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.