GC7HK7Z SwtM - Sugar Island (Traditional Cache) in Michigan, United States created by The Mitten Crew

This cache has been archived.

The Mitten Crew: Year Nine of Smitten with the Mitten series has come to a close.

Thanks to all who visited the caches in this summer series and learned a bit about Islands in Michigan.

The caches will be picked up over the next few days.

We cannot guarantee they will still be there if you go out for them, but to quote the movie Dumb and Dumber, "So what you're saying is ... there's a chance"

Be sure to get your pathtag requests in by September 11th.

GC7HK7Z ▼

A cache by The Mitten Crew Message this owner

Hidden : 5/1/2018

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

Stay on the trail while walking from one cache to the next. Going cross country will bring you to a swamp. Please respect the Wittenbach/Wege Nature Center and follow the trails.

Sugar Island is a small island in the Detroit River between Grosse Ile and Boblo Island. Sugar Island is part of Grosse Ile Township, Wayne County, Michigan, United States, and lies about 0.5 miles west of the border with Canada. Currently the island is uninhabited and was recently converted to a wildlife refuge by the US Fish and Wildlife service. The majority of the island is wooded and it is known for its white sandy beaches and easy access by boat.

In the early part of the 20th century (c. 1900-1940), Sugar Island was the site of a resort park and large dance pavilion. Access to the island was by steam ferry, including the SS Tashmoo. Tashmoo met her fate on the night of June 18, 1936 while departing Sugar Island she struck a rock. She was able to land her passengers in Amherstburg, Ontario before sinking.

For many years Sugar island was held in private ownership with plans to build a bridge and residential housing on the island. There were objections to this plan, mainly by environmental groups, as the island is a resting point for many species of migratory birds. The island was recently purchased by the US Fish and Wildlife service for $434,100 and will be made into a wildlife refuge.

While the conversion of the island to refuge status is heralded by environmentalists and concerned citizens. However, there is a large population of boaters who will no longer be able to use the island as a weekend gathering space for sunbathing and partying. The island will still be accessible to hunters with in-season permits, as well as educational groups and researchers.

Visit 14 geocaches in the SwtM series. At each geocache collect a letter and number combination. Insert them into the phrase: FiTS LIKe A GlOVE Use the coordinates from the phrase to find the final geocache and become a Mitten Master
Power Island	North Manitou	South Manitou
Belle Isle	Mackinac Island	Isle Royale
Sugar Island	High Island	Harsens Island
Garden Island	Fox Islands	Drummond Island
Grosse Ile	Beaver Island	Mitten Master