Tag Archives: Minnesota State Parks

Stargazing

Whenever I’m in a dark sky area I try to take some time to enjoy the night sky. Part of that involves doing some astrophotography. Something I really enjoy and keep trying to improve on. There aren’t a lot of opportunities throughout the year to do this but when they appear, it’s a lot of fun. Early in the summer I was in Northwestern Minnesota searching for orchids. During the night I was hopeful fireflies would be scooting across the sky providing some nice entertainment as they flash their little green lanterns in addition to doing some stargazing. As you can see in the first photo there were some fireflies illuminating beneath the beautiful Milkyway. These were some of the darkest skies I’ve seen producing a sky filled with twinkling lights.

Watching the sunset

After a day of orchid hunting it was time to slow down and enjoy the evening with a quick dinner followed by a scouting trip to find some potential spots to take in the night sky. Exploring nearby Hayes Lake revealed some possibilities for a clear view of the beautiful night sky while providing some nice reflections in the calm water. With that accomplished, relaxation was on the schedule as the sun dipped lower and lower towards the horizon on this calm, comfortable summer evening. If only the mosquitoes would relent it would be a perfect end to such an enjoyable day. As I watched the sun prepare to set, I searched for a few different ways to capture it with the camera while watching people as they caught a few fish from a nearby dock. This seemed like the definition of what a summer day in Minnesota should be.

Storms out on the horizon

As the sun slipped below the horizon, its light began to shine on cloud tops off in the distance. Storms where in the area. Fortunately they stayed south for the night. A little more time enjoying twilight and I returned to camp to for a small fire while the sky grew darker and darker around me. Tempted to retire for the day, or at least take a nap, I resisted becoming lost in the flames dancing from log to log in my campfire. Almost three hours had passed since leaving the setting sun and the sky had turned from a light blue to almost black filled with billions of twinkling lights above. The fireflies began their nightly courtship display darting from one place to the next. Energy was again returning as I gathered my equipment for a night of star picture taking.

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Arriving at the first spot I scouted earlier, I set up the camera and began to work on focusing the lens while tweaking my composition capturing the night sky. I couldn’t believe how incredible it all looked with the first couple of pictures. How could I decide between looking up at all these magnificent stars, fireflies, meteors shooting across the sky, and satellites or remaining focused on capturing all of this with the camera? While the camera was taking the picture I would just look up to take it in as the camera needs about a minute while the shutter was open. Then I looked at the shot just captured before adjusting and taking another one.  The night was flying by and before I knew it, several hours had passed. My time capturing the bright lights shining above came to an end as fog began to rise from the water hiding the landscape from the camera. I didn’t want this night to end but was very thankful for the time available. Only a couple of hours now until the sun returns.

Fog was beginning to rise from the lake

The Hunt Continues…..

Enjoying some success in finding different orchids the day before, I was excited to look for more hardy orchids. This time I headed to a different location also known to have orchids. The sun was out bringing with it warmer temperatures combined with higher humidity making it feel quite warm for wandering through the swampy woods some of these orchids call home. Even though I was doused in bug spray, the mosquitoes didn’t seem to care. They attacked from time to time anyway. Carefully watching each step, trying to avoid wet feet and stepping on a native orchid, I slowly moved through the forest on my hunt. It felt familiar, like I was stalking something during the hunting season. Only this time what I was searching for was on the forest floor hidden among the leaves and branches.

Goodyera repens

After 15 or 20 minutes of searching, the first one was spotted. It was the Goodyera repens, otherwise known as the Rattlesnake orchid. I couldn’t believe how small it was. Each multicolored leaf was about the size of my thumbnail. It would have been easy to walk right past it. In fact, I probably walked past several of them. The flower stalk was growing but it was a little too early for the blooms to be open. Even as I continued my hunt finding several more, the flowers were all a few weeks from opening. Success! Here was my 4th orchid new to me. While scouring the woods for more orchids I spotted more Coralroot seed heads along with more Hooker’s orchids.

Platanthera aquilonis

The next day I continued my quest for orchids and saw the Northern Green Bog orchid along with the Blunt leaved rein orchid for new sightings. Once again the Hookers orchid and several Lady Slipper’s were spotted on this day as well. At the end of the 4 days looking for orchids I managed to find 10 native to Minnesota. Six of these were species I had not spotted before which is the number I was shooting for.  That brings the total for 2020 to seven species of native orchids new to me. I’m not expecting to do much more searching this year but have begun thinking about which orchids I’d like to find next year. There’s still several more in this area that I want to find so another adventure to Northwestern Minnesota will need to be made.

