Color Tour 2025- Part 1

Om and I did a color tour again this year, and we managed to make it happen on the one day in a string of about six when it isn't gray and rainy. I'll show you the second part tomorrow (with more actual color) because- gray and rain is expected.

I decided to follow the Newaygo County Tourist Bureau suggested color tour route. I'll give you my thoughts on that at the end. But you can find it at the link.

We did their loop clockwise, so early on we reached Hardy and Croton Dams. However, Hardy Dam is being repaved, so traffic is not being allowed on it. Huh. We pulled into the marina by the bridge to catch a couple of pictures. Nice colorful reflection.

Looking out toward the main part of the pond. Yes, the Dragon Trail goes through here (and then crosses the dam- one can hope they might be redoing the barely adequate pedestrian walkway, but probably not).

Well, I found an alternate way to get down to Croton Dam. Have to take yet another picture of the traditional view. This has been a landmark of the North Country Trail since forever. And we are standing on the trail while taking this picture.

The most colorful leaves there were... POISON IVY!

These dams are on the Muskegon River, and it was apparently a good day for fishing below the dam.

After that, the suggested route wandered a bit farther south, and then west. Tomorrow, I'll show you some of the great color we found there.

Here are my thoughts on the loop. I think this was designed for people who don't want to get out of their cars, or even to slow down very much. While only some of it was on state highways, it was all paved roads with significant traffic. It was a problem to be able to pull off and stop to take pictures.

I know they want to get people into the communities in the county, but I'd rather have a slightly shorter loop that includes a lot more dirt roads where it's not a big deal to stop and take pictures. I think they could still steer people into the towns.

If you do the entire loop, it's 92 miles, not counting miles you drove to get there. (We bailed out coming up the west side which was closer to home, so we didn't see the very top portion). This seems a bit long.

Nevertheless, it was a good suggested route. I don't know the Newaygo County back roads as well as Mason, Oceana, and Manistee, so I was happy to have someone else make choices this year.

The color at the southern end of this loop could use a few more days to develop, so if the rain doesn't ruin everything, this should still be pretty this coming weekend or so.

The drive took all of the afternoon. I managed to do a few things in the morning, but this was the big event.

See Color Tour 2024- Part 1

Dragon Trail Beginnings

  Nice hike today with Monica and her daughter Keira.

The last time I went to Hardy Dam was because the 46-mile "Dragon Trail" was in the planning stages. Now there are actually some miles completed.

There are 14.6 miles, but they are not contiguous. So we did most of what is complete, and one little piece of that as an out-and-back. We did get a nice early start from my house, but it's over an hour away. Nevertheless it was still a lovely morning at the boat launch as we were getting ready to hike.

The trail is designed for mountain bike and hiking use. That means there are lots more twists and turns and small hills than you'd usually find on a hiking trail.

Most of the day was cloudy, but occasionally the sun popped out giving some good autumn color. You can see the water most of the time from the trail.

You know I love patterns. This was the best one on the water today.

We started from a park called Big Bend and walked toward the dam. We knew we were getting close here, but actually had over a mile to go because the trail wandered around an arm of water.

One more view with some nice color.

And at the end we walked across the dam and back. This is the view downstream on the Muskegon River.

We did 13.2 miles, and I can feel it, but I could easily have walked 2 or 3 more. This is really good. The weather was ideal. We think it was 39 degrees when we started, but most of the time it was high 40s or into the 50s. Lots and lots of cyclists. A moderate number of hikers.

Dragon Trail from Big Bend Park to Consumer's Beach Park and back to parking. 13.2 miles

There is no other news.

See Hardy Dam

Colors of/and Books

 
Most of my day was spent inside the Muskegon Barnes & Noble where they held an author event. Still, I managed to get a few colorful pictures outside, beginning with a stripey sunrise.



I thought it was interesting how one color seemed to stand out on these shelves of books. The yellow is the business section and is dominated by "... for Dummies" books!





