Spirit of the Woods Hike- April 2025

 It seems to be one of our standard chapter hikes, to start at the Udell Trailhead on M-55, hike south 3 miles, and then do the short bushwhack across to the Udell Fire Tower. Today we had 19 people and a dog. Several new-to-us hikers!

Once you cut across a short swath of woods, you are on the Fire Tower Road and can see the tower ahead of you.

The day started chilly and damp after the overnight rain, but by the time we got to the tower there was sun and blue sky. Still in the 40s, but that is nice for hiking. Just a view up the tower.

This is a nice find, even though it's not the right season to see when it's most pretty. This is violet-toothed polypore, last year's. When it gets old, it fades to cream and brown. top side:

And the underside. I should have taken a close-up of the teeth on the underside. I could see them enough when I blew the picture up to make the ID, but it's not good enough to bother to show you. I wonder if I go back later in the year if the same log will have it in full color.

Just a glacial erratic that's quite pretty.

And, you know how I'm always saying it's hard to show the hilliness of the area in photos? This one does a pretty good job because of the tree shadows streaming down the hill. But you can also see that there is not even a hint of green showing up yet.

I hiked 6 miles with a 15-pound pack. I left it at the turnoff to the bushwhack and picked it up on the way back. It was another half-mile to get to the tower and back.

Miles hiked in 2025: 104. NCT Hike 100: 38.5.

North Country Trail, Udell TH, Manistee County, MI. South 3 miles, then bushwhack to Udell Fire Tower and back. Total 6.5 miles

See SPW Hike- Nov 2023