First Snowshoe Winter 2025-26

It always looks about the same, but I usually blog about my first day to use the snowshoes each winter.

We got more snow overnight here, and there are maybe 10 inches on the ground. You can see flakes in the air in this picture.

I did about a half mile, which was plenty for the first outing. And the wind was pretty cold. It was all overcast, so there are no shadows to help you see the tracks. But if you can tell, yes, I was using the wood snowshoes. The bindings are shot. Cheapest new ones I can find are $50! I'm pondering options and temporarily still using duct tape for repairs, but it's iffy. I do like the wood ones better than the small foam ones although those have their purposes.

The sky looks pretty much the same as the ground without the line of tracks!

I did a little bit of work today, but it was really a non-starting day for me. I played my game more than I should have and didn't do much.

I think maybe I didn't snowshoe at all last winter. We didn't get much accumulation. At any rate, I didn't blog about it.

See First Snowshoe 2023

Peace Lutheran Windows

Today I was at a vendor event that was almost next door. It WAS next door before a medical office was built between us!

The event was at Our Savior Lutheran Church. Admittedly, I don't go inside the building too often, but there were several stained glass windows hung in the front entry and in two lighted frames on the walls. I didn't think I'd seen them before.

One of the men who was helping move things explained that the Peace Lutheran Church of Ludington merged with their church about a year ago. The former Peace chuch building had these five windows, which were brought to the Scottville building to display.

The one above is the only Christmas theme. They show various symbols and scenes of the Christian faith.

I'm always very happy to see such architectural elements preserved. And it must make the Peace congregation feel more at home with Our Savior.

I was hoping there might be some serious Christmas decorations up. It's a little early. They did have one, and it might get lumped with some others to show you this season.

Actually, I'll be back there in just a week. The bell choir is doing a concert at that church next Saturday!

And how did I do? Given that the weather was bad and the traffic was low, I have no complaints. The drive was very short (haha- about 0.1 mile). I definitely made enough to be worth my time and chatted with a number of people I knew or who knew me.

Not much else happened today.

See Methodist Windows moved

Off and Running Toward the Next Adventure

OK, I'm 77. It's just a number right? Well, pretty much, but I can't get my body to do some of the crazy endurance tests I subjected it to when I was younger.

Nevertheless, life is just not right if I'm not planning another adventure. I've had the resources for this idea for a couple of months, but this holiday I got busy about starting a plan. I've already been talking to several of the usual suspects, and a couple of new ones, about possible participation in all or part.

Yes, I'm looking at the Sheltowee Trace Trail in Kentucky and Tennessee. I first discovered this trail in 2019, and purposely hiked a short section of it January 2024 on my trip south. But I want to do the whole thing. And I think I still can if I stay in shape. Other things that are never under my control could derail plans, but that is true of any hike.

Computer spreadsheet itinerary (will change, but you have to start somewhere), FarOut map guide, paper guidebook, first paper map.

Looking at September/October of 2026. 335 miles. Lots of hills. Almost certainly some backpacking and some slackpacking.

I finished Dale Painter's book about his "hiking life" today. Toward the end, he made himself more vulnerable by sharing things that changed, and how he had to adapt. He told honestly about how he experienced an event on a remote trail out west that shook his confidence to the core.

It made me remember some of my feelings leading up to my NCT hike, 2021-2023, and I thought I'd share those here as well. This kind of stuff did not go on the blog entries for the hike. I learned early on that sounding anything but positive and upbeat there led to lots of reactions like "You need to get off the trail," "What do you think you are doing?" "You need to be more careful," etc. I wasn't going to field all those comments, so I quit sharing most of that sort of thing. But it led to giving the impression that I was so tough there were very few "issues."

So here are a couple of events that happened prior to the big hike that made me wonder if I was being a little too crazy to think I could do it.

You may remeber that in 2018 I set out to follow and map the very poorly marked Midland to Mackinac Trail. My plan was to backpack what I thought was a reasonable 12 miles a day. After countless frustrating hours (in that pack) trying to figure out where the heck the trail was supposed to be, and the final blow, a somewhat dangerous following of the blue blazes into the middle of a thigh-deep marsh only to reach a river I could not cross, and then I had to wade back out again to where I last had been on high ground, I switched to day-hiking and usually 10-mile days. (I found out later they changed the trail because of that marsh, but didn't take out the old blazes!!!!) So, I finished the hike, but much slower than planned and not in the way I had desired.

Then in 2020, I planned a 100-mile hike in southern (hilly) Indiana. Because of Covid, even state land was closed for most of the early season. I was finally able to go in June, but jumped directly from local near-freezing temps to days being in the 90s. My body does not like this at all. A couple of days I only made 6 miles. The defining moment was lying flat in the damp gravel beside a nearly dry stream for an hour trying to cool my core enough to hike on even to a campsite. My plan had been to do 15-mile days to see if I thought I could do a sustained 15/day on the NCT- I had decided by then that I was going to try the NCT hike. I ended up only doing 45 miles of the Indiana plan.

