Recently Mrs. Uhdd said she was going to go off and look at an atlas to figure out the lay of the land Around Here. It occurred to me that I should write about the geography, just to give you a context should you be from Away. I’m always showing you the beach along Grand Traverse Bay, but here it is from a satellite. The little marker is at Eastport, the metropolis at the north end of Torch Lake. That large field of blue that looks sort of like someone running toward you and melting away at the same time – that’s Grand Traverse Bay. You can follow this link to the interactive Google map and zoom in, out, and round about to your heart’s content.
Torch Lake Township itself is just a little sliver between the lake and the Bay. I’ve been collecting maps that help me understand the lay of the land in the 19th century, when my Civil War veterans first came here to make new lives for themselves. It’s very absorbing. I wish I could show you exactly what it looked like then. I wish I could see it myself.
Torch Lake Township Original Survey 1840
Here’s what it looked like yesterday when the Duo and I walked through the woods behind the Writing Studio and Bait Shop. All of us were a little giddy from having two warm and sunny days in a row. Miss Sadie was up and over the nearest hill before the Cowboy finished sniffing the fox tracks.
The Cowboy investigates signs along the two-track
The sun melts the snow on south-facing slopes
The shady bowl is draped in fresh snow
All Squirrel Paths Lead to The Tree
Miss Sadie came back, we all went in for supper. Monday was the day we were supposed to wash our clothes, wash our clothes . . . but we were distracted by the sunshine and never got the job done. We’re off. Hope you’re having a fine Valentine’s Day.
Torch Lake Views 
Sybil
February 14, 2012
Lovely to see that map Gerry. I went to Google Earth and was able to get the little man to show me around the area.
I’m not from away — you’re from away !!!
Gerry
February 14, 2012
Indeed, I am from long ago in a galaxy far away. But it’s all right. They know me here.
Heather
February 14, 2012
It’s interesting how well the sand bar shows up at the south end of Torch, and how the south end of East Bay is obviously shallower – and hence more icy – than West. Maps are fun 🙂
Gerry
February 15, 2012
Being able to see the shape of the lake bottom is wonderful. What I think is even more wonderful is that some people have a mental map of that shape, and can navigate the lake and the Torch River with complete confidence.
shoreacres
February 14, 2012
I do love that expression – “should you be from Away” – or any of its variants. I’ve been trying to understand what makes it so appealing – it’s formal and familiar all at once, for one thing, and could carry just a touch of bemused tolerance… “after all, they’re from Away”.
It’s got just a bit of the tone of one of my Texas favorites – “Ya’ll come back now, y’hear?”
Gerry
February 15, 2012
Ah. There is a certain amount of all that, I suppose. I will have to watch it. After all, in one sense I’m from Away myself. So long as I never edge into the territory occupied by the Alabama “Bless your heart!”
Martha
February 14, 2012
And a great big Happy V-day- just because! I left you some bright pretty tulips at my site.
Gerry
February 15, 2012
You did indeed, right here, and they were a treat for color-starved eyes.
Joss
February 15, 2012
Thank you for that, Gerry. I could have found it for myself, but never quite got round to it. With all that water around, have you ever done much sailing?
Gerry
February 15, 2012
I haven’t. I’ve been out on the inland lakes and rivers in my kayak–and very cautiously in the East Bay, hugging the shoreline–and have had nice power boat rides on other people’s boats on Torch Lake. I’ve been on a lot of ferries to islands in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron and Lake Superior.
I don’t think I’ve ever been sailing on Grand Traverse Bay. All the sailing that comes to mind was in the Detroit area–which has a lot of water itself.
Now I have a new goal for myself. This summer I’ll get out on the Bay in a sailboat. I know just the thing. I’ll write a post about it, too.
Fee
February 15, 2012
I’m off to google earth to have a look around too. I love to nosey around other folks’ neighbourhoods.
Gerry
February 15, 2012
You will be sorely disappointed in the portrait the Little Man shows you. He drove right along US-31 on a dismal day when there were no leaves on the trees and showed it all to worst advantage. Of course he never gets off the main highway even to go into the public parks, so you’d think the whole township was one long bit of scrubland. I believe I must assemble Babs and Katherine and the Laidlaws and anyone else who wants to help to make a fuller portrait.
tootlepedal
February 15, 2012
This was a most useful post. I think I will do the same.
Gerry
February 15, 2012
Well that will be interesting to see. The difficulty is always to show a place in its details and in its sweep, isn’t it? Where do you stand to make the most telling image?
shoreacres
February 15, 2012
I have a friend on Weather Underground – a Michigan storm chaser! – who moved to Greenville, Michigan recently. I went to the map to see where his town is, and lo! he’s just south of you. Not only that, I was able to identify Torch Lake on the map now, even without labels and circles and arrows!
Gerry
February 15, 2012
I sincerely hope that the storm chaser doesn’t know something I don’t want to know. I would like that storm chaser to be so bored this spring that he would turn to hang-gliding to relieve the tedium. I am pleased that you are able to identify Torch Lake. Somewhere around here I have a winter satellite photo where it is beautifully displayed, like a topaz.
Greenville is due south of me, but it’s about two and a half or three hours of driving time so “just” doesn’t enter into it in my mind. Nice down there, though. I hope he’s enjoying it.
DAwn
February 15, 2012
All squirrel paths…cool photo! Love the map too, didn’t know that Torch Lake was that long!
Gerry
February 15, 2012
I’m glad you had fun with the map. Torch is long, and deep, and altogether delightful. Come see for yourself. Bring Katie.
Dawn
February 17, 2012
Awww..Katie would love it.
uphilldowndale
February 18, 2012
This tab has been waiting all week for me to come over and explore, fascinating, what took me so long?
Gerry
February 18, 2012
Life its ownself. The nice thing about these little posts is that they will remain there, quietly, until you have time. Unlike dogs, who must be walked. We have just been out and about at dark-thirty in the morning in four inches of fluffy new snow. Satisfactory.