Category Archives: Travel Blogs

And Winter Returns….

April 26, 2020 Troy

With spring just getting under way, winter decided to remind us that the cold is not that far away by leaving the ground covered in it’s ice crystals. Having gone by an area in a nearby woods filled with plants beginning to irrupt in beautiful flowers the day before, I decided to go back and take a look at how they were handling the new snow. It did make for a pretty contrast to see all of this green and purple protruding up through the snow covered ground. With some very cold weather expected over the next couple of days I wondered how they would fair. Would the snow stay long enough to protect these delicate looking flowers until it warms up again or would they freeze and produce few seeds?

Initially a carpet of purple flowers caught my attention when I spotted these plants the day before. While exploring the area further, looking for some nice situations to photograph, I came across the first Bloodroot of the season with their pure white blooms ready to open. The only thing was, these blooms did not appear pure white any longer when compared to snow. It’s amazing how colors can look different depending on their surroundings. Or maybe their colors takes on a pink blush as they get colder which fades back to white under the warmth of the sun.

I spent about an hour photographing the snow falling on these spring ephemerals before returning home to spend the rest of the day with family. It was Easter after all!

Photos, Troy's Blog

Third Times a Charm

April 18, 2020 Troy

It took several weeks of searching but finally, near the end of the day, I came across the Pasque Flowers I have been looking for. It really was somewhat of an accident that I found them. Heading out to a Prairie area where they have been seen in past years I first headed to a small pond to see what migrating ducks may have searched out a resting area. Getting to the pond I sat down for a couple of hours to enjoy some sunshine as snow was predicted to hit the area the next day. Looking out over the pond I could see at least a dozen pairs of Bufflehead ducks swimming and diving for food. While watching them some creature popped up out of the water right in front of me.

It took a few seconds to identify exactly what it was but I quickly realized it was a muskrat. Last year there was a beaver on this pond so at first I was trying to figure out if it could be that. As soon as the muskrat popped up I thought it was going to come ashore right in front of me as it didn’t seem to know I was there. It turned just before shore and swam parallel to it and climbing out of the water onto a nearby fallen tree. Once this fuzzy animal swam out of sight I caught a large bird flying across the pond and land directly across from me. The behavior was very much like a big hawk so I kept on eye out for it to take to the sky soon after. Returning my attention to the ducks for awhile I realized that I never saw this bird leave so I began to scan the shoreline but couldn’t really make out anything moving over there. Grabbing the camera with a longer lens I once again scanned the shoreline. This time I spotted a large predator resting on a downed tree branch.

Looking closer and focusing in on this bird revealed a Great Horned Owl sitting there. This seemed very unusual to have an owl flying during the day, although it was more evening now, and the clouds had covered the sky creating somewhat darker conditions. It was the first time I had ever seen this particular owl before making it a great treat for the day. As I watched this owl through the camera over the next hour or so it mostly rested with its eyes closed and preened in between resting. A lot of fun to watch. When it first landed there the ducks quickly swam to another part of the pond but soon returned as you can see in the picture below. Either they weren’t really concerned with the owl or forgot it was there. Ducks do seem to have a short memory at times although they rarely seem to forget I’m there. With the evening progressing and I was getting cold from a north wind now blowing more fiercely, it was time to continue on my exploration for the Pasque Flower. There was one more area that I wanted to search.

Moving along the trail with more speed than when I arrived, darkness seemed to be arriving way to fast. Making a bad decision at a trail crossing nearby added at least another 10 minutes to my time getting to the place I planned to search. Eventually I arrived but didn’t locate anything that even remotely looked like it was ready to flower. Now a little disappointed once again I spotted a large bird out of the corner of my eye. Wondering what it was, and also wondering what may be up and over the hill next to me I decided to briefly leave the trail and head towards the top of the hill and see if I could figure out what this bird was. As I was climbing I saw little purple flowers almost beneath me. Pasque Flowers! I had finally found them. Looking over the area I cold see others sticking their fuzzy little purple flowers out of the cold ground ready for spring. Unfortunately this area was now shaded and any attempts at good photos would have to wait until another time.

