Category Archives: State Parks

Getting the Shot–Split Rock Lighthouse Under the Stars

After reserving my campsites at Split Rock Lighthouse last winter I began to explore different photographs I wanted to attempt to get. With several weeks passing pondering several ideas I finally decided I would love to capture the lighthouse under the Milkyway. The direction didn’t line up great but with the dark skies of the North Shore in Minnesota I expected to at least see a partial band of the our galaxy over Split Rock. Continuing my research I discovered the moon could be a problem as it would be nearing it’s full phase. Armed with this information I waited until the camping trip in June to make further preparations to capture the lighthouse at night.

The lighthouse from a distance

During the afternoon, while at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, I began to scout out potential locations and compositions. Starting from a distance I took a look at the overall scene attempting to figure out how much of Lake Superior I wanted in the photo and how much of the night sky I could get in a picture and still see the lighthouse well. From here I continued to move closer to the building as there was no way it would stand out this far away.

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As the afternoon was nearing the end and evening was about to take over, I continued to climb over the sharp granite of Lake Superior searching for an interesting place to set up later that night. I began to feel more confident in a location to start at once darkness arrived. It may work well but it could be less interesting once the moon broadcast its light over the landscape.

Adjusting the composition

Pressing on to find an alternative location or two I continued on closer to the lighthouse perched on top of a cliff overlooking the grand lake. Finding a couple more spots closer to Split Rock Lighthouse I was finally satisfied. Time had arrived to return to the campsite for a delicious dinner cooked over a fire and a little rest before journeying back during the night.

First photos under the stars

Now with a full stomach and the sun falling below the horizon it was getting time to head out. But now the days activities were beginning to wear on me and I was ready to crawl into my sleeping bag. In addition, the temperature was dropping quickly which had begun to penetrate through to my bones really causing me to question just how bad I wanted to go out with the camera underneath the dark sky. After fighting with myself for nearly 20 minutes I forced myself to get up, put on a coat, and grab the backpack containing my gear. Still reluctant to take the 15 minute walk to the lighthouse, I just kept putting one foot in front of the other until my motivation returned. I knew where I wanted to go and in no time I arrived. Scanning the scene now under moonlight, I became less convinced it was the spot for the photograph I wanted. Still I knew that if I didn’t pull out the camera and take a couple of shots I would likely not make it back here. What if this turns out to be the best location? After a few pictures, I wasn’t satisfied with my results.

A different camera position

The first thing I like to do is change my cameras orientation to see how that alters the scene. I liked this look better as the boulders became more prominent for a more complete picture. Still it wasn’t giving me the photograph I was after. The lower boathouse was a huge distraction under the near full moonlight and I couldn’t compose the shot in a way that the boathouse was removed and the lighthouse was located nicely. It was time to move closer as I suspected I would have to do. Under the moons illumination along with my flashlight I continued to crawl over the rocks slowly getting closer to the lighthouse and the cliff it guarded. By this time I was beginning to warm back up from my efforts to safely maneuver the rocky shoreline.

Getting closer to the Lighthouse

Finding a spot close enough to capture the lighthouse with stars above I scoured the shoreline seeking out boulders positioned in an interesting way to give me the picture I was attempting to capture. While doing this a voice called out from the dark. It was another photographer camped among the rocks photographing the Milkyway. Proof that each photographer sees things differently to create a unique picture. He had come here on a rare free night with no work the next day to capture the beautiful band of stars but having a difficult time due to the moon. I wanted to capture the Milkyway also but knew it would be a challenge due to the moon and altered my plan to use the moonlight to my advantage. It lit up the shoreline and lighthouse better than I could have expected creating a photograph that appears to have been taken during the day but then the stars shining above let you know it was not. It made for a scene very few people get to experience let alone photograph. It did take a bit of time to get an appropriate exposure due to this high light with a dark sky and water. Once I found a good exposure I kept snapping photos making little adjustments until I had what I thought would be a nice photograph. I actually like the picture above better than the one at the top of the post but that doesn’t show as well on the website which is why I used the landscape oriented picture for the post.

