Tag Archives: new experiences

New Experiences, Photos, Troy's Blog, wildlife

Returning to the Rookery

April 21, 2019 Troy

This past winter I was talking to some photographers who mentioned a Great Blue Heron rookery (nesting site) relatively close to me and that no matter what the weather, herons begin to return in March. One nice early spring day, the first day of spring in fact, I took some time to stop by and see where this place was and if the herons were indeed returning yet. To my surprise there were many birds already there squabbling over which nest they wanted. There were several nests still unoccupied so I expect there will be more birds migrating to the area as spring progresses.

While watching several pairs of Great Blue Herons it was interesting to observe how they interacted with each other and with other herons in the area. Each checking different nests trying to pick just the right one to raise new little herons and defending that nest from others. I focused on one pair for awhile, watching and photographing some of their behaviors, as I continued to learn more about these larger birds. After checking a few nests thoroughly, they seemed to settle on one. However, that one nest still required some work before it would be suitable to lay eggs into.

At one point there seemed to be a discussion and disagreement over an aspect of this nest which you can see from the photo above. I couldn’t tell what the issue was but the result was one of the herons flying away from the nest to find solitude in the river banks below. The picture below shows the Great Blue Heron taking off from the nest while the other one continues to inspect parts of the potential nest. While away, the remaining bird made some adjustments to the sticks improving this chosen nesting site.

Five minutes later this heron returned to the nest and the pair seemed to make up and act as though they missed one another. For a couple of minutes they spent time kind of cuddling with one another before returning to the task of re-enforcing their nest. In the picture below you can see them with their heads crossed almost as if they were hugging. Maybe this is just some sort of method of checking out if they had been near another bird or reconnecting their bond. Whatever it was it was interesting to witness.

Part of reconstructing their nest involved flying to another vacant nest, and stealing branches that could be used on their own nest showing why getting to the rookery earlier in the year was beneficial and worth risking exposure to bad weather which could include snow. And lots of it!

It’s interesting to watch as they would check several branches for just to right one for their own nest. Once the branch was chosen they would, not so carefully remove it from the nest and fly back with it in mouth.

After several sticks added and repairs were made, the nest was deemed suitable allowing for some rest before the real work of raising young arrived.

New Experiences, Photos, Troy's Blog, wildlife

Spring Eagle Migration

April 7, 2019 Troy

A couple of weeks ago I spent a Saturday in Wabasha, Minnesota photographing Bald Eagles as they return north after the cold winter. The National Eagle Center in Wabasha tracks Eagle numbers throughout March and the count for this weekend looked really good provided many opportunities to watch these magnificent birds of prey. After finishing my commitments on Friday night I quickly ran around the house gathering equipment and gear I might need for a day along the Mighty Mississippi tracking and photographing Eagles.

Awaking well before dawn, on a short nights rest, I got my remaining gear and some food together and headed out the door. It was just after 4:45am which would give me enough time to make the nearly 2 hour drive to Wabasha and arrive there to see the sun rise above the horizon as Eagles begin to take to the sky for the day. It was a nice day for an adventure with temperatures reaching above freezing making for a comfortable day outside without excessive layers of clothes. The drive went by quickly with the horizon beginning to cast light into drifting clouds as I got closer bringing out some beautiful pinks in the sky. Reaching the first stop for the day at Reeds Landing, the sun was only moments from breaking above the trees across the river. Getting set up to take some pictures of the sunrise, Eagles were already flying above distracting me from the first mornings’ light.

While the sun continued to rise I attempted to capture an Eagle in the photo as they flew overhead but was unsuccessful as it was still too dark and the Eagles turned out blurry so I returned to focus only on the sunrise for the time being. One of the nice things about Eagle watching at that time of year is if you see a large bird, it’s likely an Eagle. During much of the summer I’m often fooled by larger birds that turn out to be Turkey Vultures and then disappointed. In a short time the light from the rising sun increased enough to begin capturing birds in flight. Just at that time a young one flew into view heading right in my direction. Focusing the camera on it I began to snap away getting some beautiful photos as it got closer. The result is the picture at the top of this post.

