Muse by David Teitsma

I got to spend a weekend at Ludington State Park biking, hiking, resting, and trying not to shiver. The colors were just a bit past their peak, but it was still immensely beautiful.

I took a lot of pictures, but weeded it down to 51 quality pictures. With the addition of my GPS unit to my gear, I now have maps of where my pictures were taken. Check out the map for this set here.

We arrived to Ludington State Park on Friday. So the night was busy with us settling into our campsite and unpacking.

Saturday morning, I woke early up and went biking with the hopes of making it to Noordhouse Dunes. However, when we checked-in at the park, the ranger told us that tornados earlier that year had decimated the roads. So, I wasn’t sure how far I'd make it.

 

 

As I biked to the other side of Hamlin Lake a small bay had beautiful trees around it accentuated by the morning sun a light mist on top of the water. It was stunningly beautiful.

Many roads were closed. I didn’t make it up to Noordhouse Dunes, as too many roads were closed off and the only way around was too long of a detour.

Wondering how badly the roads were damaged, I ventured past a road closed sign and sections of road that had been washed away by the rain brought by the tornados.

Below is the map of my Saturday Hike:

Later on Saturday, I tied my hiking boots and went for a hike around the state park. Starting at the campsite I hiked several miles through the woods. I layered up to stay warm, intending to shed a layer once I warmed up from the hike, but I warmed up so much I didn’t need neither sweater that I was wearing.

I was perfect timing for some great photos as I left the woods and entered the dunes. I seemed so close to the lighthouse, but the sand slowed me down.

I love the soft tint of pink from the setting sun in these pictures.

By the time I got back to the campsite it was getting dark and I had hiked over 6 miles, in addition to the 35 miles I biked that morning.

It was a beautiful day for picture again, especially with the beautiful water and its white-capped waves.

Sunday morning I went for another hike along Hamlin Lake (4 miles). Yet again, it was beautiful. It was quite windy also as you can see in the video below. As I hiked along the trail, it was interesting to see the scattered small islands that developed from damming the river that empties into Lake Michigan.

 

It turned out to be a beautiful and enjoyable weekend to relax and explore the area in Ludington!