A faint view of the Milkyway over Lake Superior

I decided to snap a couple of pictures of the Milkyway shining dimly in the night sky just to see how it would turn out. Some time I hope to work with the photo a bit more and see if I can extrapolate this band of bright stars more. While talking with the other photographer, he mentioned that using a good telephoto lens you could actually capture Jupiter with its four visible moons. Once I was done with my session at the lighthouse I headed towards my car to retrieve my Sigma 200-500mm lens and attached it to the camera. After a little searching through the viewfinder I spotted Jupiter. Focusing in on it I could definitely make out four other objects around it. These must be the moons! Playing with the camera a bit I snapped some photos before decided I had enough fun and was now cold again and ready for sleep.

Jupiter with four of its moons

Exploring Carlos Avery State Wildlife Area

Carlos Avery Wildlife Area has been a place I’ve heard of a number of times and even view photos from but not some place I’ve been to. I just kept forgetting about it whenever I’ve decided to go out to a park for awhile. Finally I took the opportunity to explore this wildlife area this summer to see what’s there. Much of it is wetlands and lakes but there are some gravel roads that allow you to drive around and see some of the scenery and wildlife living in this large protected place. I arrived before the sun came up to enjoy a beautiful summer mornings sunrise. To make this even more enjoyable, fog started to develop just before the sun ascended above the tree tops. As the suns power continued to grow, the fog quickly disappeared leaving a heavy dew engulfing all of the plants near the ground.

A bee waiting to dry off before buzzing from flower to flower

Since the dew drops were so large I decided to try and capture the mornings soft, yellow light reflecting in these drops. My efforts provided less than interesting results. As I was continuing to photograph different drops I noticed a bee sitting on one of the still blooming flowers. As I studied the bee further I saw all of the dew drops preventing it from flying away. And since it was a cool morning the bee wasn’t moving much at all. I set up the camera for close up photos since I knew the bee wouldn’t bee going anywhere real soon. With the camera lens inches away I snapped photos until I had one that was nice and sharp. The wind was beginning to pick up moving this flower around so it took a few tries of clicking the shutter at just the right time to capture the flower and bee in focus before they swayed away again. Wind can be very frustrating sometimes when you want sharp photo in the early morning light causing the shutter to be slower. Still a fun challenge.

Blue Gentian

As the day went on and I continued exploring Carlos Avery I came across several different late season flowers blooming away under the warm sunlight. One that really stands out against grasses and ferns is Blue Gentian. One of the few true blue wildflowers around. It’s so striking but I always continue to look for an open flower. It always appears to be just about to open but never actually seems to. Part of the interest I guess. As the afternoon approached, clouds increased and a stray shower passed by. There were even a few cracks of thunder with a lightning bolt flashing from time to time. Staying mostly dry I continued exploring different trails to see what treasure may lay ahead.

Rain showers passing by

Many of the interesting finds on this late summers day where interesting mushrooms of different sizes,colors, and shapes from the wet, cool days just before. I could have spent most of the daylight just photographing these fungus but I would have given up opportunities to explore other areas. I expect there will be other trips here in the future to see how it changes throughout the year. Winter could be a fascinating time to explore some of the wetter places once they freeze over. Spring promises to provide many different bird sightings as they migrate north and early summer likely produces many blooming wildflowers. I always enjoy another place to explore beautiful days that should include an outdoor adventure.

A colorful mushroom peaking through the grass

Splitrock Lighthouse State Park

The only full day at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park and I wanted to make the most of it. Sunrise in the middle of June is about quarter after 5 in the morning. That’s a difficult choice to make while on vacation. Roll over and go back to sleep for a couple of hours or make yourself climb out of a warm sleeping bag to watch the sun rise over Lake Superior. Rising behind the lighthouse which is peering over a cliff? Clearly from the photo above I chose to get up, but it was not easy as I needed to be out of the tent before 5am to get to a good viewing spot. I rarely regret getting up after I begin moving and get out of the door. It’s such a peaceful beginning to a day. Quiet and calm, often times with a serene scene. You can here the wildlife around or in this case, listen to the waves of Lake Superior crashing softly into the shoreline under a foggy landscape. I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful sunrise at the lighthouse. The fog was such a nice surprise definitely worth waking up early for as it rolled out over the big lake on this cool, summer morning.

