Tag: Photo Editing

I finished off my hikes on Saginaw Bay with a back-to-back trek on the northern and western shores of the water. November 14, 2020 was a day of reflection for me, where my alma mater honored the 50th anniversary of the Marshall Thundering Herd plane crash that struck tragedy into our community in 1970. I couldn’t make it home for the ceremony, so I found it important to be able to get back to my communing with Mother Nature. These 1.5 and 4.8 mile treks, respectively, allowed me to do just that.

Sandy Hook Trail sits on Tawas Point and is consistently being hammered by both Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. Another point for avid bird watchers, the trail was relatively quiet so late into the season. It was my first primitive trail, which was an experience in and of itself, but it was a great understanding of how points of longer trails could end up being in the future. It was also my coldest hike to date, sitting at a cool 35 with a very blustery wind coming off Lake Huron.

I lost the map out of my pocket about half way through (though, it’s not like such a short trail really needed one) and I was, at one point, confronted with being stuck between two bodies of water (one being an inland marsh) and no discernable path. Tawas Point, being the primitive trail that it is, is constantly changing due to the sandbar nature of the land. Near the end of the trail, just across one of the few manmade items on the trek, the path actually abruptly stopped and plummeted at least ten feet into a very feisty Lake Huron.

The trail was quite nice and had great views, though, if you are a little wary about trekking in such conditions, I would suggest just walking the access road down and back and climbing up the bluffs to see the views. Tawas Point was once property of the U.S. Coast Guard, so an access road cuts through it and empties out to an old USCG Fog Horn. Still, as beautiful as the views are, don’t forget to check out the lighthouse on the mainland. It led to some great shots, even if it wasn’t open for visitors at the time.

Down and to the west, Tobico Marsh Trail sits in Bay City. I did both the full 4.8 miles of the marsh and a 1.5 loop around the Lagoon Trail near the visitors center. With the trail being inside Bay City and the trees being nearly bare so late in the year, there wasn’t a time where I felt like you got away from the noise of everyday, human life. Still, I think this trail would have been much more interesting in the peak season, when thousands of birds flock to the area and its wildlife shows off more than just an autumnal stroll through the forest.

If you are like me and you aren’t a huge fan of pavement impact, especially in your hiking boots, I would actually suggest cutting this hike short and just entering at the trailhead at Trail Marker 20. It probably makes the trek half the distance, but it also makes it a loop and strictly a forest hike. You can find this trailhead via the Tobico Marsh Access Rd. just off Killarney Beach Rd.

The reason 50 Hikes in Michigan suggests starting at the Bay City State Park is likely due to the Visitor’s Center there. I got a glimpse inside but didn’t get a chance to really look inside because I wanted to be off the trails by dark. Still, the center focuses on showing the natural history of the area and the birding that draws so many people. A trip to Tobico Marsh at peak birding season would actually be a great day trip, where you could enjoy the Visitor’s Center, the beach, bird watching, and a trail or two.

A brisk 2.3 mile hike on the southern basin of Saginaw Bay, don’t let the beginning of Port Crescent Trail discourage you from the rest of it. I was a bit disappointed when I started out in the very tailored portion of the nature walk of the trail, fearing that it would be that way for the entire hike. Port Crescent is a known birding area, much like the next few hikes I will write on, so it wasn’t as bustling in November as it could have been during other parts of the year, but the nature trail portion of the hike was meant to educate on these birds, as were other trails in the park.

Just a .3-.5 mile portion of the trail, the path has packed down gravel with concrete slabs for benches and educational placards. Sadly, the placards were extremely faded and difficult to read, if that was what you were there for. Maybe this portion of the trail will go under some rejuvenation soon.

Beyond the nature trail, you were dropped into an interesting set of paths, comprising of dunes, limestone, and marshy areas. Parts of it were challenging, which was nice for testing my new trekking poles, and parts of it were confusing, but the trail was decently well marked. I only got turned around once, but was quickly capable of finding my way again.

While you are hiking along the bay, you are not quite on the water, which cut down on some of the wind picking up over it while I was there. I hiked out on the outside portion of the loop and hiked back on the portion along the water, but you are in a basin, so must make a sidetrip to see the water. Even in November, I would suggest finding a good lookout point though.

I came across a lovely couple on my hike back towards the nature preserve that reminded me of why I like coming across people on the trails. I was a little packed up for such a short trek, but was trying out some new gear and getting used to the new weight of my pack, so we had a short, masked interaction about “training” for harder trails. Then, I pointed out a good lookout point I had found and they thanked me as we went on our way. I’m hoping that these types of interactions continue, even as the trail goers thin out for the winter.

I enjoyed this trail due to its different types of terrain and the potential that the nature trail would have if it had a little love put into it soon. I may go back out to check out some of the wildlife when it gets closer to birding season, which is definitely not something I had considered before.