Category Archives: Travel Blogs

Finding Spring Again

July 14, 2019 Troy

About a month ago I had the opportunity to head into Northern Minnesota for some camping and exploring with a friend of mine from college. Just getting there was a lot of fun as the further north we drove from the Twin Cities, the more like spring it felt. There are so many things I enjoy as spring begins to transform the winter wonderland into a landscape so full of life. One of those is the scent of crabapples in full bloom. They’re beautiful to look at but so captivating to smell. Unfortunately their blooming season seems so short so to be able to enjoy this sweet fragrance once again at the Leif Erikson Gardens in Duluth was such a great unexpected treat. Winter held on a little longer this spring delaying these spring flowers a little which worked out extremely well for this trip. In addition to the crabapples, tulips were showing off their vibrant colors while being complimented with the large Lake Superior as a backdrop. I could have spent more time here just enjoying an absolutely gorgeous spring day but there still was a significant distance to go before getting to the days destination in Northern Minnesota.

As the vehicle continued towards the Canadian border along Lake Superior, spring seemed to rewind as the leaves on trees were smaller, earlier flowers were blooming once again, and the air grew cooler. By the time we reached our destination just outside of the Boundary Waters we were greeted with early blooming wildflowers such as Trillium – my favorite spring wildflower I think. It may be a toss up between Trillium and Lady Slipper Orchids. Since I didn’t come across any hardy orchids in bloom in the area I just enjoyed the pure white flowers reaching out above the interesting leaves of these intriguing Trillium grandiflorum. There were also nodding Trilliums in bloom along with a number of other wildflowers. What a great way to start out a weeks trip camping in the North Woods!

Adventure, National Parks, Photos, Troy's Blog

Happy Independence Day!

July 4, 2019 Troy

Wishing Americans a Happy Independence Day!

I’m currently on a hike on Isle Royale celebrating the freedom we enjoy to be able to explore such beautiful places. It’s been an incredible experience and I look forward to sharing some of the highlights with you soon.

National Parks, Photos, Troy's Blog

Getting the Shot–Double Arch

June 29, 2019 Troy

One of my goals while in Moab, Utah enjoying the off road trails and incredible scenery was to photograph the numerous stars visible in the area. And what better way to do that than to include Double Arch in Arches National Park? Actually, after getting this shot I think it was more like photographing Double Arch at night with stars in the background. That was more of my intent was to get a beautiful picture of Double Arch. I’ve been fascinated with this humongous rock formation ever since I came across a picture of it. It takes just the right natural forces to create an arch but imagine what it takes to create a double arch? I know there’s even a triple arch but I haven’t seen that yet so my fascination will have to remain with this natural wonder at this time.

When I first spotted Double Arch it was from Turret Arch a little ways away. I was amazed at how large it actually was in person and how interesting the formations and colors are. Just look at how the wholes dwarf all of the people exploring it down below. Definitely a great subject to photograph.

In order to set up this shot I first began to imagine the shot and research it weeks before ever traveling to Moab. Once there I took some time to scout it during the daylight. It’s so much easier to figure out the composition when you can see where you’re going and can easily see the subject as well. If you look on the lower right side of the photo above you can see me crouched down looking towards the arches. I was told it appeared as though I was trying to sneak up on the arches. I can see that. What I’m actually doing was looking at different compositions. In the picture below you can see what it looked like from that spot.

I continued to move around taking pictures until I found what I thought would be a great place to set up once the sun went down. Eventually I settled on this location you see below. Now all that was left was to come back after dark and set up the camera with the correct settings. Once nightfall arrived a few days later, it was back to Arches for some nighttime photography. There were a few people here and there but almost everyone had left for the day leaving this beautiful rock structure all to ourselves. With the help of a friend to shine the flashlight around I setup the camera on a tripod with a remote shutter and began taking shots fine tuning my focus and composition. Once these were where I wanted them I extended the length of my shutter to take longer exposure pictures to capture as much of the night landscape as possible which led to the picture at the top. Many pictures that provide some great interest take time to put together.

