To McCarthy Lake

 Cathy and I set out to hike 10 miles today, and we made it. I'm tired, but not as sore as I expected. We hiked to McCarthy Lake, a beautiful favorite spot on the NCT. There were bufflehead ducks, but my pictures are all poor.

We started at 5-Mile Road, crossing the Vince Smith Bridge over the Big Sable River.

It was cool, but it was also a blue sky day. Really perfect for hiking. This picture catches some of the hills of the area.

Hard to believe, but I found something I'd never noticed before. This is a perfect little bowl. Most of the depressions like this are only three-sided, with one side open. But this is a complete dimple.

Best find of the day? A red-headed woodpecker. When I see them, it's usually farther east of here. And I got a pretty nice picture. Maybe my best ever of a red-headed.

We ended up doing a fair amount of trail work- pulling smaller logs off the trail. Also got one load of laundry done. And I put the tools away from fixing the toilet, and it didn't immediately start leaking again, so I guess the fix is real.

Miles hiked in 2025: 126.5. Hike 100 for 2025: 52.5

North Country Trail, Lake Co, MI. 5 Mile Rd to past McCarthy Lake and back. 10 miles

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