Category Archives: Adventure

Adventure, New Experiences, Rocky Moutain National Park, Troy's Blog

Monopoly Traveler Reflections–Flattop Mountain

January 23, 2022 Troy

The entire reason we were in Rocky Mountain National Park was because of Flattop Mountain Trail. We had been exploring this incredible and gorgeous national park for the past day and a half but now it was time to see the trail that was on our Monopoly Board. Our family spent the day viewing snow capped mountains, amazing waterfalls, and wildlife which brought us to Bear Lake. The trailhead for Flattop. With all of the exploring we had already done, the energy level was draining. We could have decided that this was close enough but it wouldn’t have felt right. How could we ask a ranger to sign our board, as we had been doing at each park to this point, if we at didn’t at least see the sign for this trail? Ready to go we exited our car and headed for the trail.

The first part of this hike takes you to Bear Lake before veering off past the lake to Flattop Mountain Trail. As we worked our way up the trail we came across a little wildlife hopping through. It was fun to see this Snow Hare in it’s summer dress – mostly a gray coat. In the photo above you can see it on the right side at the edge of a boulder. The girls are looking in its direction. We enjoyed just observing this rabbit as it searched for food near the trail. Eventually we decided to press on as it was getting later in the day and we wanted to be back at the car before dark fell over the mountains. We continued to make our way up this relatively easy trail, following signs for Flattop Mountain. Altitude was certainly being felt but wasn’t seeming to be a major issue. A short time later we arrived at the beginning of Flattop Mountain Trail as announced by a sign at the side of this trail.

At this point we took a short break to enjoy accomplishing our goal of stepping on Flattop Mountain Trail. It was never our intention to hike this whole trail as we were pretty worn out from exploring this large, mountainous wilderness. I walked up the trail a little ways being accompanied by my daughters before turning around and retreating back to the sign just to say I hiked on this trail pictured in our Monopoly board. From here headed back to the car and returned to our hotel after eating dinner for some much needed rest. We had successfully achieved what we had set out to do but I couldn’t help but ponder if this really counted as exploring the trail that brought us out to these Rocky Mountains.

Even though we managed to get to the trail we set out to find, A small part of me felt as though we kind of cheated and didn’t really experience the reason this trail was put on our Monopoly Board. Even so, there was really no intention of returning and hiking to the top of Flattop Mountain. As the years went by and we continued on family adventures, we came upon a summer with no park to explore. This feeling of not really hiking the Flattop Mountain Trail had grown more and more. This was also helped by our experience backpacking on Isle Royale for a few days. I grew in my confidence to be able to hike longer distances. And now wanting a summer trip to spend with the family decided to take on the challenge of getting to the top of this mountain and fulfilling this piece of the game. While planning this trip I also began to study maps, distances, and what we would need to do for this hike.

I began to train for the 10 mile hike round trip up into the mountains. Being unsure of how the altitude would affect me, I focused more on building my lung capacity than my leg muscles as I was pretty comfortable with the physical shape I was in. Eventually the time of our trip arrived. It was early August and we drove to Estes Park. This was the first time we returned to one of the National Parks we had already visited. Along the way we made stops at Pipestone National Monument and Scot’s Bluff National Monument so there were new places to see. Making it to Rocky Mountain National Park, I couldn’t stop thinking about whether or not I could really do this. Was I physically fit enough? How would the altitude impact me? The day before the planned hike my oldest daughter announced she was going to join me. She couldn’t let me do it alone. Who would be able to come back and tell mom if I got injured after all? I was thrilled to have company on this hike. Doing it alone just isn’t as enjoyable for me. I love sharing adventures with people.