Exploring, Jeep Badge of Honor, Troy's Blog

Photos From the Trail – The Flintstones House

June 23, 2019 Troy

While traveling off road in the back country of Utah, we came around a corner on the trail and there below was Fred and Wilma’s house. We had found the town of Bedrock where the Flintstones must have lived. The first thing that stands out is what appears to be an entrance with a stone placed on top for the roof. And behind that are several windows through the stone allowing light to enter other areas of the house. I wanted to stop and go explore this great find but there really was nowhere to pull off of the trail safely to do that. Plus we had just begun the Poison Spider trail and didn’t want to find ourselves with a problem later on and be losing daylight if that happened.

Photos, Troy's Blog, Wildflowers

The Trillium Are In Bloom

June 15, 2019 Troy

I love spring! There’s so much life filling the landscape. One of my favorite wildflowers though are Trillium. Driving by a hillside before the leaves have fully covered the trees and seeing a hillside full of white blooms is a very calming sight. Those large, white flowers sitting a top of three leaves are often Trillium grandiflorum in the upper Midwest. The most common of the Trilliums in this area. Unfortunately that spring display doesn’t last very long so the timing has to be just right. But if you come across an area filled with Trillium at just the right time, you’ll know what I’m saying. A beautiful display worth taking some time to enjoy.

At the end of May I joined another photographer to see what was in bloom at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden in Minneapolis. Having been there a few times before I knew they had Trillium and I was hoping I wasn’t too late to see their beautiful flowers. First walking in I saw a couple of these plants displaying flowers that had already turned mostly brown and was a little disappointed fearing I was already too late. Fortunately as we walked further into the gardens there were others in peak bloom allowing me to get a few nice photographs to begin the summer. Exploring further revealed other types of Trillium also in bloom such as the red flowered Trillium in the photo above.

A few other kinds of these beautiful flowered plants were also in bloom. The nodding Trillium seen above has the flowers bent towards the ground instead of displayed above its leaves and there’s a yellow blooming type also in flower. These yellow and red flowered Trillium have smaller blooms than the white ones but also have unique, mottled leaves for added interest. Often when first showing people Trillium plants they first step back. They think of the rule of three leaved plants – leaves of three, leave it be. That’s because Poison Ivy has three leaves and they don’t want to get near it for fear of an allergic reaction. When I explain the difference between Poison Ivy and Trillium (and if I’m lucky I can show the difference), they relax and begin to enjoy these beautiful mid-spring flowers. Maybe this would be a good plant to add into my own landscape at home?

Camping, Photos, Troy's Blog

A Spring Camping Preview

June 9, 2019 Troy

With Memorial Day weekend quickly approaching, the camping itch began to get worse. In addition I had some new camping gear I wanted to try as there was a string of camping trips coming soon. I thought it would be a good idea to try this gear and make sure it was going to work as I wanted it to before these trips just in case there were some adjustments to make. Also, I was looking into deep space photography and wanted to give it a try. Try and find a campground on Memorial Day weekend just a few days beforehand. And find one with dark enough skies to photograph the night sky. All of the State Parks close to me were of course booked up but fortunately Minnesota’s State Forests are first come, first serve. I located Birch Lake State Forest. Far enough away from the Twin Cities to be dark enough but close enough to drive to for one night of camping.

Arriving late afternoon I strolled through the camp ground hoping for at least one spot to set my tent on and as luck had it, there was one. And only one! I got the last open campsite for the night. What luck! The excitement and anticipation of beginning the camping season set in. I quickly filled out the required permit, paid my fees, and set up my tent and sleeping gear. There was several hours before nightfall so what else to do? I had heard of a retention pond about 20 minutes away housing several different types of birds on their migration north. So off I went to see if I could find this pond. Fortunately it was relatively easy to locate and get to. Finding a spot along the dirt road next to this pond I pulled over and got out my camera equipment as there was movement on the water in different areas. One of the species that I’ve never seen before were these Phalaropes. They had some interesting colors and patterns along with an entertaining method for finding food. They swim in small circles while plucking food coming to the surface inside of this circle. A lot of fun to watch multiple birds doing this all at the same time. Another bird I’ve not photographed before was the Black Tern in the top picture.

