This darn crazy spring and summer weather we are having is making it frustrating for photographers. I went to Loda Lake this week on the only day it hadn’t rained and was surprised by how I was joined by other photographers and hikers doing the same thing.
School is out for most places, so people are itching to get out into nature. Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary, about six miles north of White Cloud on Felch Avenue north of Five Mile, is a great place to see birds and find unique flora and fauna (with it even numbered to help novices like me identify it).
Everyone I talked to lamented how the weather had thrown off the growing season of many wildflowers. The Pink Lady Slippers had come and gone. Other summery flowers were in the budding phase, which is perfect for those heading out in the next couple of weeks. The carnivorous Pitcher Plant is growing along the north side of the boardwalk near one of the numbers. It has a little bit of red veining in the green leaves to help identify it and should be fully developed within a few warm days. Then it will start collecting insects in its well of digestive juices.
The one place that had great flowers was the fenced-in pollinator garden, which is sure to bring more flowers in the next coming weeks. This is one of the few areas where summer flowers were visible like Wild Columbine, Lupine and others. Grazers like deer, rabbits, and others are not able to feast in this area like they have in other parts of the Manistee National Forrest. Other places that had flowers were breaks in the canopy, and the sun could warm the ground faster. As the temperatures heat up, flowers will be popping out everywhere along the mile and a half of trails.
The best way to see all the Loda Lake has to offer is to download the nature guide here: https://newaygocountyexploring.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Loda-Lake-Printable-Wildflower-Guide-Map.pdf.
Other information is available here: https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/eastern/LodaLake/index.shtmlor here:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/hmnf/recarea/?recid=18706
By Wendy Sinicki
#girlsgonewilderness
Good hiking gear that really works can make the difference between having the time of your life or living through a suffering day on the trail. Along with the gear, who you bring as your company makes all the difference! We set out with five everyday gals from Newaygo...
Farmer’s Market: Friday Fun!
The Newaygo Famers Market is focused on working with local farmers to ensure the residents and visitors to Newaygo County have the opportunity to purchase fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. At the Newaygo Farmers Market you will find a plethora of local ...
Birthday Hike
Is there even a better way to spend your birthday than trekking through the North Country Trail? I think not. After tackling the stretch from M-20 to Echo Drive, I felt ready to make it all the way to 40th street. My father-in-law even gifted me a decades old...
Advice from a Hiking Trio
Meet Annie Trapp, Linda Trapp, Kathy Broome & pup Novalee, all residents of the White Cloud area. They enjoy hiking the North Country Trail as a trio in their spare time. I caught up with these ladies to ask how this year has been going so far…So far in 2021 they...
Spring Break Day Trips – Outdoors & On The Cheap
Pretty much every year around this time, my wife and I scramble to find exciting, enriching things to do with our kids during spring break. Although she’s fully vaccinated and I’m currently half vacc’d, we are still a bit reluctant to head to the typical spring break...
Modern Workhorse or Adventure Machine?
Back in the day, if you could have looked in a cowboy's saddlebags, you would have seen a few things that every one of them made sure they had whenever they jumped onto their trusty steed. A good rope, a coffee pot and a few tools were part of every cowboy's gear....
Winter Hiking – Questions From a Newbie
Excited to throw 2020 behind me & crush all the goals in 2021, I signed up for the North Country Trail Hike 100 Challenge. Ambitious, as I’ve only hiked a handful of times in my life, but why not make 2021 my year? I embarked on my first hike in the first few...
Snowshoe Adventure On The Dragon
Being an avid runner from a young age and now a personal trainer, I have spent a lot of time running and hiking over the years. In more recent years, due to my work schedule, I found myself stuck to the convenience of the gym equipment. During the 2020 Quarantine...
Deer Hunter’s Must-Do in Newaygo County
The trees are bare, the air is crisp and the calendar has just flipped to November… In Northern Michigan, that means deer hunters are headed to the woods! If you haven’t tried your luck in the deer woods of Newaygo County, we recommend checking it out. With...
Fall Colors: A Bird’s Eye View
Flying amidst the clouds, high above Newaygo County, Doug Harmon captured Newaygo County's fall beauty perfectly. It's the season, jump in your car and head North! Newaygo County is here to greet you. Grab a bite, even stay the night! Come explore the rivers,...
