Hiking Sights; Mason Tract Cougar?

We took some nice hikes up north last week. Though we took relatively few pictures, I'll let some of those tell the stories.


We saw a few of these guys going nuts on milkweeds.


These too.


While walking on one trail, I felt something land on my hand. Glad I didn't slap at it reflexively, because it was one of these guys.

We actually saw quite a few mayflies (hexes, brown drakes, isonychias, march browns, light cahills, sulfurs, blue wing olives) in the woods, even on our tent, while we were in Petoskey. It's a shame trout don't live on trails.


Along the edge of Sturgeon Bay, Lake Michigan.


Wild garlic growing near Wakely Lake, outside Grayling.


A point in a weedy backwater of Wakely.

Nothing spectacular here, I guess. Mostly though, it's the myriad small things that make the outdoors seem so rich, and so engrossing to me.
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Note this coda to this week's fishing report from Gates Lodge:

Rumor has it there is a cougar running around down on the Mason Tract. Fisherman first reported seeing a cat with a long tail.... coming out on the trail one night fishing late for hex. Same week, another angler reports something followed him for over a half mile as he's walking back to his car. Same general area.

Now the report is DNR has been baiting with dead deer carcasses in the area. Guess what! These deer are being dragged into the tops of trees! That's a cougar.... and at least we know he's being well fed. So if you hear strange sounds in the night, better start singing to let em know you are just another fisherman.

Yet another tantaling lead in the Great Michigan Cougar Hunt. Will this be the one who finally steps into a camera lens--or a trap--to resolve the dispute as to whether they live here?

Tags: Outdoors; Michigan