Double your pleasure, double your fun, a full 6+ hr day of fall colors on the Manistee River today with 9 friends. Only way it could have been better was if Mother Nature had provided a little sunshine to make the leaves sparkle! My most complicated hike & paddle since we hike 7 miles from Dell Rd to Old 131 Campground, but the 11 mile paddle back ends at Baxter Bridge, 2 miles farther downstream due to private property the NCT does not cross. Thanks to Henry, who only had time to hike, we were able to store our paddle gear in his truck until we finished the hike & all of our cars were at the finale. Congrats to Paula, who finished her NCTA Hike 100 Challenge today. That's 4 of us in the last 2 wks! I've got 2 more weekend hike & paddles still before the end of Oct & hoping for more fall colors, including my favorite tamaracks (larch). by Sara "Energizer"
Rick, Mary Beth, Anne, Henry, Gary, Patty, Paula, Linnaea, Bryce at Dell Rd NCT trailhead
early lunch at Townline Rd deck, thanks to Grand Traverse Hiking Club trail crew
Bryce & Paula in tandem canoe, Patty & Gary in lookalike kayaks
Linnaea in kayak, Mary Beth & Anne in tandem canoe
Rick in solo canoe