A black sand beach near the lighthouse

As the sun continued higher in the sky, the fog disappeared revealing interesting black sand beaches in a more northern setting. I’ve been fortunate to visit a black sand beach in Hawaii a few years ago and what struck me as a little weird is that the black beach of Split Rock State Park was similar even though the sand was made of from different rock. Or maybe the rock is not that different as they are both volcanic, I believe, and both get pounded into small bits and pieces from the forces of water crashing over them. Thousands of miles separate these different black sand beaches and quite different environments but they are not all that different to walk on. On this morning I had the beaches to myself to enjoy for a little while. A great opportunity to take some pictures of these beaches with large pieces of granite interspersed among the sand while enjoying the peacefulness of the quiet part of the day.

Beautiful morning on the beach

Hungar was beginning make itself known at this point which became a bit annoying. It required heading back to the campsite to find food and that meant leaving the tranquil warming sun over this beautiful beach. I fought this hungar for awhile longer which was not as hard as I thought it might be. The many distractions of every part of the landscape helped immensely. While the sun’s intensity continued to grow, I shifted from taking in the overall landscape to focusing in on a bit more of the details. There where so many different interesting rock formations, colors, and textures. Seeing some orange ribbons of stone traveling from the shoreline into Lake Superior which become interrupted by waves splashing up as they meet the shoreline. I could have spent a lot more time just exploring these places on the beach but on to more important things like nourishment.

Rocks and waves

Much of the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon were spent exploring some of the nearby state parks I love to see like Tettegouche and Gooseberry before returning for some R & R. My intent was to return to my sleeping bag for a little more sleep because my intention for the night time was to attempt astrophotography over the lighthouse. With the sun setting just after 9 pm at this time of year it would be well after 10 pm before I could start photographing the stars. Shortly after my hit the pillow I could hear a lot of water splashing down on the shores of Lake Superior near the campsite. I figured it would go away in a few minutes but it persisted over and over again. Finally I decided to see what was going on and noticed ducks making all kinds of noise back and forth along the shoreline. Of course by the time I would grab the camera and get to the shore they would surely be gone. But they continued which allowed me to set up next to a tree and capture some pictures of male Common Mergansers chasing each other. No doubt over a female. This went on for over 45 minutes before they where out of range. I returned to the campsite to see if I could now get a little sleep. And very little it was before hunger once again forced an exit to the tent.

Common Mergansers chasing each other

As evening was approaching it was time to explore closer to the lighthouse to scout some possible locations for shooting the night sky. Viewing the lighthouse perched on top of a cliff looking out over this vast lake from the shores below really gave a different perspective of the Split Rock Lighthouse. One that I’d never seen before. It was so impressive from this angle. As luck would have it, there was such a nice blue sky with white, puffy clouds floating by for a great summer’s day picture. What made it even better is that the lighthouse was now closed to tours so there were very few people here in the area allowing for an even more relaxed time of exploring around the rocks along the shoreline.

Splitrock Lighthouse under a beautiful blue sky

With the sun getting even lower in the sky, it was time to return to the campsite for an evening fire as the air was growing colder. It was expected to get down into the upper 30’s Fahrenheit overnight which is a bit chilly when sleeping in a tent. The campfire would feel really good After a beautiful day exploring a small part of the North Shore. There’s so much more to Split Rock State Park than I had anticipated and this was only a portion of this park. There are other trails which I must return to explore another time.