Platanthera obtusata

Finding a Few New Orchids

With the sun higher in the sky as the day approached noon, it was time to head into the woods and continue the search for more orchids. Along the way I spotted another plant that I didn’t know existed in Minnesota, Indian Paintbrush. While they are not orchids, they’re still amazing to see. These were growing near the roadside also and were growing in two different colors – orange and yellow. Stopping near some of these I got to examine their blooms more closely and discovered how beautiful they are with the green leaves tipped in either orange or yellow hiding their little flowers from view. Realizing I had been distracted by another beautiful flower, it was time to search for these orchids I came to find.

Calypso with seedpods

Talking with a local DNR employee earlier, he pointed me to a few locations to begin my search. Arriving at the first one I stepped out of the vehicle, grabbed the camera, and disappeared in the woods. Within a few minutes I came across some markings placed by other people and saw the little leaves they led to. It was the Calypso orchids holding their seed pods high above them. Unfortunately the blooms were done but it was still fun to find an orchid I had not seen before. If they were not marked I’m not sure I would have found them. Their single leaves are so small and grow very close to the ground. Once I spotted these I looked around and saw several others in the area. It must be beautiful in this place when they’re blooming.

Hookers orchid

While looking around at these Calypso’s, I began to slowly move forward a short distance when I spotted something else that appeared to be an orchid right as my foot was nearing the ground. Quickly shifting my direction, I almost lost my balance but managed to stay upright while avoiding stepping on this plant. Bending over to look closer, I realized it was another orchid. The flower stalk was growing but the flowers had not opened yet. I took a few pictures and continued exploring for more of these. After a little while I came across one of these orchids with the blooms open allowing me to get pictures of its blooms. Examining the flowers made me almost positive it was Platanthera hookeri. Eventually I confirmed that ID and added another new orchid to my found list. Slowly meandering through the woods I came across a few additional orchids past their bloom time. One was the early coral root which at first I thought was Corallorhiza odontorhiza. Further research confirmed that would be the Autumn coral root and what I actually found was the seed head of early coral root. Several of these were found in a few locations last year. The other new orchid was the Ram’s Head Ladyslipper. This was the one orchid at the top of my list to spot on this trip. Unfortunately the blooms were all done so there were just leaves and seed pods to see for this year. Another trip during their bloom period is in order. What a successful day of orchid hunting find 3 orchids I’ve never seen before! Now it was time to get some food.

Ram's Head orchid past bloom with last year's seed pod still visible

Surrounded by Orchids

I’d heard about. I’ve even ready about it. But I was still completely surprised to be driving down a road and see the roadside exploding with beautiful ladyslipper orchids. In a portion of Northern Minnesota they grow as though a common weed. There were places these ordinarily rare hardy orchids would number in the hundreds. While these weren’t the orchids I was here to see, they were very impressive. The timing couldn’t have been better as they were in peak bloom. Having attempted on multiple occasions to grow this hardy orchid in my own yard without success, I now understood why I had such difficulties. They were never provided enough sunlight and water. With this newly understood knowledge, I’m ready to give it another try. It would be well worth it as beautiful as these orchids are. These conditions could never be duplicated in my yard so enjoying this environment was a must. I never got used to seeing these just growing by the roadside in many areas I traveled.

A Showy Ladyslipper orchid flower up close

Often I stopped to get out and admire these beautiful plants and would notice other orchids mixed in with the Showy Ladyslippers. Occasionally the large yellow flowered cypripedium would be seen still in bloom. These usually are in flower a little earlier than the showy so I didn’t really expect to see them with such nice blooms and was pleasantly surprised from time to time. Another benefit of taking the time to walk along the road to inspect these wild orchids was to enjoy their subtle fragrance. I enjoy this nice, sweet scent but you have to get somewhat close to the flowers to smell it which can be an issue in their habitat. Often times they are growing in very wet places and this place has had above average rains at this point in the summer making it a bit more challenging to get near the blooms.

Large flowered yellow lady slipper

Slowly moving along the road, I caught the sight of another Cypripedium flower peaking out from the dense vegetation. It was the small yellow ladyslipper. Another orchid I expected to be done blooming by this time but here it was with some plants still in flower. Being certain this was a different species was a little challenging as it didn’t appear there was much difference between the large and small yellow ladyslipper. Coloration, size of bloom, and the tendrils provided hints that this was a third hardy orchid to be seen on this adventure. It was all so fun to find and worth battling the thousands of mosquitoes that also thrive in such habitat. While I was enjoying these ladyslippers, these were all orchids I’ve seen before and weren’t adding new ones to my list of Minnesota hardy orchids found. My count was still at 1 for this year.

