If you walk trail east from Rockford, you get a stretch of sidewalk and then road. Not that I hate these, but if you walk trail west, in about 3 blocks you are on the White Pine Trail. The NCT is concurrent with it for about 7 miles, and as it comes into Rockford, it's beside the Rogue River. This is on the bed of the former Grand Rapids and Indiana RR. Which direction do you think I chose? (rail bed, by the river, in the shade, more natural)
One of the best reasons to do section hikes rather than a thru hike is that you can choose to hike in more attractive seasons. Here's a piece of this trail in December 2021.
The Rogue River is a nice companion.
Again...winter has a different kind of beauty, but I liked the view yesterday.
I saw no one on this section in December 2021. Yesterday it was very busy with walkers, runners, cyclists, skateboarders, people in wheelchairs, strollers, etc.
This attractive constructed waterfall is located just as you head north on the trail from town.
You know part of what makes me happy in warmer seasons is the chance to observe plants. The wild grapes were in blooming profusion. Have you ever taken time to smell them? They smell luscious!
This is Golden Alexander, Zizia aurea, a nice wetland plant. There was lots of it along the river edges.
It makes me smile every time I find this small tree. It's American Prickly-Ash, Xanthoxylum americanum. It is a host plant for the larvae of Giant and Tiger Swallowtail butterflies, so I always like to think that seeing them suggests the butterfly population may be healthy. It's not an ash, but the compound leaves look like an ash. You can see how it gets the moniker "prickly."
Very cool find of the day- a spiny softshell turtle laying eggs. I swear these are dinosaurs.
So, what did I do? I hiked out for three miles and turned around. My knees later noticed that I'd pounded out six miles on pavement, but it wasn't too bad.
Miles hiked in 2025: 196.8. Hike 100 Challenge: 83 miles.
White Pine Trail/NCT, Rockford, MI, north 3 miles and back
 | See White Pine Trail in Winter |
4 comments:
I don't think I've ever seen wild grapes before.
That turtle looks rather flat. Another thing I've never seen before, a soft shell turtle.
Ann- you should have softshell turtles where you are. People just don't notice the wild grapes because the flowers are not showy.
Java Bean: "Ayyy, why do they call it the Rogue River? Has it been misbehaving?"
Lulu: "Our Dada says he probably would have mistaken that soft shell turtle for a snapping turtle!"
Lulu- snappers look much more frightening (as they should be- they can take off a finger)
Post a Comment