We woke up about 3am to get dressed and head to the trailhead. We wanted to get an early start so we could make it to the top and begin our descent before storms began to build. And storms had been active and were forecast to remain active in this area. We each grabbed a hiking pole, turned on our flashlights, and began the 5 mile journey up the mountain. Everything looked so different that it was seven years ago. Of course it was also dark out and the may have played a part. One foot in front of the other we climbed higher and higher. By sunrise we had put a couple of miles behind us and were about to go above the tree line. We would stop for breaks every now and then but for the most part this hike was going well. Getting above the trees we began to be greeted by marmots venturing out of their nighttime hiding places for the morning. As we continued on we noticed some hikers behind us. We were the first ones on the trail on this day but now others were coming into sight. And they seemed to be catching up to us. A little more motivated we continued moving up the mountain side getting closer and closer to the top.

Finally our destination came into view. We were going to make it. The altitude had become a bit more of an impact now but we were still able to go. And with the hikers gaining behind us, we kept pushing. They were not going to beat us to the top! Step after step we finally reached the summit of Flattop Mountain. A few minutes later the next pair of hikers arrived. We all found a few boulders to sit on and grab a bite to eat enjoying the view around us. Chatting a little we found out that these other two were Marines and came out hiking frequently. No wonder they were able to catch up so quickly. After a little rest we continued to explore the top of the mountain and came upon the Continental Divide Trail. I decided to follow it for a little ways before returning to the summit of Flattop. We have finally completed this property on our Monopoly Board.

But now something else was stirring in my mind. The next adventure was behind me in the photo below. Off in the distance, over my should, there it stands – Longs Peak! The highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Adventure, Monopoly Traveler Reflections, New Experiences, Troy's Blog

Monopoly Traveler Reflections–Altitude

November 14, 2021 Troy

It was my first time exploring in a mountain landscape. Driving up into the Rocky Mountains with my wife, two children, and my dad made for an incredible experience as we were in awe of the beauty everywhere we turned. It was early July so only the mountain peaks had snow while the pine forests were green and the tundra alive with flowers everywhere. The sun was shining with puffy white clouds floating across the blue sky. In Estes Park where we started it was a nice, warm summer day but as we ascended towards the peaks it became windy and cooler. Only a light jacket was needed still but a noticeable difference. On this, our first full day in Rocky Mountain National Park, we started in the valleys but worked our way up the mountain stopping occasionally to gaze at the grandeur of the sights surrounding us. By lunch time we had arrived at the top of this peak to the Alpine Meadows Visitors center. Strangely breathing had become more labored. Our pace of walking needed to be slowed or it felt like we had run a distance and were now short of breath.

We were now over 11,000 feet in altitude and had never experienced this before. Getting use to it a little it became more intriguing to continuing exploring with this shortness of breath. After looking around in the visitor center and enjoying the views from this location, we grabbed something to eat and then headed for the short climb to the summit at 12, 000 feet. I felt as though I was back in training camp for high school football as each step required more and more effort. On top of this, the clouds seemed to be building and there was a sign warning not to be up there when there’s a threat of lightning and thunderstorms. With more clouds now filling the sky we wanted to make our way up somewhat hurriedly and return to the visitor’s center before any storms arrived. What a great experience and view to share with my family! Who would ever think it would be the beginning of more mountain adventures?

Adventure, Camping, Minnesota, Sunrise, Troy's Blog

Catching a Beautiful Summer Sunrise

October 24, 2021 Troy

There are days when photographing the beautiful landscape around you comes at a cost. Often that cost is sleep. On this particular morning I wanted to capture the sunrise over Hayes Lake. A manmade lake surrounded by forest created from a small river flowing in that has been damned off. The challenge with being awake for the sunrise was that I had spent much of the night photographing the Milkyway rising from the horizon over this calm lake. And before that, the day included searching for Minnesota’s native orchids of which several were found, but that meant little rest during the day (and night). The conditions just presented the opportunity I was looking for for each of these possible photographs.

During the day, several orchids were in bloom and there was no rain expected (although passing showers popped up) making it a good opportunity to search for them. Along with spending hours in search of as many orchids as I could find, there were other native plants in bloom along with areas to explore all day long. Food? Not sure how important that really is. A few bites of something should be enough and on to the next area needing to be seen. After a day of adventure it was time to return to the campsite for a brief meal. Once this was complete, the sky continued to clear so out to do a little scouting for nighttime photos. An advantage of giving myself time was being able to enjoy the beautiful sunset. With just a few clouds floating across the sky, the colors provided a great end to the day.