In both cases, I had to request change-of-plan help from the people who were spotting me, etc. I don't like doing this. Backpacking requires flexibility almost above all, but I still don't like imposing on folks.

Anyway... I had now just had what I considered to be two complete failures at planning hikes I would be able to complete. I had quite a lot of angst about the NCT plan. About 60% of me didn't even want to tell people I was doing it. The other 40% reminded me that one of my goals was to educate people as to how every piece of the NCT has something special, and if I were going to do that I couldn't keep it secret. Conflicting goals!

Although it's one of the best media interviews with me, ever, I sort of hated that I was interviewed as I went through Yankee Springs. I'd only been on the NCT hike for 13 days and 185 miles- barely a start- I had no idea if I'd be able to sustain that level of hiking for a year.

And yet, I was allowed to complete that entire hike, (just that disappointing break in the winter- but the western UP is unforgiving, and snow came early- I could not stay ahead of it. But I did complete the hike with a slightly altered plan.

I tell Marie that I'm doing denial about ageing. And I pretty much am! But I'm determined to keep hiking at some level for as long as I can walk. However, those of you who call me amazing should realize that I'm no more amazing than you are. I have an Amazing God who lets me take on some big adventures, and lets me complete most of them.

Did some regular work, and worked on this plan in the afternoon. Plus some MORE kitchen cleanup.

See the short hike at the southern terminus of the Sheltowee

Second Verse, Same as the First

We had a nice calm Thanksgiving.

How many people do you see in this picture? How many people do you think are involved in taking the picture? Total is two, right? Joshua did not show up again.

He called later from someone's house because he won't put minutes on his phone to say that he had fallen asleep. (as he did last year, also without a working phone).

Well, Om and I had a lovely meal. The turkey turned out great! I gave thanks for two things that made this meal possible. Mom's wonderful turkey recipe with sausage stuffing, and Dad's sharp knives and the gift of teaching me how to keep them sharp.

We kept the menu simple. Omer and I are both trying not to gain weight. We had mashed potatoes and roasted butternut squash.

And that dessert? Here's the plating. It was almost worth all the work, it's so good. Low carb and moderately low calories for what it is.

And the turkey? Since I don't do this every holiday any more, yes, it's worth it occasionally. Because of the bacon, to keep that moist, it has to be serviced evvery 15 minutes for the entire cooking time.

I did not do anything but cook and clean the kitchen after every mess until about 3 pm, and play my game a little in the short empty spaces. I think I'm going to chill for the rest of the day too.

But. frankly, this is why, if I'm going to cook, I'd rather it be for 10-plus people. Pretty much the same amount of mess and more people can enjoy it.

See Pre-Thanksgiving Madness

Pre-Thansgiving Madness (aka Food Day)

It's really a problem. I don't like to go out to eat hardly at all any more, preferring the things I fix. But as has been previously mentioned (particularly at every holiday), I am lifetime-sick-to-death of cooking.

No matter, the cooking is required if I want to eat these things. Today was nearly a total food day. I shopped. I cleaned and refilled the salad tray. It always looks so pretty when it's fresh, but I promise not to show it to you over and over.

What I did do is make some cookies for Josh because I know he won't like the dessert I made for Om and me. So, I made him coconut cookies, and they are not in danger from the rest of us. He won't see the blog, so he'll be surprised. Maybe he'll even be happy.

Then I made a dessert for Om and me. It wasn't quite as much work as the one in the link below. But it has four layers, and one of them involves cranberries. You'll see the display view tomorrow.

And then the kitchen had to be cleaned up, because of course, I get to jump right back in tomorrow morning to get the turkey in the oven. I got a small one, but the way I fix it (my mom's way) is a lot of work. That process, however, is SO worth it for the yum factor.

Om brought home a tree. It was bundled, and had been for who knows how long.

Now it gets a chance to stretch it's green wings for a few days before he starts decorating.

And just to remind you. There is now a piano back there. We put the tree out far enough that I cen get to the piano. I'm going to dig out the music and try to play some stuff for Christmas this year.

I did some regular work in the morning, but it was mainly a food day.

See Once in a lifetime pie

Caught Mr. White

Completely filled the afternoon with back to back activities. Went to hike in the School Forest and Methodist Church trails. Then I spent about an hour with Betty. Then there was bell practice.

Best picture from the hike? I got a pretty good one of a white squirrel. We have a fairly good size population of them here, but it's still hard to catch a picture. You can clearly tell in this shot that it's not albino (eyes are black, not pink). It's a color morph of the gray squirrel, and it's a recessive gene, so once you get a population, if both parents are white ones, they will only have white babies.

