You take what the trail gives you!

Greetings from Dreamer!

The Rule is: You take what the trail gives you.  There is good news x2, bad news and more bad news...

I have 29 pictures of different beautiful views of the Manistee River!

1st, I want to thank Dave & Patty Warner for going above and beyond for me this morning!  Thank you so much for the ride back to the M186 Trailhead from the Fife Lake Inn at 6:30am!  Because of the heat, I really wanted to get an early start. Without their help I would have had to endure an hour or two more of afternoon heat than I did!  Thank you so much!!

 The 2nd Good News, Charlie & I are doing great!  Hiking strong and feeling like I am much younger than I really am. (58)  We hiked to our scheduled destination (Shecks State Forest Campground) which is over 10 miles before 11am!  In fact, I was feeling like a hiking machine, just before the wheels came off... Charlie & I decided to high tail it another 4 miles to Dollar Lake.

From my camping spot on Dollar Lake.

And at this point, not a bad decision. I could come up with several (perhaps) legitimate excuses but none would eclipse the fact that sometimes I am simply bone-headed!  Hiking like the super athlete I was feeling like, I walked right by two turns in the North Country Trail and hiked WAY out of my way. Twice!!  I just missed the turns...  My bad. Oh well, that only added about a mile to my day and part of the mile was spent climbing a sand dune!  (Note: climbing up big hills of sand while carrying a backpack is not fun!). I tried blaming Charlie, but he wouldn't hear of it. 

Note:  The trail was moved for about 6 miles North of Dell Road.

 The final bad is the worst!  My camping spot (if you would call it that) is set up in sand because there is not another level spot for 14 square miles!  (I may be exaggerating some.). All the level spots around this lake were already taken!  I believe someone is having a Family Reunion. And not only in the sand, but in direct sunshine!  (Good thing it is so cool out today!  NOT...  Ok, you take what the trail gives you. I grabbed my pack to wander into the woods in search of a shady spot under a tree. Alas, I found one. Laid out my tarp, sat down with my journal to finally relax and guess what happened?  ANTS!!!  Big ones, little ones, but they all had one nasty thing in common...  They really excelled at BITING!!!   Charlie & I went swimming...

Charlie & Dreamer