Flowers with Magnetic Personalities by Rachel

Sue's note:  I have such fond memories of hiking the Magnetic Rock Trail through the old growth forest...and those friends I hiked with back in the 80's...before wind storms and fires cleared it...and when I think about it.....especially those friends that I hiked with...  Now I'm so happy with my little route by the pond, over the bridge, and to the windy overlook on top of the alpine meadow, that the other day I found myself wishing away the jack pines that have taken a growth spurt lately.  Yikes, they're going to take over the meadow!! And then I have to slap the side of my head and say.....'Let it go Sue'.  I know I can't stop the change by clinging, but I sure can expend a lot of energy with the struggle.   Life is change, it was good then, it is good now.  And aren't the woods full of metaphors?  Thanks to Rachel for sharing her hike.  P.S. The blueberries are a little sparse this year, but some are already ripe!

On Wednesday, Justin, Denali and I went for a hike along the Magnetic Hiking Trail just across the Gunflint Trail from Tuscarora.    We're glad to navigate guests through routes of old forest upon request, but variety  is beautiful when you are walking through the sunshine through fields of flowers. So what if there are no towering pines or thickets of alder shading your portage? Without a dense canopy, the wildflowers go nuts in the spring. Every ecosystem needs variety, and here that means a riot of color. The yellow hawkweed is blooming so abundantly I gave up on taking pictures of it a while ago. The wood lilies are so charismatic it is hard to not stop and take a picture of each one. Harebell is one of my favorite delicate little flowers that tenaciously hangs on to bare rock. I spotted one little columbine being attacked by a neighboring hawkweed. Little splotches of pink vetch were here and there along with blooming shrubs like serviceberry. I know not all of these beauties are native to this part of the world, and that they indicate a disturbed soil environment, but when I walk through miles of them in the bright sun sometimes I like to forget all that and just enjoy.