The biggest challenge of photographing these Eagles is to find a spot to get close enough for some great photos. Often times they will fly away from you or land on the other side of the river where they are too far away to get great shots. Even with that, opportunities did become available from time to time. The trick was to be ready and have the camera settings right for the situation. Sometimes it works out and other times I was frustrated with a blurry shot wanting to slam the camera and lens to the ground. All in all it was a lot of fun to photograph these beautiful birds and watch as they interacted with each other and flew overhead. Listening to their calls, which sounds very little like the sounds you hear on TV shows, wondering what they’re saying to each other. Sometimes they called one another to the tree they’re in and other times it was letting anther Eagle know they are not welcome to land in that tree. But many of the calls I couldn’t figure out the purpose of.

After awhile the Eagles seem to move away from an area requiring getting back into the vehicle to search for more elsewhere along the river. There are several nests in this area also. These are quite impressive to see as they’re so large. Almost like a tree fort. All of this just for an little Eagle or two. These nests are constructed over several years, increasing in size each time. There was one nest being guarded by an Eagle giving some perspective on how large the nest is.

Throughout the day there were many Eagles soaring in the warming sun. Every once in awhile there would be a couple of birds arguing over a particular fishing spot or certain territory in a tree or on the remaining ice along the river making for some interesting and entertaining behavior. Several times I attempted to capture this with the camera but often it was over before I could capture the event. There were a few that I managed to photograph but they were often far away allowing the Eagles to avoid a close-up shot. The picture below is one of the best shots I managed to capture. These two were arguing over this location on the ice. It lasted for less than a minute.

As the day got later I continued to work on capturing an Eagle swooping down to catch a fish. Unfortunately I had little success. The bird, captured below, has a fish in it’s talons while heading to a tree away from all the other birds to feast without being disturbed by another Eagle trying to steal the fresh meal. I watched this one gliding over the water and then circle around before plucking a fish out of the river all the while snapping away. Unfortunately those pictures are all a little blurry and the actual moment of catching the fish was missed. I have a photo of the Eagle touching the water and another one just after it caught the fish. While it’s nice to see those shots, it’s also disappointing as they are not great compositionally or completely in focus. Something to continue to work on. Even after this bird caught the fish I didn’t stop tracking it and luckily I didn’t. It ended up flying almost overhead as it headed towards the hills behind me giving me more opportunities to grab a picture with a fish in the talons.

Near the end of the day the light was getting too low for good picture taking of the Eagles so I headed to a spot to enjoy the last rays of the sun for the day before making the trek back home. Thankfully it was a beautiful sunset over the vast Mississippi River as you can see in the small Panorama below.

New Experiences, Troy's Blog, wildlife

Bears–They’re Everywhere

August 26, 2018 Troy

During a trip to Northern Minnesota we stopped in Orr for a night after many hours sitting in a car. One of the things to see in Orr is the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary which allows visitors to see wild bears. They’re only open during a few hours in the evening so we spent some of our afternoon preparing for a week camping in Northern Minnesota and resting before venturing off to the sanctuary. For the short drive we were all just hoping to see a few black bears and get a good photo or two. This appeared to be an unrealistic expectation for August! There’s a long unpaved driveway to enter the wildlife sanctuary with anticipation growing along the way to watch black bears but also a bit nerving for first timers like us. We didn’t know what to expect.

I was a little anxious because I really didn’t know if there would be a possibility of contact with a bear and how this sanctuary thing works. Will there be bears to see and photograph, how safe is it? As you get closer to the parking area there are small signs pointing you further until reaching a larger opening with people directing cars on where to park. I kept looking around trying to figure out where this sanctuary viewing area was and for any possible bear passing by but there was no sight of either. We got parked and headed to a little shelter to purchase tickets for entry. Upon receiving the tickets we were told to wait until a bus arrives. Oh this wasn’t the actual viewing area. Heading back to the car to get sunscreen, bug spray, and of course the camera I studied the other visitors to see what the procedure appeared to be. No one else really appeared nervous, just excited to see bears like we were so this must be a fairly safe endeavor. With gear in hand we waited about 10 minutes or so until an empty bus appeared from the woods. A small line formed to load the bus until it was full and off we went to the wildlife observation deck.

