Crescent Moon (11 March 2019) and an upcoming event

Tonight's waxing crescent moon as seen from my driveway...

Our next full moon will be on the Spring Equinox (20 March) - I am leading a hike that night at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Sylvan Solace Preserve.  For more information, check their website.

Full Moon - February 2019

On Monday (18 February 2019) I led a nighttime hike at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Sylvan Solace Preserve.  The snowy woods was well-lit by a nearly full moon - at 98% visible the moon could be considered full.  This was my third full moon hike of the winter.  Altogether, about 50 people have joined me on the three hikes.  Monday's hike was attended by nine people.

Monday's full moon was the best we have seen this winter here in Mid-Michigan.  Not only was the sky clear (unlike December) and the temperature moderate (not like the 20 below windchill in January, but February's full moon could be considered a "supermoon".  A supermoon occurs because the moon's orbit around the earth is not a perfect circle.  Instead the orbit is more like an ellipse, resulting in times when the moon is closer to the earth than other times.  If the moon is near its closest point at the full moon stage, the moon is commonly referred to as a supermoon.

Although I didn't photograph the hike, I took several photos of the moon from the parking lot before the hike began.  This was my favorite image - it has been cropped down to a square shape.

I have one more night hike scheduled this winter at Sylvan Solace.  This final hike will take place on the next full moon.  This full moon just happens to coincide with the Vernal Equinox on March 20th.

New Year's Day 2019

Happy 2019!

As I have for the past two years (2017 and 2018), I greeted the new year by leading a hike at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Bundy Hill Preserve.  This year I actually led two hikes, a "sunrise" hike at 7:30AM and a more leisurely hike at 10:00AM for the late-risers.

Despite an overnight storm that made roads treacherous (and contributed to many accidents overnight) I was joined by a crew of six hardy souls with the goal of being the first people to top Bundy Hill in 2019.

The trees at Bundy Hill were covered in a layer of ice and snow that created a beautiful backdrop for out hike.  Unfortunately, cloudy skies meant that we did not get to see the sunrise.  My record for new Year's Day sunrise hikes is now one-for-three (0.333 is a great batting average in baseball, but not so great for sunrise hikes).

No sunrise to see, but we made it to the summit!

After the first group of hikers departed, I had about an hour to kill before the second hike was scheduled to begin.  I had planned ahead - I brought a book to read and boiled a kettle of water for tea on the tailgate of my truck.

I was joined by eleven people for the second hike (including a family of 5). For the first hike, we had taken the most direct route (the McNeel Trail) up the hill so we could be on top before sunrise; for the second hike we took the more leisurely path (the Summit Trail) around the west side of the preserve.  Both trails climb approximately 170 feet from the parking area to the summit, but the second trail is a more gradual climb.  This is important when the climbers include young children and a dad carrying one of the kids most of the way up the hill!

The view from the top was worth the climb.  Bundy Hill has two summits; the main (east) summit has no view as it is surrounded by trees, but the west summit offers views facing south.  The sky was still clear as we approached the west summit, but there was enough light to make the view of snow-covered trees dazzling against a steel grey sky.  As with so many things in life, picture do not do it justice.

Love the brooding skies...

We snapped a couple of group photos in this location (with the gorgeous trees in the background) and then proceeded to the real summit for another group picture to prove that we made it to the top.

Near the false summit

On the summit

After reaching the summit, we took the McNeel trail back to our parked vehicles.  This trail is a little steeper and we had a couple of slip-and-fall incidents.  Fortunately the only thing injured was pride. Everyone seemed to enjoy the hike and it was a great way to kick off 2019!

Mark you calendar for Wednesday January 1st 2020 to join my for my 4th Annual New Year's Day hike - I'll be there for sunrise!  Until then, get outdoors and, if your schedule allows, join me for more hikes with the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy.  Keep an eye on the CWC website or facebook page for upcoming events.

Celebrating a (Solar) New Year

On January 1st, much of the world will be celebrating the new year, but this Friday might be a more appropriate day to celebrate (at least from an astronomical viewpoint).

This Friday (22 December 2018) marks the Winter Solstice, the date on which the calendar changes seasons from Fall to Winter here in Mid-Michigan (and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere).  Winter will officially begin at 5:23 PM EST.

The word solstice comes from two Latin root words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).  On the solstice, the path of the sun appears to stand still! 

Assume that you were to awaken every morning before dawn and mark the location that the sun rises on the eastern horizon.  You would notice that the sun does not in fact arise from the same place every day.  Instead it wanders north and south along the horizon, moving north during the Winter and Spring and back south again during the Summer and Fall.  On the Summer Solstice (June 21st) and Winter Solstice (December 21st), the sun ceases to move further along the horizon, appearing to "stand still" before reversing its course the next day.

