MSPCGT: Orchard Beach to Silver Lake

As lovely as the state parks are… who would’ve suspected we would have such a memorable trip this time around? It started out so innocently….

ShelleyJean, TaGeez and I set out for another weekend of the Michigan State Park Centennial GeoTour. Summer is winding down, and the kids are back in school. We wish to enjoy the parks, completing the GeoTour this year, but we didn’t want to enjoy them in the snow.

First stop was Benzie County – West of Interlochen. There’s no GeoTour park in that county, but SJ is quickly ticking off the counties on her map so it was worth the detour (grabbing even more counties along the way). Highlights of this detour included a determined goldfinch, supernatural phenomena (Mystery Spot Virtual), and a fake bolt that earned over 100 likes on Facebook!

On Saturday, we planned on four MSPCGT caches – the first was a nice nature walk and then to the main park for photographs of Lake Michigan. We were disappointed that someone stole the Bob Ross “Happy Little Trees” sign in Orchard Beach State Park.  

Nothing had prepared us for Ludington State Park, though. Have you experienced it? The entranceway along Lake Michigan resembled the coastal drive along the Outer Banks – giant windblown sand dunes lining the road. The Multi was enjoyable (history and dams and Monarch butterflies). We found the hidden Village of Hamlin Cemetery and the white beaches of Lake Michigan (oh, the power of the wind!).

We were looking for a way to nearby lighthouse when I spotted the sign that read “Bus Event Today”. What’s this? For a $5 contribution to the lighthouse society, you can avoid the 3+ mile roundtrip hike to the lighthouse and ride a bus! We’re IN! And, oh my… I hadn’t realized this was the stunning Big Sable Lighthouse!

Ludington State park was amazing! We spent much longer there than anticipated and loved every moment of it! Besides Belle Isle (wherein I’m totally biased), Ludington is in my top five of this tour so far: Palms-Book, Bond Falls, Fisherman’s Island, Porcupine Mountains and Ludington.

With time running away and storm clouds rolling in, we headed to Mears State Park for MSPCGT find #3 today. Lovely, well-maintained recreation area also on Lake Michigan. Just as we signed the logbook the clouds opened up. 

I think this was natures warning of what was in store for us next….

Dear Cachers and your Muggle spouses, I give you the dreaded Silver Lake State Park.

Silver Lake State Park is a public recreation area covering 2,936 acres bordering Lake Michigan and Silver Lake near Mears in Oceana County, Michigan. The state park is composed of mature forest land and over 2,000 acres of sand dunes. [Wikipedia]

Did you catch that last part? This is one of four sand dune caches on the tour – and, depending on who you spoke to, the worst.

You start at the base of the dunes – the climb to the top is around 30 feet straight up. The fine sand is churned and ankle-deep, the steep incline exhausting.

The picture doesn't do it justice...

Truth

Once atop the dunes (and after laboriously catching your breath), you see nothing but sand. SJ, in a subdued tone, said, “Welcome to Egypt”. I liked Slamere’s take on it… it looked like the endless and barren wastes of Tatooine as R2D2 and C3PO rolled through the desert.

scrapcat and TaGeez

I’m going to admit – I didn’t acquit myself well. I have a fear of heights (that climb was so steep), and I’ve never been on a sand dune (and terrified of what? A Sarlacc from Star Wars? Quicksand from Abbott & Costello? Being swallowed by and swallowing sand? Getting caught out after sunset and spending the night up here? That last one was a possibility.)

Not my proudest moment

It’s almost a mile walk across the unbroken and undulating dunes towards…. a swamp. I’m not kidding. As my log states, “We were impressed with Lake in the Clouds, but swamp in the dunes... not so much. Glad this one is over.”

The final obstacle was the river crossing to the gadget cache in a knee-deep swamp. Sun-setting, TaGeez waded the 100 feet there and back. Then the mile trudge back, in wet shoes and the dark, looking for the trailhead back down to the parking lot.

As we reached the lot, the skies were pitch black, and we drove the twisting back road to our hotel in a raging deluge.  The weather outside matching my emotions inside. But as SJ reflected, this will make for one memorable experience upon reflection. I’m still waiting for that part, but that first view was beautiful.