Book excerpt: Just like with people, connections with our natural world are made through personal contact. Being a lifelong lover of the outdoors, especially wild places, John Highlen has a tendency for mingling with nature in a variety of fashions. Across the seasons, through backyard surprises, extended wilderness treks, exploring Lake Superior by kayak, scaling vertical ice formations, building a rustic log cabin, or simply taking a hike. This book is a collection of adventures from the author's close and personal contact with the wilds of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.