Some websites are calling this a variation of leucistic coloration. Anyway, they are nifty. I would think this coloring would make them more susceptable to predation, but, as I said, we have a good local population.

Did my regular work in the morning.

I hoped to hike 3 miles, but I didn't feel like walking that fast, and it was sort of raining. Anyway, I got in 2.8.

Miles hiked in 2025: 459.9

Ludington School Forest and Methodist Church Trails, various. 2.8 miles

See True Blue Gumby II

Newer, Bigger Shuttlewagon

You know I'm always keeping my eyes open to see the adorable little switcher engine they use atthe Packaging Corporation of America, PCA, in Manistee to move rail cars around. See the link below for a pretty good picture of it.

It's often out of sight, and I don't go past there just every week.

But, looky, looky! They got a new one and it's bigger. It's still made by Shuttlewagon, but it's called the Navigator.

Note that the front is longer, which probably means more motive power, and that there are 8 wheels that run on the rails, while the smaller one only has four.

I suspect, because it can drive right off the tracks on those big tires, that this is kept in storage when it's not actively switching cars which is probably why I don't see it 8 out of 10 trips past there.

PCA is one of the main reasons that Marquette Rail still actively runs to Manistee. And I hope it keeps thriving. The main line is Grand Rapids to Manistee. The line than runs in back of my house is also Marquette Rail, but that is a spur to Ludington for Occidental Chemical.

Today was a bit fractured. I had a meeting in the morning, and cleaned a space for the Christmas Tree (yes, Om is getting in that mood). Managed to get a fair amount of my other things done, but nothing was in a block of time.

See Shuttlewagon

Scouting

Scouting, as in the meaning of the word... not Girl Scouting or Boy Scouting. "Scout" probably comes to English from Latin- ausculatare- to listen to carefully, through Old French- escouter- to listen or give heed.

These pictures aren't very exciting, and I can't even say where this is yet, but our chapter of the NCTA discovered that there is an existing easement that could get us off a portion of road.

Despite boring pictures, that news is better than sliced bread! Four of us went out to do a little early reconnaissance.

Most of the area the trail would need to go through is fairly open and level. The trail building will be the easy part.

There is one hill/bluff we need to get up/down.

Tomorrow we have a meeting to get this started. It will probably take two years minimum before there would be trail on the ground. Even with the legal easement in place, it hasn't ever been exercised, and there will be multiple agency requirements, plus the actual property owner has to be involved.

But what a fun way to spend the afternoon!

Miles hiked in 2025: 457.1

Bushwhacking and a little road walking, 2.5 miles.

See Planning a Re-Route

Frosty Morning

I was up early (for me) to get to Onekama on time for the vendor event. Very frosty morning with thick, tight frost on the car.

It went pretty well for me. Nicely run event.

Afterwards, I wanted to try to get in a hike. So when I went looking (yesterday, online) for a convenient trail on the way home that I haven't hiked recently... surprise. I found a trail I didn't even know existed! And it's been open since at least 2016, maybe earlier.

It's called the Manistee Non-Motorized Trail (not a romantic name, but hey. A trail by any name is still a trail). It has loops for hiking, bicycling, skiing, and snowshoeing. Trailhead is on M-55, 3 miles east of the junction of M-55 and US 31, on the north side of the road.

So I got there at 3:50, and it's the end of November. Not the very shortest days of the year, but getting close. So I wanted to see if I could hike all the trails that are for foot travel.

Because these are groomed for skiing in the winter, they are wide.

This is about the most level, natural surface trail I've ever seen. It was originally purchased by the city for an airport, but then the airport was built elsewhere). But that meant I could walk fast, right?

There is one section that is created for technical mountain bike skills. It has various structures.

Did I get all the loops? I think so. I think I didn't find the east side of the snowshoe loop, but the light was fading, and it wasn't obvious. Most of the intersections were well-marked though. Anyway, I had to return to the car, so I got the full distance.

It measured on my tracker as 4.01 miles in 1 hour and 18 minutes! Not bad.

We've entered the brown season, until it turns white. So pictures aren't really pretty. But I liked the shape of this stump.

And there was one little patch of mushrooms. Maybe honey mushrooms- not sure

I'll have to go back to hike all the loopy bicycle trails another time. There are supposed to be 5.6 miles of those. They are hikeable until they winter groom them for fat bikes. In fact, this is a good time of year to walk them because it's not a season that bikers are out as much. I just make sure I give them the right-of-way when I'm on their trails.

