Category Archives: Travel Blogs

2019- It’s just about over

December 28, 2019 Troy

There’s a lot of year in reviews coming out at this time of year. I really was planning on skipping such a post and just continuing on with some of the stories of recent adventures but there’s one thing that continues to drive a post like this. Gratitude! I’m so grateful for all of the opportunities and new experiences over this past year. Some of them in different places while others in locations I’ve been to previously, but all of them were new adventures to me. Looking back over my list of things I wanted to do in 2019, they were all accomplished which led to so many great adventures. The year started with a trip to Northern Minnesota to see the frozen North Shore. It was an extremely cold day but the sights were so amazing it was worth braving the elements for. The next day ventured inland of Northern Minnesota to see birds heading south for the winter where I did get to see a snowy owl. That was such a beautiful bird to watch perched in a tree and soar overhead.

Once spring began there was a trip to Utah to explore a few of the many off road trails in such an incredible landscape. Moab is home to a big playground of outdoor adventures. From hiking, biking, and photography to dirt bikes, Razors, and off road vehicles, it has it all. And it’s against a backdrop made for television and movies.

Once spring was beginning to morph into summer, there was a week long journey to Northern Minnesota to go camping. The first time I’ve camped near the BWCA. Such a beautiful experience, especially when the mosquitoes and black flies took a break from their constant attacks.

A month later a trip to Isle Royale began. A few years ago I planned on returning to this National Park but those fell through late in the summer. That was a bit crushing and extinguished my motivations for hiking for awhile and made it so I wasn’t convinced it would happen again this year. As it got closer the plans continued on course and the day came to drive to Grand Portage, MN to board the boat. It was at this point I felt confident this adventure was going to happen. Something I will remember and am so thankful I got to share the experience with my youngest daughter and a cousin of mine that has joined me on a number of adventures.

That completed my plans for 2019 but were not the only adventures for the year. In addition to these I really enjoyed the winter weather with all of our snow and cold well into March. As winter began to lose it’s grip I took an opportunity to visit Wabasha, MN for the spring eagle migration. It was so much fun to see so many eagles along the Mississippi River. Shortly after that I visited a Heron Rookery in Minneapolis. Who would think a large number of Great Blue Herons would nest near downtown Minneapolis? Thanks to a few other photographers for letting me know about this spot. Late summer brought a weekend adventure to Blue Mounds State Park with a great mix of photography subjects from storms to Bison. Once fall arrived I finally decided to see what Carlos Avery Wildlife Area is all about. I hope to return to this place a little more frequently and see what it’s like during the seasons, especially during the spring bird migration. Late fall brought a trip to Florida for a school trip mixed with some days working. It was nice to feel summer weather once again before returning to Minnesota’s cold and snow.

It was an unusual year for adventures which I’m very thankful that I got to share with others. An adventure is a lot of fun but it’s even better if I get to share it with others. I’m humbled by these opportunities! Currently I don’t have anything planned like this for next year which makes it even more of a memorable year.

Family Ramblings, Troy's Blog

Merry Christmas

December 25, 2019 Troy

Ice and Snow, Photos, Troy's Blog

A Little More Time With The Ice

December 21, 2019 Troy

Snow is expected to begin overnight so all of this newly frozen water will be covered. And most likely covered until it thaws in the spring so this would be the last opportunity to photograph clear ice. I decided to take advantage of a nice afternoon, although the wind was picking up making it feel a bit colder. I was hoping to capture some interesting pictures of this glass like ice. A nice black and white picture was still a goal of mine this fall I would like to achieve. But more than that a beautiful sunset reflecting off of this ice would be great. As the afternoon wore on clouds moved in hiding the sun. With about 30 minutes to go before sunset the skies were just a dull grey. Disappointed I was debating on weather or not I should just head home as there would be no colorful sunset on this night. I ended up talking myself out of calling it a day and going to warm up as I was cold and shivering. I’ve spent all afternoon outside walking and searching for interesting subjects hoping to end the day with a sunset. It was only a few minutes more until the sun falls below the trees. I should stick it out until then. And thankfully I did as the clouds began to break up near the horizon giving an amazing sunset. You just never know. Often times the sunset can be a bust with grey skies turning to darkness but sometimes a little light peaks through and rewards those who are paying attention with almost magical colors.

