the midwest; with islands everywhere and free camping its a canoe or kayakers dream. There are wolves, moose, eagles, bear, marten, weasels, reports of cougars along with Tiger Musky fishing that rivals Alaskan salmon fishing.

The hunters and fisherman also seem to like the islands for they too appear everywhere. It is an area that unfortunately seems to always have a hunting or fishing season open so the land is multi/heavily used. In winter there are large numbers of snowmobiles and the rest of year ATV's (all terrain vehicles) seem to rule off road travel. Different users must share the land at the same time and respect each others right do so. If your hiking or kayaking, and you end up walking or paddling in front of a duck blind filled with hunters, it obviously feels less then comfortable. These situations don't give much of a sense of solitude for either party; the reason we like to think we went out there to begin with.

This is a continuing problem for someone wanting to get away from it all and not hunt, fish, or use a vehicle to get around, especially in northern Wisconsin. To just go for a hike or paddle usually means you are going to run into someone and upset their hunting or fishing space. I would be curious to find out if there is a "non land use" season in northern Wisconsin. For someone just wanting to experience the woods without others using it for recreational purposes seems almost impossible to do at times.

Recently in Michigan's Pigeon River State Forest area I noticed signs saying motorized vehicles are not allowed in the whole state forest. This seems more the exception than the norm however and I think part of the reason this rule exists there is because the states only Elk population resides there.

Even with all the activity in the woods northern Wisconsin is a good example of north woods beauty and solitude. With its many miles of bogs, lakes, deep forests and marshes of stunted growth trees one can almost imagine the vast tracts of woods covering the earth for another 500 miles from here to the north until the tree line ends and the thousands of miles of tundra begin; the real true north. For those of you who have never really been far north, like up towards the arctic circle, it is hard to describe the magic that lays heavier and heavier on the land the farther north you travel. Just the angle of the earth and how the sun light illuminates it is unlike any other place. You simply know you are far north by the "feel" of it. This "feel" certainly starts in northern Michigan and Wisconsin and becomes more pronounced the farther north you go.

My second week in Wisconsin was in the 40's and 50's; certainly warmer than my first week there. That week it was cold enough for snow. While working out on the marsh, the wind, rain and cold which all alternated with the sun popping out was some of the most intense work I have done in some of the worst conditions. Even working on a fishing boat in Alaska when I was younger was no worse than this, though a little more dangerous. And like being on a fishing boat the beauty of working out on the marsh and being able to see weather patterns develop for miles around is something special. This watching wildlife while you work is simply not in most job descriptions and is working in an environment that has a raw beauty that is continually changing from moment to moment.

One day after a long day of weather changes we came back to the shop just off the marsh and saw not only a whole rainbow, which is rare enough, but it turned into a double rainbow; it was one of the best ones I've ever seen.



Our shop and yard on the cranberry marsh with a rainbow overhead.

My time there was too short. I left the cranberry harvest a little early due to a conflict with another worker. Like many construction jobs there is always conflicts and scape goats to be found, hung over bosses and a sort of burn out energy that often comes from long hours, both on the job and in the bars. It is a weird environment, not unlike commercial fishing or a host of other construction type jobs done in beautiful outdoor settings. There is hard work and beautiful scenery which feels so good to be out and in is often accompanied by a certain work environment from the coworkers where the job (even in a beautiful setting) no longer seems worth it. Like most jobs one has to be willing to adopt a certain attitude and simply enjoy it and see it for what it is. I'm afraid I didn't quite allow myself to do it this time.

At times one needs to be willing to get in there and rough it up, take whatever comes down the pike and fight for what you believe in. This not only makes us human, it can make us feel alive. For some of us being John Wayne for a day is exactly what the doctor ordered! A good brawl, drunk and roll in the hay can make us feel deeply human again. Not that I advocate getting drunk, fights or promiscuous sex of course. But it is important to recognize the need for these things in our lives and the need to feel human, with all our many faults and virtues.

So again I say goodbye to Northern Wisconsin hoping I will again come back and perhaps put up at least a seasonal home. How few people know of these beauties outside of the midwest. Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, God shed his grace on thee: and don't get me started on Canada's beauty...

Next post.... On a cold October night I start the long journey south....