With a little time before it would be dark enough to capture the night sky and a few potential places to set up the camera, I returned to the campsite and enjoyed an evening fire. As I started to relax I began to question if I really wanted to go back with the camera. My pillow was started to really call after a day of exploring and the time nearing midnight. As darkness engulfed the landscape, the stars shown brightly with not a cloud to hide them. A great situation to photograph the night sky with very little light pollution. One of the darkest skies I’ve had the chance to spend the night under. How could I possibly pass up this situation? Dragging myself into the car I returned to the lake where I was earlier and set up the camera. As those first pictures lit up on the screen I was re-energized and kept shooting away trying different things and different compositions. As the night wore on, fog began to develop across the lake making it more challenging to capture sharp pictures.

It was now after 3am and the sun would begin filling the horizon in just a few hours and this fog could make for some great sunrise photos. Do I just stay awake and enjoy the quiet morning hours? I decided to go back to the vehicle, turn on the heat to at least warm my hands and feet which were now pretty cold and see if I could get in a brief nap. Sleep could come back at the campsite once the sun made it’s way higher in the sky. At least that’s what I convinced myself of. I woke to a small amount of light entering the area and a few minutes later was back out at the lake setting up for the imminent sunrise. Just as I had hoped, the fog continued to float across the glass like surface I had left a short time before. Continuing to shoot away, I was enjoying the world waking up around me welcoming a new summer day and eventually capturing the image at the top. Returning to get some sleep? A new day had arrived and there was more exploring to do. Maybe an early night to catch up…..

Adventure, Flowers, Photos, Troy's Blog

Pollinators Flying Around as Fall Approaches

September 12, 2021 Troy

On a beautiful summer afternoon the last weekend in August, I took some time to go out wandering at a nearby park. We had just returned home after moving our youngest daughter into her college apartment. Staying home seemed like a challenge so I grabbed the camera and off I went. Unsure of what I would see, being prepared is something I’ve learned time and time again otherwise you could miss a great photo op. This day definitely provided some great subjects, especially pollinators out searching for as much nectar as possible. Capturing a few late summer wildflowers or maybe a mushroom or two was my expectation but thankfully there was more.

Meandering on a familiar trail, which was a little less familiar as I haven’t been out nearly as frequently as other years, I came across some wildflowers and snapped a few pics. Continuing on I came to some tall yellow daisies in bloom with a Monarch butterfly flitting from flower to flower. Thankfully it would spend some time at each one allowing me to capture some great photos like the one above.

Unfortunately I was confronted with a few brilliantly colored leaves along the trail confirming what time of year it was and seasons would soon be changing. This was a fact I had been trying to ignore as I wanted more summer to enjoy. If time would only slow down. Since there were some nice red leaves I decided to take the opportunity to start practicing for the possible explosion of color to come with the a simple turn of a page on the calendar. After a brief time with these leaves, it was back to those late season flowers still blooming with all of their energy.

A lot of Goldenrod was in full bloom with the occasional bee or butterfly visiting their flowers. There were a few that were loaded with tiny beetles. A quick search indicates these are called Shining Flower Beetles which eat the pollen. While it seems that Goldenrod should be a great pollinator plant with as prolific they can be, I don’t often see a mass of insects around them like I do other plants such as late season hydrangeas. They must not release a lot of nectar for them to feed on. Continuing on my journey I came across more large yellow daisies with a bee here and there dancing around these beautiful flowers occasionally landing on one. A couple of pictures and I moved on.

Another opportunity during my journey was an Ichneumon Wasp. I’ve been trying to capture some nice shots of these for several years and here finally was my chance. I snapped a few poor photos and it was gone. Deciding to sit down for awhile, I was rewarded with another chance as the wasp returned to a leaf fairly close to me allowing for some nice shots. These wasps don’t sting as their long tails are used to deposit eggs when the time arrives. If there was nothing else to photograph, I was happy with these alone but thankfully there were others. After a few more shots it was time to head home and take care of some things before the day was over. I really enjoyed this time watching and photographing these pollinators before August transitioned to September.

