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Sierra Club Wilderness trips and expeditions
Club:
Sierra Club
Chapter: Michigan (Mackinac)
Group: Central Upper Peninsula (CUPG)
Leader: Michael Neiger, Marquette,
Michigan (Web site; e-mail;
bio)
Type: Early-season backpacking &
elk tracking trip
Destination: Dog Lake area and McMasters
Creek watershed
Pigeon River Country State Forest
Otsego and Cheboygan Counties
Vanderbilt, Michigan
When: 8 a.m. Friday, April 7 to late
afternoon Monday, April 10
Level: Intermediate-level, 20-degree
backpacking
Difficulty: Strenuous, off-trail, recon
by map & compass
Fees: $10 club fee, payable at trailhead
Sign-up deadline: March 29 appreciated
Sign-up process: After thoroughly reviewing
the material presented below, contact
trip leader to sign up. If
this is your first trip with the leader, you should submit a completed
Participant Questionnaire, which is available by e-mail from
the leader.
Trailhead assembly &
bivouac location: To be announced by e-mail about a week prior
to trip
Leader: Michael
Neiger, Marquette, Michigan (Web site;
e-mail; bio)
Club: Sierra
Club; Chapter: Michigan;
Group: Central
Upper Peninsula
This early-spring backpacking trip will involve a cross-country
exploration of a portion of wilderness situated deep in the heart of the
Pigeon River Country State Forest.
After spotting our vehicles, we will explore the Oxbow
Creek watershed, which is a tributary of Canada Creek, before heading
westward, over the height of land, to the Black River, just north of the
Clark Bridge Road. After doing a bit of technical land nav, we'll establish
a riverside bivouac on the swamp-locked Bear Mountains Friday night. On
Saturday, we'll make a bridge crossing of the Black River and begin working
our way up (northwest) the McMasters Creek watershed. After bivouacking
along McMasters Creek, which is a tributary of the Black River, Saturday
night, we will continue working our way up the watershed up to Dog Lake
on Sunday. We will recon this watershed for signs of two old railroad
grades. We will also recon the dam at the outlet of Dog Lake as well as
circumnavigate the lake if time permits.
Since this area is home to the majestic Elk, we'll
be keeping an eye out for this elusive animal. In lieu of the real thing,
we'll be watching closely for signs of its passing: ground spoor (tracks,
scrapes, sheds, and bones) and aerial spoor (rubs, hair).
The 93,000-acre Pigeon River Country State Forest consists
of seven campgrounds, over 90 miles of hiking trails, 27 miles of horse-riding
trails, numerous limestone sinkhole lakes, and several rivers.
History
After heavy logging between 1860 and 1910, the area
suffered disastrous, uncontrolled fires for years. Fires burned significant
acreage as late as the 1930's. Unsuccessful attempts to convert the
land to farms resulted in large parts of the area reverting to State
of Michigan ownership through either tax reversion or purchase. In 1919,
the area was designated a state forest and tree planting began soon
thereafter. Planting and forest recreation development expanded with
the establishment of a Civilian Conservation Corps Camp in the region.
The headquarters buildings along the Pigeon River were built between
1934 and 1935.
Elk & wildlife
Seven elk released in 1918 increased to as many
as 500 by 1927. Illegal shooting of elk in 1974 resulted in a record-high
loss of 45 animals. By 1975, the herd was estimated to number only 200
animals. The herd eventually recovered and now exceeds 1,100 animals,
making it the largest wild elk herd east of the Mississippi River. To
control crop damage and allow forest regeneration, limited harvests
of the elk are scheduled from time to time. In addition to elk, the
region is inhabited by deer, bear, bobcat, coyote, grouse, woodcock,
snowshoe hare, squirrels (gray, black, and fox), pine martin, beaver,
otter, muskrat, waterfowl, and numerous songbirds.
Gas & oil exploration
After the discovery of gas and oil deposits under
the south-central portion of the region in the 1970's, commercial exploration
and development began. By 1984, nearly 857,000 barrels of oil and 9,200,000
million cubic feet of gas were being removed from the area annually.
