Exploring the River Valley Wonderland In Newaygo, Mi

             
Newaygo County was named after Chippewa Indian Chief: Naw-wa-goo, one of the signers of the Treaty of Saginaw in 1812. The county has over 230 natural lakes and over 350 miles of rivers and streams. Three huge dams were built after the turn of the century: Croton, Hardy and Newaygo. Croton and Hardy Dams remain today, with Hardy the largest earthen dam east of the Mississippi.

Take a child fishing on Muskegon River

The Muskegon River continues to be the main attraction for summer cottage residents and fishermen, who find it nearly the best source for steelhead in the spring and salmon in the fall anywhere in Michigan. Hiking is excellent, as over half the county is contained in the Manistee National Forest.

Hiking is becoming a desired activity for Newaygo tourists. The ultimate reason to hike is for personal enjoyment, but there are other goals that can be achieved when hitting a trail. Most people enjoy hiking because it makes them feel good to exercise and enjoy nature. Here are three reasons why hiking is becoming so popular.

Getting outdoors – Most of us live and work indoors the majority of our everyday lives. To be outdoors and just enjoy being outside and experiencing all that entails can be the ultimate reason people like to hike. Fresh air, the sounds of birds and other animals, tall trees, blue sky, majestic creeks, flowing rivers and deep valleys all contribute to a sense of contentment and even inner connection to nature and the earth.

Physical Health – Hiking is a very physically healthy activity. It helps improve your circulation, strengthen muscles, build stronger bones, and contribute to overall as opposed to simple walking for exercise, work a variety of different muscles due to the uneven terrain that is found on hiking trails. Climbing, even if it is just up a steep embankment, will increase your strength and improve your sense of balance.


Hiking, Cross Country Skiing and Snow Shoeing through the trails

Emotional Health – Leaving the hustle and bustle of our daily routine to hike through trails and into valleys inevitably has a calming effect. Hiking is a great way to ease your mind. There is something that happens after your first few steps on the trail, all the heavy burdens you were carrying around in your mind become a little lighter and sometimes disappear. It becomes easy to open up your mind and think about issues and people. You may very well find your mind opening up to ideas or answers to problems that you had before. It is a great opportunity to contemplate subjects you may have consciously forgotten as well as some that may be fresh in your mind. Hiking simply “feels good”.

Here are a few recommended hiking trails in Newaygo County to explore and experience the great outdoors in Michigan. The following rails ranges from one to five miles long :

The Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary found its beginnings in 1938 when the US Forestry Service invited the Federated Garden Club of Michigan to participate in creating a sanctuary for native Michigan plants. The area consists of a small lake, a marsh and wooded area. There are over 150 different species of plants, wildflowers, trees and vegetation marked with posts that correspond to the trail guide available. The trail is about 1.5 miles long. A picnic area with grills and an outhouse is available for use by the trailhead. The sanctuary is located about 7 miles north of White Cloud. Head north out of White Cloud on M-37 and turn west at 5 Mile Road, then turn north onto Felch Ave and drive until you see the sign below. The entrance is right in front of the sign. http://www.newaygo-online.com/lodalake.shtml

The Hardy Dam Rustic Nature trail is a cooperative project of the Boy Scouts of America and Consumers Energy Employees. The trail is a three mile round trip, along the Muskegon River. The trail is unpaved and and winds over various types of terrain. Be sure to bring a good pair of tightly tied hiking boots as the trail in some places winds along the sides of some very steep hills. Also 26 species of trees are identified along the trail, identified with posts so be sure to pick up your trail guide by the trailhead. Parking is available right by the Hardy Dam at its northwest end. http://www.newaygo-online.com/hrdytrail.shtml

Hardy Dam, Newaygo Mi

The Wetland Trail is a 1.25 mile boardwalk through a sphagnum bog. The project cost over 30,000 dollars and was financed by the Fremont Area Foundation. In some area's the sphagnum is as much as 40 feet deep, highly unusual. The area is full of wildlife such as great blue heron's, kingfishers, owl's, turtles, and muskrats. The Trail is located on the east side of Pickerel Lake at Camp Newaygo. The trail is free and open to the public. http://www.newaygo-online.com/wtlndtrail.shtml

Morel mushroom hunting



Abundance of Wildlife

 The Coolbough Natural Areas is a 400-acre preserve owned by Brooks Township and managed jointly with The Nature Conservancy. The diversity of habitats is one of the features of the Coolbough Natural Areas that makes any visit an exciting trip. Visitors have the chance to explore ponds and wetlands, hike through white pine and white oak forest, search for butterflies and wildflowers on prairie and barrens remnants, and listen to the bubbling waters of Bigelow and Coolbough Creeks. Hunting is allowed for white-tail deer on this preserve to reduce an unnaturally high deer population in the area and reduce threats too many deer pose to our conservation targets. The preserve features an extensive trail system with horseback riding permitted on designated trails. Bring your binoculars for spectacular views of wildlife. Location from Newaygo, take M-37 to Croton Drive (at the intersection immediately north of the Muskegon River). Turn east on Croton and go 3.7 miles to Barberry Avenue. Turn north and go one mile; Barberry will end at 58th Street. Turn east (right) on 58th, which will curve to the north to become Hazelwood. The parking lot is on the corner of 58th and Hazelwood. http://www.brookstownship.org/cool.html

Canoeing down the Muskegon River - Photo courtesy of Wisner Canoes



Kayaking down the Muskegon River - Photo courtesy of Wisner Canoes



We encourage you to start to hike in Newaygo County Mi and begin “feel good” today. Visit http://www.hesslakerentals.com/ or http://www.wisnercanoes.com/ for accommodations.

