Michigan Fall Colors

2012 September 27,28,29,30

A trip to the cabin in Manistee County Michigan.  We walked the Manistee River Trail from Red Bridge to Cedar Creek and back again.  The Fall colors had a good start.  Many trees still had lots of green leaves which made a nice contrast with the reds, yellows, oranges.  It was beautiful.

We thought this was a soccer ball but turned out to be a puffball.

We stopped in at Link's Pond near the weir on the Little Manistee River.  This is a cool place.  And we saw a Harebell.

So the Fall colors are only going to get better, if you can, take a road trip and enjoy Michigan.

Cabin Adventure - Day 2

Friday morning, second day of our trip and our 34th wedding anniversary, we took a hike on the Manistee River trail.  But before we left and after a hearty breakfast, we took Tilly out for a walk since she would be staying at the cabin while we went for the longer hike.  Last year we took her on a 10 mile walk, it is just too much for her 14 year old body.

                      Sunrise at the cabin

There was frost over night, probably the first frost of the season.  The car was frosty and the dry brown ferns had a coat of white.  Below is a picture of moss so pretty with little ice crystals on them.

We decided on starting our hike at Red Bridge on Coates Highway, this is the south end of the Manistee River Trail.

There is a parking area just east of the bridge on the south side of the road, to access the trail you cross the road (Coates Highway) then follow the trail along the road about 1/4 mile to trailhead.

OK good now we get on the trail and head north(ish), before long you are high above the river and have a great vista of the river valley below.

Many trees had a hazy smoke look to them, they must have already dropped their leaves.

Many signs have been updated in several of the US forest lands.  And this boardwalk has been replaced, it was pretty wet walking through here before.

Cool tree

We walked as far as Cedar Creek, it was a beautiful day with perfect weather.  And we hadn't seen one other person on the trail.  We had it all to ourselves!

If I remember right we were out for about 4 hours total, we weren't walking fast and we stopped several times to take in the view.  From the parking area on Coates Highway to Cedar Creek is ~3 1/2 miles, so we walked 7 miles, not counting going up and down the hills!  Perfect.

We drove to Wellston and checked out some stores, then drove to Irons for a good fish dinner at the Oak Grove Tavern.  The place looks a bit scary from the outside, but the food was good.  I would go there again.

Back to the cabin we went, Tilly was glad to see us and we walked her to the creek for a swim (her not us).  A serene evening up to about 8:30 when the owner of the cabin, Fern Dog, showed up along with two other people and 5 dogs.  Well it is a big cabin.

Manistee County - Day One

June 27 2011  Off we go again, yes we are lucky to be able to wander Michigan.  This time Marie and I go for a two day adventure, spending one night at my very generous brother-in-law's cabin.


We were on the road before 8 a.m. looking for a historic bridge over the Big Sauble River on La Salle Road in Mason County.  We found the bridge had been totally redone in 2010, and from photos on the HistoricBridges.org website, it looks like there was a major erosion problem at this bridge.  Still an interesting stop.

              Rabbit-foot Clover,  always nice to see.

                     Big Sauble River

Next stop was the US Forest Service Ranger Station in Manistee, we picked up lots of maps and a few books.
On to a place that I doubt has been visited in a while by anyone, the Woodland Management Trail.  It is in the Pere Marquette State Forest off Lamont Road (which is just a sandy two-track) just a bit east of Bear Lake in Manistee County Michigan.
Here is the sign we found after pulling off the road.

The next photo is a little closer shot, it says on the sign there are guide pamphlets available in the town of  Bear Lake.

Soon we came to this pond, then through a field of very tall ferns.

I spied some cute little critters.

Along The Woodland Management Trail

After wandering through these woods for almost two hours

we got off the trail (or maybe the trail was no longer there) when we popped out of the deep dark woods and onto a dirt road.  I checked the compass and realized we needed to go east then north to the car.  We don't really ever get lost.

We left this place and went on through Kaleva and drove by the bottlehouse.

On we went to Brethren, I've been here several times for the Spirit of the Woods Music Association Folk Festival which happens in June.  It's a great family music festival.  Marie and I stopped in at a park in Brethren, at Lake Eleanor

We had our lunch here while it rained some.  We saw Moneywort, (no cash value) which has yellow flowers and paired leaves, and is vine-y, Swamp Milkweed,  Blue Flag (Iris), and Baby's Breath.

                                    Moneywort

Blue Flag

East we go on Coats Highway to the Red Bridge over the Manistee River, another favorite stop.

It was still cloudy, we saw many flowers blooming, but things were a bit gray.

We traveled on to the cabin, did  research in our books, had a nice dinner, and relaxed.  I think I could live at the cabin, always. 

Next time, day two of this exciting adventure!