Earlier I came across a shell frozen to the top of the lake. How did that get there? An interesting contrast of summer and winter I thought. Also, the ice had an interesting jaggedness to it. From above the ice appears almost smooth and was quite slippery but closer to the surface you could see all these different grooves and bumps. It was anything but smooth. I spent a little time trying to compose some interesting pictures capturing these different aspects with only moderate success. I like the photo above because it shows the shell frozen to the ice along with the spirals. The photo feels like the shell is stuck there for all eternity. In the next picture you can really get a sense of how rough the ice is. Most of the bumps in the shape of a rectangle which really was intriguing to me. Why did the water freeze in these patterns? Was it because we had some very cold weather freezing the water very quickly? Would there be different patterns if the water freezes more slowly?

Scouring the ice near shore, as it was not thick enough to walk on safely yet, I saw this trail of footprints left in the remaining snow near the shoreline. I like how each footprint is turning a different way as the goose waddled further onto the ice. For me it’s just a fun pattern in the snow.

Winter on the calendar is just around the corner. We’ve been experiencing winter conditions for several weeks now which is way too early for me. I’m not ready for another round of snow and cold yet. Getting out with the camera lately has been difficult. I would much prefer staying inside where it’s warm right now which is a change from the last several years. I’m trying to remind myself that I just need to dress for the weather to enjoy our winter landscape. Snow brings with it some very interesting subjects. The difficult part is those interesting subjects usually don’t show up on my schedule. I need to take advantage of a situation when it arrives. Hopefully I will begin to enjoy this season once the holidays have passed and daylight begins to increase again. This may be the year I take a week to escape to a tropical destination.

Photos, State Parks, Troy's Blog

Exploring Carlos Avery State Wildlife Area

December 14, 2019 Troy

Carlos Avery Wildlife Area has been a place I’ve heard of a number of times and even view photos from but not some place I’ve been to. I just kept forgetting about it whenever I’ve decided to go out to a park for awhile. Finally I took the opportunity to explore this wildlife area this summer to see what’s there. Much of it is wetlands and lakes but there are some gravel roads that allow you to drive around and see some of the scenery and wildlife living in this large protected place. I arrived before the sun came up to enjoy a beautiful summer mornings sunrise. To make this even more enjoyable, fog started to develop just before the sun ascended above the tree tops. As the suns power continued to grow, the fog quickly disappeared leaving a heavy dew engulfing all of the plants near the ground.

Since the dew drops were so large I decided to try and capture the mornings soft, yellow light reflecting in these drops. My efforts provided less than interesting results. As I was continuing to photograph different drops I noticed a bee sitting on one of the still blooming flowers. As I studied the bee further I saw all of the dew drops preventing it from flying away. And since it was a cool morning the bee wasn’t moving much at all. I set up the camera for close up photos since I knew the bee wouldn’t bee going anywhere real soon. With the camera lens inches away I snapped photos until I had one that was nice and sharp. The wind was beginning to pick up moving this flower around so it took a few tries of clicking the shutter at just the right time to capture the flower and bee in focus before they swayed away again. Wind can be very frustrating sometimes when you want sharp photo in the early morning light causing the shutter to be slower. Still a fun challenge.

As the day went on and I continued exploring Carlos Avery I came across several different late season flowers blooming away under the warm sunlight. One that really stands out against grasses and ferns is Blue Gentian. One of the few true blue wildflowers around. It’s so striking but I always continue to look for an open flower. It always appears to be just about to open but never actually seems to. Part of the interest I guess. As the afternoon approached, clouds increased and a stray shower passed by. There were even a few cracks of thunder with a lightning bolt flashing from time to time. Staying mostly dry I continued exploring different trails to see what treasure may lay ahead.