Sadly, going back a week later, the cold had damaged many of the flower petals while deer had eaten others. Better photographs will have to wait until another spring. It was still a great adventure and I’m not sure what was more exciting – finally finding the Pasque Flowers or seeing a Great Horned Owl.

spring, Troy's Blog

First Signs of Spring

April 4, 2020 Troy

I’ve heard, from people who make Maple Syrup, that as the season for collecting sap from Maple trees comes to an end the colorful mushrooms begin to emerge. I decided to go hunting for them to see what they look like. And hopefully come across a few other interesting pieces of nature. After walking a few miles and watching a couple of migrating ducks I spotted some red mushrooms hiding in the forest floor. Actually, wild Turkey’s uncovered one for me. Walking through the woods a flock of Turkey’s surprised me. As turkey’s do, they quickly ran over a hill and out of site. Once I reached the area they were scratching at when I first saw them, there was one of these red mushrooms attached to a stick which had recently been uncovered. Once the first one was spotted, it became easier to find others. As long as I was wondering around Maple trees I could usually find at least a couple of these Scarlet Cup mushrooms hiding amongst the fallen leaves.

At one point, there were an abundance of them so I began to collect some of the nicer looking ones and set them on a white shelf mushroom as you can see above. It seemed like a more interesting picture than attempting to capture their orange-red color clinging to the ground like in the photo below. Once I was done taking pictures of the Scarlet Cups, I returned them to their places among the forest floor. A nice success and sign of spring as many of the other signs seemed to be still hibernating.

Adventures, Isle Royale National Park, Troy's Blog

Isle Royale – A Moose Close Up and Personal

March 29, 2020 Troy

A day after hiking into Siskiwit Bay I wanted to back track on the trail we came in on the day before. We passed a beautiful meadow in full bloom that I wanted to take a few photos of. On the way I was talking with my cousin, who was also coming with, and noticed something unusual out of the corner of my eye. There was a line of trees to our right. Studying this cluster of trees I saw something move on the other side of them. It turned out to be a bull moose grazing. We stopped to watch it for awhile. A couple of other hikers appeared on the trail at this moment stopping in there tracks wondering what we were looking at. After spotting the moose they watched until it laid down in the trees and then they continued on. We decided to move on also and see if we could locate the moose on our way back.

Wondering around the meadow, all that was missing was a nice blue sky with a few soft, white clouds passing by. Unfortunately there were more clouds than sun making the meadow less spectacular but still beautiful. We spent about 20 minutes taking pictures and decided to head back towards our shelter. On the way back I headed towards the trees where the moose was earlier in hopes of being able to find it in a more photogenic place. As I was nearing the trees my cousin began to yell in a hushed voice “He’s still there!” I immediately stopped, looked up and spotted him close to where we left him but he was standing now. Watching him again he was just following the tree line away from us while foraging for leaves along the way.

I decided to quickly walk down the trail trying to get ahead of this moose. There was a clearing in the trees and if he continued to move in the same direction, would give me an opportunity for a nice shot. Successfully moving into position, I crouched down near a clump of trees and got my camera ready. My cousin continued down the trail and found another spot to potentially photograph the moose also. In a matter of minutes the moose was nearing the opening as I was hoping for. I began to shoot away and enjoyed watching as the moose lingered near this opening in the trees. He seemed to be continuing on near the tree line but suddenly stopped. I could see his ears now above his head pointed towards my cousin. I could hear my cousin shifting from time to time and the moose seemed to be able to hear it also.

Now the moose backed up and looked back and forth through the opening in the trees which began to make me nervous and excited at the same time. It provided a nice opportunity to get some close up photos of a full sized bull moose but I’m feeling in the way of where the moose may want to go. After glancing my way the moose turned once again towards his original direction bringing a small sigh of relief. I was now ready for the moose to continue on allowing me to exit without a confrontation being quite sure which one of us would win in a direct confrontation. The odds were not in my favor. A few steps towards the trees and the moose stopped again and paused with ears pinned forward.

Once again the moose retreated a few steps and turn towards me. Only this time he took more steps in my direction causing my heartbeat to pick up. A thrilling and unnerving situation to be in. I continued to take advantage while I could and photograph the moose. My camera was on manual focus in order to minimize the noise as I snapped pictures. This monstrous animal continued to move in my direction heading straight for me. At this point I stopped focusing my lens in order to keep as still as possible hoping the approaching moose wouldn’t notice I was there. As the moose got closer and closer I was trying to figure out my escape plan. What are my chances if I play ring around the trees with this large animal? Just a few lengths away, I snapped one last photo before this adult bull moose turned feet from me and ran around the clump of trees I was crouching behind.

