Wildflower Hike on the Kekekabic Trail

Pin Cherry

 

My dog Ellie and I took a nice hike a couple of weeks ago on the Kekekabic Trail from the Gunflint Trail to Mine Lake.  It was a warm afternoon, and Ellie jumped in the water many times to cool off.  The mosquitoes and black flies weren't bad until the end of the hike, but I did pick a few wood ticks off of both of us.

Wild Strawberry

 I was delighted to find so many new wildflowers along the trail, along with some other interesting wildlife.  Wildlife sightings included a pair of ring-necked ducks, a redbelly snake, spring azure and mourning cloak butterflies, and an American toad.

Speckled Alder

 The first flower of the year on the Gunflint Trail is generally the speckled alder.  Male catkins on this member of the birch family grow spikes.  Most people walk by this flower and don't know it's a flower.

Kekekabic Trail

American Toad

 Ellie is very good as spotting toads.  Luckily, she has never grabbed one.  She would be in for a huge surprise, as the toad defense mechanism is to put out the worst tasting chemical imaginable.

One time, I was leading a hike, and saw a toad hopping on the edge of the trail.  There was a big white dog along, and I told the dog's caretakers not to let the dog near the toad.  When the dog spotted the charismatic reptile, it lunged and grabbed the toad.  The dog staggered back with foam pouring out of its' mouth and a very surprised look on its' face.  Undamaged, the toad hopped away.

Wild Strawberry

 

The wild strawberries were flowering during my hike, and will bear fruit in June.  Wild strawberries are a little smaller than blueberries you might find in the store.  They have a lot more flavor than the genetically modified varieties.  I've found that the flavor of a strawberry is inversely proportional to the size.

Kekekabic Trail at (and in) Mine Lake

The Kekekabic Trail was flooded in multiple areas, which is normal.  The line of water off of Mine Lake is actually the hiking trail.  If you decide to hike this trail for any distance, be prepared to get a little wet.

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Pink Lady's Slipper

 

The pink lady's slipper is often mistaken for our Minnesota State Flower.  Our actual state flower is the showy lady's slipper, which is a much rarer species.  Pink lady's slippers take about five years to go from seed to flower, and the showy lady's slipper takes approximately fifteen years to do the same thing.  In orchids, seeds do not contain a source of food like most other seeds, so they have to wait for a certain type of fungus to start growing on which they feed.  Please do not pick these amazing flowers if you find them in the wild!

The Kekekabic Trail was originally built to allow firefighters access to the wilderness.  It was well placed, since most of the major wildfires in the last two decades have crossed this path.  The wildfires make for a much greater biodiversity, as the Gunflint Trail is in a fire-dependent ecosystem.  I highly recommend this beautiful hiking trail if you are on the Upper Gunflint Trail.  It can also be accessed from Ely, Minnesota.