We haven't seen the sun much in the past month but when we have it's been glorious! Earlier this week we headed inland away from Lake Superior to see how much snow had fallen in the woods. There was quite a bit as it turns out! About a foot of snow blanketed the landscape, compared to barely an inch just a few miles away in our yard along the Lake Superior shoreline. Our forecast is calling for more snow in the next 24 hours. 4 to 6 inches possible today with another 2 to 4 possible tonight. Time will tell! I'm anxious for it... I love winter :-)
There's nothing quite like a bike ride on a beautiful winter day! This is what the forest looks like right now inland from Lake Superior in Grand Portage, MN. A snow-filled paradise! The first significant snowfall of the year was rather wet and heavy which coated all the trees in a beautiful blanket of white. It was like riding through a scene from a snow globe :-)
I am so glad there is ice to photograph again! It's one of my favorite subjects and every year I eagerly await the return of winter so I can photograph the infinite variations of ice once again. These icicles were all photographed in the past week along the walls of the High Falls gorge on the Pigeon River in Grand Portage State Park, MN.
Grand Portage State Park, MN - For the past week there has been a lot of ice build-up in the gorge below High Falls on Pigeon River. Thanks to a lot of rainfall combined with melting snow the river has been at a very high level for this time of year. Since we've had cooler temperatures this past week the spray coming off High Falls has been sticking to everything and freezing, creating a thick layer of ice on everything within reach of the spray. I love it when the conditions are like this. It sure makes for some unique and interesting photos.
We got the fat bikes out today for their first snow ride of the season! Down along the Lake Superior shoreline there is hardly any snow at all, but a few miles inland it's a different story. It's a winter wonderland! There is a about a foot of snow inland from Lake Superior and all the trees have a beautiful blanket of snow on them. Old Highway 61 wasn't plowed but it had some nicely packed ruts which made for a great ride. Such a great day to be outside!
High Falls Update! Remember my post from yesterday about High Falls and the high water? Well, the water level has dropped a bit but so have the temperatures. What this means is all that spray and mist coming off the waterfall has been coating the sides of the gorge and all the nearby trees and shrubs with a thick layer of ice. Talk about an amazing, unique and beautiful thing to see!
High Falls of the Pigeon River in Grand Portage State Park, MN on November 29, 2016 after 3 inches of rain and several inches of melted snow brought the river level up 7 feet!
