Mackenzie Pathway

 I made my trip to Cadillac this afternoon and took time to stop and hike more of the Mackenzie Pathway. I was there for about 20 fast minutes in 2015, and before that I think it was the late 1990s when I was previously there.

There are multiple ski loops, and I didn't have time (or probably energy) to do all of them today. I did one path up the center to the outer loop and then followed the outer loop back to the beginning. The trails are for hiking, mountain biking and skiing, so most are wide and level (side to side- there are hills). In the winter there is a X-Country ski trail connection to Caberfae Peaks.

If there are any good views, I didn't find them. I'm thinking probably not, because even though there were a number of ups and downs, there as only 85 feet of elevation difference between my low and high points today.

There is a bluff along Johnson Creek with hemlocks in the gully, but the creek is very small at the bottom.

Best space was this bit of wetland along the bluff.

But, lookee, lookee! Finally some wildflowers. There were a lot of hepatica in bloom, and some had leaves showing (usually you don't find leaves at the same time as the flowers), so I can definitely say these are sharp-lobed hepatica.

And lots and lots of ramps (leeks).

This is a richer bit of woods than some other places in the Manistee National Forest. There were baby leaves for trout lily and dutchman's breeches. This could be a nice place for a wildflower walk in a month.

Very good day. I edited and did other things in the morning, then took this hike and did my Cadillac errand in the afternoon.

Miles hiked in 2025: 132.8

Mackenzie Pathway, Wexford Co., MI. various loops, 5.8 miles

See Sunday Hikes