National Indie Bookstore Day!

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 took a long training hike today. I'm getting ready to hike Isle Royale next month, leading a team of hikers on a Moosewatch Expedition.

After that hike, I headed into Traverse City

To celebrate National Indie Bookstore Day,

I stopped in at one of my favorite indies, Brilliant Books. I poked around a bit and bought a new novel by Miriam Toews.

They had me sign a few copies of my own books on their shelves (always a pleasure!).

Stop in at your favorite indie today, and support them all year long.

And if you think there's nothing wrong with buying books from Amazon, click on link below to read why:

Amazon is Evil 

Arbor Day/Earth Day

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/

With Earth Day and Arbor Day both happening this week in April, there were many volunteer projects around town.

I pitched in to help clean up a section of the 

TART trail last weekend.

Then, on Monday I joined a group at Miller Creek Nature Reserve

(part of the Grand Traverse Conservation District land) to help out...

And today (Friday) I helped plant trees along a stretch of the Boardman River.

This is part of the river where a dam was recently removed.  The Grand Traverse Conservation District will plant tens of thousands of trees this year on their land! 

Check out opportunities to volunteer in your community!

The Dune Climb

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 recently took a training hike at The Dune Climb in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

This expanse of dunes is between Glen Lake and Lake Michigan. 

And it's beautiful.

This transition time when winter is finally relenting is a special time to hike here.
The summer crowds are still a couple of months off, and the snow is not completely gone.
Check out these photos:

Glen Lake is still covered over with ice

Wind-sculpted sand

Wind shaving away unfrozen sand

Hiking the dunes

The snow fields are full of sand that was blown during the winter. As the snow melts, the sand collects into little blobs on the surface.

Deer tracks through dune field

Manitou Islands in distance out in Lake Michigan