North Country Trail - McDougal Rd through Petoskey (12.0 miles; d=13.30)
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North Country Trail Section Hike Route Map
The approximate track of my section hike along the North Country Trail, from Kipp Road to McDougal Road, as depicted a la Google Earth...
North Country Trail Section Hike Route Map
The approximate track of my section hike along the North Country Trail, from Kipp Road to McDougal Road...
Petoskey to Mackinaw Rail Trail (NCT)
A road walk from Kipp Road to near this point north of North Conway Road the trail briefly follows an old rail right-of-way before becoming a road walk again...
Heading into a residential area of Conway...the odd stares were humerous...
North of Round Lake the trail heads back out on the road, oh joy...
The low, swampy woodlands north of Round Lake weren't much to look at but at least it was quiet...
The high, forested dunes of Petoskey State Park rise across Round Lake from near its northern shore...
This little outlet stream is actually the beginning of the locally famous Inland Waterway which runs from here some 50 miles up to Cheboygan, although it's not navigatable for a dozen or so miles downstream...
It wasn't hard to figure out when I left the natural area...
Some lengthy stretches of deep snow slowed things down at times...
A small flock of Canada Geese kept it from being a complete loss, however...
I was disappointed, I was hoping to get a few bird pics along Round Lake but, as you can see here it was still quite solidly frozen...
Rail-trails can be a bit boring but you sure make good time on them...
The obnoxious homes sitting on the hill in the distance testify to how precious protected areas like this are to the region...
In the spring, Spring Lake is a great place to search for wildflowers and spot birds, but today it was strangely quiet...
North of M-119, the trail once again enters a nice natural area along Spring Lake...
Almost immediately after crossing to the north side of M-119 I discovered evidence of a local Beaver family hard at work...
Crossing M-119 was a bit harrowing...the traffic NEVER lets up on this road, and no-one stops around here for a hiker...
Breaking out into the open again, the snow magically disappeared...
The combination of the sheltering dunes and thick pine forest along the trail created some of the deepest snow I had to cross the entire hike...
A last look at Little Traverse Bay before heading through the dunes to the north...
Summer fun waits patiently on the shore for the ice to clear and some sunshine...
Technically this beach is off-limits but as all of its rightful owners are still all down in sunny Chicago I treated myself to a nice lunch spot with a view...
An Eastern Gray Squirrel pauses with a mouthful to gaze at a strange two-legged intruder...
