May 12 2008
Tecumseh High School Walk - South
Tecumseh’s new high school was built on property with some nice natural characteristics. On both the west and south sides of the property, a stream follows a bubbling and sometimes rocky course. I don’t think that this is the main stem of the River Raisin, but a tributary.
As with any hike on school property, it is best to use care and respect when arriving at hike times and routes. This particular south end hike is quite far from the actual school buildings, but there are several ballfields that could bring a hiker into contact with school students and officials.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A public trail actually connects the school to the city cemetery and walkers do use the grounds. But I think that a hike during school hours would probably be a bad idea.
That said, this walk is really quite nice. I plotted a one-way route on Microsoft Virtual Earth below that follows my route. I started on Union Street and entered the cemetery. The stream is obvious from the cemetery entrance.
A few hundred feet west, a walker has several options. The cemetery access roads bear north. A paved pathway heads straight west to Tecumseh High School. I choose to follow the actual riverbank. There is no official trail, but the grass is mowed occasionally and it’s pretty easy to walk.
The public property boundary does not completely follow the stream. Once past the school/city dirt piles, the route follows the line of a woodlot to a corner and then heads south along the woods back to the watercourse.
At this point an interesting bushwack trail heads into the woods. I walked it for about 30 feet and figured that it heads into a small neighborhood, but I am unsure of this.
The main woodline moves west and soon rejoins the stream. A walker needs to move past a utility garage and some ballfields to an opening in the woods. This opening follows a two-track down to a floodplain area.
This are is quite a surprise. Just across the stream are several gas stations and a CVS. These are, at times visible through the trees. M-50 is within sight and sound distance. That said, the prevailing mood here is one of calm and quiet. The stream gurgles. Heavy vegetation makes the area seem surprisingly natural.
Most interesting is a grove of very old and tall trees in a small floodplain hollow. These trees are sheltered on all sides by the river valley. They are impressive. A few moments with these giants make the entire .75 mile one-way route worth it.
Here is my route on Microsoft Virtual Earth: