Short Line Short Hike

 
Took a short North Country Trail hike this afternoon because I needed to check out a particular place for a bit of work we are doing.

For about a quarter mile, the trail here follows an old rail bed. I looked in my railroad atlas just in case, but as I suspected this wasn't a portion of any railroad line of significance. It was likely a short line, narrow gauge road for timber harvesting. It was easy to see where the finally NCT veered away from it. Although the berm wasn't obvious, continuing through the trees, the ditch beside it did go on. So perhaps there is an adventure for another day.



Here's another trail shot. I tried to get artsy and take a low angle with the red leaves on the ground and yellow in the trees, but the dappled sunlight of the forest foiled yet another attempt at a good picture. You'd be amazed (or maybe you wouldn't) at the number of dappled sunlight pictures I have, camouflaging whatever it was I had hoped to capture.



This has been such an amazing fungus year. Everyone who takes pictures in the woods has been sharing various pictures all over the web. This is one band wagon I'll jump on. Here's a pretty one. I think I even have an ID, but will leave that for another day with explanation. Of course I wish I'd taken some super close ups to make that easier.

And moving along to just pretty pictures that I'm not even trying to ID, here's one. I liked the shape of the log. It sort of looks like an ultrasound image, which made me begin to imagine the various fungi and mosses being the embryonic shapes of the rich forest to come.



Another nice day, weather-wise. We'll take all the ones we can get. I also had to go out and do some cases today. Drove past a few of my favorite picture spots, but was late for an appointment, so I didn't stop. Still, these aren't too bad to share.

north from 76th St Trailhead, Lake Co. MI

	See If the Path is Straight
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