Adventure, Troy's Blog

Frost Up Close

February 7, 2021 Troy

The first week of 2021 provided some spectacular days covering the landscape covering it with frost. Each day provided a different look and frost pattern. Some days began with a light frost coating everything such as in the photo above. These days made everything appear as though out of a movie. It didn’t seem real even though I could see it. Sometimes this frost would disappear throughout the day and other days it would persist into the night.

Another day provided a thick coating mostly in one direction on everything. I don’t know what minor changes cause these frosts to be different than those covering everything in a light coating but it still makes for a beautiful setting. The area where the above photo was taken, there was a downburst of snow earlier in the day leaving behind snowflakes to add to frost. If you look closely above, you’ll be able to see one or two.

Another morning brought sharp ice crystals on one side of most plants which I assume is a result of a windy day during their formation. Each of these little pieces of frost reminded me of lightning bolts. Quite fascinating!

In the last photo you can make out different ice sculptures which turns out to be another form of frost created during the week. This is surface hoar frost. These little crystals formed on top of the snow. I had never noticed frost covering the snow before. How often does this happen? Something I’ll definitely be paying more attention to as they were some amazing little natural pieces of art.

Adventure, Photos, Troy's Blog

Getting the Shot–A Boundary Waters Sunrise

June 13, 2020 Troy

This photo is so mesmerizing to me. Well, actually it’s the picture below that really captures my attention but that doesn’t work very well as the post photo because it’s in the portrait orientation. Fortunately I really like them both. The overall scene just appears so relaxing and calm to me. You have the fog lifting from the warm water into the cool morning air dispersing the soft morning light as the sun nears the horizon. That fog separates this lone tree from the forest behind it allowing you to see the interesting shape of this silhouetted evergreen growing from a tiny island surrounded by boulders and water. I really begin to wonder how this tree is able to grow in that spot. You have the cool colors created by the early morning low light and fog separating it from the warm colors above the tree line behind producing yellows and oranges. Having all of the trees in silhouette creates a scene that my mind keeps wanting to watch expecting the sun to show illuminating these trees and water.

The main difference in these two pictures above is, of course, the orientation in which they were shot. Switching to portrait allows for the trees reflection to become visible showing off the calm water adding to the relaxing scene. However, this photo doesn’t highlight the small island with boulders around it like the top picture does. Notice I did not center the tree, the main focus of this image. Is it obvious that the tree is the main subject? As I studied the tree I noticed a lower branch, or second tree, coming off the right side angling up adding a little more overall mass to this side. Because of that, it needed to be situated to the left in pictures. If I had centered this photo it would feel off balance to the viewer as you can see below. It’s not bad but it not as relaxed as the picture above. You can also see that making the tree fill the entire shot does not allow the viewer to step into the scene as well.

Looking at the top photos, it’s easy to think I just rolled out of bed and five minutes later captured these amazing photographs. Let me take you through what was involved in getting this shot. I arrived at this cabin on East Bearskin Lake. An entry point into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Taking a short path from the cabin to the waters edge and you’re looking out into the deep wilderness of evergreens, birch, maple, granite, and water. It’s so quiet most of the time. If it weren’t for the multitude of mosquitos, biting flies, and gnats it would feel like you’re in a dream. While first peering out at the landscape in front of me I saw this one tree emerging from a small island. I wanted to concentrate on that one piece and find a way to capture it’s interest separate from all the other incredible and scenic pieces putting together this spectacular place. There was just something about it that spoke to me. Prior to this I was struggling to find any motivation to even pick up a camera. There was just no excitement in photography which had been going on for a couple of months by this time.