Many of the interesting finds on this late summers day where interesting mushrooms of different sizes,colors, and shapes from the wet, cool days just before. I could have spent most of the daylight just photographing these fungus but I would have given up opportunities to explore other areas. I expect there will be other trips here in the future to see how it changes throughout the year. Winter could be a fascinating time to explore some of the wetter places once they freeze over. Spring promises to provide many different bird sightings as they migrate north and early summer likely produces many blooming wildflowers. I always enjoy another place to explore beautiful days that should include an outdoor adventure.

Photos, Troy's Blog

Playing with Fowl Ice

December 8, 2019 Troy 1 Comment

Most of my posts have been about summer adventures because I’ve been captive with projects and haven’t been getting out with the camera much so there’s been nothing recent to really publish. The cold has been setting in with the occasional snow flake flying bringing a layer of ice on to many of the nearby lakes. I wanted to try and get out to capture some of this ice because parts of it are almost as clear as glass. My first concept though was a circle of waterfowl. On a nearby lake there has been a small portion of open water where geese and ducks congregate during the night often just standing on the ring of ice around this open water creating a circle of birds. On this morning though, several of them were already in the water swimming as the sun was nearing the horizon breaking that nice circle of waterfowl I’d hoped for. It was a nice sunrise none the less and I had made the necessary compromises so I could enjoy the outdoors with the camera. Time to adapt and focus on what was there.

Most of the waterfowl were Canadian Geese moving around the ice and in the water on this morning. As many were getting into the water there were a few standing on the edge of the ice. I thought they provided a nice silhouette against the golden sun through clouds. All I needed then was something interesting in their actions. Scanning the group I noticed two geese, possibly a pair, staying near each other. I liked how they’re looking at each other with some reflection in the golden ice. Once took a few photos as the sun was rising I moved so the sun was now shining on these geese and watched further. What I was really looking for was an eagle flying overhead causing these ducks and geese to all take off or to see an eagle float down from the sky trying to get something for breakfast. Eventually a young eagle did appear but it ended up continuing overhead towards another location.

Once the sun appeared from behind the clouds I noticed all of the geese and most of the ducks face into it. Were they trying to absorb any warmth from the fresh sunlight on this cold morning? It didn’t last long before they continued moving around into and out of the water with some flying off. Over the next half hour or so most of these geese took to the air likely going in search of food for the day. During this time I could hear a familiar sound off in the distance. As I watched the sky the pure white forms of Trumpeter Swans came into view. I followed them as they circled once overhead before coming in to the open water with a larger splash making their presence know to everything around. Once they had a chance to look around they began to swim towards me. Where they looking for the best food spot or did they want to check out what I was doing? After a short time closer to me they resumed feeding and swam back with the other birds still there.

While standing on the beach looking around for something that might make an interesting photograph I caught a trio of Mallard ducks getting closer and closer. They were still in the water when I first noticed them so I remained near my camera just in case but tried to continue appearing as though I wasn’t really paying attention to them. Eventually they made it to the edge of open water which prompted me to get back behind the camera. They hopped up on the ice, one by one, and waddled to the beach making their way closer to me. Their bright orange feet stood out in such stark contrast to the brown and white of the surrounding landscape. After a few pictures they returned to the water ending our photo shoot.

Having fun watching the waterfowl I decided there was enough light in the sky now to work towards my next goal for the morning. Photographing subjects with this nice clear ice covering much of the lake. There was very little success for awhile. A few photos started to show the patterns in the ice reflecting the sunlight. And then I spotted a leaf curled up on top of the ice with the sunlight shining around the oak leaf. Black and white was my objective with some ice pictures. That focuses the interest more on shapes and contrasting elements. This leaf photo was my favorite from the morning with the bright, back light highlighting the rounded lobes of this leaf against the straight lines crisscrossing in the top of the ice. One of the most interesting parts of this picture is the midrib and petiole of the leaf and how it curves through the photograph. An enjoyable picture for my first morning out in awhile.

Another picture with some interest in a red oak leaf with its lobes reaching up through the snow. Reaching for warmth and daylight from the cold snows grasp. The sharp points at the tips of the leaves in contrast to the rounded pieces of ice surrounding it and covering it. After this my time was up and I needed to return home. A much needed morning out watching the world come to life for the day.