Tight Lines and Fun Times from She's So Fly!!





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Ever Feel Like You Are In The “Wrong Place, At The Wrong Time”?

I am sure we all have experiences relating to the old saying “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time”. Here is one man’s experience of being in the wrong place and the wrong time:

He is in the whales MOUTH!!!!

This photo was taken this year at the entrance to Katlian Bay at the end of the road in Sitka, Alaska.


The whale is coming up to scoop up a mouthful of herring (the small fish seen at the surface around the kayak).


The kayaker is Dr. Richard Kraft, a local Sitka Dentist, who barely escaped the mouth of this great whale. His response to his experience was "the only thing I could think of at the time was to paddle really fast…also thinking that I don’t look like a herring, don’t smell like a herring but with the same herring instinct of "get the heck out of the way of that big mouth!!"


Here are a few more misc. photos related to being in the wrong place at the wrong time:

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Sport Show Admission Tickets Make Great Stocking Stuffers For Christmas

(Grace, flyfishing dog and 1st mate to http://www.marshguide.com/)

Searching for the perfect stocking stuffer this year for the angler or outdoorsman in your life?  How about tickets to a sports show? 

There are many sports shows throughout America that offer admission tickets at a discount if purchased before christmas.  For example, I am going to tell you about one of my favorite sports shows in Northern America, The Ultimate Sport Show in Grand Rapids, Mi.

Click here to get your tickets 1/2 price now and use promo code: STOCKING

The 66th Annual Ultimate Sport Show—Grand Rapids, March 17 to 20 at DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave. NW in downtown Grand Rapids, is one of America’s largest and longest-running outdoor shows. 

More than 350 exhibitors include 100-plus fishing tackle vendors, hunting gear, new fishing boats and 100 or more outfitters, lodges, guides, charter fishing and adventure-travel destinations throughout North America and abroad.  Plus more than 100 non-stop fishing and hunting seminars occur on four stages, including 110,000-gallon Lake Ultimate. 

Special features:  Milt Wilcox’s “Ultimate Air Dogs,” MUCC’s “Big Buck Night, West” the Trout Pond, antique sporting goods displays, carvings by the Woodland Woodcarvers, and more.  Statewide competition by the Michigan Taxidermists Association offers hundreds of mounts for free viewing.  

Hours:  Thursday, 3 to 9:30; Friday, 11 to 9:30; Saturday, 10 to 9; Sunday, 10 to 5.  Admission:  $10 adults, $4 children 6 to 14, free for children 5 and under. 

Information:  www.GRFish.com or 800-328-6550.  

Tight Lines and Fun Times, She's So Fly.

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How to Pick Yourself Up During Hard Times

Having the ability to pick yourself up during hard times is an essential skill for success. Everybody hurts, we all go through difficult periods, we all make mistakes and we are all often too hard on ourselves…and then WHAM!...we find ourselves surrounded by one or more of the top five barriers to success with no means of escape in sight…and I personally have known some of these too well.


The top five barriers (most prominent) to success are:


1. Alcohol, Drug, & Tobacco Abuse


2. Allowing Fear to Paralyze You


3. Failure to Set Goals


4. Holding on to Past Failures and Resentments


5. Failure to Keep Your Thoughts on What You Want


Good news!...There is hope for an escape! The key to success is to have a list of actions you can take to lift yourself up so that you can get back in the game! Here are seven ways:


Excercise


Not only will exercise improve your mood by the release of endorphins, it will improve your strength, appearance, and general health. (Endorphins are brain chemicals that are released when you do vigorous exercise. They give you a feeling of well-being or euphoria.)


Get Organized


Getting organized can improve not only your daily efficiency, but it can also improve the pride that you have for your home or office and for yourself. Consider all the areas in your home or office that need to get organized and just dive in.


Once you’re done you’ll have a sense of pride in your accomplishment, you’ll enjoy the organization, and you’ll pick yourself up in the process.


Get Some Inspirational Music


Search online or go to your local store and find music that really inspires you. Be sure to select songs that move your spirits upward and not downward.


Once you have a collection of inspirational music, use it at strategic times such as while you’re exercising, getting organized, doing your work, and most importantly when you need to pick yourself up and get into an inspired state.


Get Some Inspirational Books


Go online , to your local bookstore, or public library and get some inspirational books on self improvement or personal development.


Do Something for Someone Else


Doing something for someone else helps you forget about your own problems and it provides an internal fulfillment that cannot be derived from any other activity that I’ve found.


Doing something for someone else provides a mysterious gift that strengthens your ability to face the problems that you have in your own life. Take a child fishing for an example.


Create a Vision for the Future


To create a vision for the future is to create hope, drive, and inspiration. Things may look bleak right now, but just imagine how much more you are going to appreciate the good times when they arrive.


Write out how you want your life to be in every area. Then list the steps needed to get there for each one. Add dates when you expect to have each step and goal completed. Finally, hold the vision of what you want to accomplish and how you’ll FEEL when you achieve it firmly in your mind. Do this and you’ll be able to pick yourself up every time.


Keep Your Thoughts in the Present & On What You Want


All your power to perform is in the present moment. If you’re thinking about unpleasant events in your past or imagining unhappy circumstances in the future you ruin your ability to perform in the present. Negative thoughts weaken, depress, and reduce your ability to perform at your best.


Keep your thoughts in the present moment and on the outcomes that you want and you’ll have all the joy and energy you need. Once you train yourself to do this, you’ll begin to see miracles happen.


***


Once you get into the habit of using these techniques, you’ll be able to pick yourself up quickly during hard times.


Read the entire story by Brad Paul from Guru Habits.          


Tight lines and fun times, She's So Fly.
      

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