An Autumnal Equinox Celebration...

Happy autumn blog readers!  The sun is shining brilliantly and warmly in the window near where I type; the goldfinches and crickets are singing amongst the flowers outside and tomato sauce is cooking down on the stove (thanks for these tomatoes, Tim!)...what a poignant time of year.  We spent the weekend celebrating with great friends along the Manistee River Trail in Michigan for our annual equinox backpacking trip.

The trail follows the banks along the clear fast water of the Manistee.

A bridge connects the Manistee River Trail and the North Country Trail allowing for a nice 20 mile loop.  The bridge also offers some great views from above of the crystal clear water and its inhabitants.

Smaller streams feed the Manistee River and carry sediment free water.  Beautiful.

Fantastic sinuous nature of an unstraightened river...

Time to stop and eat and enjoy our surroundings punctuated our hiking.   This particular stop was well deserved by Savannah (the cute pup) after a painful quilling in the mouth by a porcupine.

We observed an American dagger moth scaling down the bark of a tree...no doubt in preparation for a winter slumber.

Kayakers are good indicators of a clean river.

Cool fungus grew throughout the woodlands...

including this yellow fly agaric:

Steve spotted a fruiting Indian Cucumber...

Happy hikers at our camp spot over looking the river...