(Contains material adapted from the Pigeon River
Country State Forest brochure, courtesy of the Michigan Department
of Natural Resources)
- Pigeon River State Forest
Headquarters, DNR: 1-989-983-4101, http://www.michigandnr.com
- Indian River Chamber
of Commerce (elk viewing maps and tips), 1-800-EXIT-310,
http://www.irchamber.com
- Gaylord Area Convention
and Tourism Bureau: 1-800-345-8621, http://www.gaylord-mich.com
- Field Guide to the
High Country Pathway, 1997, booklet with topo maps keyed to
text, by the Pigeon River Country Association, P.O. Box 122, Gaylord,
Michigan 49735 ($5, 24 pages; may be available from the Indian River
Chamber of Commerce).
- High Country Pathway
Map , 1990 map with text, Michigan Department of Natural Resources,
Information Services Center, P.O. Box 30028, Lansing, Michigan 48909.
- Green Timbers Map,
1993 map with text, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Information
Services Center, P.O. Box 30028, Lansing, Michigan 48909.
- Hiking Michigan book,
by Mike Modrzynski (Falcon Press, 1996).
- Backpacking in Michigan
book , second edition, by Pat Allen and Gerald L. DeRuiter (University
of Michigan Press, 1989).
- "Hiking with the
Herd," by James Campbell, in Backpacker Magazine, Oct
'00, page 97.
- The Pigeon River Country--A
Michigan Forest book, by Dale Clarke Franz, et al., by
the Pigeon River Country Association, P.O. Box 122, Gaylord, Michigan
49735 (300 pages; history of gas exploration and preservation efforts).
- Pigeon River Country
State Forest Map, 1985 map with text, Michigan Department of
Natural Resources, Information Services Center, P.O. Box 30028, Lansing,
Michigan 48909.
- Learn more by searching
destination on the Internet: http://www.google.com
- Otsego County Sheriff: Gaylord,
1-517-732-6484
- Montmorency County Sheriff:
Atlanta, 1-517-785-4238
- Michigan State Police: Gaylord,
1-517-732-5141
- Michigan State Police: Alpena,
1-517-354-4101
- Hospital: Gaylord, 1-517-731-2100
- Hospital: Alpena, 1-517-356-7252
- Sierra Club Outings Department
24-hour help line: 1-888-outings
- Trekker must be 18 years old
or older
- Trekker must be drug-free
and a non-smoker and non-drinker
- Trekker must practice low impact
travel and bivouac skills, leaving alcohol, pets, and speaker radios
at home
- Trekker must have prior wilderness
tripping experience
- Trekker must be fully equipped
with lightweight gear including rucksack, bivouac gear, survival
gear, foul-weather gear, rations, stove, etc.
- Trekker must by very physically
fit (good aerobic endurance)
- Trekker must have a strong
mind and an adventurous spirit
- Trekker must be comfortable around
water and a proficient swimmer
- Trekker must be able, willing,
and equipped to travel off-trail and bushwhack through challenging,
thickly-forested, mountainous terrain with a fully-loaded rucksack
- Trekker must be able, willing,
and equipped to slog through muddy, wet, tangled swamps with
a fully-loaded rucksack
- Trekker must be able, willing,
and equipped to ford or swim unbridged rivers and lake narrows
with fully-loaded rucksack, wrapped in a tarp, floating alongside.
- Trekker must be able, willing,
and equipped to travel and bivouac in foul weather.
- Trekker must be able, willing,
and equipped to travel and bivouac in very remote areas, far
from roads, dry & level campsites, potable water, toilets, and fire
rings.
- Notice:
please review the homepage on this Web
site for general wilderness tripping requirements
- Hypothermia warning:
I have had to intervene on several cases of hypothermia in the past,
5 times in one year alone. These incidents were largely the result of
trippers who were trying to go ultra-light and were not carrying the
multiple, redundant layers of clothing that I recommend. Reversing hypothermia
takes hours of work on the part of others on the trip--a lot more work
than is required to pack a couple extra pounds of warm clothing.
- State Land bivouac
advisory: Anyone camping on land owned by the State of Michigan
is required by law (Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act,
Sec. 74201 et seq., P.A. 451 of 1994) by the Department
of Natural Resources (DNR) to post a Camp
Registration Card (Form no. PR 4134) at their campsite. This permit--which
is free--must be filled out in pencil (to make it legible when wet).
Since the permit (view
permit as PDF file) is perforated and made of heavy cardstock to
withstand weathering, it can not be reproduced. These 8.5- by 11-inch
permits can be picked up from any Michigan
DNR office, or they can be ordered by e-mailing the DNR at DNR-FMD-TREES@michigan.gov.
