Lost Lake Muskegon, Michigan



 2013 05 20

Lost Lake at Muskegon State Park was our adventure destination on this day.  This place never disappoints.  Lost Lake is considered a coastal plain marsh, someone referred to it as, " half marsh, half bog, a coastal marsh ecosystem...".

 



 

We (my sister Marie and me) go on weekly outings to look for wildflowers and anything else we find interesting.  Also for the walk and being outdoors.  We relax and enjoy.

First time this year we saw Fringed Polygala (Polygala paucifolia) Milkwort Family.
Then we found Threeleaf Goldthread (Coptis trifolia) blooming.

 

 

 We saw a Box Turtle, funny that we saw one several years ago in this same area, maybe the same turtle.

In the water we found bladderwort,

at Lost Lake a deck was added with a scope,

looking through the scope.  I see turtles.

Lost Lake

Leatherleaf

On through the woods,

Marsh Marigold still blooming,

And Starflower.

We visited Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve.  While we were there we saw lightning, it was to the east of us and there was no rain.  Unfortunately for the people in Oklahoma this was the day of the devastating tornado.  

After seeing this giant chipmunk we moved on to explore places nearby in North Muskegon.

We ended up on Creston Road west of  U.S. 31, the road just ends in the North Channel - Muskegon River.  There is a gravel/sand boat launch site.

On our way to the Riverside Nature Trail at Riverside Park in North Muskegon, there were lupine blooming.

This trail is a great little gem, and many years ago I might have been here (I kind of remember, no maybe not?)  with my brother Chuck when he lived near this park.

It was very much like a jungle on this trail. 



This is where the path ends right at the North Channel - Muskegon River.  We also stopped by the nice little North Muskegon library.
Another fun time!



Dolan Trail, Maher Sanctuary, Barry County Fen

2013 05 13 Last week we drove about 60 miles from Grand Haven to the Dolan Trail in southeast Kent County.  Dolan Trail,  a 1.1 mile loop trail, property of Trout Unlimited, is along the Coldwater River.  We have been here before and, as last time, we were careful not to go too far on the North Country Trail, which is also here along the Coldwater River.

 Coldwater River in Kent County, Michigan

     Dolan Trail

This is the back side of a Wild Geranium...

There were signs of severe flooding, we did see wildflowers and the weather was cool (32 degrees) and sunny.

We enjoyed the Dolan Trail but I got in a bit of a hurry to move on.  Usually our day out together seems to go by fast.  We do try to savor the moment.  The weather was very nice and we walked more than a mile but then we moved on down the road into Barry County to Maher Audubon Sanctuary.

We saw trillium,

 

Two-leaved Miterwort ( Mitella diphylla),

   Cain Creek,

Marsh Marigold.

 

 After Maher we went west to a small fen.  Along the way we saw beautiful spring green trees and grasses.

Since it was a cold day we saved the fen for last, but still didn't find much blooming...

We did see that someone had cut down bunches of shrubs along the path and throughout the fen, including Nine Bark, which they left in piles everywhere.

 

                Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) Carrot Family

                Swamp Valerian  (Valeriana uliginosa) Just buds...

 

Still some Marsh Marigold...

 



A beautiful day at the fen.