To the far point

2012 02 19  It is a hike to the far point at Bass River Rec Area, but not much of a trail anymore. What trail is left is overgrown and strewn with dead trees, branches, and trash brought here by flooding. To get there you have to cross a creek, not Bass River, usually there is a fair amount of water in this creek.  For years there have been some large logs to cross on.  Still it was scary, I think that I would die if I fell into this dark murky water.  Of course I wouldn't die, but it gives me the creeps.  This walk, round trip, is about 3.5 miles.

Map

Creek Crossing

Creek

    Bass River, way over there

Bass Lake

 Bass River meeting Grand River

 Overgrown trail

Tangled trail

These next four pictures are of a Honey Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos tree, I think. 

Thorn, this one is ~ 3 inches long.  Mike some how got poked by one, ow.

Legume (pod) of the Honey Locust, ~6 inches long

Honey Locust tree pictures above and below 

 Bass Lake, some places I have seen this lake called Max Lake.

 Bass Lake

 Bass Lake

 Woodpecker activity, no woodpecker

 Lichen on a tree (at least I think it is lichen)

 This looks like liverwort, but I don't know...

I just liked it.

Bass Lake on the right, Grand River on the left, this is a narrow piece of land, don't get off the trail here.

 Across the Grand River is Bur Oak Landing (Ottawa County open space land) you can see the boat launch.

That's a sycamore tree, and a willow tree.

 I think this might be a Cecropia cocoon.  Here is a site to find out more,

http://www.wormspit.com/cecropia.htm  

In the center of this picture you can see a car parked at the end of North Cedar Drive (about 9/10ths of a mile away).
 

Where Bass Lake and the Grand River meet, the sandy point is Riverside Park. 

 Sign on the point
 

 Now we are heading back, and we pass the sycamore and willow again.

Grand River
 

A very nice Sunday afternoon walk.