While these permits are usually provided by the trip leader, you should
consider obtaining one when you are camping on your own, especially
the night before the start of a Sierra Club trip. There is a substantial
fine for not posting a Camp Registration Card.
- Long-term parking
advisory: Reduce problems by keeping your car locked, relatively
empty, and uninviting. ALWAYS USE A LOCKING GAS CAP (they are very inexpensive
[$10-15], especially when compared to the alternative of a vandal ruining
your engine or emptying your gas tank miles from the nearest gas station).
- Sierra Club Liability Waiver
Form: National Sierra Club Policy requires that all trip participants
read, understand, and sign the club's liability waiver form before they
can participate in a club trip. Review and familiarize yourself with
this form--Acknowledgment of Outing
Member Responsibility, Express Assumption of Risk, and Release of Liability--before
the trip.
- Allergies to bee
stings: If you are allergic to bee stings, you must notify the
leader in advance of the trip. You must also agree to carry an injectable
epinephrine unit, such as an EpiPen or Ana-Kit, as prescribed by your
doctor.
- Prohibition on cotton clothing:
No high-cotton-content clothing--save a bandana or two--is allowed
to be worn or carried in your rucksack for safety reasons. When wet,
cotton is hard to dry and can be deadly as wearing cotton clothing often
leads to hypothermia. Wool or synthetic clothing fashioned from nylon,
supplex, polypro, fleece, or microfibers are much safer and easier to
manage in foul weather.
Top
Sierra Club wilderness tripping and expeditioning--especially
remote, foul-weather travel, bushwhacking cross-country, cliff and steep
slope travel, climbing, cave exploration, river fording, swimming, canoeing,
portaging, skiing, snoeshoeing, winter camping, ice crossing, etc.--involves
unknown and unpredictable hazards and perils.
- A participants failure to physically train
and mentally prepare oneself for a harsh Sierra Club wilderness trip;
acquire the necessary skills and equipment for the trip; and recognize,
take responsibility for, and avoid the unknown and unpredictable hazards
and perils that often present themselves on such a trip will likely
result in the serious injury, paralysis, or slow, painful death of the
participant. There is no emergency medical equipment, doctor, nurse,
or other trained emergency medical provider on Sierra Club wilderness
trips.
- There is no means of contacting emergency
medical personnel or rescue personnel on Sierra Club wilderness trips.
Emergency communications equipment, cell phones, satellite phones, GPS
units, and satellite beacons (ELTs, PLDs, & EPIRBs) are not provided,
and can't always be relied upon when they are carried.
- Search and rescue services, emergency medical
care, and evacuation of the non-ambulatory may be very difficult and
costly to arrange; in some cases, the wait could be very long, painful,
and fatal. On wilderness trips through remote areas in Michigan and
Canada, it may take several days of rigorous travel by uninjured volunteers
before emergency personnel can even be contacted for help.
Prior to undertaking a wilderness trip or expedition,
it is highly recommended that a participant have a comprehensive health
checkup, which should include a:
- thorough physical exam
- stress test
- dental examination
Prior to undertaking a wilderness trip or expedition,
it is highly recommended that a participant obtain the proper insurance
coverage, including:
- medical insurance
- prescription insurance
- dental insurance
- evacuation insurance
- trip cancellation insurance
- disability insurance
- life insurance
Vendors for trip, medical, and evacuation insurance
include:
- GPS Personal Locator Beacons that integrate
GPS position fixes with 406MHz and 121.5MHz transmitters:
- Personal Locator Beacon Rentals:
- Satellite Phone Rentals:
- Survival kit:
An in-pocket (on-your-person) survival
kit (knife, waterproof matches, firestarters, compass, and whistle)
is highly recommended. Sierra Club loaner survival kits are available
from the club stores for free by prior arrangement.
- River-fording gear:
River-fording footwear, pack towel, and shorts are mandatory
- Water containers:
Containers to hump 4 quarts of water are mandatory
- Safety
glasses: It is highly recommended that some form of eye protection--safety
glasses--be worn while bushwhacking.