I walked back to the cabin to begin unloading the camping gear and arranging it inside. Once complete, a meal was prepared with the intent the rest of the day to just enjoy quiet time with my friend I made the journey with. As we sat down to eat, rain began to fall chasing us inside for awhile. Not exactly the start I was hoping for but weather is to be expected during the spring in Northern Minnesota. From time to time my mind would return to the lake in front of us trying to envision what type of photograph would really bring out this tree growing almost from just out of the water? I struggled once again to come up with an idea and decided it was time for a fire and to let this picture go. My mental photography block was still in place. Maybe there just wasn’t a shot suitable using this little island and I should concentrate on something else. The stars began to shine overhead and it was a long day of travel so off to bed I went expecting to awake before dawn and try again.

Light began to show through the window just above my head. I was still tired and unmotivated to get up. After a few minutes of fighting with myself I got out of my nice, warm sleeping bag, begrudgingly got dressed and headed outside. The camera was in the vehicle and that’s where I wanted it to stay. But what if there’s a moose down by the lake? I grabbed the camera, a tripod, and a couple of lenses and headed to the lake just outside of this cabin. NO MOOSE! I should go back to bed. I decided to stay and work with composition on this lonely tree. You can see the results in the two photos above. Nothing really outstanding. I just couldn’t isolate this tree the way I really wanted to. The next morning I did this again, not really expecting anything more than just trying to enjoy the day beginning over this beautiful place. The second day I did spend some time moving down the shoreline a ways and noticed the difference in how that island appeared. It still was blending into the background too much but at least I could see water all the way around it now. Before the background trees blended in too well with a portion of it. I tried a small lens and moved all the way up to my 200-500mm lens looking for different compositions. Still no really good shot like I wanted. And my motivation to keep holding this computer with glass would not return. I should also mention that the camera was not working properly and the shutter button worked intermittently which may have been much of my problem.

On my third and final morning I once again forced myself out of bed and went down the the lake. What I found was a gorgeous scene! My inspiration returned immediately. I wrote about this some time back. You can read it here. If you click on previous post at the very bottom from that one you can read my description of this morning. The fog on the lake was perfect to create separation between the tree and the background. I moved on down the shore to where I had noticed water visible around the tree and set up the camera. You can see the view in the picture above. This tree was quite a distance away requiring my longest lens, which is visible in the lower left hand corner of the above shot, to accomplish the task I wanted. There were moments I needed to wait as the fog drifted around the tree to show off it’s interesting shape but for the most part I snapped away. Every few minutes the light kept changing as the sun continued to rise creating a slightly different look to the photograph. I couldn’t believe the colors in these pictures as I was taking them. They were just so amazing and made these pictures even more spectacular.

The sun began to peak through the tree tops behind this little island and the fog began to be disappearing causing me to believe my time capturing this scene, I had been trying for days to figure out, was over. And then it returned as the sun was rising above the trees casting a beautiful warm glow once again. I now switched the tree to the right side as it was no longer the main feature of the photograph. The sun and it’s rays going through the fog changed the scene. The brightness of the sun shining through this thick fog casting rays which protruded to the left of the tree now dominated the scene requiring me to adjust my composition slightly. The rays are subtle in this picture but are there which your eye picks up. It would feel out of proportion if the tree was still to the left of center now. It took three days and a lot of luck that the fog emerged for this picture to work. If I had not been focused on getting a photograph of this tree and the small island it was growing on, I would not have been prepared to capture this moment which only lasted a short time. These pictures have become inspirational to me whenever I go out to capture a scene now as they remind me a it becomes spectacular under the right circumstances as long as I’m prepared to photograph them.

Adventure, Isle Royale National Park, Troy's Blog

Independence Day on Isle Royale

November 16, 2019 Troy

After the close encounter with moose the night before, it was nice to get back to camp and crawl into the sleeping bag for a night of much needed rest. Beginning to return to a conscious state, I eventually realize I’m hearing water splashing. Now more alert I open my eyes and realize this is Isle Royale and Feldtmann Lake is steps away from our tent. That must be a moose I’m hearing! I try to exit the tent as quietly as possible, grabbing my camera on the way out and take the trail out to the shores of the lake. There he is entering just a short distance down the shoreline walking in the opposite direction. Amazing to see this large, wild animal right there in front of me. I crouch next to a small shrub and just watch as the moose meanders towards deeper water, finding something to eat from time to time. Hoping to see at least one moose on this week long adventure and here it is only the second morning and my count is already at five. I know there are a lot of moose in this National Park, but to see that many in less than 24 hours seems almost surreal. Eventually this moose moves on and I turn my focus to other wildlife around.

