August 2006 Vol. 23, No. 8 – R/C - RCSoaring.com

282 steps to the top of Mount Bald Top.
“HELLO,” “HELP,” or “HELL.”
A long 40 foot high slope at Pier Cove.
Inside Wally’s Bar and Grill.
Americana Realm - DQ and gun shop.
You can also get to Oval Beach by walking
— actually by climbing the 282 steps from
a little park on the west shore of the
Kalamazoo River up to the top of Mount
Bald Top (which is actually wooded)
hiking past the towering radome and
working you way westward to where the
dunes open out over the Oval Beach
parking lot. Since we had persistent
southerly winds for both trips, I did not
personally trek up the 282 wooden steps,
but I have it on good authority that it is a
survivable trip.
This picture of the west face of Mount Bald
Top includes a message from some
intrepid hikers. It is not clear from the
photo whether the message was a friendly
“HELLO” or a call for “HELP” from
someone in cardiac distress or possibly
some sloper who had slogged to the top
and found unfavorable winds and felt
constrained to comment “HELL.” In any
event, it is a clear sign of intelligent, if not
totally happy, life on Mount Baldy.
The Mount Bald Top dune faces look best
for West or Northwest winds.
Pier Cove Park
Pier Cove is a small lakefront community
five minutes and two exits south of
Saugatuck/Douglas on I-196. The
township owns a small piece of lake front,
56 R/C Soaring Digest