Yesterday, I hiked two short trails in two different locations. This is one of them. Just southeast of Cadillac, near the intersection of M-115 and US-131 is the Waldeck Island Nature Preserve. You probably can't see the bridge with the picture reduced to this size, but you can see the space between the trees separating the right third of the photo. The bridge is in that space where a small stream still flows under it.
It's barely an island. Stone Ledge Lake sort of surrounds it, but at least half of the water that separates it from the main shore is marshes and not open.
Before you get to the island, there is a nature viewing platform.
Then you cross the bridge to the actual island.
There is a little bit of topography on the island! There are also short side trails you can take down to see the water of Stone Ledge Lake.
I found Winterberry with both leaves and berries.
These autumn leaves look like stained glass with the light shining through.
I did the loop and took every side trail. Total hike was not quite a mile, but very enjoyable.
Miles hiked in 2025: 384.7
 | See To Cadillac, but Not Beyond |
2 comments:
Java Bean: "Ayyy, that winterberry sure is bright red! Do you have to kiss somebody if you stand underneath it?"
Lulu: "I think that's a different bright red berry ..."
Java Bean: "Well I don't care, I am going to kiss you anyway!"
Bean- that IS a different plant, although they get all mixed up in my book Dead Mule Swamp Mistletoe because the cover has a LOT of winterberry on it, and the mistletoe ball was made of leatherleaf and gray dogwood berries, so if you can kiss under the leatherleaf, why not the winterberry?
Post a Comment