A Well-Earned Nap at Sleeping Bear Dunes

Long ago, a mother bear, Mishe Mokwa, and her two cubs ran desperately towards the sandy shores of the Great Lake Michigan.  Their backs were singed by the heat of a raging fire that scorched the land of Wisconsin.  Like a great beast itself, the fire crackled and roared, devouring everything in its path.

Mishe Mokwa leapt into the pure lake, as large as the sea, urging her cubs to follow her closely, one cub at each side.  Now safe from the flames, the bears used the bounty of the past season to help them swim eastward, at the sight of one sun set and one moon. 

On the next sun rise, Mishe Mokwa sighted the pale bluffs of the land of Michigan.  However, the strength of the cubs began to waver, and she urged them forward, for they were but miles away.  So close to salvation, the cubs gradually began to trail behind. 

Reaching the shore first, she quickly looked back for her cubs.  She climbed a nearby dune to see them.   To her dismay, one cub could swim no further, and sank to the bottom of the lake.  The other cub followed shortly afterward.  She called and called.  None answered her calls reverberating over the cold and silent lake. 

Having escaped the fire, the mother bear watched the sky turn red with a sorrowful sunset.  Her cubs were now resting at the bottom of the great lake.   For several painful days, Mishe Mokwa watched the shorelines where she had lost her precious cubs.  Moved with pity, the great spirit Gitche Manitou lifted the earth where the two cubs lay, creating the North Manitou Island and South Manitou Island.  The spirit then cast a deep sleep on the mother bear, blanketing her with white sand in eternal slumber.

Mishe Mokwa, Mother Bear, as the Sleeping Bear Dune with ears and all. | author and date unknown (NPS)

So goes the legend of the Anishinabek people, who lived in the region of Sleeping Bear dunes as early as 11,000 B.C.  Today, a raging fire consumes the lands beyond the Great Lakes into Canada and has been blanketing the sky with thick smoke and smog for weeks.  Within the US, the smoke has even blocked the sun over cities like New York City, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia.  During our visit to Michigan, the smoke has become increasingly thick.  Still, we wondered if we, too, could briefly escape the effects of fire by travelling to purest parts of Pure Michigan.

Almost at the top of a dune. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

As in most of our dogventures, we started our journey to Sleeping Bear Dunes from Tree Town without any foresight.  I’ve always wanted to take Stella to a pure lake, and Lake Michigan is one of the purest of the five, along with Lake Superior.  Having been to a few National Seashores, this would be our first National Lakeshore.  Almost undoubtedly, the weather was going to bad – not only from the rainstorms predicted for the day, but also because of the unrelenting smoke from the devastating forest fires across the border.  Hopefully, the rain that often covers this area will fight the fires soon enough.

That wasn’t enough to stop us.  We went straight for the Dune Climb.  These dunes take an average of 3-4 hours to walk through in order to get to reach Lake Michigan.  Perhaps the darkened sky would be an advantage for such a trek.  Again, we thought nothing could stop us, until we realized – dogs aren’t allowed on the Dune Climb proper!

Almost at the top of a dune. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

Disappointed on many levels, a closer look gave way to an exciting opportunity.  To the right of the Dune Climb entrance, there was actually a pet exercise area, and several dogs and their families were seen on the trail winding around the main part of the dunes.  There were even steep dunes that are about twice as high as those at the Dune Climb. 

Taking a break in the middle of the dunes. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

Now, even though they don't look very steep, these are not your ordinary dunes.  Having climbed several dunes ourselves, Stella and I gave it a shot.  I mean, we survived the trek across Jockey’s Ridge during a storm just fine, right?  Starting at one of the steep dunes, though, you would think it is manageable.  But a fourth of the way up, even the most athletic of us may need to take a break. 

More dunes await. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

The dune gets steeper and steeper, and I found myself slipping down even with a  moment of rest.  That’s gravity for you.  At one point, Stella seemed to walk in place.  Halfway up the dune, she rested, and we had a great view of Glen Lake, appropriately named.  At this moment, I could hear him saying, I told you so.  Still, we pressed on.  Of the three other dogventurers I watched trying to overcome the dune with their pit-bull and poodle, I think we were the only ones who made it to the top.  Thank goodness for Stella's athletic build.  You get rewarded, drumroll please, with even more dunes!  Well, as they say, no pain no gain.  The trek is worth it, but we needed to make the most of our day. 

Victory pose! | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI  

We decided to take a break in Glen Haven and access Lake Michigan directly.  I would say the town of Glen Haven is one of the most pleasant towns on Lake Michigan.  It’s utterly quiet here. 