- Equipment waterproofing:
To keep your gear dry during foul weather or when floating rucksack
(wrapped in a tarp) across a river or other waterway, the main compartment
should be lined with a huge heavy-duty "contractor" grade
plastic bag. Critical items within the "contractor" bag, such
as clothing, sleeping bag, and rations, should be further protected
from moisture by lining the stuff sacks containing these items with
heavy-duty "garbage compactor" bags. Avoid using regular garbage
bags as they tear to easily.
- Hydration and snack
consumption on trail: It is recommended that you carry a water
bottle and snacks on your waistbelt in separate pouches so you can snack
and sip water while underway. Snacking and drinking water are essential
for avoiding dehydration, hypothermia, and exhaustion when things get
challenging, especially late in the date or during foul weather. Sierra
Club loaner snack pouches and water bottle carriers are available from
the club stores for free by prior arrangement.
- Breakfasts--4
- Snacks--4
- Lunches--4
- Dinners--3
- Backup rations--1 full day (breakfast,
snack, lunch, dinner)
Measure, weigh, and triple check your rations. You
should be carrying about 1.75-2.75 pounds of dry weight food, or about
2700-4500 calories of food per day, depending on your body weight and
exertion level. It is recommended that you avoid "bulk" packaging
and instead pack each meal serving individually in
its own, separate plastic bag. This system has the following advantages
over putting all of your snacks, say nuts for the whole trip, in one bag:
- You'll know for sure at home
(visually) that you've packed enough food;
- In the bush, you'll now exactly
how much to eat without eating into another days rations; and
- You will further reduce the chances of your
food getting ruined if moisture penetrates the food bag itself as
the moisture will still have to work its way into each and every single,
individual meal unit.
Meticulous ration planning, measuring, and packaging
is tedious but essential for safe & successful long-range recon
of remote wilderness. Additional menu planning information is available
on the rations and stoves page.
[ ] Waterproof matches
[ ] Waterproof firestarters
[ ] Sturdy pocket knife
[ ] Compass
[ ] Whistle
[ ] Map of area
[ ] Elastic ankle wrap
[ ] Moleskin
[ ] Vaseline
[ ] Band-Aids
[ ] Waterproof first-aid tape
[ ] Pain relief medication
[ ] Anti-inflammatory medication
[ ] 20 feet of 1/8-inch braided nylon cordage
[ ] Duct tape
[ ] Sewing kit
[ ] 1 very thin balaclava
[ ] 2 thick hats that can be worn together
[ ] 1 pair of sun glasses
[ ] 1 pair of safety glasses (for bushwhacking)
[ ] Prescription glasses (spare if important)
[ ] Bandana
[ ] Sun hat (optional)
[ ] Rain hat (optional)
[ ] 3 or 4 thin polypro tops
[ ] 2 1/4-inch thick fleece or micro-fiber-insulated jackets.
[ ] 1 1/4-inch thick fleece or micro-fiber-insulated vest
[ ] 1 thin breathable nylon shirt
[ ] 1 nylon rain parka (no vinyl; no ponchos)
[ ] A heavily-insulated parka with hood is advisable on early spring
and late fall trips
[ ] 1 pair of mittens
[ ] 1 or 2 pair of 1/4-inch thick fleece or micro-fiber-insulated
pants (sidezips are very handy)
[ ] 1 or 2 pair of polypro long underwear
[ ] 1 pair of thin nylon hiking pants
[ ] 1 pair of nylon rain pants (no vinyl)
[ ] 1 pair of hiking/swim shorts
[ ] 1 pair of sturdy boots
[ ] 3 pair of thick synthetic socks
[ ] 2 pair of liner socks (optional)
[ ] 1 pair of short gaiters (optional)
[ ] 1 pair of river fording shoes/sandals
[ ] 1 large rucksack lined with contractor-grade
plastic bag
[ ] Raincover
[ ] Waist belt water bottle parka
[ ] Waist belt snack pouch (optional)
[ ] Tarp and bivy; or small tent and cook fly
[ ] Stakes and ropes to rig tent or tarp
[ ] 20 degree sleeping bag
[ ] Sleeping pad
