Make New Friends - Day 425

Today, I hiked with a new friend, Dan, who recently joined the Spirit of the Woods Chapter. He's very enthusiastic about the trail and helping with maintenance! He brought Riley who is still a puppy, but was well-behaved for a young dog.

You know how the rest of the song goes: Make new friends,...but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. Cathy hiked too. I've known Cathy... amazingly enough for close to 50 years. That hardly seems possible.

The picture was taken at Dead Horse Marsh which, as you can see behind them, is dry this year. It only floods about every 10 years, the most recent time in 2020.

Spring leaves are popping. The forest varied today from really greening up...

...to black and gray, because the Forest Service has been doing some controlled burns. The area looks ugly right now, because it was just done last week. This will quickly green up, and the forest will be healthier because of it. It is a little shocking to see it like this, but I was forewarned, so I was prepared.

A couple more "first of the year" flower sightings. I was looking for birds-foot violet, Viola pedata, because I knew it grows in the area where we hiked. The petals are a bit chewed up, but it's nice and open so you can see it. Notice the divided palmate leaves, like a bird's foot.

The other find was a very small Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Arisaema triphyllum s.s.. I hope to see many more of these, and probably some much more handsome ones. But the first is always special.

We talked about trail stuff the whole way. More specifically, I talked. I don't consider myself a chatterbox, but when someone keeps asking me stuff about the trail, I just can't shut up. Hopefully, I said good things. Afterwards, Dan bought North Country Quest. He already owns "Cache." Riley looks like she is ready to check it out too. Thanks, Dan!

Also, part of this was "my" section of trail (the piece I maintain), and the rest of it Dan just took over. So we chatted about trail work and blazing, and all that as well.

Miles today: 8.0. Total miles so far: 4689.6

See Little Manistee

15 Miles!

  This photo is from later in the hike, but I love the way the sun on old beech leaves makes the trail glow!

Today I connected with the hike from March 23, and I had a personal challenge goal. Yup, I hiked 15 miles. 15.8 to be exact. What I did was in two sections. First I went east from 58th St to connect with the Coolbough Natural Area trail from a previous hike. This took me across Bigelow Creek. Out and back, this walk was only 2.6 miles.

I passed through the area where there was an active fire when our group hike went through in 2017. I never did blog about that hike. But the firefighters let us walk through since the area actually burning had moved somewhat north. Here's a photo from the day of the fire.

And here's what that area looks like today. Just some charring of the bark on the trees.

Then I made notes on a little road section- would be pleasant enough to walk- a little-used dirt road. After that, it was time to get serious. I parked the car and planned to walk north for 6.25 miles before turning around. I am saving some pictures for another day. But this is very interesting to me. There are some unusual wetlands in here, with a big interpretive sign. I'll probably tell you more about them later. I may have to come back and look for plants.

I'll share a couple of closeups. Since I was about 30 miles south of my own latitude, I thought I might see some hepatica or bloodroot in bloom. Nope- probably just not the right habitat. However, the trailing arbutus is trying hard to open those buds. Dang! Who knew it would be such a chore.

The cute little chickadees often keep me company, but they get shy when you try to catch a picture. Well... this one wasn't looking at me, but at least it's in focus.

I walked to just north of this unnamed tributary of Coonskin Creek. I thought there was going to be a 2-track road for a milestone. Maps show an extension of 14th St crossing the trail, so I thought there might at least be an old woods road. But nope. So I walked far enough to be sure I would have crossed it, and then turned around. I stopped on the bridge on the way back for a rest and a snack. Nice place!

This is the best picture on the return trip as the sun was starting to slip toward the horizon. I just liked the layer of last year's oak leaves hanging on in the understory. The sky tried to sprinkle on me, but not even enough to put the electronics away.

I got back to the car at 5:02, and made a beeline for a convenience store and a cold drink! Wonderful day. I'm not even sore in any specific place- just general long-hike stiffness, and tired. Feet and knees are fine!

There is no other news at all, except to say that we are supposed to get several days of rain, and I'm saving some more pics from today to show you.

North Country Trail miles for 2021 is at 179

North Country Trail Newaygo County, MI. East from 58th St 1.3 miles and return, NCT north from Twinwood Lakes to latitude of 14th St and return. Total 15.8 miles.

See Croton to Coolbough

Gumball Sun

 
The sky is hazy today... they tell us it's due to fires in Canada.

What that meant for my morning was that I could take a picture of a perfectly round sun gumball with the sun high in the sky.



In other news: I wrote in the morning, did a lot of stuff for our Books Alive! event (2 weeks away), mowed the other half of the yard and did a tiny, tiny bit on the trailer including making a list of the things I need to get before my next effort to accomplish much. Hoping to do some accounting this evening.

	See Ring Around the Moon
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Moods of my Backyard - Angry

 
my backyard was a hot and angry place this afternoon.



I was stripping paint on my trailer when a man suddenly appeared in my driveway. He had on a hard hat and a utility vest, carrying a clipboard, but no vehicle! He said, "I think you have a fire."

Well, I was a little dumbfounded, but he was pointing toward the back of the property.

The train had just gone by and must have sparked a blaze. I called 911, and while I was on the phone with them a tree caught fire and a tower of flame shot in the air 40 feet. I did not get a picture of that. I was afraid it was my favorite hybrid cherry tree.

The operator asked my address, and after I told her I tried to explain that they shouldn't come up my driveway because there is no access to the tracks from here, but she was already gone. So... in just a couple of minutes there were two fire trucks trying to turn around at the top of our hill!

I explained to them how to get back there. The small truck made it first.



Pretty soon, the bigger yellow truck had made its way through the field too.



It didn't take long for them to get it knocked down. Things are pretty dry, but at least it wasn't a very windy day.



I did walk back there after the fire department left. Really not very big of an area that burned. It's in the shadows so a little hard to distinguish, but this is pretty much all of it.



I think the big inferno I saw was this jack pine getting torched. Jack pine loves fire, actually. There will probably be a hundred baby ones next spring.



Glad I went back to look around. There was one hot spot smoking. Some of the peat was burning and too hot to touch. I went back to the house, got a gallon of water and a hoe, walked back out there and cooled that down. Don't need any surprises in the middle of the night.



The cherry tree is fine. The jack pine are all fine, except maybe that one. But it's possible it will survive too. The blaze was hot and brief and probably mostly burned the pitch.

The man who appeared from nowhere? His truck was down by the road. He'd been walking the power line inventorying poles.

	See Robert Tackles the Mystery Tree See Sea World in the Jackpine
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