A little island in Lake Superior on a calm morning

Roaming the Prairie

As summer began to wind down I ventured off to Southwestern Minnesota in search of the Prairie Fringed orchid while hoping to view the Perseid meteor shower from a prairie landscape. Unfortunately I was unsuccessful at seeing much of either of these. On my last morning there a local herd of bison started to move closer to my location. What an unexpected surprise! While they were closer, they still were pretty far away for some nice photographs. Still I had envisioned photographing bison as they worked their way around the mounds of stone scattered across this part of the prairie before beginning this camping adventure. Now it seemed as though there was a possibility of capturing those shots. It was about time to tear down the campsite so I focused on that as the bison were still quite far away. With each trip of gear to the car I would check on the herd. Eventually I lost them and figured they had moved on to a further portion of their grazing area. With my equipment safely stored in my car I glanced up to see people looking at something. The bison had worked their way much closer. Observing their direction for a few minutes I grabbed the camera and found a safe place to set up for some potential photographs highlighting the huge animals against the beautiful pink quartz exposed above the prairie.

The herd of bison moving closer

Sitting for what seemed like a long time a head poked up above the grass. And then another, and another until the entire herd was becoming visible. I chose a particular stone outcropping and just waited for these bison to work their way near it. As they meandered closer I began to get a little nervous. These are very large, powerful animals. While there was a fence between us, it would be quickly trampled through if these bison had motivation to run through it. There was one bison that seemed more nervous than the others and kept an eye on me. I kept an eye on that one too. At this point several of the bison were grazing near the rocks I had pointed the camera at. I began to shoot away trying different compositions and distances taking advantage of the situation. They continued to move and were out of my range pretty quickly and I figured I was done. Just waiting for them to be completely out of sight before I move back to my car.

A young bison grazing under the watchful eye of a much larger adult

While sitting there watching, the herd came back and once again surrounded the rock outcropping I was focused on. What luck and this time they approached from a different direction providing me with a few different compositions. Once again there was one of these bison which seemed to be watching me more closely than the others. Although this time is appeared to be more out of curiosity than concern as it would reach down to eat more frequently. This time they lingered in this area longer allowing me to not only get more photographs but to just watch from time to time. I was fascinated by all of the burs stuck to their noses. Do they feel them? Are they annoyed by them? How do they get removed from their noses?

Feeling more comfortable near these large animals this time it almost felt like I was among the herd. That’s when a photo session changes from great to an amazing experience. When they just continue on their mission like you’re not even there at close range. You get to see some of the details of an animal or its behavior not easily noticed from a distance. When you can hear their light grunts and catch a bit of their scent as they grab a mouthful of grass. It all tells more about an animal than looking at them from a distance. I may have missed the Perseids and failed to find a Prairie Fringed orchid but this encounter with a herd of bison made the weekend all worth any efforts needed for a weekend trip to the prairie.

Moving closer while keeping a watchful eye

Camping at Split Rock Lighthouse

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park is one of the most familiar locations visited when traveling to Minnesota’s North Shore. I have stopped there a few times to view the this iconic lighthouse a few times. Usually I would pull into an overlook for a few minutes to view it towering over Lake Superior. On one occasion I drove up into a visitor’s parking lot to see the building up close but never really stopped and participated in a tour of these structures. Until recently I didn’t really know there was more to this beautiful state park other than the lighthouse itself. A couple of years ago I saw pictures taken from places I wasn’t familiar with and began to wonder what I was missing.

View from the campsite - Lake Superior is just beyond the trees

Earlier this summer, a college friend and I decided to spend some time camping in Northern Minnesota. He had never seen what amazing scenery Minnesota is known for before. We talked about some of the different places we could go which would provide some fun adventures during a week of camping under the stars. Narrowing down the destinations I knew the North Shore needed to be on the list. I’ve never camped next to Lake Superior and this would be a good opportunity to do so. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park was not one of the places I really wanted to camp because it’s closer to Duluth than I wanted to be making this a busier park than I was interested in staying at. Looking a little further north for camping destinations I suggested a few places but decided to research Split Rock also. It didn’t take long to begin to become more interested in this relative unfamiliar state park because all of the campsites were walk in sites. This meant no RV’s with loud generators and air conditioners to ruin the experience. Exchanging a few texts and emails, my friend and I decided to take an opportunity and camp at Split Rock Lighthouse.