[ ] Sleeping booties (optional)
[ ] Flashlight (LED is recommended)
[ ] Spare battery
[ ] Candle
[ ] 1 bottle of 100% DEET
[ ] 1 spare bottle of 100% DEET
[ ] 1 headnet
[ ] 1 spare headnet
[ ] 2 one-quart durable water bottles
[ ] 1 two-quart water bladder
[ ] Water purification system (iodine tablets recommended)
[ ] 1 spare bottle of iodine tablets
[ ] Lightweight backpacking stove
[ ] Fuel for stove (five to six fuel tabs per day for Esbit Nato stoves)
[ ] Lighter
[ ] Windscreen for stove
[ ] Fireproof base for stove
[ ] Pot holder
[ ] Pot
[ ] Lid for pot
[ ] Spoon
[ ] Mug
[ ] 50-foot food-hanging rope (use cheap, hard, 1/8-inch-diameter, slippery
rope)
[ ] Personal medications
[ ] Driver's license
[ ] Birth certificate and/or passport (recommended for Canadian trips)
[ ] Emergency phone numbers
[ ] Credit cards
[ ] Cash and travelers checks
[ ] Medical and dental insurance cards
[ ] Sunscreen
[ ] Lipbalm with sunblock
[ ] Wrist chronograph
[ ] Paperback book (optional)
[ ] Toilet paper
[ ] Synthetic pack towel
[ ] Toothbrush
[ ] Toothpaste or toothpowder
[ ] Toothpicks & dental floss
[ ] Handcleaner (optional)
[ ] Plastic spade (optional)
[ ] Extra car key on lanyard
[ ] Vehicle registration papers
[ ] Vehicle insurance papers
[ ] Locking gas cap
[ ] Battery in good condition
[ ] Road map (Michigan 1-800-292-2520; Canada 1-800-268-3736)
[ ] County map book of Michigan (1-800-777-6720)
[ ] Spare tire (check pressure!!)
[ ] Tire jack and lug nut wrench
[ ] Shovel (spade in summer)
[ ] Vehicle Safety Checks: tire pressure, wiper blades, wiper fluid,
oil, radiator fluid, transmission fluid
[ ] Jumper cables (optional)
[ ] Nylon tow strap (optional)
[ ] Axe (optional)
[ ] Bow saw (optional)
[ ] Hi-lift bumper jack (optional)
[ ] Hand-operated winch (optional)
[ ] Pick axe (optional)
More equipment information
- Otsego County
- Cheybogan County
County map ordering
information
- Pigeon River Country State Forest,
1985 (free, 8.5 by 11), Pigeon River State Forest Headquarters, 1-989-983-4101
- Pigeon River Country
State Forest Access Map, 1994,
(free, 17 by 22), Pigeon River State Forest Headquarters, 1-989-983-4101
- Shingle Mill Pathway
Map, 1992 (free, 8.5 by 11), Pigeon River State Forest Headquarters,
1-989-983-4101
- Green Timbers Map,
1993 (free, 8.5 by 11), Pigeon River State Forest Headquarters,
1-989-983-4101
- High Country Pathway
Map (free, 8.5 by 11), Pigeon River State Forest Headquarters,
1-989-983-4101
- Field Guide to the
High Country Pathway ($5, 24 pages), Pigeon River Country Association,
P.O. Box 122, Gaylord, Michigan 49735, (May be available from
the Indian River Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-EXIT-310)
- Clear Lake--Jackson
Lake Hiking Trail Map (free, 8.5 by 11), Pigeon River State
Forest Headquarters, 1-989-983-4101
- Sinkhole Area Map,
1990 (free, 8.5 by 11), Pigeon River State Forest Headquarters, 1-989-983-4101
- Sinkhole Pathway Map,
1990 (free, 8.5 by 11), Pigeon River State Forest Headquarters,
1-989-983-4101
- Elk Viewing Map, Indian
River Chamber of Commerce, 1-800-EXIT-310
- Grid coordinate system
1000-meter Universal
Transverse Mercator Grid (UTM)
- UTM grid horizontal map datum:
1927 North American
Datum (NAD 27 CONUS)
- UTM grid zone:
Zone 16
- UTM grid hemisphere:
Northern hemisphere
- Unit of measure:
Metric
- Battery type:
Lithium, for deep
cold, or long-range use
Alkaline, for
3-season use
- Battery type setting:
Select type of
battery (lithium, alkaline, or Ni-Cad);
battery discharge-rate
differences affect meter accuracy
GPS
configuration information
- Roamer UTM plotter scale(s):
1:24,000 &
1:25,000
- Ranger pacing
beads:
Metric--9 100-meter
beads; 4 1-kilometer beads
- Magnetic declination setting on compass:
0° of offset
Land
nav team information
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