Breathing a sigh of relief I realized I had been holding my breath for some time now in an effort to remain still as the moose worked his way towards me. It took me a few seconds to regain enough strength in my legs to stand up and begin to walk towards my cousin. Turning around to look back at where I was and where the moose traveled, I wanted to figure out just how close it was. Fortunately the moose’s footprints were still in the grass allowing me to track exactly where it went. In the picture below, there’s a clump of trees just to the right of the trail with a downed tree in front of it. I was right next to this clump near the trail. The moose came close to the other side of that clump wanting to exit the forest on this side. Stepping off his closest point to me, I measured about 15 feet between me and the moose before it changed direction. WAY TOO CLOSE! Fortunate for me there was no incident. My adrenaline started pumping at this wild experience. Later that day I wondered, “did the moose also sigh relief believing it almost got killed?”

Ice and Snow, Photos, Troy's Blog

Winter’s Losing it’s Grip

March 21, 2020 Troy

Temperatures are beginning to rise and the snow is disappearing. I’m not ready for spring yet as there are a lot of things still to do but on a beautiful late winter day I couldn’t resist. I had to go out for a little while and enjoy the sunset. I was a little nervous at first walking out on the ice but soon became more comfortable as it’s still quite thick to allow people to walk on it. There’s so many interesting ice formations as it begins to melt and the water on top adds to it nicely.

Walking along setting up for a different photo I looked down and saw these patterns in the ice. They had such fun patterns and colors very different from the rest of the ice. It was after sunset so the lighting wasn’t as good as I would have liked. While taking a few shots I noticed these three lines radiating through and worked to capture those as more of the focus of these patterns.

As darkness begins to engulf more of the landscape, a planet begins to shine. I didn’t check to see which one it was. You can barely make it out about 1/3rd from the top to the right of the main tree trunk in between branches. What I really liked in this photo was the shape of the tree and the reflections in puddles on top of the ice after sunset.

While going across the ice I came across a pile of ice from someone drilling a whole for ice fishing. These ice chips began to melt under the warm sun and I really liked how the last few minutes of sunlight highlighted these shards. I wish I would have arrived a little earlier and spent more time photographing these.

After the sunset I turned and saw the moon nearly full mixed in with a scattering of soft, pink clouds. I always like to capture these weathered wood pillars protruding up from the lake and this seemed like a great opportunity to do so. These close ups of the pillars also highlight some of the rough textures in the melting ice. I would like to spend more time capturing that also as they’re so interesting. It was a fun hour out on the ice before it disappears in the coming weeks.

Adventures, Michigan, Troy's Blog

Hitting the Trails in the U.P.

March 14, 2020 Troy

Dates where picked and time off from work was granted. Now where to go? Northern Minnesota was the place of focus for another snowmobiling trip. Ever since visiting Voyageurs National Park a couple of summers ago, I wanted to return in the winter to see this winter wonderland. Searching for snowmobiles to rent and other things to do brought even more interest to this adventure. Ice fishing would be fun and there are ice roads typically plowed through Voyageurs for vehicles to drive on providing access to areas otherwise only available by boat. More research yielded few options for snowmobiles to rent and once putting together the costs to rent a sled and getting ice fishing equipment along with lodging made this less appealing this year. There was another option. An invitation by some friends to visit the Upper Peninsula of Michigan could be taken up. They had offered up a place to stay and continued to boast about the great snowmobile trails available.

Checking into this option, this seemed like the route to go for this reprieve from work. Locating snowmobiles for rent was easier than in Northern Minnesota and all of the trails were open and groomed. At least for the moment. Watching the forecast was somewhat disappointing as warmer weather and no snow were predicted. Would the trails remain open after some nice melting was occurring? How about the condition with ice forming after melting and refreezing. I continued to watch the updated forecast daily with anticipation hoping for some fresh snow to show up. A coating did end up falling but not enough to make much difference. Fortunately there was such a great base of snow from earlier in the winter that the conditions where still really good. Off to the U.P.!

