A squirrel and his den

I went for a hike today and along the way came across this cute little squirrel hanging out around the entrance to his den.  Had some really nice lighting for the close-up shot of him!

Blue Glow

Beautiful blue ice on Lake Superior yesterday near 5 Mile Rock just north of Grand Marais, MN. 

Spring Biking

Spring biking.  Its got it all: pavement, gravel, mud, snow, ice and slush.  Not to mention pretty blue skies, puffy clouds and warmer temperatures!

Notice the moon in the previous picture. 

Sending a Signal

Just having a little fun with a flashlight and the night sky over Lake Superior near Hovland, Minnesota. 

Late March Ice at Hollow Rock

Last night's sunset at Hollow Rock in Grand Portage, MN.  Over the last couple of days the wind pushed the ice that was out in the middle of the lake towards shore and once it hit shore it built up into these piles.  Just when I was thinking our Lake Superior ice season was basically over, we got a nice surprise!

Weight Limit

Weight restrictions?  No problem, just take it off road.  Ha ha!

Spring Ice on Chicago Bay

Super interesting ice to photograph yesterday on Chicago Bay of Lake Superior in Hovland, MN.  This looks like pancake ice floating in the bay, but it's actually frozen in place by clear ice.  I know when I first spotted it I thought it was pieces of ice floating around.  When I took a closer look I was amazed to see the entire bay was actually frozen solid.  Very "cool". 

Spring Ice Piles

Yesterday was an interesting day for ice along the Lake Superior shoreline between Grand Portage and Grand Marais.  Strong winds off the lake broke up the thin surface ice and pushed it along the shoreline in interesting piles.  When I saw this scene the 3 elements (rock, ice and water) and they way they were laid out really caught my eye.

Milky Way over Temperance River

I have to admit I had never thought of photographing the Milky Way from this location before until I saw a fellow photographer post an image from here.  So, I am using his photo as inspiration for my own (I never like to say we are "copying" one another, because we aren't... we get inspiration from others and then go and try to make our own interpretation of a similar scene).  I was amazed to see how perfectly the Milky Way lines up with the mouth of the river and I love how the angle complements the angle of the tree line along the left side of the photo.  

I also had to exercise some patience in this situation.  When I arrived on location (about 4:00 in the morning) the Milky Way was not yet visible as you see it here.  It was still below the tree line.  I decided to go down and check out the shoreline to the West of the river's mouth.  I was glad I did, because for the next hour and a half I had a lot of fun making a series of images showing the Milky Way more openly over Lake Superior (see my previous posts).  When I walked back up to this original planned spot at 5:30 AM, there was the Milky Way, right where I had hoped it would be.  This was a 25 second exposure at f/2.8 and an ISO of 6400.  Shot with a Nikon D750 camera and Nikon 14-24mm lens set at 14mm. 

Big Lake, Big Universe

Nature likes to remind us how small we are.  When you sit on the shoreline of the largest freshwater lake in the world and stare out at the Milky Way floating above the horizon, you can't help but be reminded of that fact.  The vastness of space is a magnificent thing to try and comprehend.  

Aspen Forest

Every now and then a view into the forest will really catch my eye and I just have to photograph it.  This is one such view, seen recently along the Arrowhead Trail in Cook County, MN.  

Last Light on Goose Rock

Yesterday I went for a fat bike ride on South and North Fowl Lakes near the end of the Arrowhead Trail in Cook County, MN.  The ride was awesome and the icing on the cake was seeing this beautiful sunlight wash up along the face of Goose Rock as the sun was setting (I've heard this feature referred to as Goose Rock before, feel free to correct me if you know of another name for it). 

March Milky Way over Hollow Rock

It sure has been a great week for photographing the Milky Way!  Mostly clear nights and cooler weather which means the stars have been seemingly jumping out of the sky at us.  This photo was taken at Hollow Rock in Grand Portage, MN.  

Moonlit Trees, Starlit Night

Trees illuminated by the light of a rising crescent moon as the stars shine brightly overhead. 

Tranquil Night on Lake Superior

Here is another photo of Lake Superior and the night sky from this weekend at Temperance River State Park in Tofte, Minnesota.  For this photo I chose to look away from the galactic core of the Milky Way.  The big lake was so incredibly calm that night and many of the stars were reflecting nicely in the water.  Such placid nights on Lake Superior are few and far between. 

Milky Way over the mouth of the Temperance River

Surreal sky over the mouth of the Temperance River along the Lake Superior shoreline in Tofte, Minnesota. 

Alone with the Universe

I find the night sky to be very therapeutic.  The experience of spending a beautiful night outdoors is unforgettable.  Last night was one of those nights.  I didn't want it to end.  

Subtle Sunset Color

Nice subtle color in the clouds this evening as the sun was going down.  Great way to end a two hour fat bike ride.

First Light on Lake Superior Plate Ice

Lake Superior ice is always so beautiful, even more so when bathed in the warm glow of first light on a calm March morning!

