Leland – Photography by Rodney Martin

I visited the Houdek Dunes Natural Area in Leelanau County on Saturday. Spring has yet to really take hold. I saw little new growth anywhere. But that’s not why I went there. Houdek Dunes has a number of amazing birch trees, some of which are over 100 years old – unreal for a birch. For some reason, the birches at Houdek Dunes tend to live much longer than normal. Many of the trees have succumbed to old age and are lying on the ground. Those are the ones I came to see.

As I walk through our forests, more and more I am drawn to the downed trees. The fallen trees often have a sculptural character to them.

Throughout the preserve, decomposing birch trees lie on the ground, slowly merging into the earth. The sapwood and heartwood decay first, leaving the birch’s bark as a hollow witness to a tree that once stood tall.

The decompostion process is hastened by bugs, worms and fungi. I found this fungus on the end of a decaying log worthy of a photograph. I think it is called bitter oyster (panellus stipticus), but I can’t be sure of that. No matter, I found it beautiful.

This old tree is a favorite of mine. Whenever I visit Houdek Dunes, I make sure to pay my respects. How much longer before this tree succumbs to old age and begins the process of becoming soil?

You can see photos from my previous visits to Houdek Dunes here and here.

What a weekend. Two days of perfectly clear skies. Temperatures in the 40s. I used the occasion to head north to the Leelanau Peninsula . I had hoped for some dramatic wave action. The forecast of a steady 20 MPH wind gusting to near 40 got me hoping some big waves.

I started my day at Point Betsie, which is known for big waves and incredible ice formations. There were waves, but not the monsters I had hoped for.

Point Betsie Lighthouse 2-22-2020

Instead, Point Betsie was remarkably serene. There were waves hitting the sea wall that has been built to protect the lighthouse. Still, I had to keep wiping my lens to keep it dry, and I too got wet from the spray.

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But, I had Point Betsie to myself for nearly two hours.

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The beach at Point Betsie is littered with trees that have fallen into Lake Michigan. The Lake is at or near its highest level since 1986, chewing away at beaches and toppling not only trees but also houses into the lake. The fact that Lake Michigan did not freeze this winter has only exacerbated the problem.

After Point Betsie, I stopped at Esch Road Beach, Empire Beach and Lane Beach on Point Oneida in search of big waves, but nothing. So I drove up to Leland.

Historic Fishtown has been in the news for months now because of high water threatening the old fishing shanties. I wanted to see it for myself. The water wasn’t as high as I anticipated. Nonetheless, work continues to save Fishtown. They removed the Cheese Shanty this winter to rebuilt and raise the foundation it stands on.

Leland is the home port of the Mishe Mokwa (mother bear). which ferries day hikers and campers to South Manitou Island in Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore.

Pancake ice in the Leland Harbor.

Leland is also home to Van’s Beach. The water is an amazing shade of aqua.

Whaleback hill juts out into Lake Michigan at the south end of Van’s Beach.

Ice on Van’s Beach and on the breakwater that guards the entrance to the Leland harbor.

On the way home, I stopped once again at Point Betsie. The wind had picked up during the afternoon and I hoped that meant big waves backlit by the setting sun.

I wasn’t disappointed. They weren’t the giants I had hoped for, but they were enough for me to declare victory and begin the 3 hour drive home.

Category: Leland

A Return Visit to the Birches at Houdek Dunes

A Hint of Spring in February