The park in winter

Katherine and Maya

A week or so ago I went over to Barnes Park to interview Eileen Wallick and Ranger Teddy for a piece for the Antrim Review. While I was there, Katherine Berst came by to introduce her new Australian cattle dog, Maya, to Ranger Teddy. The introduction went well, and the interview continued during a walk around the campground.

Why on earth, you ask, am I writing about the snow at Barnes Park when we are going to have spring any minute now?  Ha.  Reverse psychology.  Maybe if I make Mama Nature think that I’m still enjoying winter, she’ll melt it away.

Maybe not.

Ranger Teddy and Eileen and Maya and Katherine

Here, in case you missed it, or in case Editor Linda Gallagher decided it’s too darned late to publish snow stories (she doesn’t believe in reverse psychology)  is the article: 

All during the lovely Michigan autumn Barnes Park stays busy with campers, birders, color tour picnickers, beach strollers and trail hikers. Slowly their numbers dwindle. The maintenance crew moves the picnic tables into the pavilions, where they stand on end, waiting for spring. The snows come, and the park is quiet. Park Manager Eileen Wallick and Ranger Teddy Wallick (a very intelligent golden retriever) close the office in the cabin and lock up the bath-houses. Over the winter they make occasional tours of inspection. It’s surprising, Wallick says, how many people she sees there during the snowy months.

Young moms take the kids snowshoeing along Aishquagonabe mikana, the Feather of Honor trail. Cross-country skiers glide through the trees near the Aspen Grove. Neighbors walk their dogs on the circle drive. People who work in the area bring their lunch to the park and perch at the top of the staircase to the beach to eat it.  The view of the Bay is great and the vault toilets are handy.  It’s peaceful. 

The day of our interview Katherine Berst came by to introduce her new Australian cattle dog, Maya, to Ranger Teddy. The introduction went well, and the interview continued during a walk around the campground.

It was a cold day. Wallick wore a double layer of down. Ranger Teddy was attired smartly in his camo Petoskey Stone Festival muscle shirt. Maya, who had never seen snow until she was rescued by the Bersts and brought to Michigan, wore a thick fur coat.  All the humans wore insulated boots. It was exhilarating. 

Bruce and Andi Laidlaw live near the park and cross-country ski there often. In January a snowy owl kept an eye on them as they moved along the trail. What do they think of Barnes Park in winter? “Beautiful trails . . . Awesome snowy owl!”

Bruce is a geocacher, and has hidden a couple of caches-small containers filled with trinkets-near the trails.  He posted the GPS coordinates of the caches on the internet, along with hints to the hiding places. Other geocachers find them, take a trinket and leave another, along with a note.  “Great spot,” one may say.  “We found it on a beautiful day.  Thanks for bringing us here.  Took the whistle and left a keychain.”

There’s still plenty of snow on the ski trails, groomed by an anonymous volunteer, and the weather is supposed to warm up.  It’s the perfect time to explore the last of winter.  Follow Barnes Park Road west from the intersection of M-88 and US-31.  The road and a small parking area inside the gate are kept plowed.  Maybe you’ll run into Lindsay Banwell, Antrim Conservation District Project Manager.  She’s been scouting the wetlands on snowshoes, looking for routes for a potential 1300-foot addition to the trail system.  You might meet Ranger Teddy. You might even spot the snowy owl.