Tag Archives: camping

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.

Camping, State Parks, Troy's Blog

Camping at Split Rock Lighthouse

November 10, 2019 Troy

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, Camping, Troy's Blog

Return to Lost Lake

September 9, 2018 Troy

After my trip to Lost Lake in July I couldn’t wait to return having so much fun the first time and much more to explore that just wouldn’t wait until next year. So a few days after getting home I booked Labor Day weekend for another extended weekend of exploring, fishing, and campfires. Even though it marked the end of summer I was eager with anticipation of what was in store for a second visit to the cabins for weeks beforehand. The summer goes so fast as it is that I try to never look forward to upcoming events, but enjoy the things that are happening in the moment so as to not rush the summer away. As hard as I tried I couldn’t keep my mind off camping in the north woods of Wisconsin and I was not disappointed. Why is this area so much fun? For me it has to do with a number of things. First off it is a beautiful area full of lakes, scenery, and wildlife and I can just take it all in without the responsibilities of every day routines. Secondly I get to just be me and basically relax. There’s no being a father, husband, or son for a few days which can be a nice break. I love being those things but a break is kind of nice once in a while. And lastly I like heading to this area of Wisconsin because I get to see an old college friend and hangout doing whatever we want to do whether that’s fishing all afternoon, playing with our cameras trying to capture the beauty of the area, or exploring a new lake or trail.

On this trip it almost felt like a completely different place. Yes the lake is still there with the resident loon and the roads are the same but so many things around us gave new adventures. First off shorter days made a huge impact which I wasn’t fully expecting. It felt as though a good part of the day had already disappeared by the time day light became bright enough to see which just had a domino effect the rest of the day with everything happening later. Yes I was aware of earlier sunsets and later sunrises but the days flew by even faster than I anticipated as often we would be preparing dinner by lantern and fire instead of eating under a setting sun. The fire would just get going nicely when the yawns could no long be ignored and it was time to retreat to bed for the night although one of the nights we did continue to fight the tiredness and photograph the night sky. Some of the other differences between the July and September visits where clouds and rain, mushrooms, waterfalls, and light painting.

Our second night in the Chequamegon National Forest we found an area on a nearby lake where we could take in the sunset as the forecast called for clouds skies and some rain over the next few days so that was possibly the only opportunity to watch a beautiful sunset and we were not disappointed. As it turned out that was the last visible sunset during the rest of our time there. During our last night a nice thunderstorm rolled through completing the camping experience. Because there was so much rain mushrooms were popping up all over. It seemed as though I would photograph one and only a short distance away there would be another different, interesting mushroom. We lost count how many different mushrooms we saw and photographed over our long weekend there. I’ll probably do another post on only the mushrooms of Lost Lake. There is a waterfall drive in the area we were in which shows off a number of different rapids and small waterfalls. Even though they are not very high they are still mesmerizing to watch and listen to and well worth some time to explore which is something we didn’t do on our first visit to the area.

During one of the nights sitting by the camp fire we looked up and notice a break in the clouds revealing the numerous stars shining across the sky so we quickly grabbed a camera and some lights and headed to lake side for a little nighttime fun. The clouds really seemed to add drama to the night sky making for interesting photographs. Also we decided to attempt light painting which turned out great and was fun to play with. That started as night fishing with lighted bobbers and turned into photography experiments since the fish weren’t really interested in eating anyway. While there were these different things to explore there were some things missing which made this a different experience. There were a lot less frogs, no red dragonflies, and few butterflies. Fortunately there were also less mosquitoes even though they really weren’t all that bad in July. All of these changes made for a unique experience that finally satisfied my urge to camp at Lost Lake again this year. It does seem to be only a temporary sense of completeness as there is talk of returning next summer for another opportunity to enjoy these surrounding again.

Adventures, Camping, Troy's Blog

Lost Lake

July 20, 2018 Troy

Just after the Independence Day holiday in the United States I ventured off to Western Wisconsin with an old time friend from college to explore the Lost Lake area in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. This was my first time camping in a national forest and this was a great spot for my first attempt. I’ve read that if you’re going to a National Park you should often check out a nearby national forest for accommodations which are often more available and can be more affordable.

The cabins at Lost Lake were renovated in 2012 under the federal stimulus and provide a fun and affordable trip in well kept facilities in the beautiful Northwood’s of Wisconsin. The cabin we stayed in can accommodate up to 6 people with plenty of room. Fortunately the weather was absolutely perfect with daytime temperatures in the lower 80’s Fahrenheit for enjoying the area lakes and cooling off to the upper 50’s during the night for great evening sleeping.

There are several lakes in the area to explore but we always returned to Lost Lake for some swimming, fishing, and wildlife watching. It’s a small lake which does not allow any boat motors keeping it peaceful for all to enjoy either by swimming, fishing, or kayaking. I would get up at sunrise or shortly there after to enjoy the calm, quiet lake and watch a local loon or eagles fishing. A great break from the busy daily routines I’m commonly use to.

