Fall Color at Ludington State Park

2011 10 24  It turned into a beautiful sunny day after a night of late October thunderstorms.  Temps in the mid 50's, blue sky.  Marie and I went to one of my most favorite trails, Island Trail with Lost Lake Trail at Ludington State Park just north of Ludington, Michigan.

We checked out some interesting rocks under the shallow waters of Hamlin Lake (this man made lake originated during the logging era when lumbermen dammed the Big Sable River to make an enormous holding pond for trees felled upstream).

                                   Maybe a Pike?

While on Bing maps online I saw one large interdunal wetland near the trail we would be walking on.  We ended up taking a side trip to find it. 

It was big, how big, well more like a small lake.  There were cattails, and lily pads, this place always has water, it doesn't dry up.  And I found Gerardia blooming, lots of it!  This was a very special place, quiet and remote.

On our way out of the park we just had to stop and check out some more wet areas. 

These wet areas dry up, and we found there wasn't much water here but lots of mud.  As soon as I started looking around I found just one Kalm's (Brook) Lobelia blooming! 

Just one flower.

We moved on to a place where last summer we had seen several Bladderwort. 
Remember the Horned Bladderwort from July 2010?

This is the land of Horned Bladderwort.

I was just saying to Marie, we were walking on future bladderwort when I looked down and found the Last of the Summer's -  Horned Bladderwort!! 

            There was just the one. 

What a great day!