Celestial Fantasy

I love the night sky... especially the brightly lit ribbon that is the galactic core of the Milky Way.  Even more so when it is shining brightly over the light of a rising crescent moon and the frozen shoreline of Lake Superior!  What an amazingly beautiful place to call home.  

Milky Way over Red Rock Point

Last night's view of the Milky Way over Red Rock Point in Grand Portage, MN at about 4:30 AM.  

Dawn Moonrise, Lake Superior Shoreline

Yesterday morning's rising moon at dawn on the lake walk section of the Superior Hiking Trail just north of Grand Marais, MN.  It sure was a peaceful morning!

The sight of the stars makes me dream

Well, last night was an unforgettable one!  I spent a couple of hours hanging out on the Lake Superior shoreline along the lake walk section of the Superior Hiking Trail just north of Grand Marais.  It was a clear, cold night (about 8 degrees) which meant the view of the stars was incredible.  Just before 4:00 AM (or 3:00 AM if you hadn't set your clocks ahead yet), the thin crescent moon rose above the horizon.  The subdued moonlight behind the island made for a surreal glow with the ribbon of the Milky Way stretching across the sky above.  There was absolutely no wind and the air was extremely quiet.  A thin layer of ice had formed on the surface of the water and I could hear its crunching noises as the lake currents moved it around further out from shore.  Nights like this are some of my favorite times to be outside!

Sunrise, Red Rock Point

Grand Portage, MN - This morning's sunrise sure was a beautiful one.  I made this photograph after spending a couple of hours enjoying an incredibly peaceful night on the shoreline while photographing the Milky Way over Lake Superior.  

Snowshoeing Mt. Josephine

It's another beautiful weekend out there!  This photo was taken last weekend but we have very similar conditions today.  There is still a lot of snow to play in, so get out and enjoy the snowshoes, skis, fat bikes, snowmobiles (or whatever else you like to enjoy the snow with) while the conditions are still good!  This photo was taken from the summit of the Mt. Josephine hiking trail in Grand Portage, MN. 

Fat Biking on Cascade River

Exploring Cascade River via fat bike.  After skiing the Picnic Loop today I went for a bike ride on Cascade River.  What an awesome day!

First time out on the new Fischer Twin Skin skis

Sugarbush Trails - Cook County, MN

What a great day to break in the new skis on the Picnic Loop!  Every year following the Sleeping Giant Loppet, the outdoor store Fresh Air in Thunder Bay has a sale on all their ski equipment.  I scored a sweet deal on a set of Fischer Twin Skin Pro skis. Today I tried them out for the first time and they worked GREAT!  Instead of using kick wax each ski has two thin strips of mohair which acts as the kick wax.  I was skeptical but after skiing 14 miles on them I can honestly say that they performed flawlessly!

Snowmobiling the Moose Ridge Trail

Grand Portage, Minnesota has a nice network of snowmobile trails and yes, we still have plentiful snow cover up here!  Get up here and ride while the riding is good.  This time of year the days are typically sunny and beautiful, perfect for getting out and enjoying the north woods scenery. 

Back on the bike!

It's cooled off a bit the last few nights which means the trails are once again firm enough for good fat biking.  Yesterday I got out for a nice 3 hour ride and along the way was treated to this incredible view of Lake Superior and Isle Royale National Park on the horizon.  

Winter Ice on Wauswaugoning Bay

Summit view from one of the toughest but most rewarding snowshoe hikes along the Minnesota shoreline of Lake Superior: Mt. Josephine in Grand Portage.  Not an overly long distance to snowshoe, but lots of vertical elevation gain.  700 feet in less than a mile.  Elevation at the trailhead is just over 600 feet above sea level, elevation at the summit is just over 1300 feet.  The dramatic elevation makes for some jaw-dropping views from the summit!  This view is looking east over the Susie Islands and Pigeon Point, the northeastern tip of Minnesota. 

Snowshoe Trail - Northeast Minnesota

There are few things as inviting as a nice snowshoe trail through a forest with snow-covered trees!

Ice Line off Pete's Island (Grand Portage Island)

The lake has been so calm lately.  The other day when I was snowshoeing along one of the local ridge tops this view in the distance caught my eye.  I really like the way the ice was flowing like a ribbon behind the island. 

Balancing the Moon

As the sun was getting low in the sky yesterday the moon was getting high in the sky.  It just so happened that while I was snowshoeing I looked up at just the right time to see the moon near the top of this tree.  I maneuvered into position to photograph the moon where it appeared to be balanced on the tip of the treetop.  

Drift Lines, Mt. Josephine summit

While exploring the summit of Mt. Josephine yesterday I found a lot of really fascinating patterns in the snow that were caused by the wind.  The lines here really draw your eye into the scene.  I was mesmerized by it. 

Moon Shine on the Susie Islands

I made this photo last night just before heading back from the summit of Mt. Josephine on my snowshoe hike.  The camera was mounted on a tripod, and this was a 1.6 second exposure of the moonlight reflecting on the surface of Lake Superior.  The silhouette of Isle Royale National Park can be seen on the horizon in the background.  I am so lucky to have such beauty so close to my home.