A storm passes just as we set up camp

Once you take the short drive towards the beach and camp ground, the crowds of people begin to disappear. At least in early summer anyway. The campsites are beautiful with locations next to Lake Superior or views of the majestic lake. Because they are only walk in tent sites it was very quiet and peaceful. Just what I was looking for in a camping experience. There were only two nights in this place so we had to make the most of this short time. I wasn’t disappointed as we were absolutely blessed with a great mix of weather and beauty. The way our time here began, I was certain it would be a disaster and I would be looking to leave as soon as our sentence was up. We arrived mid afternoon and decided to scout out the campground before checking in and setting up. After a brief time looking over the different campsites we became anxious to get our gear and begin this new camping experience. As I looked to at the reservations to check in I realized they were for the next night and the night after that. We had no reservations for this night. I couldn’t believe I had made such a mistake. We discussed our options and I began to try and make some changes. At first I was attempting to change our reservation at another location in two nights. Unfortunately that place was almost 2 hours away. Driving that distance today after already driving half of the day to get to Split Rock was not appealing at all. I began to feel anxious and ill. Those reservations were unable to be changed so now what? It was difficult to research options as cell service was very limited and the ranger station had just closed. Eventually I found that there was a nice campsite available for the next couple of nights. There was a modest change fee to make this adjustment but that was minor in my opinion. Relief! Now we were ready to move our tent and food into our temporary home just as a crack of thunder radiated through the park.

One of the beautiful campsites of Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

We couldn’t see the storm to know which direction it was going as there were tall, rocky bluffs behind us blocking the view from the west. Let’s hurry and get the tent set up so we at least have a dry place to hide. With the booming thunder becoming louder and more frequent we rushed to get stakes pounded into the ground and the tent poles standing. Just as the last of our gear was brought into the tent it began to rain. Perfect timing! Maybe luck was with us. We were hopeful a storm would be a part of our time at Split Rock Lighthouse. I would love to photograph a bolt of lightning behind the lighthouse itself. There wasn’t a lot of lighting on display with this fast moving thunderstorm so that photograph would have to wait. It was still relaxing to just listen to the storm overhead as it wasn’t severe by any means. Once the rain stopped falling we emerged from the tent with enough time to cook something to eat before nightfall. The rest of our time provided nice clear skies with a few white, puffy clouds and perfect temperatures cooling off at night for some very much appreciated deep sleep. This has become a favorite place to camp and I definitely want to spend more time here relaxing and exploring.

From the shores of Lake Superior in Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

A Day on the Prairie

After spending the night in search of Persied meteors blazing across the sky, I was awakened by a blast of wind on a calm summer’s night. This blast came from an approaching storm. Another hope for me while staying in Blue Mounds was to see a storm approach from the west over this mostly cultivated landscape. There was some excitement but the darkness would make it a challenge to get great pictures showcasing the prairie under a stormy sky. I got up and began to prepare for the sunrise which I was quite certain would not be visible due to the clouds from this storm. To my surprise the sun appeared at the horizon and lit up the sky creating a beautiful beginning to what would be a warm summers day on the Prairie. My goal for the day was to explore nearby Touch the Sky Prairie for Prairie Fringed orchids. They had been spotted a few weeks earlier and my hope was to see and photograph this orchid adding to new native orchids found this year.

Monarchs foraging on Blazing Stars

The sun continued to move higher in the sky going in and out of clouds from the storm that continued on its trek towards the south. Most of the storm was a state away. It’s amazing how far you can see from a high point looking out over the prairie and farmlands. Taking a short break to enjoy a little nourishment and dry my feet from the heavy dew and quick shower from the mornings walk I headed to Touch the Sky parcel of the the Northern Tallgrass Prairie a few miles away. There are some nicely mowed trails through this prairieland allowing you to explore this preserved land without much difficulty. Beautiful liatris bloomed all over the prairie providing a great source of food for the many monarchs fluttering about but no orchids in sight. Throughout the day I continued to search different areas of the prairie for what promised to be a stunning orchid. By late afternoon it was time for a break, and maybe a nap.

