Gary and the Six Dwarves (aka Colette, hike #1)

 Colette has decided she wants to hike all 80 of the Spirit of the Woods Chapter miles of NCT this year. She has invited people to hike with her. I won't be able to make all of them, but I did today's hike. This was our southernmost 10.7 miles. Colette is middle back, right in front of Gary.

It cracks me up when a bunch of us shorties hike with Gary. I'm taking the picture, but I'm shorter than most everyone else. Actually, Michael joined us part way in, so that evened things out a little bit.

I love having things green up. It was an awesome wildflower day. This one is American ginseng (not the famous Appalachian root, but Panax quinquefolius

More familiar are the cousins, Allegheny Foamflower, Tiarella cordifolia and Mitrewort, Mitella diphylla. They were growing together near Jenks Creek.

Much to my surprise, we saw a LOT of Birdfoot Violet. I was surprised only because I hadn't seen it on that part of the trail before. It was actually pale blue (it's often darker blue), but this one looks white. Viola pedata. The leaves are what to look at. This likes full sun and sand. Hmmm. Maybe I should capture one that is going to get stepped on and try it in the rock garden.

Another less obvious one is Wood Anemone, Anemonoides quinquefolia

Everyone noticed the showy stuff. The wild lupine Lupinus perennis. This is not the same as the garden Lupine which gets much larger. The Karner Blue butterflies need the wild one.

And this stunning flowering Dogwood, Cornus Florida. I marked the location of this one, it's so beautiful.

This is the farthest I've walked in a day since I ended the big hike. I'm tired, but not totally wiped out.

And I managed 43 miles of campsites. I've made it to the "blue line," the edge of the Adirondack Park.

Total miles hiked in 2024: 232.3, of which 89.3 is North Country Trail.

North Country Trail, Lake County, MI. 96th St to Bowman Lake TH, 10.7 miles

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