Small yellow ladyslipper

While driving to another area where more types of native orchids were supposed to be growing, I came across a variation of the Showy Ladyslipper I haven’t seen before. An all white form. It was a matter of luck since it blended in so well with the numerous other Showy’s growing along the road while driving by. It didn’t add any new orchids to my list but was still fun to see. Unfortunately there was an area of loose dirt nearby which I suspect was someone digging out and poaching one of these more unusual protected orchids. They can be found for sale at several orchid growers which is the legal method of obtaining hardy orchids. The morning was beginning to turn towards noon and I had not seen any new orchids yet but what a nice start to my native orchid hunting adventure.

All white form of the Showy Ladyslipper

On the Hunt for More Orchids

With a goal to find 6 orchid species I had never seen before I headed to Northwestern Minnesota. Earlier in the spring I found one orchid, the Showy Orchis. Now to find five more. Daylight was just beginning to show in the morning sky. The summer solstice had come and gone the day before announcing a new summer season full of promise for native orchids. My car was packed the day before so all I needed to do was take a quick shower and load a few essential items along with my frozen food to begin another week long adventure. It was 4:30 am as I left the driveway for the 6+ hour drive which would end near the Minnesota – Canada border. Almost an hour later the sun began to fill the morning sky with a beautiful display of oranges, pinks, and purples. What a fantastic beginning to this journey!

Fog began to cover the landscape

While I continued to drive North, the sun climbed above the trees revealing a beautiful foggy morning landscape. This didn’t last very long as the fog dissipated quickly under the warm summer sun. There’s just something about a mysterious fog hovering above the ground that brings a smile to my face. What may be hiding in the mist that will be soon revealed as these clouds disappear? Over the next few hours the daylight grew bringing light to every corner I could see with the occasional deer grazing in a field off to the side of the road. As I got closer to my destination, Showy Ladyslippers began appearing near the roadside. Sometimes by the hundreds. I’ve seen pictures of this and read about it but that didn’t come close to seeing this for myself. Here are orchids growing like weeds in this area while they remain a specimen plant in most areas. Eventually I made it to my first stop along the way – Big Bog State Rec Area. And what adorned the entrance? Of course Showy Ladyslippers. Bogs are an eco system I’ve not seen before. Or at least realized I was seeing one. A bog provides a different sort of mystery with it. This place has a mile long bog walk so people can explore the area without getting wet and also destroying the plant life. As I walked along watching the forest transition to small black spruce trees surrounded by moss growing everywhere, I was hoping to see a Dragon’s Mouth, a Rose Pogonia orchid or pitcher plant but nothing.

Sundew

Finally one of the clumps of living moss captured my attention. I think it was more the lichens growing on what seemed to be soil that caused me to pause along the boardwalk and kneel down for a closer look. As I studied these for a minute or two I spotted a small, interesting plant not far away. Immediately I recognized it as Sundew, another of Minnesota’s carnivorous plants. I needed to look a couple of times at this plant and its surroundings to finally believe that it what it really was. I was not expecting to see this plant here. Nor was I expecting it to be so small. Each leaf was only the size of a single chocolate M&M covered in tentacles each with a sticky sap at the end. The overall size of a single plant was equivalent to a small Lodge Pole pine cone. They are such interesting plants with a clear drop glistening at the end of each red hair. Once I spotted one, it was amazing how many more were growing in the green moss all around.

Bog Cranberries

As I continued to inspect this little micro landscape I noticed several red berries which seemed to just grow out of the moss. Eventually this was identified as a bog cranberry and those were last years fruit. Nearby, this year’s flowers had just emerged to create next years fruit. I could see more and more fascinating pieces all growing together to make a bog. But still no orchids or pitcher plants. I continued to walk further into the bog when I finally spotted one. These beautiful red leaves emerging from the moss in the form of a pitcher full of water. Their colors and patterns combined to create a plant more interesting than much of its surroundings and contrasted beautifully with the moss growing around it. The further I walked, the more of them I began to see. It was such a treat. By this point the mosquitoes where making their presence well known. Occasionally after swatting one, I would carefully drop into a pitcher for the plant to consume. A bit of satisfaction for these irritating pests. I wished I could be there when these pitcher plants were in bloom. From pictures I’d seen the blooms where quite amazing and unique.