Miles hiked in 2025: 454.6

Manistee Non-Motorized Trail. All hike/ski/snowshoe loops. 4.0 miles

See Dumaw Nature Preserve

Dumaw Nature Preserve

I never did tell you the other place that Ellen and I went on November 7. This is a fairly new Nature Preserve just east of Pentwater. It was created in 2023.

There is about one mile of trail in the form of two loops connected in the middle by this bridge over Dumaw Creek which flows to the North Branch of the Pentwater River. The loops sort of look like butterfly wings with the creek as the body. At the very south end of the preserve, there is a curve of the river that passes through it, but this is not seen from the trails.

The north loop is about 0.4 mile and it stays down in the low area beside the creek.

This cedar trunk pleased me artistically.

Once you cross the bridge, the southern loop climbs and you are up on a bluff. This is the longer loop and about 0.6 mile.

Different vegetation there, of course. We enjoyed this Diphasiastrum digitatum which has so many common names it's ridiculous. Fan clubmoss, ground cedar, northern ground cedar, running cedar... All these plants used to be in one genus, Lycopodium, but some have been changed to Diphasiastrum. Generally, they are all club mosses. The ones that have been moved to this new genus have a different number of chromosomes.

I did learn a fun fact while I was checking what this is currently called. See the little tubes on stalks? These are strobili, which are the spore cases. That I knew. But the spores were traditionally collected and dried to make theatrical flash powder!

I'll feature this area on the Get Off The Couch blog soon, and get it added to the GOTC website. For now, just enjoy pretty pix. If you want to go there, take Hogan Rd east off 66h Avenue out of Pentwater (Park St past the school becomes 66th). There is a sign to the preserve about a half mile after you get on Hogan.

It was a semi-productive day. I worked on projects, but probably not enough. I went shopping- big mistake going on Friday. 4 of the 5 bottle return stations at Meijer were out of order for a while, and the place was packed. Anyway... it was a longer than usual shopping trip.

It was beautiful outside. Would have been a great day for a hike. But I did not do that, I'm sorry to tell you.

See An Excellent Day with the Original Adventure Buddy

Slightly Out of Focus?

Mentally, I was very focused today, but the foggy, misty weather made all the pictures a little bit fuzzy.

My "new" position with the Spirit of the Woods Chapter of the NCTA is Land Protection Specialist. So... I'm no specialist yet, but I'm learning a lot really fast. We didn't think there were hardly any landowners to deal with on our section of trail. So far, we've identified quite a few. The Forest Service knew about most of these, but the Chapter didn't. Some of what I did today related to a meeting with a landowner I had on October 27.

But first, the hike.

Six of us met at the north Highbridge access to the trail and hiked east along the Manistee River (which is actually trail west- because if you keep going in this direction you end up in North Dakota). They were looking for suggestions of where to hike, and I needed to get to this location before real winter sets in, so I asked if we could do this. Yup.

This is the picture everyone takes of the Manistee River in this section. Mainly because with the power line cut you can actually see the river.

I just like this because it shows how the bluff falls off pretty abruptly down to the river.

The valley was all foggy today. That's pretty too!

I'm pretty sure these are tiny yellow mushrooms and not a slime mold.

I walked part of the way with Loren and little Koa. This is on the esker, a favorite feature on this piece of trail.

So, back to my "purpose" for the hike, other than just a nice hike. We now have an agreement in writing that allows the trail to cross a small bit of private property. Because this is the end of a switchback on a steep hill, we really need this access. The owners agreed to put the agreement in writing, and we promised to get the blazing spiffed up yet this fall. We will get the correct signage up in the spring. The government shutdown meant we couldn't get the signs until just a few days ago anyway.

So, all I did was to freshly paint the non-standard arrows at the corner, touch up and add to the standard blazing near that turn. But the minimum hike in is two miles, and it's an hour from my house, so I hadn't gotten there yet. Now it's done.

This picture shows the uphill leg of the switchback. I added the "confidence marker" blaze- circled on the right- just after the turn. A confidence marker is an extra blaze soon after a turn that lets people know they have made the right choice. The circled blaze farther up on the left was already there, but I freshened it.

This shot is coming up to the turn on the lower leg. Those arrows have been there a long time. They aren't standard, and we will try to replace them in the spring. For now, I brightened them up. And the circled double blaze on the tree, I added. I also added a turn blaze coming from the other direction.

I also scouted out, by vehicle, another potential trail re-route that we just found out about. Can't say any more yet. But it was a very productive day at it relates to my new position.

Not much else happened. The morning was cold and damp, but not really raining. Hiking was a good outdoor use for a somewhat nasty day.

Miles hiked in 2025: 450.6
NCT miles hiked in 2025: 249.8

North Country Trail, Highbridge north parking to the esker and back. Total- 5 miles

A lot of these same locations in better weather are at the link below.

See A Test Along the Manistee