Evening on Clam Lake

Evening on Clam Lake

We slipped into the lake with the silent green canoe around 8 P.M., when the wind had gone to zero and the lake was like glass. The first animal we encountered was a large beaver at grassy island. The beaver saw us and responded with a short get-away swim followed by a big slap of his tail as he warned other beavers of our presence. We than had a muskrat swim ahead of us for quite a distance. Than we saw a large flock of mallards ahead of our canoe in Williams bay. Five loons were gathered in Bushnell’s bay and seemed to be in some kind of loon conference, dancing on the water and talking loon talk with each other. They were then joined by a sixth loon whom appeared to fly in from Little Clam Lake and continued their conference in front of our canoe and silhouetted in the setting sun. We did not see our friends the four otter that frequent our bay, but felt good about our nature sightings that evening. There is something very soothing about seeing nature in action.

“The real significance of wilderness is a cultural matter. It is far more than hunting, fishing, hiking, camping or canoeing; it has to do with the human spirit.” Sigurd F. Olson, Northwood’s conservationist

“Wilderness is an idea as much as a place, with modern man learning to pass like a shadow of a cloud across what he did not make and cannot improve.” Author: Gilbert Grosvernor (1875-1966).

“Leave it as it is, you cannot improve it. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it. What you can do is keep it for your children your children’s children, and for all who come after you” Author: President T. Roosevelt (1858 -1919)

“For generations, city-weary folk from across the Midwest and beyond have sought the refuge of a glassy Northwood’s lake or rustic campsite. But today, with nearly 40 million people within a day’s drive of the Northwoods, we are quickly losing some of the region’s most special places”. Author: Land & People Magazine- The Trust for Public Land-Spring 2005 Issue

Note: The Trust for Public Land is taking positive steps to buy up parcels of private land within the national forest and preserve it as public forest land for everyone to enjoy.