As the sun set, I packed up and headed back towards camp to prepare for some nighttime photography and see if it is indeed possible to actually photograph a nebula or galaxy without a telescope. Taking some time to eat while the sky continued to grow darker I was beginning to feel the effects of the day and becoming comfortable in my chair with a small fire going. Eventually shaking that off it was time to grab the camera and head to nice clearing to check out the night sky. As my eyes continued to adjust to the dark sky above, I set the camera on a tripod with my long lens usually reserved for close ups of wildlife. Will this work? I zoomed in on a star and adjusted the focus and camera settings to begin testing deep space photography. No matter what I tried I could not get a sharp image of the stars. There was always movement which is likely from the rotation of the Earth. I didn’t have a skytracker which was a debate before heading north. That will have to be an addition to my equipment if I want to continue trying to capture deep space objects like the Orion Nebula.

Since the deep space thing was a bust, I focused more on spring flowers, plants, and migratory birds. I decided to call it a night, albeit a little disappointed about the deep space attempt and lack of success, as the sun would be rising in a little over 3 hours. Waking up with light already beginning to illuminate the sky, it was time to get up if I wanted to capture the sunrise coming up over Birch Lake. It almost appeared cloudy at first but as I studied the sky a bit more I could see that it was clear. There was no sunlight on the trees above so I figured there was a few minutes more as I was moving a bit slow on this morning after a cold night of trying to get some sleep. I just never warmed up allowing me to drift off into a deep sleep making me quite a bit less energetic this morning. Finally beginning to move towards the lake, it was obvious I was too late as the sun was already above the horizon. It would have been a great sunrise to capture too as there was some nice fog covering the horizon.

Well now I’m really irritated and about to call this first camping trip of the summer a failure as I failed at deep space photography and now missing the sunrise. At least there are some spring blooms and plenty of birds to add to my collection of photos. Before leaving the lake, a beautiful Baltimore Oriole flew into a nearby tree and began singing for me which helped to lighten my mood. Also a Loon swam close by and began calling out across the lake while a white Pelican was spotted swimming off in the distance. Those were enjoyable sights to watch and sounds to hear welcoming the suns warmth to begin a new day.

Walking along one of the trails, the bright and colorful seeds hanging from a nearby tree caught my attention and could make for a beautiful photograph. I spent a few minutes trying to capture this subject before moving on. You can see one of those shots above with the red, young seeds dangling from a branch. With the sun continuing to move higher in the sky, I returned to the retention pond from the evening before to see if I could capture a few more types of birds. While watching for a little while a Yellow Headed Blackbird came walking up along the shoreline. They are supposedly plentiful but I had never seen one before so this was a nice treat. Photographing as it moved in and out of rocks near the water searching for food was quite enjoyable. Occasionally seeing it reach down to grab something and moving on.

Eventually another bird I definitely have not photographed before came walking up on the shoreline also. This was a Sandpiper and was equally as interesting to watch as it searched to shoreline, stopping occasionally to pluck a morsel out of the water to eat, and then continuing on along the water. It continued to move closer towards me allowing me to watch it through my lens and see its every move. I enjoyed this opportunity to learn more about this shore bird. The Phalaropes were still in the area along with some Red Headed ducks and what I believe were Ruddy ducks but they were all pretty far away to get any decent shots of them. Along one of the trails in the area, several spring wildflowers where in bloom including the beautiful Bellwort in the photo above. This all made for a nice mid spring day before needed to get back to the campsite and pack up to go home. I look forward to my upcoming trips in the great outdoors of Northern Minnesota even more now.

Adventures, Jeep Badge of Honor, Troy's Blog

Top of the World

June 1, 2019 Troy

Waking up on our second morning in Moab, Utah there was plenty of excitement to get started on a second challenging trail named Top of the World. This is another trail in the Jeep Badge of Honor off road adventures and rated more challenging than Elephant Hill which was the previous 4 x 4 trail we finished. Being a bit more challenging brought with it a little apprehension. Elephant Hill had some big challenges so an increased difficulty trail may be more than we’re prepared for. So many things can happen while off roading. A major dent in the vehicle from a rock or tree, something breaks on the Jeep, or even tipping over are all concerns and possibilities.

