Schoolcraft County Highpoint Trip Report
one area on north county line (1,050+ ft)
Date: July 30, 2007
Author: Michael Schwartz
This is an update to Bob Schwab's fine trio of reports for Alger, Luce,
and Schoolcraft Counties. Plan on doing all three, as they are all easy and very
close together. There was active logging in the entire area that made access
even easier but bring GPS for that warm and fuzzy feeling of knowing you've
picked the correct knob(s).
If coming from the south, where MI 77 curves to the left as shown at the top of
Delorme page 104, go more or less straight (due north) onto CR 451.
This junction is between nine and ten miles north of MI 28. Take CR 451 for 0.68
mile to the wide crossroads at Lavender Corner, where you will continue straight ahead.
If coming from the north, use Bob's mileage and turn left (east) onto the road
that is also signed as CR 451. Take this for 0.6 mile to Lavender Corner,
where you will turn left. The correct road (not CR 451) is signed for Nawakwa Lake.
Zero the odometer and head east toward the highpoints. As Bob mentioned,
the road is very sandy in spots, with some of the worst stuff encountered soon after
leaving Lavender Corner. I drove a sedan through the sand with no problems.
Just keep moving. From Lavender Corner, pass Old Seney Road at 0.5 mile,
go another 1.4 miles to a significant left fork that is to be ignored, and go
another 0.6 mile to the "fork in the road at 2.8 miles" (his mileage is from MI 77)
mentioned by Bob. Stay left (straight) at that fork for Alger and Luce and
go right for Schoolcraft. The fork to the right is an obviously lesser road.
From the parking spot for Luce, backtrack about 1.6 miles to the road on your
left that is 2.5 miles from Lavender Corner. Drive 0.8 mile east to a clear cut
on the left at a point where the road is climbing uphill. This cut-over area is
apparently much larger than it was during Bob's 2002 visit and can easily be
used to hike up to the tiny summit knob that is just north of the county line.
I agree with Fred Lobdell's 2006 report identifying the small knob as the one
shown on the topo and GPS verified the location. The county line might be few
paces south. Everything further north is higher and is on ridge lines.