Spirit of the Woods Hike- May 2026

The group photo hasn't been posted yet for me to grab, but there were about 15 people and 5 dogs who hiked today. We traveled farther than usual, going north to where the Manistee River crosses US 131. The trail goes beneath the bridge.

The hike actually went the other direction, going north (trail west) along the high bluff beside the river.

We finally had another really nice day! We were all ready for this.

And some of the wildflowers were opening. Wood anemone.

Trout lily.

And some Carolina spring beauty.

Finally, just some cute little orange mushrooms on the green moss.

What with travel time, going out to eat, and the hike itself, this is really all I did today.

Miles hiked in 2026: 158.4
Hike 100 Challenge: 51.6

North Country Trail, Wexford County, MI. US 131 Roadside rest north 3 miles and back. 6.0 miles

See SPW Hike- April 2026

I've Got Tara!

It was a very good day to NOT hike all day. I picked up long-distance hiker Tara at Timber Creek. The rain that was supposed to be over during the night hung on all day. She was very glad to come off the trail and get dried out, cleaned up, and get some new supplies. We also looked at maps.

We've been talking trail stuff all day. It's such fun! We eat very similarly, so getting things for meals was really easy. We've also been comparing how we eat on the trail. She's working on hiking all the National Scenic Trails, and my next Ludington Daily News column will tell more about her.

It was WET. She had this black oak leaf stuck on the rain cover of her pack. Very artistic.

A few of the wildflowers are trying to put on spring faces, but they were crying today. Here is Wood Anemone.

Spring Beauty was also hunkered down waiting for a drop of sun. Maybe tomorrow.

I did get to walk out and meet her on the trail. Got in 2.5 miles

Miles walked in 2026: 148.9
NCT Hike 100 Challenge: 45.6

NCT Lake County, Michigan, Timber Creek TH south and back. 2.5 miles.

See TI Kidnapped Chris

Searching for a Touch of Spring

 I am in northwest Ohio, and the NCT is just across the road in Oak Openings Metropark. Had to take a little walk.

Just for the oddity of it, here is yet another method of marking turns on the NCT. When the land manager does not allow the standard blazing, creative things happen. The thing I'm talking about is the little arrow on top of a single blaze.

Since I am far south of my latitude, I was hoping I would find some wildflowers. For a while there, it didn't seem as if I would find any. But the skunk cabbage is already getting leaves, so I was hopeful.

Yeah! I did find some Virginia Spring Beauty. Claytonia virginiana

One alien roadside plant, but I'll pretty much take anything that is blooming. This is purple Deadnettle, Lamium purpureum

This is pretty cool- a red admiral was flitting around

We had a nice dinner. Chicken and salad/salsa and tater tots.

Total miles hiked in 2024: 186.6 of which 66.6 is North Country Trail.

North Country Trail, Oak Openings Metropark, Ohio. Reed Rd to Whitehouse-Swanton Road and back, plus road. 2.8 miles

In other news: Marianne helped me make some good decisions about the formatting of my book and then I worked on it for a few hours.

See A Day of Favorites

45 Degrees, 83 Degrees - Day 406

Today we did the southern half of the NCT side of the Jordan Valley. Running down the middle is the Jordan River. It always looks so lush; the water comes right up to the banks.

As we were walking along, we noticed a commotion high above our heads. A big nest.

My guess is that this is dad. The other eagle was flying around and seemed larger to me. Females are larger. They probably have chicks in the nest. I had to look up when they breed, but they ARE early breeders, so it seems likely. This was right on the trail. This pair didn't get the memo that they don't like to nest near humans. (I've seen some other nests very close to homes, etc, so I'm not sure this is a really accurate rule.)

After quite a few ups and downs, we came back to the Jordan River at Pinney Bridge.

The most anticipated part of today's hike, for me, was passing this sign. Of course, I've hiked here before, but that was prior to when anyone realized that this is the ONLY crossing of the 45th parallel made by the NCT. A sign has now been added, and lots of people take their picture here. Me too!

We ended with the big climb up to Landslide Overlook. Not too much to see at this time of year, but the trees are just barely turning red.

The other big event was that the temperature hit 83 degrees while we were hiking. That's just too hot for me this early. My enzymes haven't adjusted yet.

But the heat sure made spring think that it's time to spring into action. We saw hepatica in bloom.

Carolina spring beauty.

And even some bloodroot.

P.S. There was NO snow on the trail at all. First day for that.

We are going to get out on the trail earlier tomorrow because it's supposed to be even hotter. The heat just sapped our strength.

Miles today: 8.8. Total miles so far: 4525.0

See Buddy Bill's Back

The Greening, and a Little Color!

