Story and photos by Stewart A. McFerran
The Lower Woodcock Lake trail, southwest of Lake Ann in Benzie County, will open to the public Aug. 26, according to Jennifer Jay, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy Communication Specialist.
The property and the lake are unique for their pristine condition, with no invasive plants in the lake and a half mile of Platte River frontage. (See Freshwater Reporter, Feb. 2020 issue, “Lower Woodcock Lake: A Pristine Jewel.”)
Skiing in winter
It was a snowy January afternoon when friend Karen Comella and I set out from my back door for a cross-country ski tour on the property. We traversed the ridge between Lower Woodcock Lake and the Platte River and dropped down into the swamp to cross the “Magic Bridge.” From there we popped onto the Lake Ann Pathway, where the glide wax kicked in. By the time we rounded the loop it was getting dark. We plunged back into the deep woods for the bushwhack back home.
As the dusk deepened, the snow fell harder and the wind came up. Karen said she was worried we would get lost. I said, “Don’t worry, I know this terrain like the back of my hand,” like the awesome wilderness dude I fancied myself to be. It was easy; all we had to do was keep the Platte River on the left. Besides, I had lit the fire in the sauna before we left.
The sauna was hot when we got home. I stoked up the woodstove while Karen stripped off her wet ski jacket and everything else and hopped into the steamy sauna. I grabbed a towel and joined her. It was just the best way for us to warm up after a long ski trek in a snowstorm.
That was before the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy bought the Lower Woodcock Lake Property, when a friend of the family, “Buzz,” still owned the acreage. It was last fall when the GTRLC finalized a deal to buy the 230 acres that include 22-acre Lower Woodcock Lake and the half mile of Platte River frontage.
There are hundreds of acres of Pere Marquette State Forest surrounding the Woodcock property. The Lake Ann Pathway is close, separated from the property by only two streams and a swamp. In winter, when the snow is deep, skiers can cross. In warmer weather when snow and ice have receded, even a fat-tire bike could not accomplish the traverse.
Hiking in summer
When I opened my back door on Aug. 14 for a hike toward the same path Karen and I had skied, I was greeted by a warm summer breeze and lots of green, leafy trees. The Lower Woodcock Lake hiking loop, recently finished by the GTRLC, was delightful. While hiking, I inscribed the new trail along the woody bluff above Lower Woodcock Lake onto the back of my hand.
GTRLC Land Steward Specialist Jacob Bournay and crew had done a great job building the trail. The cut into the side of the bluff allows for comfortable hiking while giving views of Lower Woodcock Lake. With the help of Angie Lucas and her botany crew, the trail had been laid out so that it would avoid disturbing the unique botanical treasures that had been found on the Lower Woodcock Lake property.
The crew built a trailhead on Burnt Mill Road. There is a parking lot and a sign with a map that points out a good place for views of Lower Woodcock Lake. A log fence corrals the cars and gets hikers started in the right direction on the woody trail.
I recommend hiking at Lower Woodcock Lake and, if you wait awhile, you can ski those trails and get to know them like the back of your hand.
Learn more by visiting gtrlc.org/campaign-for-generations/#campaignprojects and clicking on Lower Woodcock Lake.