Small boardwalk leading to Stella's first Great Lake encounter. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

I have always  heard the waters here are crystal blue.  However, because of the morning haze from the wildfires, the sky was a neutral gray.  This made the waters of Lake Michigan completely transparent, revealing a floor of smooth, spotted rocks.  Unlike most lakes, which receive runoff from nearby rivers and other bodies of water and mountains, the main water source of Lake Michigan is groundwater, making it some of the purest water on Earth.

Pristine and frigid waters of Lake Michigan's Sleeping Bear Bay. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

Taking a chilly break on the sands. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

The lake is mostly still and quiet, and it’s almost jarring to beach goers or those who like lakes with strong tides.  The best part, though, is that Stella could actually drink her lake and have it, too!  The amazing water and cold resistance of the Labrador made the lake a perfect swimming spot for Stella, who to the amazement of other visitors there, played in the frigid waters as a child in a pool.  As I searched for the elusive Petosky stone, I myself felt all sensation leave my feet and lower legs after stepping into these waters.  Chilly!

It's It's just so nice to sit and watch the water here. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

Though she tried to help as she does with seashells, Stella could not find a Petosky Stone either. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

Depending on where you are along the shore, the water can look a bit different.  There are so many trees nearby that in some areas, pollen accumulated at the shore, resembling instant macaroni and cheese dust.  Yet, only a couple hundred feet away, no such disturbances existed along the shore. 

A couple of Wolverines enjoying the peace and silence of the lake. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

Pollen gathering at the shore. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

Surprisingly, many of the stores and restaurants in the area were cash only – luckily, I’m always prepared with snacks.  This is also an important tip for budget travelers, since prices in this remote region are a bit steep.  Personally, I prefer the bring-your-own-food policy so you can enjoy snacks near nature.  But there's one thing that doesn't pack very well, and that's ice cream.  Near Glen Haven, there is a pavilion that serves Michigan-worthy ice cream, and they accept credit cards – just not dogs.  Getting from the pavilion to the shore takes less than four minutes of easy walking.

It seems the dunes have taken many poor, unfortunate soles. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

The colorful shop of the Boondocks is one of few that sells candy, ice cream, and souvenirs. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

Our next objective was to see another side of the Sleeping Bear Dunes.  Taking the Sleeping Bear Scenic Drive allowed us to stop at a total of one dozen overlooks to see the two parts of Glen Lake - Little Glen and Big Glen.  See, if only he were here, there would be so many more jokes.  Just like Lake Michigan, these lakes were born from ancient blue glaciers.  As an added bonus, the sky began to clear up, and we were starting to see this region for the first time, in all of its glorious azure.

A view of Little Glen and Big Glen Lake from Glen Lake Overlook. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

Little Glen, which is closest to the viewing points along the road is only 12 feet deep.  Alligator Hill keeps Little and Big Glen part, the latter of which is 130 feet deep!  What a difference.  Those of you with a good eye will notice that the Big Glen is a slightly darker shade of blue than Little Glen.  In general, deeper depths tend to show blue waters, while more shallow depths tend towards green.  This difference became more noticeable as the sun intensified, making Little Glen almost a solid turquoise.

A higher view of Little Glen and Big Glen Lake with Alligator Hill more visible. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

Parking is easy and spacious at the last overlook.  There are even a few extra large parking spots for RV's, as well as picnic areas behind the woods.  The spacious two-tiered boardwalk vista was clean, quiet, and well kept.  From this end of the scenic drive, we were enjoying the spectacle of Sleeping Bear Dunes, Glen Lake, Lake Michigan, and the Manitou Islands, all in one picture.  The depth effect was even more noticeable as Little Glen's green waters contrasted sharply with Lake Michigan's deep blue hue. 

Parking the Dogventure Mobile. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

Looking for Mother Bear among the dunes. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

The dunes here are quite old and a bit more resistant to shifting than dunes near the ocean.  Plants help to further stabilize them.  Just as in Glen Haven, other visitors were quiet and contemplative.  Perhaps this is just how things are near the Upper Peninsula.  One thing I appreciated the most about this vista was the fact that it was so easily accessible, yet the viewing platform was felt minimally invasive, giving more chances to connect with nature.  

The dunes, the lake, and the Lake. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI 

Stella enjoying the viewing area. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

It was nothing short of a miracle to have the sky clear up during the last part of our journey.  According to the our weather radar, at the time, only the small area over Glen Arbor was clear of forest fire smoke, despite being so close to the source.  We decided to save the best for last and venture to the top, where we could at last try to find Mother Bear.

The Lake Michigan Overlook was probably the most popular spot.  A small parking lot allows for some cars to unload several tourists.  Note that if your journey is feeling a bit long, you're in luck, because there is a small washroom and rest area at the start of the trail.  At this point, we really couldn't see anything because the parking lot and converging trails were surrounded by thicket and tall trees.  The greenery did a great job separating the small man-made region from what was to come...