Make New Friends - Day 425

Today, I hiked with a new friend, Dan, who recently joined the Spirit of the Woods Chapter. He's very enthusiastic about the trail and helping with maintenance! He brought Riley who is still a puppy, but was well-behaved for a young dog.

You know how the rest of the song goes: Make new friends,...but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. Cathy hiked too. I've known Cathy... amazingly enough for close to 50 years. That hardly seems possible.

The picture was taken at Dead Horse Marsh which, as you can see behind them, is dry this year. It only floods about every 10 years, the most recent time in 2020.

Spring leaves are popping. The forest varied today from really greening up...

...to black and gray, because the Forest Service has been doing some controlled burns. The area looks ugly right now, because it was just done last week. This will quickly green up, and the forest will be healthier because of it. It is a little shocking to see it like this, but I was forewarned, so I was prepared.

A couple more "first of the year" flower sightings. I was looking for birds-foot violet, Viola pedata, because I knew it grows in the area where we hiked. The petals are a bit chewed up, but it's nice and open so you can see it. Notice the divided palmate leaves, like a bird's foot.

The other find was a very small Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Arisaema triphyllum s.s.. I hope to see many more of these, and probably some much more handsome ones. But the first is always special.

We talked about trail stuff the whole way. More specifically, I talked. I don't consider myself a chatterbox, but when someone keeps asking me stuff about the trail, I just can't shut up. Hopefully, I said good things. Afterwards, Dan bought North Country Quest. He already owns "Cache." Riley looks like she is ready to check it out too. Thanks, Dan!

Also, part of this was "my" section of trail (the piece I maintain), and the rest of it Dan just took over. So we chatted about trail work and blazing, and all that as well.

Miles today: 8.0. Total miles so far: 4689.6

See Little Manistee