After a short bus ride we arrived at a wire fence enclosed observation deck. The bus pulled as close to the entrance as possible and staff blocked any potential opening before allowing us to get off the bus and ascend the stairs up to a raised observation deck which stands at least 7 feet off of the ground. within the first minute we spotted 3 bears off in the woods climbing around dead logs lying on the ground. This was already as many bears as I had hoped to see hear. Sanctuary staff encouraged us to keep moving to allow everyone to get on the deck assuring us there were plenty of bears to see on this day. Venturing further into the platform we could see several other bears with one on a tree limb not far away from the deck so it was at eye level for us. This just didn’t seem real to have this many wild bears in one area so close. We had about 3 hours here and for the first hour we were in a state of shock at being able to see all of these bears of different sizes.

There were many bears at 300 – 400 pounds. I have never seen a black bear that huge and certainly wouldn’t want to meet up with this bear in the wild. There would be no chance if it became aggressive. A renewed respect for these incredible creatures. Off in the distance we could see a couple of cubs sleeping in a tree. I’ve seen pictures of this but never was able to see it in person. It is amazing to witness with your own eyes. While photographing these bears a mother with it’s cubs came into the area with the cubs climbing up into a nearby tree shortly thereafter. We learned that the mother gives the cubs a signal to climb for their safety as larger bears really can’t climb very well. I missed this signal but others witnessed it. Fortunately I was able to photograph as these cubs continued to climb higher and higher with surprising speed. It’s an experience that I can’t believe and one that almost does not seem real.

During our time on the observation deck some of the staff would give talks on the sanctuary and animals that visit it such as birds, squirrels, raccoons, and deer. Some of the other information included why so many bears keep coming here. A few of those reasons include safety and food. Inside this whole sanctuary bears figure out they’re safe from people and cars. Food is plentiful and easy for them to find which is another reason for them to visit the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary. The one thing they do have to watch out for is other bears due to the larger numbers in such a small area and we witnessed a number of scuffles as they declared dominance and who’s food is who’s but nothing too major or violent. During the 3 hours of observing bears we saw between 40 and 50 wild black bears of all sizes as they continued to scarf down pounds and pounds of food in preparation for the upcoming hibernation season. Soon the bears would leave this sanctuary in search of solitude and a place to take a winter nap before giving birth to new cubs early in the new year. An amazing experience which hopefully can be repeated again sometime soon.

Troy's Blog, Yellowstone National Park

Finally….We Saw a Bear

December 10, 2017 Troy

When visiting a number of the National Parks there are signs warning visitors of wild bears however it is not a common occurrence to actually see one. The first places we really began to hope for a bear spotting was while traveling in Alaska – Mendenhall Glacier, Glacier National Park, Skagway and the Chilkoot Trail, and Ketchikan. Being there during the salmon run seemed like it should almost guarantee a bear sighting yet we did not see any. This was disappointing as we could see where bear had been and in one case was told of a sighting mere minutes before we arrived to that area. Well, there were other parks in our travel plans with good opportunities as well. Maybe there will be better luck at those.

When planning for the Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah we read about high bear populations so hoped this would provide the much sought after encounter (from a distance of course). Keeping a watchful eye while driving and taking time to hike into the forests produced no success and once again left us wanting to see a wild bear. Now we are starting to wonder if we are bear repellent as we’ve been to some good areas to see them and nothing to show for it. It became kind of a joke for us and many friends of ours that seeing a bear is not in our future and if you want to go into bear territory, just ask us to join you and you won’t need to worry about encountering them.

As our Monopoly National Park travels near the end we had one last hope to see a wild bear a safe distance away – Yellowstone National Park. The first afternoon and evening in the park and no bears. Our first full day exploring this beautiful place – you guessed it, no bears. A second full day on which I got up early and went into areas with a higher probability of bears just hoping to come across one and still no bears. Giving up in the late morning I began my trip back to the hotel to pick up the rest of the family for more Yellowstone fun only to encounter a road block and not being able to get through. Losing a little hope at the sight of road construction equipment I eventually made it through the jam and began passing numerous people with cameras all pointed in the same direction.

Quickly pulling over hoping to finally see a bear I was confronted with park police told I couldn’t park there so I continued on and finally found a legitiment place to stop and walked quickly back to the place I saw all of these people expecting whatever wildlife to have moved on by now. Shocked there she was – a bear. Not only was there a bear but she was with a cub. Finally… a wild bear siting! After this bear and cub walked into a nearby forest I began my walk back to the car when another person pointed out another bear in a nearby field. This bear also was with a cub. That’s four bears in one area. By the time we left Yellowstone a few days later we had observed seven bears in total. The wait was over and well worth it. Bears are fun to watch at a safe distance for both the observer and the bear, especially the cubs as they play on trees or in a meadow.

