Since our “hike” this past week was to walk around and do Christmas window-shopping, and the snow on the ground is rather light, anyway, I thought I’d post an adventure we took one October (and again, one spring), halfway around Swan Lake in the Allegan State Game Area (DNR), in Allegan County, near…you guessed it…the town of Allegan, MI. And guess what else? There are even swans on the lake! Well named.

This is an out of the way place to find and to hike in, and were you to blink, you’d pass right by the hidden trailhead. But simply wonderful for Carlson adventures. In fact, going on the nearby backroads (even on residential roads) our van’s GPS map only showed our little you-are-here marker blinking in the green wilderness of the screen.

The hill trail around the lake is difficult to capture with photography. On a long stretch, one slippery step, and into the lake we’d go. The lake is just out of the first picture range. We would have grabbed trees on the way down, of course. If. But no need.

Part of the trail takes you through the woods and out of sight of the lake for a while. Squirrels, birds, mice, deer. This detour away from the lake is in order to get to a place easy to cross over the stream leading into it. I would imagine in springtime, the snow-melted stream would require passage over this bridge.

There were also some of the barkless trees we’ve spotted throughout Michigan, revealing the petroglyphs in the ancient language of Wormtongue. <– Jeff’s term. I’m pretty sure this one refers to a bison.

Because the trail was unkept, both times we could only travel halfway around it before decided to turn back. The area is intended more for hunters and fishers than for hikers.  After climbing over and under and between branches, and assending steep hills to get around several downed trees on the trail, after an hour we decided it would be easier to return than to proceed further into the unknown. Besides, climbing around fallen trees gave us a good workout besides just hiking. The second time doing it, besides different fallen trees, the ground eventually became too soggy to proceed.

But I would hike this trail again and again, hoping someday to complete the route around the lake, enjoying every moment of solitude (with hubby and swans), and deciphering the Wormwood codes, no matter how much of the trail we covered.

Merry Christmas to all! Stay safe and warm.