Miscellaneous views on the lake: Supplement 3

Dwight Peck's personal website

Summer 2022

A photographic record of whatever leapt out at us

You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.

Miscellaneous views on the lake: Supplement 3

Undiscarded bits and pieces from early-mid September 2022

This is the perennial grassy reef just northeast of 'Crescent Island' on the map below. It's a grim day, 11 September in the late afternoon, and we're here on a mission. (There are rumors from time to time that a snapping turtle has been seen lurking in that grass. Unconfirmed.)

Here, from our grassy reef, is a view of 'Crescent Island', referred to by some of the local cognoscenti as Raymond's Island. It's the only one of the lake's seven islands that's presently got a cottage on it (Adjidaumo had one once, now long gone), and for the past 26 years we've been wondering what it looks like onboard. Today, out of curiosity, and out of boredom perhaps, we're planning to have a look.

Around the far side, within the 'crescent' facing the western shore of the lake, this is a narrow promontory with a shed on it, leading to a long, narrow, rocky reef towards the mainland.

This, taken a few days later, shows the crescent itself, with the island's main dock on the right and the promontory with its rocky reef. The supplementary dock just below can be seen on the left of the island.

Round the north side of the promontory is this unassuming little dock, which should better serve our harmless but clandestine purposes.

-- Don't leave without me.
(The owner comes to the island from a small boathouse 300 meters away, on the main shore. Both the main dock and this one are vacant of boats at the moment.

The cute little shed on the promontory

The main dock facing off towards the nearby mainland

The cottage itself, rather bigger than we expected, but with the wholesome look of a proper lakeside cottage, in contradistinction to the modern McMansions we have dotted round some parts of the lake now.

Not sure what that's about.

The eastward side, past a long screened-in porch on the left

Fine views in every direction

That must be the north-facing side, looking past the public landing towards Point o' Pines

The whole situation here is attractive, peaceful, and probably comfortable.

Possibly the only drawback is that the shoreline all the way round is the lake's most prolific nursery for the dreaded invasive weed, the purple loosestrife. And this summer, sadly, we never got round to yanking it all up.

Barnacles?

That was fun, and no harm done. Now it's back out onto the bouncy waves.

Last views of Raymond's Island for today

A few more views of the charming little boathouse, located between Point o' Pines and our northern part of the lake.

Apparently no longer used . . . a classic look to it.

An excellent place for private moments of relaxation and contemplation and listening for any loud creaking noises.

An attractive cottage just south of Mussent Point in our little bay, and . . .

. . . the next one, in a corner of the bay (no. 8 on the map below).

That's the same one zoomed.

A bit farther up the shore, and . . .

. . . our next-door neighbors, Oscar and Cathy and, in alternations, other members of their extended families.

There's an irresponsible bit of old wreckage that someone's not bothered to . . . wait, that's ours. It's what's left of the old pontoon boat dock at Mussent Point. The new one's attached to the boathouse.

The main house at Mussent Point, and the main dock

Here's a fancy house between the two northern coves (no. 14 below), facing across at the Mussent Point boathouse about 200m away. (Not far enough away when they're have a super-fun party.)

The same one, zoomed. Think of the maintenance.

The Mussent Point boathouse from near the fancy McMansion . . .

. . . with its ridiculous tree alongside (describable as 'a widowmaker', at least of the pontoon boat).

Mussent Point per se

These days, boathouses are not to be built out over the lake, but this one and a few other oldtimers have been grandfathered in -- to be clear about that, the plaque above the centre door indicates that the boathouse was built in 1938 and has been placed on the Dept. of Interior's National Register of Historic Places.

The Labor Day Weekend, with its horrific automobile and boat-trailer traffic up and down the adjacent highway, is well over, and today, 12 September, is a bit chillier than heretofore . . . and this is the only boat on the lake. A few fisherdudes are still plying their hobbies these days, but virtually no water- or jet-skiers. It's a little bit of heaven (until the ice begins to form).

The Bar by Ryden's (aka Beaver Island) -- normally we race at it, yank up the propeller, and either coast across it or get off and push. But the late summer water level is down, the wind's coming from the wrong direction, and Cousin Rob's gone to Europe anyway, so there's no good to come of trying to Cross the Bar today.

Actually, we did just try to Cross the Bar, and had to get off and push.

This is the cultic ritual cairn we discovered last week -- the smaller one has given up, but the larger one is either of sturdier stuff or has a human helper.

That's Chase Island . . .

. . . in the far south near the highway bridge. The name of the island is probably shrouded in mystery.

The shoreline ought to be severely undercut by the boat wakes, like so much of the lakeshore, but it's all just a heap of rocks and is probably safe from most depredations.

The sign indicates that the island is off-limits to visitors as part of the Northwoods Land Trust's Yawkey Forest Reserve.

Thus we're preserving the wildlife, etc. Fair enough.

The rocky structure of the island is probably exceptionally robust, but some of the trees look a little dodgy.

The southern point of the island. Now we'll go on over to Pink again, just 300m to the north.

And that's Pink Island.
The south side of Pink Island (presumably named from a Dr Pink from the area's past).

The whole thing is a vicious tangle of swampy holes and tangled trees and brush, so it's probably perfect for the wildlife. Thus . . .

. . . our Closed sign again. Fair enough. We tried to explore the interior regions some years ago, and nearly didn't make it out again.

It's approachable only from this fine beachy area on the southern side and a sandbar running off the northern point.

This, from Pink, is a look at the southernmost bay (called 'Indian Bay' on the map), about a kilometre to the far end, past those few houses in the centre of the photo.

The northern point of Pink and . . .

. . . the sandbar running over towards the Tigertail. It's a favorite spot for families beaching a pontoon boat on the sand and letting the kids romp round all over the place hilariously.

And it's apparently a favorite with our two fisherdudes as well.

The beautiful Tigertail Point, with its sorely undercut shoreline

Farther north along the Tigertail shore, with . . .

. . . lots of its trees preparing to give up the struggle.

And no wonder

Just around this corner is one of our favorite sand-bottomed 'cooling off on a hot day' places.

That's Ryden's, aka Beaver Island, covering the 90-meter 'Gap' between the upper and lower lakes.

There are signs of former life on it, but not much to be seen since we joined the party here some years ago.

All that's left of civilization there is a picnic table.

And a dock, though it's been a while since that wreck's been useful to anyone.

There's a troublesome rocky ridge running off the eastern side of it, with, unexpectedly . . .

. . . one of the biggest erratic boulders around, deeply scarred in some places by careless boat propellers.

Northward up the lake at the end of the afternoon, past the point with Gale and Dave's house on it, to reciprocate today's Dave Wave as we go by. (38 Dave Waves so far this summer; 44 last year)

The Lake in the Northwoods

The lake at a glance. Mussent Point is at the red dot, no. 12.

Next page: Two entertaining Pottawattomie swamp hikes