Troy's Blog, Yellowstone National Park

Mammoth Hot Springs

July 15, 2017 Troy

With just on hour of daylight left on our first evening in Yellowstone National Park, we took off exploring the several walkways built around Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces. During research ahead of this trip these hot spring terraces weren’t an exciting feature that I was in a hurry to see so this seemed like the right amount of time to quickly explore the area. Upon first viewing these formations I was surprised at how white they were and the formations creating all of these little, unique pools. Something I’ve never seen anywhere before.

Apparently this extreme white comes from calcium being brought up with the springs and deposited as water from these springs cools which means these terraces continually change. This means that the terraces viewed last summer are not the exact same as the ones I saw this summer which will be unique next summer for different visitors. That’s kind of fun. Still, after walking around these features for a little while I felt I’d seen enough to call it a night and return to the hotel for much needed sleep. That’s when the photographer inside of me kicked in.

Shapes, textures, colors, and living and dead trees creating interesting objects began to appear. Yes, they were there the whole time but I didn’t really see them individually. Algae and bacteria living in this hot water add colors to the pure white calcium deposits creating amazing patterns in the terraces. Add to that trees which have been overtaken by these mineral deposits provide another layer of texture to this scene. Soon I realized I could spend a lot of time here catching these items as the light continues to change highlighting different features of each terrace formation ending in beautiful photographs.

Now there wasn’t enough daylight left to capture the Mammoth Hot Springs the way I would like to. As we continued to explore different areas, the springs became more and more fascinating with their little calcium ridges flowing over past living trees turned into decaying artwork and colored different shades of orange and brown as light continued to fade from the almost clear sky. Other areas provided trees a place to grow as a hot spring would become dormant providing more interesting features. With renewed energy it was off to see more areas and discover more of these steam filled deposits creating calm pools of water waiting to cool as they seep from one to another.

Eventually the sky became dark enough to prevent further photographs highlighting these great colors and textures so we returned to our car for the trip to the hotel before crashing into bed for some much desired rest. These Mammoth Hot Springs became more interesting than I would have imagined and every time we passed them on the way to see another location there was a temptation to stop and get more photographs in better light. However that would come at the cost of seeing more of Yellowstone. One advantage to visiting the terraces later in the evening is we really didn’t have to deal with crowds. With this being our first night here it was a false sense of navigating through Yellowstone in mid June. The next day would quickly change this with vastly larger numbers of vehicles and people.

Troy's Blog, Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone

July 9, 2017 Troy

Yellowstone National Park was one of the most eagerly anticipated parks on our National Parks Monopoly board from the beginning of our adventures and has definitely lived up to its name. We chose to stay in Gardiner near the North Entrance so our first experience in Yellowstone was to go through the symbolic Roosevelt Arch. The arch itself if beautiful but seems quite out of place now so it must be symbolic as it does not fit the surroundings very effectively. When it was built in 1903, according to a nearby sign, it must have been a grand entrance into this scenic and adventure filled land and now remains as a piece of history here.

This is a vast and continuously changing landscape and as such requires some time to drive through, when you can drive through it as half of the year snow covers many of the roads closing them to most vehicles. During the peak summer months of June, July, and August there is much to see and do but require some additional attributes for vacationers. First you need to bring a lot of patience as travel is relatively slow due to numerous other visitors all stopping along the road to see the incredible views and wildlife, many times without consideration to those behind them.

Secondly be able to accept many things that you can not control. Most of this is from people wanting to get a certain picture of wildlife, the numerous hydrothermal features, special group shot, or that all important selfie. Other times it can be from people trying to catch up to their group or kids being clueless to their surroundings. Relaxing and understanding other people have different priorities and schedules can help enjoy this beautiful time of year to explore Yellowstone. One tactic to get around some of these annoyances is to start really early in the morning and/or staying later in the park when most others are headed back to their residence for the day.

