Messages

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Messages from residents

Click here to read a unique human interest story regarding the Wilderness courtesy of Wally Ewing.

Wally Ewing:

Sunday noon on June 1 the Wilderness Path work crew performed their annual feat of  laying and grooming the wooden walk to the beach. On hand with strong backs, shovels, weeders, and willing attitudes were Mary Ellen Mika, Jane Ewing, Mark Hauser, John Job, and Wally Ewing (not pictured). Ever efficient, they had the job  done in record time. Let's hike to the beach! 

KEEPERS OF THE PATH

In the spring of 2015 Jane and I hired Grand Haven contractor Todd Bosgraf to design, construct, and lay the wooden path to the Wilderness Beach. It is made of ipe, a durable wood that grows in the rain forests of Brazil. The many six-foot sections make a flexible but stable walkway. In the first few years, there was no need to protect the path from winter storms. However, in 2022 persistent winds blew across the dunes and buried the path under more than three feet of sand and covered most of the two memorial benches. This called for action to prevent a recurrence. Since then, attending to the wooden path to the Wilderness Beach has become an annual fall and spring event. On a Sunday morning this November, Wilderness neighbors Larry Burns, his son-in-law Jackson from Chicago, and Mark Hauser joined Jane and me at the Wilderness Beach to roll up western portions of the wooden path and carry the two benches to high ground to protect them from powerful fall and winter winds. In previous years, a shovel brigade included Larry Burns who brought several family members with shovels over their shoulders, Mark Hauser and his nephew Hanes from Royal Oak who offered the largest number of shovels per household, Laird Schafer with his pole digger, Tat Noll who came with another shovel and joy, John Job and Mary Ellen Mika who added a broom and yet more shovels, and two watchful dogs. I am grateful for their generous help.

The walkway has endured well. It is sturdy and shows no signs of weathering, except for the mellow driftwood color of the ipe. The path makes it easier for people to trek over the dune destined for the beach, especially those with wagons, strollers, walkers, canes, infants, umbrellas, foldable chairs, and all manner of beach gear in bags.  That is just about everyone.

Wally Ewing

You cannot be neurotic on the beach.