Category Archives: New Experiences

Celebrating New Years Day

February 6, 2022 Troy

During the night I would wake to waves crashing on the shoreline and couldn’t wait for daylight to show the view. We arrived at our house during the dark and were unable to see much of the landscape on New Year’s Eve. The fireworks had settled down allowing a few hours of nice sleep. Opening my eyes once again, I looked towards the patio door and finally light was beginning to show through the door. I got up, as quietly as I could so others could continue to sleep, and went out on the patio to see waves rolling over the turquoise water. Soon I was joined by my cousin who was with us for this adventure. A few moments later my wife appeared. Happy New Year! we all agreed. It seemed to take a lot of work and effort to get here, but here was the reward.

Within a few minutes I spotted surfers paddling out to these nice waves for their morning ride. We watched as they waited out in the water for a good wave to roll in that they could catch eventually deciding on one they liked. They began to paddle quickly and soon were up on their board surfing the wave into shore and then doing it all over again.

The ocean had called long enough. A few minutes later it was out to the shore taking in the warm morning sun as it continued to rise over the island. I removed my shoes upon reaching the beach and began to feel this tropical place all around me. Bare feet in the sand below and waves continuing to crash on the shore. Are we still asleep and dreaming?

I had hoped to get in the water the night before without success. It was time now to get that first feel of the ocean. Heading towards the shoreline, saltwater eventually surround my feet. Expecting to wince a little at this first cool wave hitting my toes, I was surprised how warm the water felt. There was no shock or getting use to the temperature. I continued to wade in but only a short ways. My stomach was reminding me it was time to eat and I didn’t want to be wet while eating it.

After a few minutes of walking in the water my cousin and I began exploring the shoreline. Much of the shoreline here is volcanic rock with only a few pockets of sand here and there. Looking in each groove and through the tide pools there were many critters moving about. Crabs would quickly seek shelter from our view but occasionally one would pose for a few moments for us to watch. Fish of different sizes and colors were swimming in the tide pools created by this rocky shoreline with the occasional red or black urchin attached to rocks for them to swim around. As we continued to explore, a Sea Turtle surprised me. A trip to Hawaii just would not seem complete with seeing one of these. This beautiful creature of the sea’s came over to wish us a Happy New Year before continuing on in its search for food. We returned the greeting and continued being mesmerized as waves rolled into the shoreline.

Having gotten a taste of this beautiful place, it was time to return to the house for a quick shower and off to find breakfast. I was so grateful to be able to spend this New Year’s Day with my two daughters, wife, and other family members in these incredible surroundings. One last feel of the sand beneath my feet and it was back inside…at least for the moment.

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.

Hawaii, New Experiences, Troy's Blog

A New Year Begins

January 8, 2022 Troy

The last year has brought a lot of changes with one of those being able to celebrate the arrival of 2022 from Hawaii with family. For the first time in several decades my family had the opportunity to travel over the holidays and decided to take advantage of such a situation. The question was where? Hawaii was presented and accommodations were available but COVID could really be an issue as Hawaii had been pretty strict with people entering. As fall got under way we decided to begin booking a week in this paradise as the pandemic restrictions seemed to be staying the same, allowing us to spend a week vacationing without the need to quarantine first.

Christmas arrived which we were able to celebrate with family, unlike the year prior. As soon as our family gatherings were over, it was time to pack. Fortunately we had been doing some of this beforehand knowing there would only be a few days between Christmas and our trip. There was much to be done during the week both at work and home but New Year’s Eve day was upon us before we were ready. The next day would be a full day of flying. If everything went according to plan, we would be in the ocean before sunset for the last day of 2021.

It was 4am and the alarm began blaring, however we were already awake and beginning to get ready for our day. A short time later we were in the car on our way to the airport. It was an early flight out of Minneapolis with a stop in Los Angeles before continuing on to Hawaii. Moving through security without any issues we walked to our gate with just a short time before boarding the airplane would begin. Time kept ticking by but our flight did not board. Earlier in the week airlines had experienced a lot of cancelations due to COVID and technical problems. We kept wondering if they were effecting our flight on this morning. Now it was just a few minutes before we were supposed to leave and the announcement finally came that boarding would begin. Once we were seated, an alert came across the phone that our flight was delayed 45 minutes. By the time we were in the air it was more than that. Fortunately our connecting flight in LA had sent an alert that it was delayed a couple of hours so we shouldn’t miss it. Unfortunately my plan of being in the ocean before sunset was not likely to happen now. Oh well, if that’s the worst that happens it’s still a good day of travel.

As daylight began to fill the sky, the clouds became visible from our runway. Soon after we were flying through them watching snowflakes sweep by our windows as we continued higher. Eventually we made our way above them. The white, fluffy cotton like now floated below us appearing as a harmless blanket. Within a short time the rays of the rising sun made their way into the windows of the airplane and filling the sky with beautiful morning light. What a sight from this viewpoint. As we made our way across the country, clouds covered much of the ground below, but at one point mountain tops rose above them. It created a beautiful and scenic view from our tiny windows as we fly by admiring the snow covered rock sculptures.

Moving further west we finally broke out of the clouds allowing the landscape below to appear. We were almost to LAX at this point and could see this sprawling city coming into view. Continuing to descend towards our runway, SoFi Stadium appeared just outside our window – the home of Superbowl 56 which my wife and I will be a part of in the next month. It was nice to get a view of where we’ll be working for a few weeks. Minutes later we were on the ground and heading towards our next flight. With the that flight delayed we took some time to meet up with our final family member heading to Hawaii for New Years. Soon after meeting up, a portion of our group went on to meet some longtime friends on their way to the airport for a flight to Minneapolis. We only had a few moments together to swap hugs before each continuing on their journey. Amazing how things work out sometimes. Had our connecting flight not been delayed we would not have had the opportunity to meet up.