We had four days to explore this massive place and each day brought something new to see with some of these days packing in more than can be taken in for a single day. Fortunately that’s what pictures and maps are for, to recall what each day provided. Before heading to Gardiner I spent several hours doing some research of what makes this National Park special so that while driving around we wouldn’t miss these things. The most recognizable piece of Yellowstone National Park is the hydrothermal features created by molten lava a short distance under the Earth’s crust as a large portion of this area is basically inside a caldera of what is now a dormant volcano.

The next highlight is the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone which has the Yellowstone River rushing through it. This river falls over a 300 foot cliff resulting in a thunderous crash heard for miles as the water continues on into the canyon. With above normal snowfall this past winter melting at a fast pace, the flow over this waterfall is faster and louder than normal. Yellowstone Lake is another of the grand pieces to explore with many doing so either by fishing, kayaking, or boating. Be careful as the water is still cold even during the warmer summer months being able to cause hypothermia which occurred a week before our trip here. While these are destinations within the park, arguably the biggest highlight of Yellowstone National Park is the wildlife. Unfortunately, seeing many of the different wild animals residing here is unpredictable so the only way to have an opportunity to see it is to be on the lookout while driving from one location to another or hiking into some of the back country areas with safety precautions understood and accessible. I’ll continue to go into detail on many of these highlights in later posts.

New Experiences, Troy's Blog

Climbing for Air …. American Lung Association

February 26, 2017 Troy

For a number of years now (10 to be exact) the American Lung Association has organized and event called Climb for Air. I’ve heard about it for a couple of years and thought it was cool that they would be able to use one of the taller buildings in downtown Minneapolis for it. This is a fundraising event ending with each person climbing stairs for 31 stories. When I first heard that I questioned if I would be able to accomplish such a feat.

On Friday I heard of this event happening this year again and began to ponder if I should attempt climbing stairs for 31 floors to reach the top of one of the skyscrapers in Minneapolis. I’ve not been working on getting into trail condition as much as I should be so physically I’m not as prepared. Researching further 31 stories equates to about 680 steps. Once I saw that then there was little doubt if I could do this or not. There have been caves explored where I’ve climbed half that many stairs so I should be able to do this although this is just climbing up, up, up with limited breaks like a cave would have. After going back and forth I decided it would be a good new life experience for me as well as a worthwhile organization to support in honor of an uncle I lost due to lung cancer and signed up.

The next day I arrived at US Bank Plaza to begin my climb. Average climb times are listed as 10-15 minutes so I figured I should be able to do it 20 minutes taking my time as needed. They attached tracking tags to one of your shoes to keep track of how long it takes to climb and off I went stair after stair. I remember reaching the second floor and then the third. Before I realized it I was at the 16th floor – over half way. I stopped for a quick water break on the next floor and then there was the 19th floor. My legs were beginning to feel it a little but more so I was breathing pretty hard by this time.

Reaching the 22nd floor I tried to slow down a little for the next flight, took a few seconds to stretch tightening muscles a few times until reaching the 29th floor and decided a strong finish was how I wanted to end the climb. During this time I was thinking back to last summer’s climb of Long’s Peak and wondering how many steps I climbed for that. A few more than this I’m sure. Once getting to the top floor I was a little shocked it was done and kept walking back and forth on that floor to cool down while grabbing more water. After a few minutes I realized it took just over 6 minutes to climb 31 stories. Wow was it really that quick? It was an enjoyable experience and one I felt good doing. Marathons and bike races aren’t of much interest to me but this fits in well for me.

Adventure, NASA, Troy's Blog

Houston, We Have a Problem

March 5, 2016 Troy

The problem was our time here was too short. We were in Houston for a couple of days before boarding a cruise ship to the Caribbean and were looking for something interesting to explore. Researching things to do in Houston, NASA was at the top of the list and reading different people’s experience here we decided that’s how we wanted to spend one of the days.

General admission gains access to a days worth of exhibits which include different space capsules, informational movies, multiple types of space trainers, equipment used on different space travels, and even a lab situation where moon rocks were examined all put into settings made to give you a good idea of what it’s like going into space. In addition, you can visit Independence Plaza which holds a shuttle carrier holding a shuttle, Rocket Park were there are several different rockets used to travel into space, as well as a couple of other buildings showcasing some of NASA’s current work via a tram.

