Wood Grain Dunes

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile journeys exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I love hiking the dunes along 

Lake Michigan in the winter.

Wind and snow and ice conspire 

to change the face of the dunes in ways you only see in this season. 

Some sand may freeze, while the wind blows free sand around, sculpting the frozen sections.

Recently, I came across part of a dune that resembled wood grain. 

This was at The Dune Climb in

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Check out these photos 

(click on photo to see expanded view):

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

It was a mild and sunny day today. Rare for mid-December, so I headed to some of my favorite places along the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

My first stop was the DH Day Farm to photograph the iconic barns there.

DH Day Farm

Then, I drove to Pyramid Point to hike the trail there: 

There are people standing on that far-off dune

On the way home, I stopped to photograph this wild turkey. She was unflappable.

And a little video of the lake today:

Wintery Empire Bluff

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I hiked one of my favorite trails today, the 

Empire Bluff trail. 

The overlook from the top of the trail is iconic "Pure Michigan." Check it out:

This dune is THE 'sleeping bear dune'

The woodpeckers are feasting in these woods. 

The pileated is especially good at gouging out the wood in search of a buggy meal.

Rainy Day Hike

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I joined up with a hiking group (Northern Michigan Hiking, Backpacking, and Kayaking Meetup) for a post-Thanksgiving hike along Lake Michigan.

Hiking along Lake Michigan

We began at the Dune Climb and hiked two miles over tall dunes to the lake.

Hiking the Dune Climb

Dune Climb

Along Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan

We then took a short drive over to Pyramid Point.

Pyramid Point

Misty day at Pyramid Point

It was a drizzly, cool day.

A perfect day to hike with new friends.

Nice group!

Evidence of a Long-Ago Pond

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

While hiking along Lake Michigan north of Empire, I saw an unusual sight: 

evidence of an ancient pond now entombed by sand.

Four feet up, a peat layer poked out of the dune.

Black peat layer 

Peat layer peaking out

This peat layer is evidence of a pond that was once here. Since it's near the lake, it's likely that it was slowly filled in with blowing sand.

Icicles formed off the peat layer

Currently, the western lobe of Glen Lake ("Little Glen Lake") is heading toward the same fate. How do we know? 

The deepest point in Little Glen Lake is 13-feet deep while the eastern lobe (farther away from Lake Michigan's blowing sand), Big Glen Lake, is much deeper. The deepest point in this lake is 
130 feet.

Leafy Hikes

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

One perk of living in the Traverse City area is there are so many hiking trails 

in addition to miles and miles of Lake Michigan shoreline.

Recently, I hiked two areas known for their brilliant fall foliage:

Hickory Meadows/Hills is just west of Traverse City.

Hickory Meadows

Hickory Meadows with falling leaves

 And Clay Cliffs, north of Leland. This preserve  is part of the Leelanau Conservancy lands.

Clay Cliffs, part of the Leelanau Conservancy lands

The view of Pyramid Point from the overlook

Gorgeous view of the Manitou Islands from the overlook

 It's a lovely time to hike these trails.

Though you'll find me out hiking along Lake Michigan in all sorts of weather and in all seasons.

Great Lakes Island Anniversary

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

This week marks the 4th anniversary of the completion of my Great Lakes Island Adventure.

This was my third adventure exploring our magnificent Great Lakes.

Sunrise on Isle Royale

Cup and Saucer Trail on Manitoulin Island

Flowerpot Island in Lake Huron

Cedar tree on South Manitou Island

I set foot on over 30 islands in the 
Great Lakes Basin for this adventure.

Glacial Grooves on Kelleys Island

Finale on Mackinac Island

The islands of our Great Lakes are diverse and amazing. They range from the populated Montreal Island in the St. Lawrence River to wild and remote Isle Royale in Lake Superior.

The book about my island adventure

Moose Antlers on Isle Royale

Monitoring piping plovers on North Manitou Island

I was honored to help with some wildlife research taking place on some of these islands.

In May 2019, I will lead a team of women hikers in a Moosewatch Expedition on Isle Royale. 

Email me if you are interested in more information about joining me on this adventure!
LakeTrek@gmail.com

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

Leelanau Conservancy Lands: DeYoung Natural Area

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures. 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to 

http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I hike many of the wonderful trails in and around Traverse City to keep in shape for my adventures. 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is nearby and the Leelanau Conservancy  has preserved many tracts of land on the Leelanau Peninsula.

[I blogged about one of their lovely hiking areas, Clay Cliffs.]

Today the organization called for volunteers to help create a new trail in the DeYoung Natural Area.

This natural area is west of Cedar Lake on the Leelanau Peninsula

Volunteers joined with board members, Americorps workers, and conservancy employees to work on a 1-mile loop of new trail.

Volunteers gather with Leelanau Conservancy board members and employees

Here I am ready to help clear the trail

We clipped vegetation encroaching on the trail, removed roots, tilled up the trail, then tamped it down.  

A vine leaves its mark

Invasive Japanese Barberry

Board member Gina Erb lends a hand to tamp down the trail

When done, there will be a new, 1-mile loop of groomed trail here

 Learn more about the important work this conservancy is doing at

http://leelanauconservancy.org/