Estivant Pines - Copper Harbor
I was first drawn to the Estivant Pines by stories of a legendary fallen giant pine, the former Michigan champion white pine. The Estivant Pines Nature Sanctuary is a 377-acre stand of old growth Eastern White Pine, growing in a mixed hardwood forest. Comparisons have been made with other places in the upper peninsula, such as the Porcupine Mountains or the Huron Mountains. The major differences are that this place is a bit wilder, and these white pines are really old. Some are more than six hundred years old.
As soon as you leave the parking area, you will enter a special
place. There are no improvements here and the going can be rugged.
Even people in good shape have found these trails to be a handful.
The sanctuary is a beautiful place, and you may want to linger a
while. Dress appropriately and take water with you. This is a wild
spot with no facilities other than a privy. This is rugged terrain
and leaving the trail is risky even for the experienced and well
equipped. The trails often have roots protruding out of them. In
several places there are rudimentary boardwalks for crossing wet
areas. Those caveats noted, this is a beautiful wilderness full of
silence with lush growth, and it is usually devoid of crowds. Then
there is the forest itself which is not all pines. There are a lot
of old hardwoods as well, with the stands of old growth pines
scattered throughout.
A short distance in, a sign describes the loop options. The two main
loops form a sort of figure rough 'eight'. Each loop is about a mile
long and both the Cathedral Grove loop and the Memorial Grove loop
leads to awesome stands of the ancient pines. There are several
distinctive trees found in the sanctuary. Along the way is a pine
with a hollow trunk and in another spot is a pair of pines known as
the “Twins”. One can easily spend a lot of time in this forest. It
is important to remember that there are no facilities inside the
sanctuary. Bring water and energy bars, at a minimum, if you plan to
spend time walking both loops. There are, after all, nearly 400
acres of pristine forest to explore.
Then there is the sign that announces the “Fallen Giant Trail”. It
describes the trail as a swampy hike, recommended only for
experienced hikers with proper gear; believe it. If you are looking
for something “off the beaten path”, this is it. Hiking the side
trail toward the “fallen giant” is worth it, just to see the cedar
swamp that blocks the way. Hundreds and hundreds of fallen tree
trunks are scattered in every direction. The one time I attempted to
cross the swamp, the water was quite deep. I went forward moving
from log to log. Balancing on the dead fall, the going was
treacherous at best. There is no trail through the swamp, just
trees, water, and underbrush. When I reached a point where there was
nothing but swamp and fallen trees in every direction, I decided
that going further alone and without proper preparation was foolish.
It was discouraging, but the smart decision was to turn back. The
“fallen giant” remains on my exploration list.