Turkey Vulture preparing to take off

Storms were predicted for late in the day. The sun had heated the air thoroughly during the afternoon and humidity added to the warm sun to create a bit of a stifling atmosphere almost sure to produce some nice thunderstorms. I had an area in mind to photograph these storms and thought it was probably time to get there. On the way, there were a couple of vultures sitting on rocks. I typically don’t want to photograph them but they were in such an easy spot and because of the heat had little interest in flying away. They are interesting birds up close with features that are often difficult to see from the air. Taking a trail to a better vantage point, a storm was out over the horizon approaching from the west as I was hoping for. Unfortunately the sun was getting close to setting so the pictures of prairieland underneath some interesting lightning would have to wait for another time. As it got closer, I moved towards my campsite for shelter and continued to take pictures. Most of the lightning was cloud to cloud reducing the chance for a nice photo. I did manage to get the one you see below which includes one of the teepee’s available for rent at Blue Mounds State Park. If you look closely there are a couple of lighting bugs flying around also creating the photo I call camping with lightning bugs. So while I didn’t find the orchid I was looking for, I did enjoy so much of what the prairie has to offer on a warm summer’s night.

Camping, Storms, and Fireflies

Birds of Itasca State Park

While camping in Itasca State Park this past summer I was hoping to run across several different types of birds that I’m not use to seeing. While out exploring I came across several that I’ve seen multiple times but where still fun to watch on a beautiful summer morning as the sunlight spilled across the landscape. During one of my early morning excursions I stopped at a large pond with the camera to enjoy breakfast and see what wildlife appeared. Soon after settling in along the shoreline I spotted a loon across the water swimming and fishing. Watching for awhile this loon seemed to be swimming around the lake near shore. I decided to wait for awhile to see if it would make to my side of the lake giving me an opportunity to snap a few pictures before continuing on with the day. Eventually the loon appeared right in front of me and actually surprised me a little when it surfaced as the last time I saw it it was headed back to the other side of the pond. It’s always fun to see loons moving around in the water.

Green Heron

On another morning I headed to a dock along Lake Itasca again hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the areas wildlife and was not disappointed. The morning started off with a green heron flying out of the fog rolling over the surface of the water and landed on a branch over the water a short distance away. As the sun began to emerge eagles began to soar overhead in search of a morning meal adding to a Northern Minnesota experience. They seemed to keep an eye on me but weren’t real concerned that I was there and eventually landed in trees not far away. I could hear them call from time to time as another eagle across the lake answered with an occasional screech.

American Eagle

Back at the campsite is where I really experienced some birds I’ve not seen before. The first one happened to be an American Redstart which would fly from branch to branch in search of more things to eat. Unfortunately I was unable to capture a good photo of it in spite of having a few opportunities out in the open. As soon as the best chances would arrive someone would walk by and chase the bird further into the trees. It was still fun to watch while there it was there.

American Redstart

A red-eyed vireo made an appearance around the campsite in search of insects and seemed to be having great luck while moving up and down and around the trees circling our tent. This was another bird I’ve not had the privilege to watch before. At least I don’t recall seeing them in the past.

Red-eyed Vireo

Another bird to visit the campsite was a young chestnut sided warbler. I’ve seen yellow rumped warblers before which are similar in appearance but not a chestnut sided warbler. That brown on the side gives the bird an interesting look. This one stuck around often times getting too close for me to catch a good picture so I kept trying to step away from it so I could photograph it eventually getting a photo.

Young Chestnut Sided Warbler

One of the last birds I saw was a black and white warbler. This was another bird I have not seen before. Itasca State Park has a bird checklist so I would be looking over it as I saw some of these unfamiliar birds to see if I could identify them and then check them off. I didn’t get very many and all that I did see are listed as common in that area but it was still fun to add these to my list of birds overall. It would be fun to take another opportunity to see more some time.

Black and White Warbler

Ice Formations of a Waterfall

While exploring Tettegouche State Park on New Year’s weekend we hiked up to High Falls and became amazed at the many different ice formations surrounding this water fall. Just looking at this amazing water fall almost completely frozen is beautiful especially set in the winter wonderland of Northern Minnesota however closer examination of the different pieces that make up this scene makes it even more incredible.