There were 33 authors tucked in various places around the store. Things were slow, but I did better in the final half hour, so I can't complain. I did well enough that it was worth my time to go. Some authors didn't sell much at all. That's tough. But I was highly encouraged to see people, all kinds of people, lots of people buying books. Most were getting multiple books. Even if they weren't buying from "us," they were there to take home books. Books. I've become a little jaded by all the people who walk by author tables at general events, growling, "I don't read."



Other colors of the day were pink, blue, green. The hydrangea was at the library where I had to go to make a copy before I left town. The blue sky was a nice change from the rain. Of course, it's raining again now, but I think tomorrow is supposed to be clear- I will welcome that. And the the green of the Muskegon River as it passes by Muskegon.

	See North Country Color Wheel
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A Little Hike, a Little History

 
Cathy and I took a little hike today. We could have done more miles if we'd stayed closer to home, but I was interested to hear a speaker in Newaygo, and she thought it sounded interesting, so we combined the events.

We drove to Newaygo and hiked about 4 miles on the North Country Trail near Croton Dam, which is at the southern end of the Manistee National Forest.



The trail follows along the Muskegon River for almost a mile. Even though the colors here have been rather muted, it was still beautiful with the light shining through the trees and the river beyond.



This was my favorite. The oaks look so rich even if the colors are not bright.



We hiked about four miles, which gave us time to eat the salads we took with us for dinner and get to the program. The speaker was an author I met two weeks ago, Ron Robotham. He gives a number of programs on West Michigan history.



It was interesting, but it turned out to be even more interesting for Cathy because some of what he talked about meshed with her personal family history and the underground railroad! Small world.



In other news: I actually got the forms filled out and approved so I can stop paying Amazon sales tax on the books of mine that I resell. That's a big deal!

Hike 100 Challenge total inched up to 81 miles.

North Country Trail, north from Croton Dam two miles and back

	See Last Training Hike
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Instant Summer- What Happened to Spring?

 
Crazy! It hit 80 degrees today. I'd rather have stayed home and hung laundry outside, but had to go do an appointment case and some others while I was going that direction.

Here's the Muskegon River again, looking a little more mysterious in this photo.



It's amazing how quickly the spring wildflowers appear if you give them some sun. Trout lily leaves sticking up all over the place.



And a personal favorite, a member of the Dicentra genus. It's impossible to tell whether it's squirrel corn or Dutchman's breeches from the leaves.



But some early buds give me another clue. Pretty sure it's squirrel corn, although I won't be back at that place to check.



Bedtime for me. Working Friday, Friday night and Saturday is rough on the brain.

	See Dicentra
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Waterways- Still Looking Cold

 
Out doing cases today and just collected some pictures of the water features I passed. They all seem stuck yet in that not-quite-spring mode.

This is Todd Lake in Osceola County.



My next stop took me to the Muskegon River. It empties into Lake Michigan at Muskegon, but it's 216 miles long and originates in the center of the state. Still looks pretty cold.



When you get down to the level of very small shallow stream with no name, there is finally a hint of green blush.



I sure don't want to jinx anything, but the weatherman says it will be nice the rest of the week!

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One More Lovely Day

 
We are supposed to start getting a real wind event later tonight, and a real November storm all day tomorrow. But today was wonderful, yet again. It began with a foggy morning.



But cleared to blue skies and 50 degrees. Very nice temperature for working. I was out doing cases. This is the last remnants of a mackerel sky, an evidence of a change in the weather.



I was much farther east than I am usually sent, so I bring you a picture of the mighty Muskegon River taken from 50th Ave.



Work tomorrow, and I'm thinking I'll cook some squash in the oven in the afternoon. Sounds like it will be a day that could be improved by warming the kitchen.

	See another view of the Muskegon River
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Cold Cakes

 
Cold cakes. As opposed to hot cakes- round flat things made hot on a griddle, and good with maple syrup.

Today the Muskegon River was serving up cold cakes- round flat things made cold by a never-ending winter.

You can't tell in a still photo, but they were being served up fast. Anyone who went in that water today would have a low probability of coming out alive. Big, fast, cold water.



Ready? Here come some cold cakes. The last one has powdered sugar.

	See Lake and River
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