Brian Walters
Paul Baumbusch, Trail Genius
Author
Paul Baumbusch, Trail Genius

Paul Baumbusch fell in love with Northern Michigan while attending Interlochen Arts Academy, where he studied creative writing. A class field trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes made him dream of living in Leelanau someday…and now he does! In addition to blogging, Paul also writes poems and stories, many of which draw inspiration from the seasons of Leelanau. Contact him at paulbaumbusch@gmail.com

10 Spring Wildflowers You Should Know

It’s the Trail Genius’s favorite time of year — the psychedelic time when the prettiest of wildflowers, the spring ones, are carpeting the forest floor. \ Mini-hikes that used to take thirty minutes now take an hour plus, because you’re having to stop every five seconds to admire some jewel popping…

Read More

Go On A Mushroom Treasure Hunt

Looking for a laundry list of worthless tips about where and how to find morels in Leelanau County? Read no further. What a newbie really needs is some on-the-ground training—someone to actually show you what you’re looking for and how to recognize the perfect conditions for finding it. By Bob Butz…

Read More

Searching for Spring - At Three Special Spots

Some call it “sprinter” — the tumultuous transition from winter to spring, when Mother Nature can’t seem to make up her mind. Gorgeous weather one day, a dusting of snow the next. I’m loving the touch-and-go “sprinting,” though, because after a long winter up north, I feel obliged to savor every…

Read More

A Sunny Day of X-C Skiing at Palmer Woods

I’ll be candid. This was to be my first time ever cross-country skiing. But I knew exactly where I wanted to go, because it’s where all the cool kids (i.e. my friends, of course) go for X-C skiing (which is what the cool kids call it). Palmer Woods. By Paul Baumbusch | Trail Genius I awakened with a…

Read More

The Mystique of Alligator Hill in Winter

By Paul Baumbusch | Trail Genius The clouds were rolling in, but that was ok – ideal, even – because I was headed to Alligator Hill. This majestic 9-mile national park trail was hit hard by straight-line winds from the great storm of ’15. Today it boasts a haunting mystique, as well as breathtaking…

Read More