Manistee National Forest Challenge Hike #6

 
Ten humans and Sophie the dog checked another 10+ miles off our Manistee National Forest list today. This also means that half the hikes are done.



We've managed to make the fast hikers happier by ensuring their cars are at the end point so they can leave and not wait for the rest of us. And, of course, also being sure there is a car at the end that can return people back to the beginning point to get those cars!

Sophie came really, really close to having a mole for a snack. One of the guys said she actually had its tail in her teeth, but it got away.



It seemed to be a good day for orange: chicken mushroom



Michigan lily



and some little orange fungus fingers.



There are some big hemlock trees in this section. You could feel the cooler air as soon as you stepped underneath them. We were glad to find cooler air. It wasn't horribly hot, but it was quite humid, and the mosquitoes were out in force.



This was a nice find near the end: Great St. Johnswort. I hadn't seen it grow so "rambly" before (don't be fooled by the fern leaves its growing through), so this was an addition to my knowledge base.



A great afternoon! Total Manistee National Forest miles hiked in this series so far: 62.2. Even though I've hiked all these miles before, and some of the pieces many times, I've never done them in geographical sequence like this, and I'm finding that interesting.

(BR -11 and counting)

North Country Trail, 96th St to 56th St (Bowman Lake TH), Lake County MI

	See MNF Challenge Hike #5
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