Exploring, State Parks, Troy's Blog

Splitrock Lighthouse State Park

November 30, 2019 Troy 2 Comments

The only full day at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park and I wanted to make the most of it. Sunrise in the middle of June is about quarter after 5 in the morning. That’s a difficult choice to make while on vacation. Roll over and go back to sleep for a couple of hours or make yourself climb out of a warm sleeping bag to watch the sun rise over Lake Superior. Rising behind the lighthouse which is peering over a cliff? Clearly from the photo above I chose to get up, but it was not easy as I needed to be out of the tent before 5am to get to a good viewing spot. I rarely regret getting up after I begin moving and get out of the door. It’s such a peaceful beginning to a day. Quiet and calm, often times with a serene scene. You can here the wildlife around or in this case, listen to the waves of Lake Superior crashing softly into the shoreline under a foggy landscape. I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful sunrise at the lighthouse. The fog was such a nice surprise definitely worth waking up early for as it rolled out over the big lake on this cool, summer morning.

As the sun continued higher in the sky, the fog disappeared revealing interesting black sand beaches in a more northern setting. I’ve been fortunate to visit a black sand beach in Hawaii a few years ago and what struck me as a little weird is that the black beach of Split Rock State Park was similar even though the sand was made of from different rock. Or maybe the rock is not that different as they are both volcanic, I believe, and both get pounded into small bits and pieces from the forces of water crashing over them. Thousands of miles separate these different black sand beaches and quite different environments but they are not all that different to walk on. On this morning I had the beaches to myself to enjoy for a little while. A great opportunity to take some pictures of these beaches with large pieces of granite interspersed among the sand while enjoying the peacefulness of the quiet part of the day.

Hungar was beginning make itself known at this point which became a bit annoying. It required heading back to the campsite to find food and that meant leaving the tranquil warming sun over this beautiful beach. I fought this hungar for awhile longer which was not as hard as I thought it might be. The many distractions of every part of the landscape helped immensely. While the sun’s intensity continued to grow, I shifted from taking in the overall landscape to focusing in on a bit more of the details. There where so many different interesting rock formations, colors, and textures. Seeing some orange ribbons of stone traveling from the shoreline into Lake Superior which become interrupted by waves splashing up as they meet the shoreline. I could have spent a lot more time just exploring these places on the beach but on to more important things like nourishment.

Much of the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon were spent exploring some of the nearby state parks I love to see like Tettegouche and Gooseberry before returning for some R & R. My intent was to return to my sleeping bag for a little more sleep because my intention for the night time was to attempt astrophotography over the lighthouse. With the sun setting just after 9 pm at this time of year it would be well after 10 pm before I could start photographing the stars. Shortly after my hit the pillow I could hear a lot of water splashing down on the shores of Lake Superior near the campsite. I figured it would go away in a few minutes but it persisted over and over again. Finally I decided to see what was going on and noticed ducks making all kinds of noise back and forth along the shoreline. Of course by the time I would grab the camera and get to the shore they would surely be gone. But they continued which allowed me to set up next to a tree and capture some pictures of male Common Mergansers chasing each other. No doubt over a female. This went on for over 45 minutes before they where out of range. I returned to the campsite to see if I could now get a little sleep. And very little it was before hunger once again forced an exit to the tent.

As evening was approaching it was time to explore closer to the lighthouse to scout some possible locations for shooting the night sky. Viewing the lighthouse perched on top of a cliff looking out over this vast lake from the shores below really gave a different perspective of the Split Rock Lighthouse. One that I’d never seen before. It was so impressive from this angle. As luck would have it, there was such a nice blue sky with white, puffy clouds floating by for a great summer’s day picture. What made it even better is that the lighthouse was now closed to tours so there were very few people here in the area allowing for an even more relaxed time of exploring around the rocks along the shoreline.

With the sun getting even lower in the sky, it was time to return to the campsite for an evening fire as the air was growing colder. It was expected to get down into the upper 30’s Fahrenheit overnight which is a bit chilly when sleeping in a tent. The campfire would feel really good After a beautiful day exploring a small part of the North Shore. There’s so much more to Split Rock State Park than I had anticipated and this was only a portion of this park. There are other trails which I must return to explore another time.

