Invasive Plants

 

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile journeys exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I like to volunteer to maintain or improve the trails that I hike near my home in Traverse City. Sure, I always pick up trash when I hike, but I also actively search for opportunities to work on these trails. One time I even got to help put in a new trail in one of Leelanau Conservancy's properties. 

This week, I joined with volunteers to help remove the invasive garlic mustard plant from Clay Cliffs Natural Area. This is one of my favorite trails within the Leelanau Conservancy.

Since it had rained the night before, pulling up these invasive plants was pretty easy and we cleared large patches of it.

Here are some photos from the work day:

Go HERE to view a tutorial on how to identify and remove invasive garlic mustard plants.

Clay Cliffs

 Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile journeys exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I live in Traverse City, Michigan, and one of the reasons I moved here was for the many hiking trails in the region. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is nearby and I've hiked most of the trails and all of the shoreline there. 

Northwest of Traverse City is the Leelanau Peninsula. This gorgeous area has its own conservancy organization working to protect and preserve natural areas. One of my favorite trails on this peninsula is Clay Cliffs Natural Area located just north of Leland.

The trail has two overlooks, one of Lake Leelanau and one of Lake Michigan.

Here's a video from the Lake Michigan overlook. Great views of the Manitou Islands.

Here's the view of Lake Leelanau:

The wild flowers were in bloom today...

the trout lily amongst the trillium...

And more views out on Lake Michigan...

Snowshoeing Palmer Woods Reserve

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile journeys exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

We're finally getting some snow here in Michigan's NW lower peninsula. I've had my snowshoes in my car for several weeks, but today was the first time I took them out for a hike.

I've been meaning to get out to the Palmer Woods Forest Reserve, one of Leelanau Conservancy's properties. This wooded reserve is located about 2.5 miles south of M22 on S. Wheeler Road near Maple City. 

There are both mountain bike (or fat tire) trails along with trails dedicated for hiking.

I avoid trails where mountain bikes are allowed during the mild months...I don't like having to watch my back for bikes. During the winter, these trails are quiet, and the dedicated trails make for a relaxing hike.

Some of the trails had been groomed for cross-country skiing, so I stayed off those (or hiked off to the side) so as not to mess up the grooming with my snowshoe tracks.

Check out some photos and a video from my snowshoeing hike:

The Great Lakes have set a record for lack of ice this year. Read more HERE.

Clay Cliffs

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile journeys exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I hit the trail today. 

It was lovely to get out to the lakeshore and get a few miles under my boots.

With Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore closed at this time (people were not social distancing on popular trails there), I hiked Clay Cliffs Natural Area on the Leelanau Peninsula. This land is protected as part of the Leelanau Conservancy.

This video is the view from the overlook on this trail. The Manitou Islands are in the distance.

Wild leeks were pushing up along the trail...

Downed trees were carved by beetles...

This is a nice loop trail to explore just north of Leland.

Houdek Dunes Natural Area

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile journeys exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I set out on a mild, January day to explore another hiking area preserved by the Leelanau Conservancy. It is located just north of Leland. 

*Note: between this area and the town of Leland, watch for the Yak farm on the east side of the road. Yes...YAKS! 

[They weren't in the pastures today.]

 The Houdek Dunes Natural Area has several trails looping through the property and I hiked most of them. 

Trails are blazed and marked. 

Other creatures leave their marks, too.

A small stream winds between the rolling dunes.

There are many conservancy properties to explore on the Leelanau Peninsula.

Swanson Nature Preserve

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

The Leelanau Conservancy has preserved some wonderful tracts of land on the Leelanau Peninsula. 
I recently hiked the Swanson Preserve. It is a slice of land that runs from M22 to the shoreline of Little Traverse Lake.

The hike is short, but lovely. It winds through a cedar swamp and over a little stream. Boardwalks lifted me over the wetter parts.

Over 200 varieties of plants have been identified here, and the conservancy has a wildflower rescue program where plants are potted and sold in the spring to help support the work of the conservancy.

Here are some photos:

Trails are blazed

The pileated woodpecker has done some work here

Some trees couldn't hold on during a big blow

Woodpecker tracks on birch bark

Little Traverse Lake

Exoskeleton left behind

It's a short, worthwhile hike. There's even a bench along the little lake to take a moment to watch the light play on the water.

Whaleback Natural Area

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I moved to Traverse City three years ago to be near "my lake" (Lake Michigan) and, especially, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

While there are over a 100 miles of hiking trails within the National Lakeshore, there are many more miles of hiking in lands conserved by the Leelanau Conservancy and Grand Traverse Conservation District.

I am exploring all of these trails, trying to tick off new ones like in this previous post...(which is difficult, sometimes, because I am constantly drawn back to my favorites).

This month I vowed to hike Whaleback Natural Area just south of Leland. 
From out on the lake, this rise in the shoreline resembles a surfacing whale.

This trail is about 1.5 miles out-and-back with views of Lake Michigan along the way.

Lake Michigan with Pyramid Point in the distance

This trail passes through private land and runs adjacent to a vineyard before getting up into the wooded preserve.

There are wildflowers and patches of thimbleberry plants (surprise!). These plants are common in areas far north of here, but a patch persists this preserve.

Blazes mark the trail

Thimbleberry plants

Vineyard at beginning of trail

I continue to look for opportunities to contribute by doing trail clean-up and trail-blazing with the organizations overseeing conservation areas in the region.