August 12

The mid-morning temperatures are in the low 70’s, under mostly sunny skies as I’m joined by Caroline, Riley and our good friend, Brenda to begin hiking the Old Growth Trail in Hartwick Pines State Park, eight miles northeast of Grayling. The paved trail leads through a remnant of Michigan's original forest, dominated by tall white pines that were mostly logged off in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Along the way, I spot large trunks of not only White Pine, but also Red Pine and Hemlock. Also, some Hemlock branches reveal both young male green cones and older brown cones. The green cones are edible when boiled. Up ahead, I gaze skyward at some very tall white pines, both dead and alive. The trail brochure states the tallest ones are between 150 and 160 feet tall and have a girth of around four feet. Walking along, a cluster of one-inch wide, edible common Puffballs catch my eye as well as the unripe, inedible fruit of White Baneberry. If ingested, the toxic berries have an almost immediate sedative effect on the human heart and can lead to cardiac arrest. Following the paved path, I see different types of bracket fungi, including Mossy May Polypore, Artist’s Conk and Tinder Conk. Along the edge of the trail, I notice tiny pink blossoms of Heal-all. Also called woundwort, heart-of-the earth, carpenter's herb, brown wort or blue curls. This plant is thought to be native to Eurasia but it was widely distributed before European exploration began and is found in every state and all Canadian provinces. Though the herb has been used medicinally for centuries and all manner of heal-all products are sold on the Internet, there is little in the way of scientific research to support or repudiate its effectiveness. Continuing on the trail, I spot other ground fungi, including small, orange Pixie Cups and Horsehair Parachute mushrooms. Nearby, I observe some Sugar Maple leaves with small, projections on the leaf surface. Called spindle galls, these growths are the homes of tiny garden mites. This condition has little to no effect on the health of the leaves or the tree. After getting a close up view of some Wrinkled Crust fungi on a tree trunk, I look down to spot a non-edible, 3-inch, Yellow-staining Milk Cap mushroom. Sources of green on the forest floor, include Wood fern and Woodland Sedge. Near the completion of the 1.25 mile hike, I pause to watch a feeding Black squirrel. More accurately called an Melanistic Eastern Gray squirrel, this species is a common color morph in Michigan, making up about 56% of the Gray squirrel population. 

August days unfold

Meadow trail, I trod

White & yellow blossoms

Aster and goldenrod

Atop a milkweed flower

Monarch butterfly

Gentle north breeze

Partly cloudy sky

High in the heavens

Turkey vultures glide

Wildlife of summer

Nature hits her stride

 

D. DeGraaf