  Thanks to the rain we had a few days ago, some of the spring treats are beginning to appear. I was hiking 30 miles south of my latitude yet, but I should be seeing similar things near home soon. Since I've teased you several times with trailing arbutus buds, now I'll end the suspense and show you the clear waxy flowers. Epigaea repens. The flowers can also be light pink, and may age to pink.

One of the earliest wildflowers to open here is bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis. I found quite a few but they were maybe the smallest I've ever seen. I don't think they like growing among the grasses.

Nearby was Virginia spring beauty, Claytonia virginica. The dainy flowers close up and droop unless they have sunshine. Can you see the delicate lavender veins in the flowers? Species virginica has narrow leaves.

No flowers yet, but I love the leaves of wood betony, aka lousewort, Pedicularis canadensis. Leaves are green and/or maroon. This is a nice collection of both colors. Flowers will be creamy yellow or maroon. There doesn't seem to be any correlation with maroon leaves to maroon flowers.

These are last year's, and they aren't a flower, but who can resist a cute fungus? I believe this is mini-puffball, Lycoperdon pusillum. Everything fits, except they usually grow on the ground. Well, I'm not a fungus expert! The central hole is lobed, and the surface has a somewhat netted pattern.

Finally, I can't let you off without a sedge! This is Carex pensylvanica, Pennsylvania sedge, which is just being sexy all over the forest floor right now. Those yellow things are the anthers, and they are spreading pollen like crazy.

Maybe more plants tomorrow- it's spring, green is popping, and I can't help myself!

In other news: I edited till I thought my brain would explode, and then I would put some pieces in a jig saw puzzle, then go back to editing. That, and I over-ate. Does that count as an accomplishment?

See 10 More Newaygo County Miles

The Usual Spring Lineup

 
Today, I'll just share the wildflowers I saw last weekend. There is not a single unusual suspect in the lineup. But they are always welcome to see.

I was a little surprised to find some Bloodroot still blooming. It's often all done before the others come out. Actually, this is a little unusual because the leaves were open and the blossoms were still fresh. Generally, the flowers fade before the leaves unroll.



There were lots and lots of the Trout Lilies in bloom, also known as dogtooth violet or adder's tongue. I call them trout lily because it's easy to remember the spotted leaves look like a trout.



Dutchman's Breeches. The leaf look-alike is Squirrel Corn, and You really can't tell the difference in the plants until they bloom. I haven't see Squirrel Corn in several years.



Spring beauty in both pink and white. This is Carolina Spring Beauty. The Virginia variety has narrower leaves.



The triliums aren't blooming yet. But I did find some red ones in bud. They are a bit more rare than the white ones.



And now for some leaves for reference- First we have hepatica. You usually don't find leaves with the flowers. The new leaves will grow after the flower fades. But here are some of last year's leaves, revealing that this one is Sharp Lobed Hepatica, Hepatica acutiloba.



And, maybe you remember that I showed you maroon baby leaves of the Lousewort or Wood Betony, but said they also come in green. Here are the green ones.



That's certainly enough pictures for one post.

In other news: I finished my cleaning project. Hooray! One tiny space in the house is clean. I did two loads of laundry. Despite all the gloomy weather forecasts, today was gorgeous. Sun, breezy, 60 degrees. Perfect. And I finished another puzzle. It was quite easy, and I really, really like the picture. I'll show you tomorrow. I'm wasting a lot of time doing puzzles, but I'm beginning to get a tiny bit frustrated at the cancellation of normal life. Puzzles are an easy way to combat that.

See Wildflowers Everywhere

More Food and Flowers

 

For this trip, we need 14 cold meals, 1 hot meal, 3 breakfasts, and 11 snacks. The other breakfasts we'll eat from the cooler at a base camp (that food is bought at the last minute), and the other hot meals we'll eat out. Remember, this is part backpacking, and part slackpacking (day hiking from car to car). Marie's back is not being good this week, so we are checking all weights carefully.

Hike food is progressing nicely. Maybe you can't see much difference in these piles from last time, but there is. A lot more ingredients have been dried and put in their packaging, and five meals are completely done with the labels. When the label is added I know that meal is totally ready to go.

I was slowed down tonight by the fact that we are out of salad dressing, and I didn't realize it. But there is still enough time available that I don't have to panic and run right out to the store.



It rained all day and was miserably cold. But I wasn't out in it. And, I'm putting it in big print that I feel significantly better. Normal, even. I was a little worried about the hike there for a while, but had to proceed on the assumption that all would be well.

The poor little wildflowers, Spring Beauty, Claytonia caroliniana, were drooping with the weight of the water.

	See Wildflowers Everywhere See Hot Meal Menu- Expanded View
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