Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

The Highland Recreation Area is a wonderful place to get outdoors in the winter! Beauty abounds in the form of amazing sites and sounds. The clean snow and skies left after the last few days of snow afforded me a great hike today.

The entrance road into the park this morning only had the tracks of one or two vehicles ahead of me before I made the westerly turn. It looked like maybe 3 - 4 inches of snow had accumulated the past night.

Looking west from the dam out over Haven Hill Lake (above) a snowy flat landscape caught my shadow in the morning sun...

The limbs of this large old oak tree stretched from right to left and formed an interesting pattern (above). The snow today was light and flaky. It glistened in the sun.

I think we're often guilty of looking "out" and "over" and "ahead" too much. Today I tried to look down more and found this neat scene of a tree stump covered with snow. If you look closely it has the appearance of a mountain scene I thought.

For my hike today I wore 2 pairs of socks in my boots, long underwear, jeans, and a warm shirt all covered by my set of winter coveralls.  Ear muffs and a beanie hat are my favorite to cover my head. This out fit allows me to "layer up" or "layer down" and adjust my body temperature as I hike. I was warm and comfy all morning. Dress appropriately and take a winter hike in the fresh air at Highland Recreation Area this winter. You'll get hooked as I am.

Snow Snake Population Growing in Highland Recreation Area

Snow snakes were seen slithering in the snow inside Highland Recreation Area on Saturday, December 20th. Have you ever heard of a "snow snake"?  Do you think maybe it's a unique  reptile that survives Michigan winters slithering in the snow? Have you ever seen one? Maybe you should watch out for them when "Cow Tipping" or "Snipe Hunting" in the Winter. I think maybe their skin is white and camouflages them so that they are rarely seen when a wintry blanket covers the ground... Well those are some of the thoughts that I had when I was first presented with the concept of a Snow Snake. Mr. Dick Russell from the Clinton Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America (Waterford, Michigan), and Chairman of the Chief Pontiac Trail Committee, explained to me that the snow snake is actually the main object in a Native American Indian winter game, wherein a wooden "snake" is sent hurtling down a track in the snow for maximum distance.

Being originally from sunny Los Angeles, California, all I had never heard of this before, but I liken it to the "craft and skill"-oriented activity of "Pinewood Derby cars" that I modeled and painted in Boy Scouts when I was young. The small wooden cars were raced down a sloped track to see which one was the fastest. But snow snakes can travel even faster and for great distances.

In preparation for the HRA practice and the big event in January, the Boy Scouts held a Snow Snake Fabrication Day on December 13 at the Proud Lake Recreation Area, River Hawk Cafe dining hall. About 40 Snow Snake kits were sold to excited participants. Each kit contained supplies to carve a custom-made Snow Snake for the practice races which were held at Highland Recreation Area on Saturday, December 20th.

The Scouts held their practice on a cold but beautiful day in the park near the Edsel Ford barn. The actual Race Day for the Snow Snakes will be Saturday, January 31st, at the Proud Lake Recreation area on top of the hill across from the River Hawk Annex building.

More information about the 2008/2009 Snow Snaking activities is available by reading or downloading the PDF file HERE.

Here's a great link to an old Sports Illustrated article about snow snaking... "professional" Indian snakes, seven feet long, that travel over a mile! SI Snow Snake Article. And type "snake snake" into the search engine HERE to see pictures of original snow snakes from our continents' native American Indian tribes.

Come out to the Highland Recreation Area this winter to enjoy the season. Annual motor vehicle permits are $24.00 and are on sale at the MDNR website HERE or at the park entrance for the 2009 season. They make great gifts! Day permits are $6.00.

Jay Fitzgerald

Secretary

Friends of Highland Recreation Area