We were in Houston visiting Johnson Space Center and this could be our only chance to experience this with our children so we decided we wanted to take in the full experience and went on the VIP tour. With this tour you get to visit areas not available to any other tour such as the underwater training center as well as get up close and personal in some of the areas were the tram does go such as historic mission control and building 9 where you can view new technology that may be used in future space endeavors along with lunch which can be a little expensive at a place like this.

Our first stop was the underwater training facility. Here they have a life-size International Space Station for astronauts from around the world to train on. Luckily for us, there were a couple of astronauts training so we could see how they prepared to work in space. It’s very interesting because while underwater they each have at least two assistants for training and safety. This pool is massive as you might imagine to hold a replica of the Space Station. With space suits on these astronauts can’t get themselves into or out of the pool so they have a small crane to get them in and out.

Next we explored building 9 and got to see many of the new creations meant for use on the moon and beyond such as advanced rovers and other exploration vehicles. There were different types of space suits on display, Robonauts which can be used to explore areas not as hospitable to people, and the Orion capsule being built for possible missions back to the moon. Surprisingly, this Orion Capsule has much the same design as capsules already used to go to the moon. The technology to operate them, however, is much better and so is the equipment that can be used to explore more of the moon. Also in Building 9 there is a Soyuz capsule currently used to transport astronauts to the International Space Station and parts of the space station for these capsules to connect to. Seeing these in person is really interesting.

Something we got to experience, that very few get to be a part of, was the launch of astronaut Scott Kelly live. While his launch took place in Kazakhstan, the people at Johnson Space Center prepared an area for their VIP tour guests to view the launch. Because of this launch our trip to see the new Mission Control needed to be delayed as a number of NASA officials were in Mission Control as this trip began. Our experience watching this brought the United States involvement in the International Space Station to life more than any news story could. This post was not intended to coordinate with his return almost a year later. That is just a lucky coincidence as I had planned on this post a week or so before realizing Scott Kelly was returning home from his year at the space station.

After watching the launch to the International Space Station, our tour continued on to Rocket Park where there are several different rockets used to propel people into space. The highlight of Rocket Park is the Saturn V rocket which was used to take people to the moon. In the photograph above you can see a person walking under the rocket on the far side to indicate just how massive this rocket really is. You could stand inside one of the rocket engines and there are five engines that powered this rocket from the Earth. Walking around Rocket Park you can start to put together the timeline from the first rockets to Saturn V and even see the equipment that went into making the shuttles. Most of this rocket was used to get it off the ground and to the moon. Very little was needed for the return trip.

On to Mission Control. Here we were able to sit at the actual desks used to control these missions to the moon and some of the earliest Space Shuttle flights. It really felt like going back in time and humbling to be in this amazing and historic control center. There was a few minutes of presentations by NASA officials and then we had some time to look around this piece of American history. How much better could our experience get?

How about witnessing the new Mission Control as they maneuver the International Space Station for the docking of the Soyuz Capsule with Scott Kelly aboard? Here I learned information I was unaware of before such as NASA is the organization that actually flies the space station and a trip from Earth to the International Space Station takes mere hours. I always imagined a trip of this distance would take a day or more. One other surprise to me was how ordinary a launch appears in Mission Control. Not all the desks were filled and people appeared to just be doing their everyday business and having conversations with colleagues just as many of us do only they’re in control of vehicles thousands of miles away and responsible for the lives of those aboard. I’ve seen more chaos in a grocery store. This was the end of our day at Johnson Space Center which required relaxing by the pool of our hotel the rest of the night just to absorb all of the information and experiences from this day. The night sky has a little different appearance now.

National Parks, Troy's Blog

Agate Fossil Beds

February 20, 2016 Troy

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument one of the smallest national parks we’ve visited but an interesting place to explore with some surprising things to learn. Before finding this place because of the Monopoly board I had no idea that fossils have been found in this part of the Midwestern United States. Once again another pleasant surprise from our Monopoly adventures.

This park requires only a few hours to explore but has much to offer for it’s size with information on the significance of the area for the Sioux as well as fossils to view both in the visitors center and along trails. In addition there are great views of the plains that make up large expanses of the landscape in western Nebraska.