You have probably already noticed in addition to the location of the rising sun, the length of day and night vary throughout the year.  As the sun progresses south, the day shortens and the night lengthens.  The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day (and longest night) of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.  Here in Mid-Michigan we will mark the date with approximately 8 hours 57 minutes of daylight.  As the sunrise moves back north along the horizon our days will slowly get longer until on the Summer Solstice we will experience nearly 15 hours 25 minutes of daylight.

Why does the sun move and the length of day vary?

It all has to do with a tilt in the Earth's axis.  The Earth rotates on its axis approximately once every 24 hours - giving us the length of our day.  It also revolves around the sun approximately once every 365 days - the length of our year.  If the Earth's axis was perpendicular the plane on which it revolves around the sun, our days would be the same length throughout the year (approximately 12 hours), but the axis is not perpendicular to this plane.  Instead the Earth's axis tilts 23.5 degrees from the vertical.

The points on the globe that the axis revolves around are referred to as the North and South Poles.  The axis is always pointed toward the same location in the sky.  The North Pole points toward the "North Star" - Polaris.  As the earth revolves around the sun, sometimes the North Pole is closer to the sun, sometimes the South Pole is closer to the sun.  When the North Pole is at its closest, we experience Summer in Mid-Michigan and the Southern Hemisphere experiences Winter.  When the North Pole is at its furthest, we experience Winter and the Southern Hemisphere experiences Summer.

On two days of the year, the Earth's axis is perpendicular to the plane of its revolution.  On those two days we do experience equal periods of day and night because the sun rises due east and sets due west.  During the rest of the year our hours of daylight vary depending on where the axis is pointed.  During our summer months, the tilt in the axis means that the northern hemisphere is closer to the sun and receives more hours of sunlight.  During the winter months, the reverse is true.  On the Winter Solstice, the North Pole is tilted at its furthest angle from the sun resulting in the shortest day (and longest night) of the year for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.

Why did I say that the Winter Solstice would be a better day to celebrate the new year?

Tracking the position of the rising sun was among the first astronomical observations.  Many ancient monuments seem to have been constructed as solar observatories, aligned with the locations of sunrise and sunset on the longest and shortest day of the year.  To early agricultural societies especially, tracking the seasons accurately could mean the difference between a bountiful harvest and failure of a year's crops.  The day that the sun "stood still" in its southward journey and then began to return north, bringing more hours of daylight and eventually warmer weather seems such an obvious point to mark the beginning of a new year!

Join me on a hike to celebrate the Solstice!

To celebrate the Winter Solstice, I am leading a nighttime hike at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Sylvan Solace Preserve.  This hike will begin at 7:00PM.  Sylvan Solace Preserve is located on Pickard Road, between Gilmore Road and Littlefield Road, approximately 8 miles west of downtown Mt. Pleasant.

We are doing a nighttime hike because another celestial event lines up with the solstice this year - a full moon.  (Technically the full moon will be on December 22nd, but it will be more than 97% illuminated on the night of the 21st.)  We are expecting light snowfall early in the day - this should brighten up the woods.  Hopefully the moon will peek through the expected clouds and illuminate our hike.  The trails at Sylvan Solace are flat and well-defined making this a great first night hiking experience!  I hope to do the hike without any artificial lights.  Wear warm clothes and bring a headlamp or flashlight just to be safe.

National Trails Day 2018 - A Wildflower Walk at Quigley Creek Natural Area

I'm not always the best person to lead hikes - I tend to walk through swamps...

 
Last Saturday (June 2nd) was National Trails Day.  In celebration of the day, the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy hosted two events.  In the morning CWC Board Member and Former Executive Director Stan Lilley led a bird walk at the Hall's Lake Preserve.  In the afternoon I led an outing to search for wildflowers at Quigley Creek Natural Area.  Although I think the beginning of June is sort of an in-between season for wildflowers, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of plants that we positively identified.  Trees are not included in this list because we did not focus on them and only mentioned a few species in passing.

Thank you to everyone who came out and followed their guide (That would be me.) through a swamp.  You were all good sports about the experience!

A dozen people showed up to search for wildflowers.

Now here's the list of species that we recorded.