As was starting to feel routine, we pulled into the Top of the World trailhead and began preparing the Jeep for this off road adventure. Things such as airing down the tires to a relatively low tire pressure and unlocking the sway bar to allow those front tires to move independently over the rocks. It was a beautiful morning so removing the tops over the front seats seemed like a great idea allowing some of the outside sights and sounds to reach us. Once all of these preparations where complete we re-entered the Jeep and drove on down the beginning of the trail. The surrounds where just as amazing as the day before with new and different trail experiences such as a creek crossing and steeper and longer rock ledges to climb over.

Still we were able to climb up these ledges without a great deal of difficulty although there was one we passed that we would be going over on the way back down the trail after reaching the top that looked quite precarious and maybe even more dangerous. Not to worry about it now as there was plenty of trail ahead of us to reach the top. Working our way up and over numerous rocks while avoiding trees we continued up the path without a great deal of difficulty. There were some challenging spots along the way creating an increasingly fun adventure. Eventually we rounded a corner and there was the end.

Approaching the final few feet, the view in before us became almost unbelievable. Now we understood why this trail is named Top of the World. That’s what it feels like as you look out over grand vistas of red tinted rock sculptures with snow capped mountains behind them all the while viewing them from the top of a cliff that drops hundreds of feet below to green valleys below. Parking the Jeep near the edge we got out and just stared at this unimaginably beautiful landscape. Definitely a trail worth driving on to get to this overlook. A short time after reaching the top, a group of Jeeps rounded the bend below so we took some pictures and moved off of the edge so that others could have this experience as well.

While walking around these rock ledges we noticed just how much of a drop off it is and how abrupt the edge was and began to wonder how stable these rocks on top are. Finding out was not something of interest. It was at this point we realized just how far we climbed up during the course of this trail nearly 19 mile trail. It didn’t seem like we were increasing in altitude the over 3,000 feet it goes up. It would have been more difficult to leave this overlook but there were plenty of other vehicles and people giving us incentive to begin our decent before there was more traffic slowing down our adventure. So we turned around and took a different route, climbing down the trail back towards the trailhead.

Going down some of these rock ledges was a different experience. It’s one thing when you’re looking up at them but going down you often can’t see how deep they are. This creates a couple of choices to make before venturing down each step. Get out and survey the trail to find your best path or just chance it and begin crawling down them. We chose both of these options at times having become accustom to the characteristics of the Top of the World trail. Typically we able to maneuver over each one without a lot of difficulty. However there was this one spot that caught us by surprise.

We were climbing down and then needed to crawl up a fairly large rock. Coming down was typical of what we were experiencing without any issues. The trail leveled out briefly allowing us to get in position to get up the next large rock surface. One tire was up on the rock and we were working the second front tire when the Jeep began to slide and off the second tire came putting us at a very uncomfortable angle. It felt as though the vehicle was near the tipping point and it was a long ways down if it went. Fortunately we stopped moving buying a little time to attempt getting out of this situation. Working the foot off of the brake to see if we could gently roll backwards towards where we came from worked bringing with it a slight sigh of relief. Putting the Jeep in reverse and ever so slowly letting off of the brake once more we began to crawl back off of this rock and became leveled out once more. With hearts racing we attempted to go back up this rock in front of us with a slightly different position which worked well allowing us to more easily continue on down the trail. The picture below is from a 360 camera which was mounted on the dashboard. Looking at the horizon behind us you can see how much of an angle the Jeep was at. All ended well and we made it back to the trailhead without major incidence. Another adventure filled trail surrounded by the awing sights of Utah!

Photos, Troy's Blog, wildlife

A May Morning Watching Migrating Birds

May 25, 2019 Troy

A beautiful early May morning was begging for my attention as the landscape around me was coming back to life with plants finally leafing out after a long, cold winter and birds returning from their southern hiatus seeming to finally relax a little as the sun continued to warm the air. I was hoping to find a few ducks stopping by a local pond to refuel before continuing North to find a good spot to nest however there were few to be found. In their place were many different types of birds. Some I’ve seen before and others were a new find.