The day continued to pass by, however at a slower pace than normal since we continued to move west and time changes kept the clock moving at a slower rate. Once again in the air, the largest of cities began to shrink below with nothing but ocean ahead for several hours. Sitting back and trying to relax as the waves rolled below while this plane flew west, there was much anticipation of a tropical paradise. Finally we began to lower in the sky and see land once again. Moments later we landed for the last time and retrieved our luggage as the sun lowered to the horizon. With color filling the evening sky, we loaded everything into our car for the week and headed towards our place of residence. Along the way fireworks began exploded across the hillside in celebration of the end of 2021 turning to a New Year. Throughout the night these fireworks continued raining down eventually lulling us to sleep after a very long day of travel. We awoke to explosions going off all over Kona, Hawaii signaling the arrival of 2022. With a brief smile I passed out once again anxious to awaken to daylight and ocean waves to start a New Year in a way I’ve never experienced before. Will this set a new tone for the up coming year? It certainly can’t hurt, right?

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?

New Experiences, Photos, Troy's Blog, wildlife

Returning to the Rookery

April 21, 2019 Troy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Experiences, Photos, Troy's Blog, wildlife

Spring Eagle Migration

April 7, 2019 Troy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adventures, New Experiences, Troy's Blog

Walking Across the Mississippi

September 1, 2018 Troy

One of my goals during the raising of our children was to take them to the beginning of the Mississippi which is located at Lake Itasca. A few of the landmarks I think anyone living in Minnesota should see include Lake Superior and the North Shore, The Minnesota State Fair, Minneapolis and St Paul, and where the Mighty Mississippi River begins. As we continued on our quest to complete our National Parks Monopoly board I began to run out of time to experience the Mississippi headwaters with the children and was thinking this wouldn’t happen. Fortunately there was a portion of the summer with no travel plans and we decided to add Voyageurs National Park to our board which was not all that far from Itasca State Park where this large river begins.

Leaving Voyageurs late in the afternoon we arrived at Itasca State Park at sunset to a porcupine crossing the road in front of us. That seemed like a good omen to begin this portion of our journey. Getting to our campsite at dark made it a bit more challenging to set up the tent and get everything ready so we could sleep but eventually we were successful and grabbed a snack before crawling into the sleeping bags for some much needed rest before a full day of exploring this area boasting the start of the Mississippi. Unfortunately it was a cool night with temperatures falling into the 40’s Fahrenheit making it a little difficult to get a good nights rest but we eventually emerged from the tent, grabbed some food and headed out with the first stop the Headwaters Visitors Center.

By the time we arrived at this river crossing it was mid-day and there were a lot of people exploring this start to one of the longest rivers in the world. This made it a bit of a challenge to grab some family photos so we watched as many other people along with our children ventured across the rocks or through the water to add walking across the Mississippi to their list of accomplishments with the goal of returning at a quieter time. I did take a few photos at this visit to the headwaters just in case plans changed and we became unable to get here with a smaller crowd. Even with all of the other people exploring around here it was fun to think about how far this water will travel and how long it will take for the water we were walking in to reach the ocean so far away. Fortunately we did make it back the next day after the visitors center closed so there were a lot fewer people.

With less people we set up the camera and took a few family photos for memories and then played in the water a little more without worry about causing issues with other visitors. To get to the beginning of the Might Mississippi you have to park at the visitor center and walk a short distance to the lake and this small river. Hard to imagine the Mississippi as a small river. I’ve grown up visiting this river often a little further south watching as barges moved cargo up and down it and couldn’t imagine it being a small river to walk across at some point. There are a few other locations in the state park where you can walk or drive across the little Mississippi which we did to fully take in this idea. One thing that always seemed weird to me was this river flows north for a ways before finally turning south. The land here is a high point so everything flows away in several directions which is why the beginning of the Mississippi River runs Northward before the ground gets lower allowing the water to return to a normal direction of flow going south. There’s a webcam set up to view the headwaters if you’re interested in viewing it live. Mississippi Headwaters Webcam

New Experiences, Troy's Blog, wildlife

Bears–They’re Everywhere

August 26, 2018 Troy

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

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

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

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

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

New Experiences, Troy's Blog

Climbing for Air …. American Lung Association

February 26, 2017 Troy

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

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

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

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

Adventure, National Parks, New Experiences, Troy's Blog

The U. S. National Anthem

July 2, 2016 Troy

Every time I hear the United States National Anthem, there is a deeper meaning after visiting the place it was written – Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. One of the first things you can see upon nearing the fort is the tall flagpole carrying a huge American flag which author Francis Scott Keys was looking for during the bombing of the fort by British soldiers.

Once inside the fort, you can see where the canons that defended this fort during the attack were placed. This brings the attack to life imagining soldiers maneuvering cannons and loading them to fire back at British ships in Chesapeake Bay outside of the fort while taking cover as these ships fired back.

Walking along the top of the fort walls, Chesapeake Bay is clearly visible shining in the bright blue, sunlit sky. After seeing the fort and many of its canons you begin to visualize British ships in the water firing almost causing you to quickly duck back behind the brick walls for protections.

It’s very humbling to think of this large icon of America, its flag, flying in the wind while soldiers engaged in heavy battle firing at each other through a smoke filled sky created from canon fire. To imagine what this must have looked like to Francis Scott Keys and the impact it had on him during these days. His surprise, joy, and pride to see Fort McHenry and the United States flag continuing to exist in all their glory once the battle ceased. On this Independence Day I have further respect for those who have given much to give us our freedom and continue to defend it yet today!

Gaining Life Experience