Herbaceous Plants
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)
Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
Feathery False Solomon's Seal (Maianthemum racemosum)
Big-leaf Aster (Eurybia macrophylla)
Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia) - non-native
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Early Meadow Rue (Thalictrum dioicum)
Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)
Spring Avens (Geum vernum)
Swamp Buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus)
Common Black Snakeroot (Sanicula marilandica)
Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Spotted Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis)
Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)
Hog-peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata)
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Wood Nettle (Laportea canadensis)
Cleavers (Galium aparine)
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)
Starflower (Trientalis borealis)
Large-flowered Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Swamp Saxifrage (Saxifraga pensylvanica)
Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)
Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) - non-native

Wild Columbine

Wild Geranium

Swamp Saxifrage

Yellow Flag Iris - a potentially invasive species

Ferns
Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis)
Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum)
Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)

Cinnamon Fern

Shrubs
American Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis)
Running Strawberrybush (Euonymus obovatus)
Bristly Greenbrier (Smilax hispida)

Upcoming Event - Quiet Water Symposium (03 March 2018)

 

On Saturday March 3rd I will be attending the 2018 Quiet Water Symposium.  The Quiet Water Symposium (QWS) is a gathering dedicated to non-motorized transportation in the outdoors including biking, sailing, backpacking, and especially canoeing & kayaking.  QWS takes place at the Michigan State University Livestock Pavilion at 4310 Farm Lane Road in East Lansing.  Tickets for adults are $10, $5 for students with an ID, and free for kids 12 and under.

This year there are over 160 different vendors/exhibitors setting up at QWS.  In addition to the vendor there are thirty-three presentations scheduled over the course of the day.  QWS is a great event whether you are new to paddling and hiking or if you have been doing them for decades.  

This year I can be found in one of three places - helping sell axes and other outdoor equipment at the LeValley Outdoors booth, manning a table for the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy (CWC), or at the booth for the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE).

Happy New Year 2018!

Happy New Year!

How did you start 2018?

I began the year by getting up at 5:00AM for a sunrise hike at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Bundy Hill Preserve. 

I wasn't alone in my determination to see the first sunrise of the new year from the highest oint in Isabella County - nine other nature lovers joined me for this hike.  This has become an annual tradition.  On January 1st 2017, a group of approximately 15 hikers made the same trek to begin the new year.

In 2017 we experienced a great sunrise.  Unfortunately we were not so lucky this year.  An overcast sky prevented us from seeing the sun.  Still it was a great opportunity to start the new year off with a dose of nature.

While most of Isabella County is flat or gently rolling, Bundy Hill is part of a glacial moraine that rises above the rest of the county.  The trail to the summit climbs more than 160 feet from the parking area and can be a bit of challenge when covered with snow.  

It's easy to overheat when climbing hills in the winter.  Remember to take it easy.  You don't want to break a sweat when the temperatures are near zero degrees;  when you stop moving the sweat means that you get cold fast.  It's better to remove layers or open zippers and be a little chilled when beginning a winter hike than to freeze later once your clothes are sweat-soaked.

Starting up the final seep section of the trail.

We arrived at the summit about 10 minutes before official sunrise (8:09AM).  We stood around talking for a few minutes, hoping that the sun would break through the clouds.  When it became evident that we were not going to get our wish we snapped a couple group pictures and headed on down the hill to get an early start to the new year.

While leaving I saw my first wildlife of the year - a pair of White-tailed Deer.

Upcoming Events (January - March 2018)

I am leading or hosting several upcoming events for the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy.  I have been involved with the CWC as a volunteer for approximately five years - leading field trips, performing stewardship, and participating in biological surveys.  In March of this year I was asked to join the organization's Board of Directors.  I am still leading trips, just under a different capacity.

New Year's Day Sunrise Hike (Monday 01 January 2018)

Join me on Monday January 1st at 7:30AM at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Bundy Hill Preserve for a sunrise hike to start the new year.  Bundy Hill is the highest point in Isabella County - this event is timed to have us on the crest when the sun passes over the horizon.  This event is free but participants are asked to register in advance.  Please visit the CWC website for more information on this event.

New Year's Day Moonlight Hike (Monday 01 January 2018)

After beginning the day with a hike, end the first day of the new year with a second hike.  Join me at the CWC's Sylvan Solace Preserve at 9:00PM for a moonlight hike.  Hiking under a full moon is an exciting way to explore the winter woods!  Like the previous hike, the event is free and participants are asked to register in advance.  More information on this event including a registration form can be found here.

Winter Animal Tracking (Saturday 03 January 2018)

The CWC's third outdoor hike of the year will take place on Saturday February 3rd at 10:00AM at the Halls Lake Natural Area.  Join us as we search for tracks, scat, and other animal signs.  For more information and to preregister visit this event page.

Because some people may find it difficult to participate in hikes, we wanted to have a few events at an indoor venue that can be attended by people of all ability levels.  The next two events will take place at the Veterans Memorial Library at 301 S. University in Mt. Pleasant. 

