More Exploration

Yesterday our mini-corps of expedition left Iron River, Michigan on Ponozzo Road into the Ottawa National Forest. It was a bumpy and dusty gravel road with lumber trucks tearing around bends full speed, spewing dust on Gary's van which he had washed a mere thirty minutes before.

We persisted for twenty five miles until we reached the destination Gary had in mind, Perch Lake. He thought we'd find a good campground there, but instead we found most of the sites filled with pick up trucks and campers. It turned out Perch Lake is known not for perch but for walleyes. We didn't like any of the sites anyhow. They didn't have the shade we liked and the other half of the lake was full of cottages. There was no cell phone coverage and that meant no wi-fi. Worse, motorized boats were allowed. We love the quiet of non-motorized lakes like the one we're at now. We crossed Perch Lake off our list.

Instead of back tracking, we decided to keep going north and soon spotted another lake. We took a look and found Lake Sainte Kathryn. Here were beautiful sites, quiet, and cell phone coverage. (Gary wants that more than I do, though I admit it comes in handy.) We particularly liked site 22 which has a little staircase leading to a place to moor the canoe and even go swimming.

Then there was the Deer Marsh Hiking Trail nearby. I always look for places to tramp.

We continued on through Sidnow, a town that grew up around a Civilian Conservation Camp in the 1930s. Little stone columns show up all over the place, a sure sign that the CCC worked there. During World War II, the Sidnow CCC camp was closed and re-opened as a prisoner of war camp for Germans. Some of them never went back to Germany, but started families near Sidnow.

Down Highway 28 we went, heading east. For miles, the road was adjacent to the train tracks which were filled with abandoned railroad cars. We circled down south and wound up back in Iron River. WE went over to the Lake Ottawa Campground in the Ottawa National Forest to see if we could find the campground host, our friend Anita Joy. She wasn't there, but her camper was, surrounded by the usual plants and lawn furniture.

We were leaving when we caught sight of Marty Smith's truck. Marty came up from lower Michigan with his brother Dick for this first day of the camping season in the UP. We often camp in a spot adjacent to Marty and Linda Smith. We caught up on gossip, finding out that Anita is not in good shape, walking with a walker. This may well be her last year at Camp Ottawa.

And that ended our day.

Tomorrow: Don't Panic!!!!