Spring 1997 - Cincinnati to Yukon
Journals - 29 April 1997
Day 29 - Rose Wildlife Research Area, MI
29 April 1997 (sunny; warmish; southern winds; mileage 67.8) -- A - A
raccoon tried to get into our food bag which I left on the rear rack. Chris
heard the tarp and some footsteps and thought it was a person. Then he saw
the little critter and had a tough time shooing it away. He went and
brought the food into the tent. It was around 2 AM. We got up around 5:30.
I went to the bathroom and sponged off a little. We left at 6:30. We
stopped at McD's in Brooklyn and had coffee and some food and discovered
(via a flag outside) that the wind was coming from the SOUTH! After some
very fine traveling, we stopped at a state game thingy for hunting. Chris
figured from a sign there that we could camp here. Good to
know!
X - That place was the Dansville State Game Area. We continued our north
direction enjoying the fabulous tail wind. We got to a point in a suburb of
E. Lansing where we ran into nasty traffic and lots of cars. It popped out
near a mall, no less. We stopped in a grocery store and stocked up. We then
fled from the nasty traffic. Not too far away was Rose Wildlife Research
Area. Another hunting zone. I guess they let animals go and research how
long it takes for them to get shot up. We found a cemetery here and we
stopped off the road for a fine meal of salads and sandwiches. While we
were eating, picnic-style, a car drove into the place with two non-friendly
old women. We went behind the graveyard back to the hunting grounds and
found a spot that we thought would be decent to camp at. We set up the tent
and stowed the food well (we hope) and now we're relaxing. Speaking of
game, we saw many spronking deer (10!) last night on the way from the lake
to our site. We followed at least 4 into the swamp. They should call this
state the Great Swamps State. And -- this morning we saw a gang of deer in
the swamp. While we were taking it easy in this very secluded spot, we
heard a car drive up into the cemetery and a voice close by. A man called
out to us and I poked my head out of the tent. He had a woman with him and
said that he had buried his dog under a tree less than 50 feet from us. He
didn't want us to use wood on the grave as fire wood. OK, whatever. Very
weird.
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