The North Country Trail - Hillsdale

Ever since learning of the North Country Trail over a decade ago, I've thought of hiking it.  Or parts of it.  The closest it passes to me is through Hillsdale, Michigan.  Early one Saturday morning I headed out there and started walking.

This is the trail heading south out of Hillsdale.  It is a nice paved trail for a mile or so before turning to a dirt path.  The picture isn't that good as I'm shooting into the light, but it is the only shot of the trail I have.

These flowers were along the trail.  I didn't take any other pictures while walking the trail.  I walked about 3 miles out and 3 miles back.  The trail was nice.

I tracked down another segment of the trail and walked about 100 feet down it.  It was pretty overgrown and since it had rained earlier in the day it was a bit wet so I turned around and headed back to the car.

After leaving the trail and starting back, I found a road bank covered with flowers.  I stopped to take some pictures and was approached by the property owner who invited me to walk around their property.  They showed me some good places to take pictures.  I spent an hour or so there before heading out.  I should know what this is, but I don't.

Another angle showing the interior of the flower.

A pretty orange flower.

A small purple flower near the stream running through their property.

A lone red leaf.

Sweet Peas, I think.

A thistle.

Another view.

On the way back I stopped at McCourtie Park in Somerset Township.  I'd stopped here once before when I took a journey down U.S. 12.  The park was owned by cement company.  He moved back to the area and bought the land. 

Since he made his money in cement, he had many cement structures built on the property, including 17 bridges.  The cement is worked to look like wood.

There are two large birdhouses on the property.  I'm not sure where the second one is, but you can see the size of this one using the picnic table in the lower right for scale.

Another one of the bridges.  The rope is actually sculpted cement.

These two trees are actually cement chimneys for the building below ground.