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There are different shapes, colors, and sizes of the many different icicles near the falls. It’s interesting to imagine how these were formed such as in the photo above. Water flowing over the falls has a darker color so how were these created clear at first and then coated in snow or frost? Guessing at the answer I would say these were formed during a recent rain event which was followed colder temperatures and then the spray from the water fall coated them.

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This next picture has multiple colors of ice with a chimney allowing light from the sky to illuminate this natural sculpture. The darker ice which is tinted must have been created from water flowing over the falls but it could also be from water seeping through rocks picking up tannins and minerals causing the water to be tinted and freezing with dripping water from the recent rainfall. What was really interesting to me was the chimney. How was this created? Was there ice there originally that fell creating a hole or was the natural opening wide enough that it never had water running through it?

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While exploring further there were these icicles made from water freezing making two different icicles that merged together leaving open space between them for a portion. Also I found the pieces of horizontal ice attached to the vertical icicles quite interesting.

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This next picture is showing a zoomed out version of the vertical and horizontal icicles highlighting the horizontal ice. How do icicles get created horizontally? My best guess is going back in time to imagine these being formed over hours, days, and weeks. Initially the clear icicles were made from rainfall freezing. Next mist from the running water fall was strongly blowing towards these frozen icicles freezing almost on contact. So these could be made as a result of heavy rains mixed with strong winds after the rainfall but before the falls froze creating unique ice formations.

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This is one of my favorite perspectives looking up at numerous icicles appearing as they are going to fall right on top of you. On the day of this photo these were very secure so no concerns which was confirmed as we broke off one and it did not separate from the rock above easily. In this last picture below I found several different ice formations appearing as a stairway up the falls. Even though it looks like stairs I would never climb it without proper equipment knowing this is a water fall and water is still running underneath this ice making it more unpredictable.

Ice Steps going up the waterfall

Spur of the Moment New Years Trip

As I was finishing my day of work on New Years Eve day I began to look to the rest of the holiday weekend and wondered how to best celebrate the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2017. One of the thoughts that kept running through my mind was a desire to enjoy winter. For the last couple of years I’ve grabbed the camera on New Years Day and went hiking at nearby parks. Unfortunately there wasn’t much in the way of good snow this year so began to explore different options for a winter wonderland to start another year.

The last sunset of 2016

Quickly I arrived at the idea of going to the North Shore of Minnesota. That should be far enough to find a snow covered landscape. While driving home I called the rest of the family and ran the idea past them to see if there was any interest beyond my own. Since it was very spontaneous it took a few moments to explain my ideas. Taking some time to digest this they soon determined it could be fun and phone calls were quickly made to take care of responsibilities at home for the next 24 hours as well as secure a place to stay.  Once I returned home from my last day of work for the year we all packed and gathered winter gear, loaded the car and hit the road for a short 2 hour drive to Duluth taking in the last sunset of 2016 along the way.

Enjoying hundreds of Goldeneye ducks

Our arrival in Duluth was met with slightly icy roads as they had just received some fresh snow that morning and a nighttime view of Lake Superior which remained mostly ice free to spite some very cold temperatures the week before. We quickly dropped off our stuff and headed for a favorite place to eat while in Duluth – Old Chicago. After celebrating the change of years it was off to bed. The next morning I awoke ahead of everyone else so decided I should grab the camera and hope for a beautiful sunrise over Lake Superior. Unfortunately, as you can see from the top photo, there was very little sun but there still was a great view as light increased on the morning. There was about a half dozen people out near the canal trying to do the same thing I was, photograph the first sunrise of 2017!

The upper frozen falls of Gooseberry Falls State Park

While the sun failed to make a bright, fiery appearance, several hundred Common Goldeneye ducks swam in the open waters of the Duluth Canal for anyone willing to be up early to enjoy. I’ve never seen this type of duck before so it was a nice treat to watch them for awhile before heading back to the room to gather up the rest of the family and continue north to Gooseberry Falls State Park. A short time later we pulled into the winter wonderland I was hoping for to bring in the new year. Surprisingly most of the waterfalls and river at this park were frozen over making for some beautiful natural ice sculptures covered in fluffy white snow. Not very many people take the time to explore these frozen falls so it was a nice treat to see them in an an unusual way.