Pitcher Plant

Studying a few of these fun plants, I turned around and saw what I didn’t expect to see. Pitcher plants in bloom. My research indicated they bloomed about a month earlier so I would not have the opportunity to see them on this trip. These dark burgundy blooms stood high above the moss covered ground showing off these beautiful petals. Scanning over the bog near the end of this walkway revealed blooming pitcher plants dotting the area. I could have stayed here for quite a bit longer photographing and studying the bog further but I had a mile long walk to get back and it was time to eat. Getting back to my vehicle, I grabbed a sandwich and an apple before continuing north to what would be my campsite for the night and base for the pending orchid hunt, Hayes Lake State Park. Stopping at Big Bog was definitely worth a few hours to begin this adventure!

The blooms of pitcher plants

Getting the Shot–Split Rock Lighthouse Under the Stars

After reserving my campsites at Split Rock Lighthouse last winter I began to explore different photographs I wanted to attempt to get. With several weeks passing pondering several ideas I finally decided I would love to capture the lighthouse under the Milkyway. The direction didn’t line up great but with the dark skies of the North Shore in Minnesota I expected to at least see a partial band of the our galaxy over Split Rock. Continuing my research I discovered the moon could be a problem as it would be nearing it’s full phase. Armed with this information I waited until the camping trip in June to make further preparations to capture the lighthouse at night.

The lighthouse from a distance

During the afternoon, while at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, I began to scout out potential locations and compositions. Starting from a distance I took a look at the overall scene attempting to figure out how much of Lake Superior I wanted in the photo and how much of the night sky I could get in a picture and still see the lighthouse well. From here I continued to move closer to the building as there was no way it would stand out this far away.

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As the afternoon was nearing the end and evening was about to take over, I continued to climb over the sharp granite of Lake Superior searching for an interesting place to set up later that night. I began to feel more confident in a location to start at once darkness arrived. It may work well but it could be less interesting once the moon broadcast its light over the landscape.

Adjusting the composition

Pressing on to find an alternative location or two I continued on closer to the lighthouse perched on top of a cliff overlooking the grand lake. Finding a couple more spots closer to Split Rock Lighthouse I was finally satisfied. Time had arrived to return to the campsite for a delicious dinner cooked over a fire and a little rest before journeying back during the night.

First photos under the stars

Now with a full stomach and the sun falling below the horizon it was getting time to head out. But now the days activities were beginning to wear on me and I was ready to crawl into my sleeping bag. In addition, the temperature was dropping quickly which had begun to penetrate through to my bones really causing me to question just how bad I wanted to go out with the camera underneath the dark sky. After fighting with myself for nearly 20 minutes I forced myself to get up, put on a coat, and grab the backpack containing my gear. Still reluctant to take the 15 minute walk to the lighthouse, I just kept putting one foot in front of the other until my motivation returned. I knew where I wanted to go and in no time I arrived. Scanning the scene now under moonlight, I became less convinced it was the spot for the photograph I wanted. Still I knew that if I didn’t pull out the camera and take a couple of shots I would likely not make it back here. What if this turns out to be the best location? After a few pictures, I wasn’t satisfied with my results.

A different camera position

The first thing I like to do is change my cameras orientation to see how that alters the scene. I liked this look better as the boulders became more prominent for a more complete picture. Still it wasn’t giving me the photograph I was after. The lower boathouse was a huge distraction under the near full moonlight and I couldn’t compose the shot in a way that the boathouse was removed and the lighthouse was located nicely. It was time to move closer as I suspected I would have to do. Under the moons illumination along with my flashlight I continued to crawl over the rocks slowly getting closer to the lighthouse and the cliff it guarded. By this time I was beginning to warm back up from my efforts to safely maneuver the rocky shoreline.

Getting closer to the Lighthouse

Finding a spot close enough to capture the lighthouse with stars above I scoured the shoreline seeking out boulders positioned in an interesting way to give me the picture I was attempting to capture. While doing this a voice called out from the dark. It was another photographer camped among the rocks photographing the Milkyway. Proof that each photographer sees things differently to create a unique picture. He had come here on a rare free night with no work the next day to capture the beautiful band of stars but having a difficult time due to the moon. I wanted to capture the Milkyway also but knew it would be a challenge due to the moon and altered my plan to use the moonlight to my advantage. It lit up the shoreline and lighthouse better than I could have expected creating a photograph that appears to have been taken during the day but then the stars shining above let you know it was not. It made for a scene very few people get to experience let alone photograph. It did take a bit of time to get an appropriate exposure due to this high light with a dark sky and water. Once I found a good exposure I kept snapping photos making little adjustments until I had what I thought would be a nice photograph. I actually like the picture above better than the one at the top of the post but that doesn’t show as well on the website which is why I used the landscape oriented picture for the post.