One of the creatures in abundance at Lost Lake are a frogs which can be heard throughout the day and into the night. Once I figured out what they looked like under the water with only their heads peering out at me it got a little frightening. At one point I counted over twenty frogs staring at me and several times more than a dozen just watching me. I was certain there would be nightmares about frogs attaching me during the night but fortunately that did not happen. Large bullfrogs can be found and heard all around the lake. I kept waiting for them to say ‘bud’ with another answering with ‘wise’ with ‘errrrr’ being croaked off in the distance. For those who don’t know this was a commercial created for Budweiser many years ago.

After enjoying a fire near the cabin one night I ventured down by the water to take in the night sky. The number of stars shining and reflecting in the water was just breathtaking. My plan was to take a few pictures and retreat to bed for the night as it had been a long day and I wanted to get up for the sunrise the next morning. After photographing and enjoying the night sky with peaceful sounds of frogs for over an hour I decided it was time to call it quits. After a few hours of some great sleep I drug myself out of bed to watch the sun appear over the horizon the next (actually the same) morning.

Light began showing in the sky way too early in July in Northern Wisconsin. I ended up getting out of bed at 4:45 in the morning with plenty of light to see my way from the cabin to the lake to witness the sun coming up an hour later. While I only got just under 4 hours of sleep that night there was no hint of being tired as the morning was so calm and peaceful it almost didn’t feel real. Fortunately I have photos that tell me otherwise. Clouds didn’t cooperate in the morning to provide one of those amazing sunrises with a colorful sky and while there was some fog on the lake I was hoping for more. Still watching the world come to life with birds moving to and fro while the loon and eagles began to wake up and start searching for food was well worth getting up for. Besides, if there were clouds for the sunrise there probably would have been clouds blocking all the stars just hours before.

During one of our afternoon just relaxing by the lake I brought my camera with the longest lens I have just in case there was something to capture. The resident loon kept its distance preventing a nice close up shot but that was ok. I was taking a picture of some of the frogs staring back at me when my college friend called out my name with a bit of a sense of urgency. I was all set up for my photo when he called again with a bit louder tone in his voice telling me I needed to look up only to see and eagle incoming. Turning the camera towards this majestic bird I focused in on it just in case it got closer and dove into the water in search of a fish. Shortly after I got focused in on it, the eagle did begin a quick descent towards the water only to grab a fish and retreat to a nearby tree to consume its fresh catch. Looking back at the camera I realized I caught this with a couple of frames which was fun to see even if it was from across the lake. Zooming out a little further I saw the reaction of a couple of kids floating at the beach as this eagle dove down right in front of them. What a sight that must have been! One of my favorite photos from our time at Lost Lake. It was such a great time I’m going back in September to do it again before camping season comes to a close.

Lake Superior, Michigan, Troy's Blog

The Porcupine Mountains

July 29, 2017 Troy

Recently I had the opportunity to meet a friend I went to college with for a few days camping at Porcupine Mountain State Park which resides in Northern Michigan otherwise known as the U.P. I was hopeful to see a porcupine since I assumed that’s where the name for this park came from. As we learned while there, the name actually comes from the shape of the mountains. They look like humped over porcupines. It is possible to see a porcupine in this area but not overly likely.

Yurts are available for rent at this state park making it so a tent or camping trailer is not necessary. There are cabins also if a person prefers that. One of the nice things about the cabins and yurts is they are more remote than the rest of the campground giving you your own little area all to yourself. The challenging part of these yurts and cabins is lack of running water or electricity so using a bathroom with both of these things requires a bit of a walk to get there. Our camping spot was next to Lake Superior. Fortunately the weather was nice and calm so the lake was also. At night we were lulled to sleep by the waves lazily crashing against the shore for a peaceful nights rest.

There are several ways to spend your time at Porcupine State Park with several miles of trails to hike leading to mountain tops or waterfalls, Lake Superior providing water activities such as boating, kayaking, or swimming in the warm summer months, or just sitting next to your fire watching the flames dance between the logs. While spending some time at our campsite a Least Chipmunk would entertain us with its acrobatics off and on as it collected ripening fruit from several nearby trees.

In July the sun sets quite late in this part of the United States so it didn’t actually get dark until after 10 p.m. Eastern time. That really threw my time off because it seemed so late but was still light out to make an evening meal and eat it in the waning light. By the time stars began making their appearance it would be getting really late. One night we decided to find an area to view the Milky way and take some photographs instead of going to bed. After a few hours of doing that there was discussion on whether we should go to bed or find a place to view the impending sunrise. Thankfully our senses returned as it was off to bed for a good nights rest. Spending time in the U.P. of Michigan was definitely peaceful and relaxing.

Gaining Life Experience