Birch Lodge, Trout Lake, Mi is on Facebook!

Breaking News!  Birch Lodge and Motel are the newest Trout Lake, MI businesses on Facebook!

Oh  my goodness...will wonders never cease!  Neither Bill or I are techies, but we are slowly learning!  Our latest endeavor it to develop a Facebook Page for Birch Lodge.

 There we will post photos, happenings, and bits of information that you may need to know about the area. 

Because there are other Birch Lodges out there, our Facebook Page is called:

 Birch Lodge, Trout Lake, MI. 

 Please check us out and "Like" us.  Thanks, and wish us well.

Birch Lodge - See you in April!!!

The trees were bare, wintry skies moved in and the cabin became too cold to live in. We realized it was time and closed up the resort for the season - and yes, WE WILL REOPEN next April.

We winterized the lodge and motel by draining and blowing out ALL the pipes - ugh - Bill is beginning to think restoration back to a period BEFORE indoor plumbing might be an attractive option!

We knew it was time because the county road commission was placing the snow-stick/sapling-guides along the edges of the highway right-of-way (these are a low-tech way to keep the plows on the road when there are blizzard white-out conditions). One is at the left of the image here - along with another good winter-is-coming-marker, the golden tamarack trees.

So, among other activities, we stacked the picnic tables up against the motel and broke out the snow blower attachment for the lawn tractor (although Randy, from town, does the heaviest plowing with his 4-wheel drive pick-up truck).

We couldn't help but chuckle about one recent development - now that we are closed for the season, the Canadian Northern Railroad has reconstructed the track crossing near the resort entrance, and the smooth, paved drive is ready to receive, uh, deer?

The closing of the property seemed at times frenetic, compounded by the fact we had moved into the motel temporarily where we could have reliable heat and frozen plumbing was less likely. It was kind of cramped and we were feeling it really was time to leave. However, with all the great people we met this year and the fond memories we have from sharing this special place, we found it difficult to lock up the gate. Even our furry family members weren't at all happy to be leaving, especially Polly (ever seen a Basset sulk?).

We keep repeating, it won't be that long until we return and reopen for guests. Just keep clicking your heels together and repeat, "There's no place like Birch Lodge! There's no place like Birch Lodge!!!!!!" (Geez, does this make Deb the Wicked Witch of the West? Of course not, hmmmm, maybe Wicked Witch of the North??? Guess that makes Bill a Munchkin . . .)

'Scrutiny on the Bounty' at Birch Lodge

Seasonal weather has returned,and Autumn is in full force -literally - with 40 mph winds. Quite a change from the sunny 70s we had just a few days ago. We're ready to throw in the towel on our attempt at UP agriculture. We tried a garden, but to be honest, our thoughts and efforts were generally occupied with that other undertaking on our 20 acres here in Trout Lake. Yes, in case you could not recognize it, that's a garden in the image to the left (with thornless raspberries behind).




So, how did we do? Well, you can be the judge from the pictures above. Pitiful. We'd be OK if we could live off the raspberries and the little apple tree that's producing kick-butt tasty fruit (in the picture below, right) near the motel.



In sum, looks like it would be rather lean times if we had to live off the "bounty of the land" as did the pioneers up here. Anyone depending on our "green thumb" would be perfectly justified if they'd mutiny. Heck, we'd probably join them! We have to hope and pray we are better stewards of historic buildings than of tomatoes, squash, and peppers.

Stop and Smell the Roses and Critters at Birch Lodge

With all the planning, budgeting, construction, and better-than-expected business at the motel, we sometimes forget what a wonderful place Birch Lodge is, because we don't take the time to just sit down and look around. Should a person feel guilty about watching a sunset?








If we tire of looking out on Trout Lake (Well, NEVER!!!), we can jump in our kayaks and paddle up the stream off the end of the motel to Little Trout Lake and look for nesting osprey and eagles. How many times have we done this this year - twice???






Every day we see all kinds of wildlife without even trying. We hear loons call most every day and have watched a pair raising its young. We were going to step out our cabin door, and were greeted by a Pileated woodpecker - impressive!





















Maybe we should take a hint from our domesticated family. They take the time to enjoy their "purrfect" surroundings and "lap it up".

Antique Boats at Birch Lodge

As a member of the St. Ignace Chamber of Commerce we are happy to be included on their wonderful website. We noticed that Les Cheneaux Antique Wooden Boat Show is next weekend, Saturday-Sunday August 13 and 14, one of the largest shows of its kind in the nation.

Deb and I hope to get over to Hessel which is only about 45 minutes from Birch Lodge, and it is a darn scenic drive.

This got us to thinking about our own old boats here at Birch Lodge, which while not good ol woodies, we think are still pretty neat.


The previous owners of the lodge deposited about a dozen galvanized steel rowboats at the wood edge. These craft are 14 to 16 feet long with wooden gunnels and had wood grate flooring. These probably date to the 1940s and are in many of the old photos in the lodge.

We selected the best preserved of the batch and they are now being restored, down to the green, yellow and red paint job, by Trout Lake Services in town. You can see they still retained this paint scheme when they were in still in service in this vintage 1970s image.

We hoped to have them back this summer, but you will definitely see them in the water next year. Meanwhile, maybe we will see you at the show!

