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