Off and on through the night and early morning hours I would hear the call of a loon. Relaxing near the shore, a pair of loons swim closer searching for breakfast and giving the occasional loon call echoing down the lake. While enjoying their company I realize it’s the 4th of July. Our plan was to stay put near Feldtmann Lake for the day and just enjoy the day. Maybe catching fireworks from Rainbow Cove at nightfall shot off from Grand Portage. We had a down day planned just in case weather did not cooperate at some point or we were to sore from the 9+ miles of hiking to get here from Windigo. Fortunately we felt relatively well and the forecast called for passing storms in the afternoon with clearer days after so we could spend the day leisurely exploring around Feldtmann Lake. As the loons moved out of sight I turned around to return to the camp sight beginning to feel my stomach beginning to growl. Before I could go just a few feet I noticed a dragonfly soaking up the warming sunlight. They are such interesting insects and eat mosquitoes which is a great benefit on this island.

Eventually I return to the campsite and the others make their way out for the morning. Time to enjoy a warm treat today. Most days its just bars and dry cereal. Things we can eat while on the trail. After breakfast is over and our dishes are all cleaned up, we notice the other hikers have all left and we’re the only ones left. We decide to check out the other campsites and decide there’s one we would rather spend the next day at. The tent gets emptied and flattened so we can transfer everything a few sites down the trail and be right on the shore of Lake Feldtmann. One of the advantages of taking a day off from hiking. Once everything is set back up we decide to enjoy the view on this beautiful, sunny morning. Watching the water for awhile and we begin to see fish. There’s supposed to be Northern Pike in the lake. Then Kristen pulls one of her feet out of the water and there’s a leech attached. Bait? What can we do for a hook? Then I spot a lure stuck on a large stick under the water. I retrieved the lure and tried to save the fishing line attached without success. We took some of our rope, attached the lure adding the leech, and tossed it out. Unfortunately this wasn’t successful. No fresh fish for dinner tonight.

At one point a beaver would swim by at relatively close range and climb on shore just on the other side of our tent. A minute or so later it would return to the shoreline eating the leaves it just collected near our tent. They’re fun to watch close up but also a little unnerving. Their teeth as so big and sharp. They could clip through a bone with ease. Thankfully they really don’t want to attack humans so we could just watch them going back and forth in the lake without too much concern. I wasn’t sure how we would spend a down day. Would it move slow and boredom set in? Instead time was flying by and here it was lunchtime already. We prepared our Independence Day meal and enjoyed it in this amazing park. Afterwards we decided to wade in the shallow water near the campsite. The water felt great on our recovering feet from the hike the day before. Fish would swim just out of reach, including a few Northern Pike we’d heard about. Exploring the shoreline a little we looked at the vegetation moose seemed to graze on and could even see their hoof prints in the sandy bottom. After an hour in the water we decided to return to Rainbow Cove almost a mile away and take in the waves of Lake Superior while checking the western sky for rain and thunderstorms.

By this time clouds began to increase with some fog beginning to drift into Isle Royale. A crack of thunder could be heard off in the distance but there really didn’t appear to be any storms approaching. It must be moving around the island keeping us dry. We walked up and down the beach at Rainbow Cove for awhile just looking at the different stones and listening to the water splash against the rocky shore. Eventually we decided that fireworks probably would be covered by the clouds and fog and headed back to our campsite for the remainder of the night. As we got back there was once again a frenzy of hikers setting up their campsites after a long days hike. Several of them were disappointed as they tried to get to Feldtmann Lake early in order to get the best site but we were already there. A part of me felt a little bad because I understood their extra efforts to secure this beautiful spot only to have it already taken. The night began to overtake the day and we decided to head for our sleeping bags once again bringing an end to our Independence Day on Isle Royale National Park. Tomorrow would bring a 10+ mile hike further into the island.