Oh, and Deb is a big sailboat lover too. She gets this from her dad who loved sailing and building boats. Some big and small. One of her favorites is this small model that is now at the lodge.

It is a wooden model crafted by Deb's father about 1930 from plans provided by Popular Science Magazine. It is intricate in detail, including lead anchors produced from molds by Don Rhead, and extending to the sails, which he stained with tea to simulate age and weathering. Check it out when you visit!

Birch Lodge; Signs of Change

Big News! We now are officially recognized by county road commission! During our research we discovered that the first section of our drive is actually a county road. We requested a road sign to help direct visitors to the lodge and a couple days ago we received our S. Birch Lodge Dr. sign.

This addition is complemented by our new business sign. While the original sign was pretty cool, it was deteriorated and did not convey the information we wished. So, we contacted MacAinnis Signs out of Rudyard, and they produced new panels and signage.



















While admiring these improvements, a CN train happened by (apparently heard about the new signage and wanted to check them out . . .), so I snapped a photo of it too. (My thanks to the engineer who only rang his bell and didn't blast his horn.)




And, FINALLY, we were able to get the old Birch Lodge dock back in the lake. After inspection of the old dock sections that had lain on shore for several years, we found it necessary to discard about half whose planks were in poor condition and more importantly had structural metal that had rusted through. The remaining sound sections with aluminum framing were sanded and stained and reassembled.





We now have about 90 feet of marine access --- and some nice photo ops for the lodge.

A White Christmas at Birch Lodge

While visting Birch Lodge at Christmas, we took a few shots of the lodge in the snow. How Pretty! Wishing You Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year!

Why the Birch Tree has Black Markings...

Branch Scars on Birch

Well, if you want to be scientific, they are the scars from branches and wounds which have healed over. However, the native peoples have several stories which tell how the birch tree got its markings, one variation goes something like this:

Naniboujou, was a powerful spirit. He lived when the birch tree was the most beautiful of trees, clothed in pure white bark. When he was a child, he wished to kill the big fish which lived deep in the water below the rocks in the big lake. He made a powerful bow and arrow, and asked his grand-mother what bird would have the feathers powerful enough to make the arrows fly strong enough. She answered only the Thunder-bird.

So Naniboujou, turned himself into a rabbit, knowing that the Thunder-bird would capture him and take him to the nest of young birds. When he was left there alone, he killed the young birds and stripped them of their feathers. He then jumped down from the nest, and ran back toward the village.

The Thunder-birds, discovering what had happened pursued Naniboujou, with thunder rolling, and lightning flashing. Naniboujou, as they swooped down, took shelter in a hollow birch. In frustration the Thunder-birds marked the trees with their mark-- the flying thunder-bird-- in memory of their lost young.

Thunderbird marking on Birch tree

In thanks, Naniboujou blessed the tree, and said it would be ever more honored as a help for man. Do you see the flying Thunder-bird?

Wilwin Lodge, American Legion Respite for Veterans

Wilwin Lodge, Trout Lake, MI

Recently Deb and I went to the Open House sponsored by the American Legion Department of Michigan to showcase their newly acquired historic Wilwin Lodge, currently planned to be a respite site for recently returned veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Wilwin is literally in the middle of the forest, on the Mackinac Co./Chippewa Co. line, at the end of Wilwin Road, off of Co. Rt. H-40, about 5½ to 6 miles from Birch Lodge; and is about 45 minutes from the Mackinac Bridge.

The full news story of Wilwin which I summarize here, is available on line ( as submitted by Anita Gauld, at http://chippewa.migenweb.net/wilwin.htm.)
The legion also has a website with lots of information on Wilwin Lodge and the local area.

Wilwin sat on a huge tract of land acquired in 1914 by two sons of lumber baron Frank Chesbrough, WILliam and ErWIN Chesbrough (thus, its name). A lumber mill and associated buildings were constructed there beginning in 1915. At its peak after full-scale mill operations began in 1916, Wilwin consisted of the mill and warehouses, 15 houses, a schoolhouse and a church. Historic Wilwin Lodge was built in 1916-1917 to house and wine and dine lumber buyers and other guests and serve as the family recreation “camp.”



They called it the “Bungalow” but it was actually a massive two-story log lodge, with a central great room encircled by a second story interior balcony and anchored by two large masonry fireplaces, and rustic details such as hand-forged hardware – all hearkening to the Great Adirondack lodges and closer to home the Huron Mountain Club camps (near Marquette) so popular during this period. Electricity provided by the mill dynamo. Wilwin commercial operations continued only until 1922; the mill and related railroad equipment were sold off in 1927, and most of the buildings were sold and/or dismantled and moved by 1935.



The main lodge, however, remained in the family as recreation camp until 1962, and was preserved by other owners until owner Robert Considine’s recent donation of the 520-acre property to the American Legion. Wilwin Lodge has been totally preserved down to the light fixtures, moose heads, and furnishings, and I’ve attached some photos taken with my cell phone below.

A Bedroom at the Main Lodge at Wilwin



Screened Porch Main Lodge at Wilwin



Living Room Wilwin Lodge

Dining Room at Wilwin Lodge

Upstairs Gallery at Wilwin Lodge