August 27

Last Thursday, while in Muskegon for my wife’s 50th high school reunion, we hiked nearby in the 1200-acre, P.J. Hoffmaster State Park. The mid morning weather was sunny with a temperature of 67 degrees and a westerly breeze off Lake Michigan. From the parking lot of the Gillette Visitor Center, we first stopped at their butterfly garden where I spotted a pair of adult Monarchs feeding on Jerusalem Artichoke blossoms as well as a caterpillar crawling on a Milkweed leaf. On another Milkweed plant, I noticed a cluster of Milkweed Bugs including nymphs and adults feeding on the seedpods. These bugs undergo incomplete metamorphosis. The nymphs look like adults but do not have full wings and their color pattern is different. They have five instars before they reach adulthood. By feeding on milkweed they obtain nasty tasting chemicals and, in turn become distasteful to a wide range of predators. Following the trail west we entered a mature, back dune forest of American Beech, Sugar Maple and Black Oak as well as Canadian Hemlock. Arriving at a fork, we turned south and followed the Dune Climb Overlook trail to a set of 193 stairs that took us to the top for a panoramic view of Lake Michigan and a portion of the worlds most extensive set of freshwater dunes. These sand hills are among the youngest geological formations in Michigan, formed only 3,000 years ago and constantly changing in appearance, size and their effect on the environment. Retracing our steps back to the fork, we took the Lake Michigan Beach trail as it gradually descended west toward the lake. After noticing a few young Sassafras trees, we moved out of the forest toward the shoreline where I paused to observe a Beach Wormwood plant. Wandering around the fore dune, I spotted two kinds of beach grass including: Marram Grass and Sand Reed Grass. Finally reaching the beach, I paused to look and listen to the breaking waves rolling on shore. Also, I spotted a few Ring Billed Gulls far ahead. Retracing our steps back toward the car, we were serenaded by whining Cicadas. Reaching the car, we headed back to our rental in Muskegon.

Breaking waves

Wash the land

Dunes of summer

Grains of sand

Scenic shoreline

Seagull shrills

Dunes of summer

Shifting hills

Opportunity

We had to take

Dunes of summer

Beside the lake

D. DeGraaf