I’ve never had so many good trails to ride on. It didn’t really matter where the sleds went, the trails were in really good condition. While there hasn’t been much snowfall in recent weeks, the quantity of snow from earlier in the winter combined with constant grooming of these trails made for some great riding. And to be able to travel through the beautiful landscapes of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan made for a couple of really enjoyable days. The first day started off a little on the cold side with temperatures starting out below zero Fahrenheit with wind amplifying that cold but it warmed fairly fast into the 20’s for the afternoon under a sun filled sky. The next day started out warmer and reached above freezing by midday making it almost a perfect day of snowmobiling. The only thing that I could think of to make it better was a fresh round of snow. Back to reality after this nice break.

Flowers, Troy's Blog

Native Orchids of 2019

March 8, 2020 Troy

Last year was an amazing year as far as finding native orchids to Minnesota. When people think of orchids, Minnesota is not a place they believe can grow orchids but there are over 40 different orchids that grow in this harsh environment. I was fortunate to find 6 of those, mostly by accident. One of my ‘someday’ goals has been to find as many of those orchids living in Minnesota as possible. This must be a good time to start that adventure which I hope to continue further in this next year. I have one expedition in the process of being planned currently and may put together another one or two as time permits. Some of these orchids are quite different than I imagine them as I’m searching for them. In fact I miss them at first and if it weren’t for help, I wouldn’t know they’re there right in front of me which makes finding one that much more of an accomplishment and enjoyable.

This first one, pictured right above, is an early coral root orchid. On my June adventure to Northern Minnesota I re-visited Sax-Zim Bog primarily in search of interesting wildlife since it was such a treasure trove of winter migrating birds. It must be amazing in the summer also. In addition to birding, Sax-Zim boasts some great wildflower habitats. Being a horticulturalist, that captured my attention even further. Having just one day there I made sure to stop at the Welcome Center after spending the morning in search of birds. There one of the volunteers, Clinton directed me to a trail near the welcome center to look for an orchid in bloom right next to the trail. If I didn’t spot this one he promised to highlight it for me. Venturing out on the trail I began to re-think the decision to not use bug spray. The mosquitoes were unrelenting in their pursuit of my blood but I continued on determined to find this orchid. Eventually I was walking along the trail and noticed a small flowering plant near the ground. It happened to be the Early Coral-Root orchid. Once you know what you’re looking for it becomes easier to spot. I realized how many of them were around me. Success! I took a few photos but the mosquitoes eventually chased me from the trail and back into the building to share the success with Clinton.

After enjoying a successful hunt with Clinton he pointed me to a couple of other directions to look for more orchids. One such candidate was the Yellow Lady’s Slipper orchid recently spotted on a piece of property recently added to the bog. Driving back and forth looking for this location I finally decided a grass covered driveway looking thing must be what he was referring to. I walked along this old roadway for a distance and there it was. A native Lady’s Slipper in bloom! I’m a little more familiar with this species so I knew what I was looking for and the approximate size of this plant. It’s one of the larger orchids to Minnesota thus easier to spot. Clinton pointed out a few other locations where this orchid was spotted in the past but I had no luck in finding any on this expedition. Still a fun time exploring.

After driving around the bog on the first day just taking in the different views seen earlier in the year covered in snow, I stopped at the Welcome Center to see if there were reports on orchid locations. It happened to be closed but Sparky was there grabbing some materials to continue working on their bog boardwalk and took a few minutes to talk with me giving some direction on where to find Pink Lady’s Slippers. I immediately headed to the Bog Walk to find these hardy orchids. Walking on the boardwalk so as to protect the bog I kept me eyes scanning the plant life with no luck. There was another couple walking towards the exit of the boardwalk. We stopped and conversed for a few minutes. I asked what birds they spotted and heard and then mentioned I was searching for the Pink Lady’s slipper which was supposed to be here. One of them looked at me a little surprised with a slight smirk on his face. “They’re all over here” he said. Puzzled I returned with a surprised expression of my own. Armed with this new information I looked back over the bog flora and soon spotted one. Excited that I successfully found what I had come here to see I saw another one. And another and another. Now that I knew what I was looking for I saw them in numerous locations along the boardwalk. It makes me laugh now every time I think about my search for this beautiful native orchid. I had the opportunity to enjoy these orchids for a second time on Isle Royale National Park a few weeks later.