Logging History of Michigan (Wednesday 28 February 2018)

Join me for my program on Michigan's historic logging era of the late 19th and early 20th century.  This presentation will focus on the tools and processes required to get logs from the woods to the mills.  This program will begin at 7:00PM in the Library Annex.  More information is available on the CWC website.

Spring Wildflowers (Wednesday 28 March 2018)

The last event on the current schedule is my presentation on spring wildflowers of Mid-Michigan.  This program will focus on some of the common species that can be found in the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's preserves (and across Mid-Michigan) during the months of March, April, and May.  This program begins at 7:00PM in the Library Annex.  Like all the previous events, admission to this event is free, but donations to the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy are always welcome.

New Year's Day hike at Bundy Hill Preserve

Happy 2017!  How did you begin your new year?  On New Year's Day, I woke up before 6:00AM and drove forty-five minutes to the Bundy Hill Preserve. In the pre-dawn twilight, I was joined by a group of other nature lovers for a sunrise hike.  Located in western Isabella County, the Bundy Hill Preserve is the newest property owned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy.  At approximately 1,270 feet above sea level, Bundy Hill is the highest point in Isabella County. 

From the parking area, a half-mile trail led us up and down over snow covered hills to the summit of Bundy Hill.  While most of Isabella County is flat or gently rolling, Bundy Hill is part of a glacial moraine that rises above the rest of the county.  The trail to the summit climbs about 150 feet from the parking area and can be a bit of challenge when covered with snow.

I took this photo in low light conditions while moving forward.  I think it's interesting.

Hikers climbing the first part of the slope.

The steep climb near the summit

We arrived at the summit just a few minutes before the sun peaked over the horizon.  This gave us the opportunity to explore.  Some of the group went west to a false summit that offers open views to the south.  The rest of the group remained at the peak.  While we waited for the sunrise, a few late arrivers trickled onto the scene.  By the time 8:09AM (the official time of sunrise) rolled around, there were fourteen people gathered at the top of Bundy Hill - with two more stragglers to arrive soon.

On the western summit

The main summit of the hill

Fortunately, we picked a good morning for the hike.  Right on schedule a brilliant reddish-orange sun rose on the eastern horizon.  The summit of Bundy Hill is surrounded by trees so we lacked a clear view of the sunrise, but it could be seen peeking through the trees.  The sun elicited all the appropriate oohs and ahhs from the crowd.  

The sun can be seen peeking through the trees on the right side of the photo.

Everyone smile!

 

Some of the happy hikers recorded the event with photos or videos; others were happy to just revel in the dawning of a new day and a new year.  A quick group photo with the sun in the background, and people began to trickle back down the trail to begin their day.  I lingered a while longer, taking photos from points along the trail.  

 

This was my second trip to Bundy Hill in less than a week.  Because I was leading the New Year's Day hike and had never visited the property before, I made an exploratory trip last Thursday just to check on trail conditions.  The highlight of that trip was seeing an immature Bald Eagle from the western summit.

Immature Bald Eagle (29 December 2016)

Field Trip - Pyramid Point Hiking Trail

Shara and I spent the weekend camping near Traverse City.  On Saturday (24 SEP), we went to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and hiked a section of the Pyramid Point Trail.  This popular trail segment leads to a bluff that rises 300 feet above Lake Michigan.  The trail to this overlook measures about 0.6 miles one way (for a 1.2 mile round trip).  The total elevation change of this trail is more than 200 feet, with about 140 feet of that coming in the final 0.2 miles of the climb.  If you are not used to climbing hills it can be a challenge, but the view is entirely worth the effort.

The trail leads upward

The trail passes though a mixed hardwood forest - including stands of birch

Shara stops to photograph something along the trail

Pay attention to the sign!

Tired, but proud, the view is totally worth it

Me with North Manitou Island in the background

The South Manitou Island lighthouse can be seen on the horizon at the left

The lake is 300 feet down from the top of the bluff!

Looking east along the bluff

A wider angle view of the horizon to the northwest

North Manitou Island - you see the dunes on the island's southwest side

Another view of the eastern horizon

Heading back down the trail

The Pyramid Point Trail is just one of thirteen named trails within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - not counting the trails on the Manitou Islands.  Sleeping Bear Dunes is located about 2 hours 15 minutes from Mid-Michigan.  There is a fee for using the park. Currently, a 7-day vehicle pass costs $15 or an annual pass can be purchased for $30.  There is also a pass for people entering the park on foot or by bicycle ($7 for 7 days).  Check the calendar, there are several fee-free days throughout the year - the next one is scheduled for Veterans Day (November 11th).