Hiking in West Central Michigan. What Item Will I Be Leaving At Home?

[redsquid2]

North from Red Bridge, to HodenPyl Dam, and then southward along the east bank of the river, back to Red Bridge. That's where I'll be this weekend.

Can you guess what item won't be in my backpack? It's something that I usually carry.

First person to guess wins a brand new Chrysler - your choice of model. Just show up at your nearest Chrysler dealership and tell them you won it fair and square in an online contest.

 

[redsquid2]

Firestarter. I was going to not bring any firestarter/tinder, because there is a ton of birch bark on that trail. Then I changed my mind and brought some, because thats my habit.

 

[fmajor007]

That's a beautiful stretch of trail - I've been on it several times. It's even better in the winter.

 

[Bob W]

It's hunting season, so do you have to leave your gun at home if you don't have a hunting license?

-----------------------

You can keep the Chrysler. Donate to a charity you don't like very much.

 

[redsquid2]

It's hunting season, so do you have to leave your gun at home if you don't have a hunting license?

-----------------------

You can keep the Chrysler. Donate to a charity you don't like very much.

Firestarter. There is tons of birch bark around there.

 

[Macchina]

Leave your gun at home during hunting season??? Then you'd have to carry your food in.


I love that trail, a fantastic place that I've hiked many times. Take care when harvesting living birch bark: it's quite easy to kill the whole tree, especially if you're cutting rings around the tree. The phloem later is just under the bark and is the only way the tree can transfer nutrients up. If you cut through it the tree will starve. There are several birch trees along trail that have met this fate...

 

[taldesta]

This area has abundant birch bark as well and usually there is lots of fluttering, onion-paper-like tinder material readily available on the surface of the outer bark of living trees. Also, often there is easily peel-able bark which seems part of the natural shedding process of tree growth.

I have never had to cut bark from a living birch tree but I do not camp in areas where others may have gathered their tinder before me. In survival mode, good luck to the tree, though.

Mostly here there is plenty, plenty of deadfall white birch ... and it takes little cutting to have an ample supply for an extended camp out in remote crown land.

I have learned of problems with cutting living birch bark for craft-making, but not in my area.

It is a valid consideration. My main white birch tree problem along the river here is with beaver ... good luck to the trees. Not bringing in beaver-drowning 'water sets' on my property.

Evergreens and tag elders seem to do just fine along the river bank, not a lot of white birch get past the beaver.