Several of these Lessor Yellowlegs were combing the shoreline looking for their next meal. After initially taking off from the area they quickly returned once I was settled in a downed tree waiting for wildlife to begin moving again. In a short amount of time these shore birds continued on with their tasks with little concern for the new creature invading their temporary place allowing for some nice close up photos as they seemed to continually fight over this particular log jutting out into the shallow water. They were very entertaining!

Occasionally I would have visitors to nearby trees, at times even in the same tree I was perched in. The bird above is a Yellow Rumped Warbler in full breeding plumage. Several of these warblers visited my area, each one unique and beautiful. I would watch for the few seconds they would remain still as they returned my gaze attempting to figure out what I was doing before continuing on in their quest for food.

Throughout the morning a few other warblers flew by and stopped for a brief moment to say hello. At least that’s what it seemed like although the Palm Warbler above seems a bit confused while trying to figure out what this big eye was doing pointed right at it. I’m not sure if it could see it’s reflection in the lens or not. The Yellow Warbler below flew by me multiple times. Finally during one of those passes it decided to land in the tree I was crouched in and gave me an opportunity to get my camera in place capturing a few pictures of it and then it was gone.

After residing among tree branches for over four hours it was difficult to stand up and get walking again. Well worth the morning enjoying a spring day with all of this wildlife moving around me. Over the course of the morning there were some ducks, swans, eagles, a mink, and a deer swimming across the pond to add to all of these birds coming and going. A lot of fun!

Exploring, National Parks, Troy's Blog

An Afternoon in Arches National Park

May 18, 2019 Troy 1 Comment

Nestled next to Moab, Utah lies a park which is composed of beautiful rock structures including over 2,000 arches. Even typing this is hard to believe that many arches can be confined to such a relatively tiny area next to the Colorado River. After off roading a nearby trail, my friend and I decided to spend a portion of the afternoon exploring Arches National Park. With so many incredible landscapes surrounding the area, this national park is nothing short of spectacular with it’s natural stone carvings that are larger than life. No wonder so many movies are set with this backdrop. In the photo above you can just make out the South Window Arch near the horizon just right of center. The others are obscured from this point of view. Viewing the park from this vantage point can only be done with some type of off road activity such as hiking, biking, or four wheeling which is what we were doing.

Having spent a good portion of the day in Utah’s back country, I couldn’t imagine seeing anything here that was more impressive. Some of these famous arches that are spread across many books, magazines, and even movies in person was amazing. Being later in the afternoon I was growing tired and was having difficulty in gathering much in the way of energy to really enjoy these sights but it didn’t take long for that to pass once the arches became visible. I don’t believe they were any better than the scenery passed earlier during the day while navigating the Top of the World off road trail (which I’ll be writing about in a future post) but they were a great compliment and equally amazing as those beautiful sights.

To be able to walk right up to several natural sandstone arches, and in several case underneath them, really brought them to life. Their enormity is not easy to grasp from many of the photos I’ve looked at. Standing inside of a few arches allows you to see the details of this sandstone rock and the beautiful patterns carved into them. You just want to reach out and touch it but the arches are just too tall for that so trying to settle for a photograph or two will have to do. Yes, while underneath one of these stone structures you begin to wonder how they can even support the stone overhead and question how much longer will it continue to stand. Will this moment be the one which you find large stones dropping over top? And then you recall these have been standing like this for a very long time and it is not likely they will collapse while you’re underneath.

I took a few moments while standing underneath the North Window Arch to reflect on where I was and what I’ve been fortunate to do and see in the beautiful area. It was peaceful and very humbling to think how fortunate my friend and I were to be able to spend time on such a great adventure creating stories we’ll be able to share for the rest of our lives. Often I feel a sadness fall over me during moments like this because it means the adventure is coming to an end. Not on this day as the realization there were several trails yet to come although I was unsure how they could get any better than what was already explored.