A faint view of the Milkyway over Lake Superior

I decided to snap a couple of pictures of the Milkyway shining dimly in the night sky just to see how it would turn out. Some time I hope to work with the photo a bit more and see if I can extrapolate this band of bright stars more. While talking with the other photographer, he mentioned that using a good telephoto lens you could actually capture Jupiter with its four visible moons. Once I was done with my session at the lighthouse I headed towards my car to retrieve my Sigma 200-500mm lens and attached it to the camera. After a little searching through the viewfinder I spotted Jupiter. Focusing in on it I could definitely make out four other objects around it. These must be the moons! Playing with the camera a bit I snapped some photos before decided I had enough fun and was now cold again and ready for sleep.

Jupiter with four of its moons

Splitrock Lighthouse State Park

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.

A black sand beach near the lighthouse

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.

Beautiful morning on the beach

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.

Rocks and waves

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.

Common Mergansers chasing each other

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.

Splitrock Lighthouse under a beautiful blue sky

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.

A little island in Lake Superior on a calm morning

Roaming the Prairie

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.

The herd of bison moving closer

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.

A young bison grazing under the watchful eye of a much larger adult

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.

Moving closer while keeping a watchful eye

Camping at Split Rock Lighthouse

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.

View from the campsite - Lake Superior is just beyond the trees

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.

A storm passes just as we set up camp

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.

One of the beautiful campsites of Split Rock Lighthouse State 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.

From the shores of Lake Superior in Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

A Day on the Prairie

After spending the night in search of Persied meteors blazing across the sky, I was awakened by a blast of wind on a calm summer’s night. This blast came from an approaching storm. Another hope for me while staying in Blue Mounds was to see a storm approach from the west over this mostly cultivated landscape. There was some excitement but the darkness would make it a challenge to get great pictures showcasing the prairie under a stormy sky. I got up and began to prepare for the sunrise which I was quite certain would not be visible due to the clouds from this storm. To my surprise the sun appeared at the horizon and lit up the sky creating a beautiful beginning to what would be a warm summers day on the Prairie. My goal for the day was to explore nearby Touch the Sky Prairie for Prairie Fringed orchids. They had been spotted a few weeks earlier and my hope was to see and photograph this orchid adding to new native orchids found this year.

Monarchs foraging on Blazing Stars

The sun continued to move higher in the sky going in and out of clouds from the storm that continued on its trek towards the south. Most of the storm was a state away. It’s amazing how far you can see from a high point looking out over the prairie and farmlands. Taking a short break to enjoy a little nourishment and dry my feet from the heavy dew and quick shower from the mornings walk I headed to Touch the Sky parcel of the the Northern Tallgrass Prairie a few miles away. There are some nicely mowed trails through this prairieland allowing you to explore this preserved land without much difficulty. Beautiful liatris bloomed all over the prairie providing a great source of food for the many monarchs fluttering about but no orchids in sight. Throughout the day I continued to search different areas of the prairie for what promised to be a stunning orchid. By late afternoon it was time for a break, and maybe a nap.

Turkey Vulture preparing to take off

Storms were predicted for late in the day. The sun had heated the air thoroughly during the afternoon and humidity added to the warm sun to create a bit of a stifling atmosphere almost sure to produce some nice thunderstorms. I had an area in mind to photograph these storms and thought it was probably time to get there. On the way, there were a couple of vultures sitting on rocks. I typically don’t want to photograph them but they were in such an easy spot and because of the heat had little interest in flying away. They are interesting birds up close with features that are often difficult to see from the air. Taking a trail to a better vantage point, a storm was out over the horizon approaching from the west as I was hoping for. Unfortunately the sun was getting close to setting so the pictures of prairieland underneath some interesting lightning would have to wait for another time. As it got closer, I moved towards my campsite for shelter and continued to take pictures. Most of the lightning was cloud to cloud reducing the chance for a nice photo. I did manage to get the one you see below which includes one of the teepee’s available for rent at Blue Mounds State Park. If you look closely there are a couple of lighting bugs flying around also creating the photo I call camping with lightning bugs. So while I didn’t find the orchid I was looking for, I did enjoy so much of what the prairie has to offer on a warm summer’s night.

Camping, Storms, and Fireflies