Jordan River Pathway (7/24/10-7/25/10)
We left for the Jordan River Pathway early Saturday and got to the parking lot a Deadman’s Hill at about 10am. As we got our packs together at the car, a rabbit appeared within a few feet. It was a domestic rabbit, an odd thing to see in a parking lot in the middle of the woods. Just about the time we had our packs on and were ready to head out, it started raining. We dove back into the car and napped for about 30 minutes while it poured. When things started to let up the rabbit was no where to be seen and we donned our rain gear and started down the trail.
Fen in the Jordan River Valley
The loop from Deadman’s Hill (named because a logger died on the hill) to Pinney Bridge walk-in campground and back is 18.5 miles. We hike south on the west side of the river. The first several miles of trail twists through beaver ponds and fen before meeting the Jordan River. The river is a beautiful sandy-bottomed stream of cold, clear water. The shore along it is often peat, and the numerous fallen logs in the river turn it into a maze through which the current twists. We saw some interesting things along the way: two moths in congress, lots of american toads, and some deer flies eating three dead carrion beetles. We got to the Pinney Bridge campground around 4 p.m. and set up the tent, at which point it started to rain again. We hung out in the tent for a while as rain fell, and then went down to the river before having dinner and turning in.
Pinney Bridge campground is nice. If you don’t walk south like we did it’s about a 1/4 mile walk in from Pinney Road. There are maybe 15 sites circling a meadow that used to be a logging camp. We had fun imagining the logging camp, and Anna joked about a Park Service “evening program” about the grounds’ history as first a logging camp, then a Conservation Corp camp, and finally a state campground.
Snail on the Jordan River Pathway
Sunday was a beautiful day, especially in the woods. We hit the trail for the 10-mile hike back north through beautiful woods and over more challenging terrain. Spotted an interesting pawprint in the sand where the trail passed through a meadow. Not sure what kind of animal it was. Anna talked a bit about how, going on hikes is more interesting for her know that she’s not doing scientific fieldwork; said that for the past several years going on hikes was a bit too similar to going to work. When we got back to Deadman’s Hill at about 3pm and the rabbit was there at the car again.
This is a great hike. I think even nicer than the Manistee River Trail loop.
Tags: backpacking, jordan river
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