Adventure, Photos, Troy's Blog

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.

Adventure, Troy's Blog

Mushrooms Abound

September 29, 2018 Troy

While camping at Lost Lake in the Chequamegon – Nicollet National Forest Labor Day Weekend I kept finding different and unique mushrooms. There are nine different ones pictured alone in this post but I counted at least 13 different types. I’m not a mushroom person so I don’t know what most of them are nor do I eat them so if you’re looking for what kind each is I’m sorry but I can’t answer that. Maybe at some point I’ll research these and figure out what more of them are but there are just too many at one time. It would take a good part of a day to identify all of them which is more time than I am willing to commit at this moment.

There were several things I wanted to do while enjoying an extended weekend in the quiet north woods of Wisconsin. Some of these included fishing, sitting by the campfire, exploring area trails and waterfalls, and photographing stuff like animals and stars. Upon moving my stuff from the car to a cabin I kept seeing different mushrooms. Some in or on trees and others on the ground. I thought it was pretty cool to see these especially since I had recently read an article about some of the area mushrooms and was learning a better appreciation for them and their structures. Eventually I planned to take a few pictures of them but fishing was more on my mind so the camera stayed in its bag and down to the lake I went.

The next day,after throwing a line in the water for a bit, I decided to snap a few quick photos of those mushrooms just around the cabin I was staying in and retreat to a chair for some R and R before continuing on with a day of exploring. Looking at these photos a little later on I was not happy with how they were turning out so figured I should find a bit more time at some point to get some better ones. Also I was spotting more types of mushrooms to take pictures of.

By the third day I decided to try again photographing the mushrooms in the area but only half hardily. Handholding the camera in relatively low light of the forest I attempted some more pictures of the same mushrooms as the day before in hopes of better results. Well, the results really weren’t much better but I wasn’t sure I cared enough to spend more time doing that.

After spending about as much time as I wanted photographing mushrooms I returned to the cabin ready to take it easy for a little bit when the friend I was camping with brought out his camera and started getting more serious about capturing these little forest gems. Begrudgingly I joined in and realized if I wanted some decent shots I needed to commit to setting things up correctly with the camera which required a tripod, remote shutter, and additional lighting. At first I struggled a little bit because it was taking longer to set up a shot or series of shots than I really wanted but the urge to capture these amazing mushrooms motivated me to continue on.

Getting good, close shots of some of these tiny mushrooms requires figuring out how to get low to the ground while keeping the camera steady for a second or two and triggering the shutter while holding a light at just the right distance and angle became a bit of a circus act. Eventually I enlisted some help and began to see some nice photos encouraging more time on the forest floor. By the way, it had rained the night before so the ground was wet and muddy adding to my lack of motivation to crawl around to get some interesting shots.

Once I finally got past the lack of desire to spend the time capturing these little fungi and started to get better results from the camera setup, time started to fly and the day with it. Every time I thought this is the last different on that I see I would photograph it, stand up and see another one or be informed of one I need to take a look at a little further in the forest. After several hours of just taking pictures of mushrooms I finally decided I needed to be done. I was on fungus overload and needed to go fishing. Especially since I wanted to eat fish for the next meal.

While meandering back to the cabin so I could put the camera gear away and grab a fishing pole I couldn’t believe how many different mushrooms existed in such a relatively small area. I’ve never seen so many. Or at least I’ve not noticed them like this. The other thing that really caught my attention was the coral fungus. Having just read about them a few months prior I wanted to find some and here they were. Since that time I’ve been paying more attention to decomposing logs and trees looking for more of these interesting little fungus. Sometimes I find a couple of different mushrooms but nothing like what was at Lost Lake. Hopefully I can return to those cabins again and continue this hunt for even more mushrooms.

Gaining Life Experience