Saturday
January 24, 2009
1 to 3 p.m.

Hartwick Pines Logging Museum, Grayling

Snowshoers pause in the forest to listen to their guides, historian Rob Burg and park interpreter Craig Kasmer.

Snowshoeing is a growing popular winter activity. Whether you are a novice or an experienced shoer, join us for a hike through the Lower Peninsula's largest stand of old-growth white pines. Please call ahead for current snow conditions.

Don't own a pair of snowshoes? Some snowshoes are available to use for free - check for availability when you register. Then, be prepared for next winter—sign up for our snowshoe-building workshop.

Your afternoon of snowshoeing begins at the Michigan Forest Visitor Center with:

• an orientation and introduction to Hartwick Pines and
• a short talk on winter survival and equipment.

Then, you will head into the woods, guided by either a park interpreter or a historian. Each one-mile hike, limited to 20 participants, features:

• a discussion of the forest in winter and how winter was important to Michigan's 19th-century logging industry.
• stops at deer beds and
• looking for signs of porcupines and other animals that use the forest in the winter.

The hikes end at the logging museum, where participants can:

• warm up around the "camboose," the museum's elevated fire pit
• enjoy a cup of hot cider and
• hear stories about "shantyboys" enduring a winter in the woods.

Participants may return to the visitor center on their own or explore other trails in the park.

Guided snowshoe hikes also are offered on February 7 and 21.

This event is free of charge; however, registration is required. For more information, please send us an e-mail or telephone (989) 348-2537, TDD (517) 373-1592.

Hartwick Pines Logging Museum—part of the Michigan Historical Museum System—is located eight miles northeast of Grayling, in Hartwick Pines State Park; a Michigan State Parks motor-vehicle permit is required for park entry. Here's more information about how to find Hartwick Pines.

Updated 11/14/2008

Michigan Historical Center, Department of History, Arts and Libraries
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