Outdoor enthusiasts honor cabin and home – Les Voyageurs wax love for nature’s splendor, rally in timeless lodge

The Habe Mills Pine Lodge in early autumn. Photo Credit: Greg Monroe

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Beneath the brow of a quiet hill, on the banks of the Huron River is the Habe Mills Pine Lodge. The modest structure rests tucked away from the edge of Longshore Drive, where pavement meets the mouth of a wooded dirt road on the city’s north side.

Since 1925, the lodge has remained home to Les Voyageurs of the University of Michigan, a coed fraternal society dedicated to the pursuit of all things out-of-doors.

Shrouded in bracken, the lodge leaves one with the impression of stumbling upon an old barnhouse lost in a forgotten field. It appears unfrequented, veiled in a quiet calm.

The deep red planks that comprise the cabin’s exterior are framed by a precarious assortment of trees and shrubbery. A beige blanket of fallen pine needles slopes down the vaulted roof of the porch.

But upon closer inspection, an onlooker will easily find traces of the LVs (short for Les Voyageurs).

Donald Harrison - Lights, Camera, Community

Ann Arbor, Mich. – It may come as a surprise to learn that Donald Harrison, executive director of the Ann Arbor Film Festival, didn’t studied film as an undergrad.

Then again, it may be hard to believe that Harrison wouldn’t be in the position he’s in today if it weren’t for bowling.

Growing up in Detroit, Donald's father raised him to be professional bowler. 

“It’s one of the things that connect us,” he says.  “It’s still a big part of our relationship.”

After graduating college, Harrison moved to San Francisco.  When his father, a bowling journalist, invited Donald to accompany him to the USBC National Bowling Convention, the idea came to him instantly.