Another one of my treasures on Isle Royale was the Western Spotted Coral-Root orchid. Hiking along the trail towards Feldtmann Lake enjoying the beautiful plant life I first came across the Pink Lady’s Slipper. Soon after, the Early Coral-Root caught my attention. Continuing on the trail further there was another Coral-Root orchid. Studying this more extensively I was able to identify it as the Western Spotted. A happy, unexpected surprise of backpacking on this large island located in the Monstrous Lake Superior. These really added to the Isle Royale experience. It was a beautiful, small orchid only rising about 6 inches above the ground with small, intricate flowers pointing in all directions around the stem. I would have liked to be able to get closer images of the flowers but my macro lenses were safely stored on the mainland as I didn’t want to carry the additional weight. A fun find non the less!

This next orchid, a Lady’s Tresses orchid, was one I was intentionally seeking out. I had heard someone at work talking about listening to a radio program where these orchids had been spotted at a refuge not very far away from where I work. I decided to take a day and explore this refuge in hopes of spotting another hardy orchid. I got there before sunrise and began to drive around trying to figure out where a good place to start hiking would be. Eventually, with not much of a clue, I got parked and started walking a trail. Walking for awhile I was just enjoying the nice fall day stopping once in awhile to take in a butterfly or a mushroom. On one of these occasions I stopped to photograph a beautiful dragonfly. After snapping a couple of shots I happened to look down at what I was about to step on and there it was. Right in front of me. The white Lady’s Tresses hidden among the grasses wavy in the mid-day’s breeze. Once the first one was found, others began to appear along the trail and then on other trails. I was in disbelief at successfully finding this orchid after an earlier adventure a few weeks before resulted in not finding the orchid I was looking for.

My final orchid in this post is the Showy Lady’s Slipper below. I knew approximately where it grew and just happened to find it as it was beginning to bloom. It was definitely a beautiful Lady’s Slipper with it’s white flower and pink pouch. It was the first time I’ve been able to catch this orchid in bloom. I had found this plant a few times before but was never successful in catching it while it was blooming so this was a nice treat. Unfortunately I didn’t have a lot of time as there was a meeting requiring my attendance a few moments later. I still enjoyed the opportunity to take in this fascinating flower.

With some luck, and a lot of help, I will continue to find different native orchids to Minnesota in 2020.

Adventures, Troy's Blog

A Few 2020 Adventures

February 29, 2020 Troy

At the beginning of this year I had nothing planned as far as adventures go which I didn’t really like. It felt almost like I was trapped with little hope for an adventure to enjoy. Recently some things started to come together. A quick snowmobiling trip came through (as long as the snow doesn’t melt before I get there) which will be fun I’m sure. There may be some time for a little ice fishing also which is something I haven’t done in probably 20+ years. Winter is nearing the end so any winter activities need to be done soon. There have been a number of projects to do inside so I haven’t been out with the camera in awhile so I’m really looking forward to some outdoor activity.

Camping is definitely an activity I want to pursue this year. The only problem is when and where and who with? I had so much fun camping last year that it would be disappointing to go all summer without setting up a tent. The people I went with last year are unable to commit right now. Unfortunately camping spots in prime areas tend to fill up fast this time of year. Going through places I would like to camp provided some insights. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park is high on my list and exploring different areas for orchids is also up there on my list. While discussing this with my wife, she asked if I would like some company. Camping is not really her thing so for her to offer to go with means a lot. Taking her up on her offer, we’re going to spend a couple of days in the fall camping on the North Shore. I don’t want to wish the summer away but I’m looking forward to exploring more of Split Rock State Park over several days. It can get a little cold on the North Shore in fall but it can also be absolutely gorgeous with fall colors just beginning to show up so it should be interesting and fun.