After visiting Arches I watched a few movies filmed in the area and was amazed at the familiar scenery I had just visited in person. That’s one of the fun pieces of traveling to certain areas. Whenever you see them in a TV show, movie, or on the news you can recall your person experiences in that exact spot and what the people were like and how the surrounding areas looked and any particular smells or sounds you may have experienced. You begin to realize what so many people are seeing on the screen is such a small portion, and often an inaccurate representation, of that place.

There were numerous arches all with their own unique appearance making each one worth viewing but the most impressive arch, for me, was Double Arch. I’ll have a full post on that one arch coming up.

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

Off Roading in Canyonlands

May 12, 2019 Troy

A unique way to explore Canyonlands National Park in Utah is through their off road trails. The Elephant Hill trail runs through the Needles district which is in the southern portion of this beautiful landscape. As with many places in Utah the scenery is amazing. Around many turns or over hills reveal much to see and take in. After entering Canyonlands we needed to stop at the visitor’s center in order to obtain a free permit to travel their off road trail. There are a limited number of those given out each day and my friend and I were lucky enough to obtain one for this beautiful, sunny day.

It was time to hit the trail so we stopped at a pulloff on the way to the trailhead to get the Jeep ready for some rock crawling adventures. In a short time we had the tires aired down and the suspension prepared for the trail. While stopped I had to photograph some of this incredible scenery in this beautiful park. A few minutes more and we were heading to Elephant Hill.

The trail gets right into the difficult portion with steep climbs and sharp turns. There’s no mistaking this for a casual gravel road. In no time at all we had climbed to the top of Elephant Hill and began to wonder what was left for a challenging four wheel vehicle. Fortunately there was plenty more to enjoy. Along the way we took time to park the Jeep and take in the incredible views all around us. The top is relatively flat and extends for a bit of a distance allowing you to look around and see the different rock formations and canyons leading to the reason for this park.

Near the end of this plateau there’s a sign directing vehicles towards the trail. This is the only place there was a sign indicating the trail goes down through here. I found it entertaining that the icon was of a Jeep. Once getting part way down the hill it was obvious why. A sharp turn requiring off road vehicles to back through a portion of the trail along with tight turns while climbing rocks is already challenging enough. To do this with a truck which has a longer wheel base is even more difficult to near impossible. There was a Toyota Tacoma coming up the hill forcing us to wait at the top for awhile as it grappled with these tight turns up steep rocks. More than once we listened to tires screeching as it tried to make it up. Once at the top the driver looked extremely uneasy and glad to have finally made it through proving it is possible. Just not for the faint of heart as we had passed the drivers wife earlier in the trail walking away from this portion unable to watch as the Tacoma struggled to get to the top.

During a portion of the trail we were warned of some tight areas that could lead to damage on vehicles. As we approached one of these we were unsure of being able to make it through. Approaching this tight canyon slowly it became apparent the Jeep would get through with a bit of room on each side but very little opportunity for errors to avoid rubbing against the canyon walls. It was fun to glide through and fortunately the top comes off it we got stuck so we wouldn’t be trapped inside the vehicle.

Canyonlands National Park offers some amazing views with so many different rock formations and colors all around. I could have spent hours just taking in all of these views of the area landscapes studying the different types of rocks and rock formations. But there’s still a lot of trail left and much to see so on down the trail we went.

Much of the trial consists of rock ledges to climb over which aren’t extremely difficult but add to the fun while traveling through this beautiful park admiring the views both up close and off in the distance. Some of those views can become a bit distracting so thankfully accommodates in some places. Otherwise you could stop every few minutes just to look around and never drive the entire trail in one day.

Earlier in the day, while waiting for the Toyota Tacoma to make its way up Elephant Hill, we decided to grab lunch as we had plenty of time before being able to continue on the trail. It was an amazing spot to eat surrounded by all these beautiful rock formations under the big blue sky. Even though lunch consisted of sandwiches, chips, and an apple (so nothing fancy), I would take that every day with cool sunny skies overlooking the canyons instead of eating a warm meal trapped between four walls inside. As the day continued on we enjoyed climbing over numerous rock ledges and dirt roads all the while enjoying views from the top and bottom of the canyons while taking in a few short hikes here and there completing our day at Elephant Hill on the first full trail of an off road adventure.

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