Photos, State Parks, Troy's Blog

Roaming the Prairie

November 24, 2019 Troy

As summer began to wind down I ventured off to Southwestern Minnesota in search of the Prairie Fringed orchid while hoping to view the Perseid meteor shower from a prairie landscape. Unfortunately I was unsuccessful at seeing much of either of these. On my last morning there a local herd of bison started to move closer to my location. What an unexpected surprise! While they were closer, they still were pretty far away for some nice photographs. Still I had envisioned photographing bison as they worked their way around the mounds of stone scattered across this part of the prairie before beginning this camping adventure. Now it seemed as though there was a possibility of capturing those shots. It was about time to tear down the campsite so I focused on that as the bison were still quite far away. With each trip of gear to the car I would check on the herd. Eventually I lost them and figured they had moved on to a further portion of their grazing area. With my equipment safely stored in my car I glanced up to see people looking at something. The bison had worked their way much closer. Observing their direction for a few minutes I grabbed the camera and found a safe place to set up for some potential photographs highlighting the huge animals against the beautiful pink quartz exposed above the prairie.

Sitting for what seemed like a long time a head poked up above the grass. And then another, and another until the entire herd was becoming visible. I chose a particular stone outcropping and just waited for these bison to work their way near it. As they meandered closer I began to get a little nervous. These are very large, powerful animals. While there was a fence between us, it would be quickly trampled through if these bison had motivation to run through it. There was one bison that seemed more nervous than the others and kept an eye on me. I kept an eye on that one too. At this point several of the bison were grazing near the rocks I had pointed the camera at. I began to shoot away trying different compositions and distances taking advantage of the situation. They continued to move and were out of my range pretty quickly and I figured I was done. Just waiting for them to be completely out of sight before I move back to my car.

While sitting there watching, the herd came back and once again surrounded the rock outcropping I was focused on. What luck and this time they approached from a different direction providing me with a few different compositions. Once again there was one of these bison which seemed to be watching me more closely than the others. Although this time is appeared to be more out of curiosity than concern as it would reach down to eat more frequently. This time they lingered in this area longer allowing me to not only get more photographs but to just watch from time to time. I was fascinated by all of the burs stuck to their noses. Do they feel them? Are they annoyed by them? How do they get removed from their noses?

Feeling more comfortable near these large animals this time it almost felt like I was among the herd. That’s when a photo session changes from great to an amazing experience. When they just continue on their mission like you’re not even there at close range. You get to see some of the details of an animal or its behavior not easily noticed from a distance. When you can hear their light grunts and catch a bit of their scent as they grab a mouthful of grass. It all tells more about an animal than looking at them from a distance. I may have missed the Perseids and failed to find a Prairie Fringed orchid but this encounter with a herd of bison made the weekend all worth any efforts needed for a weekend trip to the prairie.

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.

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.

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

Pictures From the Trail–The Needles from the Joint Trail in Canyonlands

November 2, 2019 Troy

After several hours of enjoying off road trails in Canyonlands national park, we stopped at the Joint Trail to take in some hiking and amazing views. There are basically two ways to get to this spot: traveling in a high clearance 4-wheel drive vehicle or hiking several miles through this beautiful desert landscape. This is a nice, relatively short hike through slot canyons with a little climbing in tight spots. It’s a very different experience from the hikes I’ve taken before. The tall, almost claustrophobic slot canyons were a little unnerving. What if they cave in? It almost felt like each side of the canyon was a tectonic plate slowly closing in towards each other. I continually reminded myself at first that these have been like this for a long, long time and the likelihood of rocks collapsing at the exact time I’m underneath is highly unlikely. Once I convinced myself that nothing will happen I could enjoy these geological wonders. Navigating through these canyons for a distance, there’s a climb to get up and out of them and there you are in the middle of the Needles this part of the park is named for.

Beautiful rock sculptures made up of different colors, shapes, and sizes. Each color is a different layer created during the formation of these sculptures before erosion formed them into what we see today making a them the colorful wonders you see in this photograph. Add in a blue sky and evergreens for a nice color contrast to the rock and you have such an incredible view.

Gaining Life Experience