I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY! Wheel Mystery Solved Today!

Michigan Badger

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NOTE: Just today 4-25-06 I believe the mystery of the wheel has been solved. Scroll down until you find my new post "Mystery Solved."

Here's the original post...

Okay, maybe it wasn't exactly in the sky. ::) It was in a tree though.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Here I'm THing along an old path in the middle of nowhere and I come upon this old car wheel grown into a tree. You don't see this every day ;D

The trail wasn't very productive today. All newer coins this time.

I'll tell you one thing...I was pooped out a bit after this climb! These northern Michigan hills are steep and tall. And of course I had to leave today without my climbing boots.

I'll have to come back to this spot this fall when the color is full. I'll return and get some pictures then.

The trails were made mostly by the lumberjacks and some by the woodland Indians.
 

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Michigan Badger

Michigan Badger

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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

JudyH said:
Hmmph.....don't you guys recognize a treasure tree when you see it? ;)

You may not be far off, Judy. It is a well known fact that many of the Chicago gangs frequented this area back during the Prohibition days. Just some food for thought.
 

Z

ZumbroKid

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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

I think the archlogists might of seen the tree picture and now it will be off limits till they can get a grant to study it. After all a wheel in a tree is much more than it appears. They could determine what the people did for a living and what their life styles were like by studing how it was positioned against the tree. ;)
 

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Michigan Badger

Michigan Badger

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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

ThePete said:
I think the archlogists might of seen the tree picture and now it will be off limits till they can get a grant to study it. After all a wheel in a tree is much more than it appears. They could determine what the people did for a living and what their life styles were like by studing how it was positioned against the tree. ;)

archaeologist??? I thought they had rules about using bad language on here? LOL! ;D

There ain't no way I'd tell anybody where that puppy is. My guess is a lot of the locals in that area already know about it. It was probably done by some oldtimer with a good sense of humor. ;D
 

dudes2112

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Jan 25, 2005
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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

I guess that's why everyone walks up there now instead of driving! I'd be afraid to take my car past that thing too!! Thanks for all the great pictures, those are all really amazing. I've never seen anything like that.

Dudes
 

S

southbound

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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

Cool pic and nice pile of change too.
Vern
 

diggemall

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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

OK, here's a theory from another up nort' woodtick:

Trees grow out, not up at their base, so that wheel is about as far off the ground as it was when it was put there.

It looks like it may still have a spindle in the hub, and it doesn't appear to have been hung by the bolt holes.

My guess is that it was put there years ago without a tire and used as a pully for dragging logs

Just my 2 cents worth.

Diggem
 

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Michigan Badger

Michigan Badger

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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

diggemall said:
OK, here's a theory from another up nort' woodtick:

My guess is that it was put there years ago without a tire and used as a pully for dragging logs

Diggem

Good guess...that could be it.

However, I have seen fences grown into trees and pulled up high off the ground.

Whatever this thing is it's cool. I'll probably never see the likes of it again. Most likely this is the only one of its kind.

I plan to go back up there next week and take lots of pictures and also do detecting in the actual area of the wheel.

While there I'm also going to look for any odd piles of stones or other such markers.

Thanks for the comments.

Here's one more photo for a little better perspective:
 

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hollowpointred

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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

that is really cool badge! ive never seen anything like that, i mean ive seen barbed wire fences go thru trees before, but nothing like that, or the other pictures folks put up ( the bike in the tree is a good one as well!) nice post!
 

Dave N Japan

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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

Cool Stuff, you sound like me and all the climbing here in Okinawa, I just have to go up that last path to see whats up there... I'm pooped!
Like me to today...Some recent money , but nothing relly old, but for a old bronze pipe...That was nice!
Thanks for the pictures!
 

lou423

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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

do not cut the tree....tell the ranger or property owner to preserve it as a local
monument to the power of nature... lou
 

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Michigan Badger

Michigan Badger

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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

Dave N Japan said:
Cool Stuff, you sound like me and all the climbing here in Okinawa, I just have to go up that last path to see whats up there... I'm pooped!
Like me to today...Some recent money , but nothing relly old, but for a old bronze pipe...That was nice!
Thanks for the pictures!

Thanks Dave (and everyone), I really have enjoyed your posts too. I should think you could find some awesome stuff over there.

The great thing about this hobby is you never know what will turn up in that next spade full of dirt (or in the sky).

HH

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pgill

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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

Wow check in the last picture, there is a metal detector growing out of the tree also.

God bless
Peter
 

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Michigan Badger

Michigan Badger

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Re: I SAW A WHEEL IN THE SKY!

Marc said:
That makes me feel old!
(must be a sign to treasure!)

I've been wondering about that very thing, Marc. It could very well be some sort of treasure marker.

I plan to work the area pretty well this week. I'll be looking for any signs or unnatural structures in the area.

I now think someone did this on purpose. It wasn't just leaned against a tree and the tree swallowed it...LOL.

And too, why did they put it where it is? It doesn't really make sense. The trail is old dating maybe to the 1880's (lumber era). Maybe older if it was originally an Indian trail. Why would someone place a wheel on a tree that leads seemingly nowhere? Where the wheel hangs there are no paths and you can barely see the wheel from the path when the leaves are all down. Yes, it's a marker of some sort.
 

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