Birch Bark -non-Valk

[da prez]

  Over the weekend , We got first hand info as to why canoes were  (are) made of this material.
  We bought a cabin and acreage west of Rhinelander Wisconsin. Hodag country . We went to clearing some of the land around the cabin , as many trees had died over the years. I went up to a birch tree and knocked on it and then gave it a little shake before taking down. A piece about three feet long and 6 inches in diameter broke off the top  and fell on me. Somehow I deflected most of the impact.
  What amazed me was that all the rotten wood could be shaken out of the middle and the bark is still tough and pliable. I cut or pulled several down and all were the same. That is some tough bark.

   and Y E S, the bark is worse than the bite. 

                                                 da prez

[John Schmidt]

Ross, it was also used by the Indians to make huts. One of my out-of-state trips I made while working for Florida involved a trip to Virginia, and I was able to take my wife with me for a little R&R following the meetings. Among other spots visited was an early settlers village and some old Indian huts. My wife looked inside one and the guide explained how it was made. She stood there in awe, taking it all in, then exclaimed how smart the Indians must have been to use bark like that. So, in a straight faced manner I told her "where do you think the term "injunuity"(ingenuity) came from?"  The guide stifled a chuckle and my wife just gave that "look" then turned and walked away. Guess she wasn't impressed with my linguistic knowledge.   

[Crackerborn]

Some pretty country around Rhinelander. The wife's family had some lakefront property west of town on Little Perch Lake (yeah I know, every other lake around there is Perch Lake), but when her mother needed money it was sold. We still try to get up there before Memorial Day, to fish (catch and release only  ), canoe, and get away from the normal demands on our time. I would leave there to go to the Apostle Islands to fly fish for a few days but for some reason, I just can't find the time for that the last couple of years. Maybe because the last time I went there was still ice on the big lake in May? That's the problem with global warming.

[old2soon]

We were up at his cabin 4th of July weekend. In my phone I have pictures of my Phatt Ghurl in front of the Hodag at Rhinelander. Pretty country around there. His driveway down to the cabin though on a M/C ain't fer the faint of heart. RIDE SAFE.

[Ramie]

When I was a youngster I was working the summer as a labor for the State Hwy dept finishing up a newly build rest area which was loaded with Birch trees. I had a couple stop as I was shoveling dirt and ask me if we painted the trees white, if I remember correctly I believe they were from Oregon or Washington State and had never see one.

[Alpha Dog]

I have been to that area once, back in 2001 I believe, and only for part of a day.  Very beautiful place to have a cabin, snowmobiling around there I believe is great in the winter.

I have no idea what a Hodag is so I looked it up.  I hope they got the last one back in the 1800's cause I would not want to run into that thing. 

[indybobm]

I used to go there in the late 50s early 60s to a summer camp in Rhinelander. Beautiful country.