The river is frozen over while Lake Superior remains open in the distance

After a couple of hours playing around in the snow and ice of Gooseberry we wanted to continue further north towards Tettegouche State Park. Fortunately this is not a long drive from where we were giving most of the afternoon at one of my favorite parks on the North Shore. Arriving a little while later we got out of the car, put on our winter gear – boots, hats, gloves, snow pants and began our excursion to the high falls of Tettegouche. Along this 1.5 mile trail we became enthralled with this winter landscape enveloping us all around. So peaceful and very few people around giving most of this quiet winter scene exclusively to us. I kept waiting to hear a wolf howl in the distance confirming our picture book arrival to Northern Minnesota but no such thing happened.

The low sun in the horizon shining through the tall trees

Plowing through the snow we arrived at our destination to find that this river and waterfall were also mostly frozen over allowing very different viewing perspectives than I’ve every witnessed before. Now we could walk almost right up to the falls and feel just how large it actually is while listening to the water run under thick walls of ice making us less certain about standing on what would be water during much of the year. A very serene moment looking over this tall wall of ice surrounded by mostly undisturbed snow.

Exploring the High Falls of Tettegouche State Park

As we examined the great ice wall all of the different formations started to jump out. Different clusters of icicles joined together creating an ice filled curtain concealing fast flowing water behind which was only visible in small iceless windows. Closer examination of the frozen water surrounding these falls showed how unique each one is. There were different colors, some were opaque while others almost crystal clear only interrupted by air bubbles frozen inside combined with various shapes. Many were frost covered while others where topped with snow. In other areas the ice formations looked as though they were creating a stairway to the top of the water falls although I would never climb it without proper equipment for fear of slipping into surrounding stone ledges.

Looking at some of the cool ice formations created from the water falls

As daylight began to soften we decided to take in the last bit of sunlight to return to the parking lot to avoid being stranded on icy staircases in the darkness. As the sun dipped lower into the horizon we could feel the cold seeping into our heavy layers of winter protection. Fortunately we had enough hand warmers to accommodate until we made it back to the warmth of the visitors center and our car for the journey back home.

Only a tiny portion of the river is still running free in Northern Minnesota

Mystery Cave

A few years ago I searched for caves of Minnesota, after exploring Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, and found Mystery Cave. This is a state park which offers tours through the largest caverns of the cave located in the bluffs of Southeastern Minnesota. We’ve attempted to plan a visit when we first discovered it but plans fell through so we kept it on a list of “someday” things to do. Fortunately this “someday” event actually was achieved this summer. We hosted a French student for a few weeks and thought this would be an enjoyable place to show some of the many faces of Minnesota. He had never been in a cave before and was fascinated with it.

Walking through the caverns carved by water

Caves are very fascinating places and this one was no different. As is common, it is cool in Mystery Cave which felt nice on a hot summer afternoon. After descending a couple of flights of stairs we were transported into another world. Here is complete darkness surrounded by layers and layers of stone carved over thousands of years of water carrying away each piece it can grab until it can no longer flow through this area. These natural tunnels continue to transform yet today as water from the surface still drips through these rocks altering their environment.

Veins of Mystery Cave

As this water drips down the stone walls it carries with it minerals from above which separate from the water as it flows down these walls creating these veins throughout the caves giving them an appearance of life. The veins of Mystery Cave give it a beautiful and amazing ambiance adding to the wonder around each new cavern. What will this cave look like in a thousand years from now? What will be the same, if anything? What did the cave look like a thousand years ago?

An underground lake

This is the first cave I’ve toured that I saw an underground lake. While it was smaller than I was prepared for it was incredibly clear and had a very deceptive depth that could only be realized by shining light through the surface and moving it around. Even then the deception required a focused realization and understanding of what you are viewing.  We continued through some of the narrow passageways returning to the beginning and climbed out to natural daylight squinting while adjusting to it once again. It was cool enough inside and hot and humid enough outside that everyone’s glasses fogged immediately upon exiting the cave making those with corrective lenses laugh as this usually happens during the winter, not summer.

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