Another adventure that seems to be coming together is a hunt for more native orchids. Last year was really successful with finding several orchids growing in Minnesota that I’ve never seen before. It was quite intriguing for me and something that I’ve wanted to do for many years. Seeing the orchids I did last year happened to be just dumb luck. It wasn’t my goal to see them, they were just blooming in the areas I was in when I was there. Now that I’ve kind of started successfully finding native orchids, I want to continue the hunt so that dictated my next camping trip. I’m heading to Northwestern Minnesota in search of these beautiful flowers. I’m both really excited and nervous to do this. Nervous seems kind of odd when thinking of a vacation. I’m going through all of this effort to see these orchids and what if they’re not blooming when I’m there? Will the adventure be a let down if I don’t see orchids in bloom and be able to photograph them? That seems really kind a crazy to me to think it could be a let down. I know I’ll still enjoy the trip but if I’m going through all of the effort to plan and drive all that way, seeing some orchids I haven’t seen before would really make it a fantastic trip.

Exploring, Jeep Badge of Honor, National Parks, Troy's Blog

Photos From the Trail–Top of the World

February 23, 2020 Troy 2 Comments

I went back into the archives of 2019 for this post. It’s a shot from Top of the World off road trail. This trail ends at a canyon overlook with spectacular views of the Utah landscape. There’s so much to look at in this photo and take in it’s almost overwhelming to me. Especially since you can see for such a long distance from this place. Starting off you have the interesting rock formations in the middle of the picture. Trying to figure out how they came to be and studying their details keeps my attention for awhile. Then taking in the red rock ridges and canyons speckled with plants that continue seemingly forever add so much depth. In contrast to all of this red you have the yellow rock in front of that adding more depth and color contrast with the plants on this rock bringing the greenery together for even more color contrasts. And to have all of this under a beautiful blue sky completes the shot. If it weren’t for all of the other Jeeps climbing into this spot I could have stayed here for a long time enjoying the scene and studying the details further. But others should be able to enjoy it without me being an obstacle for them also.

Adventures, Isle Royale National Park, Troy's Blog

Isle Royale–Enjoying a Day at Siskiwit Bay

February 15, 2020 Troy

With the weather forecast calling for dry days ahead, we had some time to stay at Siskiwit Bay and explore. We had built in a rain day to our schedule which it looked like we would not need so we decided a day to recover from the previous hikes would be nice. This is one of the campgrounds on Isle Royale where both hikers and boaters are able to share it. Typically those entering the bay by boat sleep in the boat but disembark for meals and to just walk around after being confined to their boat for an extended period of time. We were told it’s often full of boats as this is a nice overnight shelter from the higher waves and storms that can produce treacherous waves on Lake Superior. There were only a couple of boats the previous night and no other hikers so it was pretty quiet at this campground. As the other people finished getting ready for the day and departed the docks we were all alone to enjoy this beautiful place.

As the sun continued to climb from the horizon we decided it was probably time to climb out of our warm sleeping bags after a night of listening to moose meander by crunching loudly on sticks as they ate. Often the first thing to be done each day is use the outhouse. After that it’s replenish our water supply. Grabbing the collection bag we headed down to the water for a refill of cold Lake Superior water. Soon after reaching the waters edge I happened to turn around and saw we were not alone. A little red fox and followed us and was now just observing from the trail. Once it was clear we weren’t offering any nourishment, the fox continued exploring the docks for anything the boaters may have left. With no success the fox made its way elsewhere and we returned to our shelter with a full bag of water needing to be filtered.

While the water ran through our gravity fed filter we began searching our food supply for breakfast. As we began to eat our morning meal, the resident squirrel appeared. Each campsite has at least one of these for entertainment and a little company. They’re very good at climbing all over bringing much appreciated entertainment bordering almost on annoying at times as you have to watch you’re stuff. We became a little concerned as the squirrel began to show too much interest in our water filter and pouches and chased it off until we could move it to a little more secure spot. A leak in our pouch would not be a good thing for the rest of the adventure.

With the first meal of the day finished it was on to our next item planned for the day. When we arrived on the Island rangers had said our exit from Siskiwit Bay may be a bit wet as beavers had been altering where the water was running creating new marshy areas and with a lot of rain earlier this season things may be a bit difficult. So we wanted to explore the trail a little without our packs on to find the best route ahead of time. Also this gave us a chance to see some other parts of the shore wrapping around the bay. Walking back towards the hiking trail we were enjoying the beautiful morning and all of the flowers in bloom. Thankfully mosquitoes were not much of an issue at the moment. Continuing on the trail towards Island Mine Campground we came across some wetter trail but managed to find relatively easy ways around it. Feeling confident in our next days trail, we walked on the beach taking in the sights around us.

