High of 68.From Manistee north to Portage Lake, it was a lovely hike. I saw dozens of crayfish along this stretch along the waterline and congregating in the shallows. I also saw my first round goby, an invasive species from central Eurasia which was brought to the Great Lakes in ballast water. (in photo below)
Portage Lake is crystal clear and lets out into Lake Michigan in a wide channel. Two high school teachers from Muskegon's Orchard View High School, Tom and Brent, had a day off and were fishing when I got there. They graciously agreed to give me a ride across the channel (saving me an inland hike of 6 extra miles). With my larger pack and a hike of 17 miles this day without the inland diversion, this was a welcome jaunt on their shiny fishing boat.
North of the Portage Lake outlet, the shoreline quickly got more rugged and remote. Alongside a small stream, I saw my first wild cat prints, probably bobcat. This wild stretch of lakeshore is quite a contrast to some of the industrialized miles I walked earlier in my adventure.
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