A find! It took sliding down a hill (sandals don’t make good hiking shoes) while following Seamus as he explored his old haunt along Lake Michigan on the bluff on the south end of the Natural Area. We seldom go to that part, but there were more people than I wanted to content with on the beach area, so into the woods on the high bluff we went.
I heard it before I saw it – the leaves were like a curtain, which was one reason I slipped down the hill – but my curiosity got the better of me and after pulling back the curtain of leaves, there, below, was a rocky creek – mostly from runoff that was probably half the force it was in the spring. Since I was already down in the gorge, I followed it to its mouth to a sea-grass rung area at Lake Michigan.
The creek reminded me of a miniature Gibbons Falls in Yellowstone. Water was cascading over rocks at an elevation too steep for pools to form but the last hundred yards leveled out. I think it will be worth checking out this fall and next spring for spawning salmon.
The rest of the afternoon was spent looking for an easier way down, which of course made for an easier way back up. One thing’s for sure, no sandals the next time we come back.
TD