Section 4 Lake

A return visit to the Shingle Mill Pathway after my aborted winter overnight a couple months back. I had been positively aching to get back out to the Shingle Mill ever since. Originally my plan was to do the entire 11-mile loop but detours and rough roads forced me to only do the northernmost 6-miles. No matter, the northern half holds the majority of the scenic highlights anyway. Off I went for a little springtime hiking...

Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 45.189626, -84.448133 (approximate)

Route Type: Loop + spur

Difficulty: MODERATE

Mileage Hiked: 6.0 miles

Trailhead Temp: 60'F

Min. Elevation: 880'

Max Elevation: 1,030'

Trails Used (blaze color): Shingle Mill Pathway (blue)

Shingle Mill Pathway, Otsego County (6-2-09)

Shingle Mill Pathway
Sunny, 60, and leaves on the trees...this was going to be a good day...
Shingle Mill Pathway
My first order of business was to briefly follow the Shingle Mill west to the south end of Grass Lake then make a short bushwhack to its east side...
Bunchberry
The greenish tint of this Bunchberry flower hints that it only recently bloomed...
Grass Lake Bushwhack
The one mile bushwhack to the east shore of Grass Lake started out easy enough through this conifer swamp...
Grass Lake Bushwhack
...eventually though, things got a bit more tight...
Grass Lake Bushwhack
Keeping Grass Lake to my right kept me from getting too far off-course...
Grass Lake
There was virtually no breeze so Grass Lake was amazingly placid...
Shingle Mill Pathway
Even when there's no real danger of getting lost its always nice to find the trail again...
Shingle Mill Pathway
The trail stays a ways away from Grass Lake as it heads north so there were no views to speak of...
Shingle Mill Pathway
Crossing one of the many unnamed two-tracks in the area not far from Devils Soupbowl...
Devils' Soupbowl
Devils Soupbowl is the remains of an old sinkhole now filled with rainwater and runoff. I must have taken a dozen shots of it but due to the intense contrast this was the only one that turned out to my liking...
Yellow Pond Lily
The steep climb down to the shore of Devils Soupbowl did reward me with a couple new wildflowers. Here a cluster of Yellow Pond Lily's...
Daisy Fleabane
...and here the rather unremarkable Daisy Fleabane...
Shingle Mill Pathway
From Devils Soupbowl I continued north and east to a reported overlook about a mile away. With a full canopy overhead, and the fact that this is Michigan, I kept my expectations low...
Shingle Mill Pathway
The fact that the trail did climb a bit was cause for a bit more hope that there might be a view ahead...
Shingle Mill-High Country Pathway Junction
Up to this point the Shingle Mill coincided with the High Country Pathway. From here I'd turn right while the High Country continued on for the remainder of its 80-mile loop...
Shingle Mill Pathway
The overlook has a name!! This could be a good thing...
Grass Lake Overlook
I hate to say I was right...but I was right. You'd think at an overlook named for Grass Lake that one would actually be able to SEE Grass Lake...
Shingle Mill Pathway
The 10-mile loop cuts across a mile of fairly unremarkable forest while the 11-mile heads down to the Pigeon River...that'd be where I'd be heading...
Canada Violet
A solitary Canada Violet gleams in the sun on the way to the Pigeon River...
Shingle Mill Pathway
Man, I love spring inthe North Woods...nothing but green from top to bottom...
Shingle Mill Pathway
I crossed a couple of these open areas as I neared the Pigeon River...possibly old homesteads?
Jack-in-the-pulpit
As the trail started to parallel the river I suddenly was surrounded by these little Jack-in-the-pulpits...
Nodding Trillium
The "golden egg" of wildflowers for this trip...a Nodding Trillium. Extremely hard to find as they hide underneath their leaves, this was the first one I had EVER found!
Wood Betony
The odd Wood Betony was quite common along this section as well...
Shingle Mill Pathway
Though the trail paralleled the Pigeon River it never actually gets close enough to see it...the plethora of wildflowers more than made up for it, however...
Canada Hawkweed
No, not a dandelion, this is a Canada Hawkweed...they'll become more common as the summer wears on...
Shingle Mill Pathway
Its nice to get signs like this to explain areas that otherwise might go unnoticed...
Cornwall Flats
Another look at the Cornwall Flats. This area must have been HEAVILY logged as the woods has still not fully recovered...
Shingle Mill Pathway
Crossing a small unnamed stream I must have scared a dozen frogs from the stream banks...
Shingle Mill Pathway
Heading back away from the river the last stretch of trail would take me past Section 4 Lake...
Wild Cherry (?)
One of the prettiest flowers I'd come across but not actually a flower...i believe this is some kind of wild cherry...
Shingle Mill Pathway
As I neared Section 14 Lake the forest became more heavily dominted by Red Pines...yet another sign of past logging...
Fringed Polygala
A tiny Fringed Polygala, one of the more uniquely designed flowers of the Michigan woods...
Canada Mayflower
There is always one flower each year that gives me fits trying to photograph. This year its the Canada Mayflower...this photo was the only one passable enough to post...
Section 4 Lake
I was completely unprepared for Section 4 Lake. It appears to be the result of another sinkhole but the extreme clarity of its green-blue water suggests it might be spring fed...
Section 4 Lake
The bottom of Section 4 Lake drops off precipitously creating an amazing array of blues and greens...
Wild Columbine
Another favorite, Wild Columbine...
Solomon's-seal (sp?)
Some kind of Solomons-seal...have to look this one up...anyways not fully bloomed so hard to tell...
Section 4 Lake
It was hard to tear myself away from the lake but alas, it was time to go...only a quarter mile from here back to the car...
Shingle Mill Pathway
I couldn't help but stop and take a shot of this beautiful Wild Apple Tree not far from the trailhead on the way home...just about got stung for my troubles though!