There were many spring plants in bloom including Irises and roses to enjoy along with the waves from Lake Superior hitting the sandy shoreline. We were beginning to feel pangs of hunger again and decided to meander back towards the shelter for lunch. While cooking a hot meal to enjoy a Snowshoe Hare appeared. Expecting it to continue on, we were surprised when it just stayed near a shrub until most of us went into the shelter to grab plates and utensils to eat with. With only my daughter still out by the table the hare began bouncing closer. She grabbed the camera which was fortunately sitting on the table and snapped a few pictures of our visitor. Continuing to move closer I just stood and watched from the shelter. Now almost sitting on my daughters feet, she was enjoying her new furry friend wondering if she could reach down and pet it. Knowing better she just stayed still and continued taking pictures until the bunny hope off into the woods. It was beautiful with mottled black and brown fur dressed in its summer colors. With our furry visitor gone we returned to lunch.

Once lunch was put away and the dishes washed it was time for a little R & R. With a chance to reflect on the past few days and everything it took for all of us to be in this place at this time I was just really grateful how well it was working out and thankful for the time with my cousin and youngest daughter. She had been hesitant to go backpacking feeling uncertain of her abilities so to be able to share this experience with her was something I will always cherish. With a little rest it was time to accomplish one other thing I wanted to do with this day and that was back track a little of yesterdays trail to photograph the meadows full of flowers. Unfortunately clouds had overtaken the blue sky making the meadow pictures less interesting but that’s something I have little control over.

On the way to the meadows I turned to say something to my cousin who was accompanying me when something unusual caught my eye. Something didn’t look quite right among this grouping of trees but I didn’t know what it was immediately. Studying the trees for a few seconds I realized I saw the light brown of antlers. It was a bull moose standing there. We watched for a short time as he went on his way chomping off leaves as he went and so we continued on our track more comfortable that the moose wasn’t coming toward us. It was in this area that we met the first hikers of the day headed to Siskiwit Bay. We exchanged a few words before they continued on their way after watching the moose briefly. Arriving in the portion of meadows I wanted to photograph I began to try different compositions to capture the beauty sitting before us. What were all of these flowers? There were yellow, orange, pink, white, and purple all blended together to create a place that could only appear in a dream were you’re laying down among all these flowers watching the clouds move across a deep blue sky. All we were missing was the deep blue sky. We decided to head back towards camp for the night to make another meal before crashing in preparation for the next days hike. It was at this point we had a confrontation with the moose from earlier. A story for another post!

We made it back to camp, enjoyed another warm meal and decided this day would not be complete without a campfire. There’s one fire pit for the entire camp to share. We gathered some dried wood from the beach and from under trees in the area and created a nice fire. A few boats had entered the bay and docked for the night and were finishing up their evening meal after fishing for the day. Once darkness set in they came over and joined us at the fire as we exchanged stories of Isle Royale. As the night grew they began to offer us freshly cooked pizza and a few beers. Knowing we needed to remain hydrated we declined the beer and continued to drink our water while enjoying pizza at the camp fire. An unexpected treat for us! Through the darkness we could make out the call of loons from across the lake letting us know we were in the Northland. These calls turned into distressed sounds. Must be moose getting too close to the loons. I witnessed this a few morning earlier when a moose swam too close to a loon. All of a sudden there was a different sound it was similar to the loon call but ended differently. Discussing this difference with our new camp fire friends we realized the last call we heard was a young wolf. Probably one of the new wolves moved to the island that winter. One call was all we heard and then everything was quiet again. Eventually we said goodnight and headed for our sleeping bags knowing the next day could become very long depending on how far we ended up backpacking. About to drift off we could hear something outside our shelter. Yep, a couple of moose crunching on leaves and sticks bidding goodnight to another great day on Isle Royale.

Gaining Life Experience

Category Archives: Travel Blogs

And Winter Returns….

Third Times a Charm

First Signs of Spring

Isle Royale – A Moose Close Up and Personal

Winter’s Losing it’s Grip

Hitting the Trails in the U.P.

Native Orchids of 2019

A Few 2020 Adventures

Photos From the Trail–Top of the World

Isle Royale–Enjoying a Day at Siskiwit Bay

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