One of the unique fossils which has been preserved in this national park are corkscrews dug deep into the earth by a type of land beaver that use to reside in these hills. When you see them you can’t help but wonder why they dug these burrows in the shape of a corkscrew. I question if it was to help them get in and out of their underground home. Maybe they couldn’t climb in and out of these deep holes any other way. Still, these corkscrews called, daemonelix or devil’s corkscrews, added a lot of steps each time entering and exiting these dens. A workout just to get up and go outside and retreat back into shelter. Probably worse than stairs in our houses.

Adventures, Troy's Blog

A Week at the Ridge

January 4, 2015 Troy

Recently there was an opportunity to join my daughters class on a trip to Northern Minnesota for a week at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. There was some hesitation about going for me due to a couple of reasons. First, many of the activities are outside and spending a week outdoors in the cold of a Minnesota winter was not overly appealing and secondly, a couple hundred students talking, screaming, and goofing off is difficult for me to take in. I decided to continue on with the trip because I love new adventures and, even more, sharing those adventures with others. Watching another person experience something new and exciting and find skills they didn’t know they had is fulfilling to me.

In the days leading up to this northern adventure I got things situated at work for me to be gone and finished picking up appropriate gear as the weather forecast called for temperatures to be below 0 degrees F most of the week. Finally I got all my stuff packed and ready to go still a little uncertain of how the week would go with these kids. Monday morning came and it was time to head up. I was joined by another parent who would be sharing this adventure and off we went on our 4 hour journey to Wolf Ridge. We arrived a little before the kids got there on their buses giving time to settle in before the chaos started.

The kids all arrived, unloaded their luggage and went to their assigned rooms to put it away before heading to their first class of the week. Unfortunately the snow depth was on the light side meaning cross country skiing would not work and snowshoeing was questionable. Who would have guessed a thin snow base in Northern Minnesota in January? We began to figure out the routine for the week and let the learning begin. Each group consisted of 12 –15 students most of the time with 2 – 3 adults assisting them which made the week very manageable and a lot of fun. You get to know this group and these kids become almost like your own in a short period of time.

There were so many activities planned that each day felt like a week because of how busy it was. the fact that it was pretty cold became less of a concern because of the fun and education taking place. We all just knew we had to dress correctly for the conditions and we’d be fine. It helped remind me that subzero temperatures are not a good reason to forego outdoor adventures and that I am able to stay comfortable in these types of environments. Continually checking the forecast and outside temperatures became useless for me because it didn’t matter. I would go where I was asked to and do what was needed to help facilitate as much learning for these kids as possible.

The coldest day during the week, I had heard, was –26 degrees F with a brisk wind creating a wind chill of –43 degrees F. Yes, we still ventured outdoors on that day but not as long as other days. For those unable to imagine such conditions let me provide an example. After a meal in the dining hall I would grab a hot cup of tea to drink back at the dorm we were staying in. On the short 4 – 5 minute walk back I would almost be drinking iced tea in my room. That’s a slight exaggeration but not much. Another example was using my mobile phone to take a few pictures. I could only take a few because as the phone became colder it actually froze up and would not work again for almost an hour until it warmed back up.

While there were several different classes with a lot of learning going on surrounded by this beautiful landscape, the most talked about classes were the ropes course and climbing wall. These were the most challenging to complete and required students to push through their fears and often be surprised by their abilities. It was such a privilege to be able to witness these kids figure out what they could really do and complete either the ropes course or rock wall or both. A new experience for many. I was certain I could complete the ropes course but I’ve never taken the time to climb a rock wall so this was my first time doing it. Yes, I did make it to the top twice.

As the week began to wind down towards the end a little sadness entered that we’d be leaving. Several adults that have gone before me and encouraged me to take this opportunity all said I’d have a great time and they were right. It was so much fun spending time with these great kids and seeing what they could achieve along with meeting a bunch a great chaperones and having fun getting to know many of them. We’ve all gone back our separate ways but the memories will continue to be with me.

Gaining Life Experience

Tag Archives: new experiences

Returning to the Rookery

Spring Eagle Migration

Bears–They’re Everywhere

Finally….We Saw a Bear

Mammoth Hot Springs

Yellowstone

Climbing for Air …. American Lung Association

Houston, We Have a Problem

Agate Fossil Beds

A Week at the Ridge

Your Board of Adventure