Most Popular Post of 2020

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/

Here's the most popular post from 2020:

I hiked part of Sleeping Bear Dunes lakeshore today at Glen Haven.

The beaches of Lake Michigan usually appear tan or even whitish in color, but if you pick up a handful of sand and look closely, there is a mixture of colors. Silica and quartz give the sand its light color, but there are specks of black from the mineral magnetite. 

This mineral is heavier than the other grains, so it often gathers in bands or patches on the shoreline, sorted by wind and waves.

Today, I came across the largest deposit of magnetite I've ever seen along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. A long section of black sand on the beach.

Wave action has been strong along the lakeshore this winter, and the lake level set an all-time high earlier this year. This has led to increased amounts of magnetite deposited on the shoreline.

Watch the video below to see how deep the deposit was:

Yes, this mineral has been on the beaches for a long time. Here's a post I did about these black sands over a decade ago:

https://laketrek.blogspot.com/2009/06/black-sand.html

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Part 3)

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/

Here's the final photo essay of my October hike 

along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

(Thanks to April for sharing her stunning photos.)

Me, Julie, and Zan

One of the many rivers along the lakeshore

Wonderful rocky beach

Chain coral

One of the best things about hiking in a group is that everyone brings their own experience and knowledge to the hike. This group of women have collectively hiked thousands of miles and bring so much to the experience of hiking together.

On this hike, Julie introduced us to the wintergreen plant and berry.

If you've had wintergreen gum, you've tasted this distinctive flavor. It's much better to munch the little berries fresh off the plant!

The leaves can also be used to brew tea. 

Here are a few more stunning shots of this National Lakeshore:

Chapel Rock

Miners Castle 

Happy on the trail

November Surprise

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/

This November has been surprising so far (on many levels). The weather has been amazingly warm this first 10 days. Yesterday, Traverse City broke a high temp record from 1896! And not just by a degree or two, but by 5 degrees!

So, of course, I went kayaking on that warmest day and hiked several other days.

I kayaked my favorite small lake nearby, Cedar Lake. I noticed there are more than one 'Cedar Lakes' around Traverse City. This one is just west of Long Lake, west of Traverse City.

Today, I headed to the big lake to walk the lakeshore. Since the temps were starting to dip and some rain fell, I had the entire beach to myself.

Lovely.

With the lake levels rising this year, the shoreline showed evidence of erosion.

The lake was turquoise and white-capped. Bands of rain clouds hovered over the lake in the distance. 

Still my favorite place.

 

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Part 2)

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/

With nights in the low 30s and high 20s, we gathered around a fire some nights. April even brought along some popcorn to pop over the fire. 

YUM!

The scenery was breathtaking at times, even for those in the group who had hiked here before.

The most stunning formation in this National Lakeshore is Chapel Rock (below and in video). 

This sandstone pedestal has been separated from the shoreline by erosion, but the lone pine tree on the formation still lives there, attached to the shoreline by long roots. 

This tree is over 200 years old.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Part 1)

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 met up with my hiking friends and headed to America's first designated National Lakeshore,

Pictured Rocks,

along the northern edge of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. 

Yes, it was snowy and chilly and exhilarating. 

Me, Zan, Julie and April

The Au Sable Lighthouse

Snowy campsite at Benchmark campground

There is a 12-mile stretch of beach along the lakeshore. We hiked several miles here at the edge of Lake Superior.

Lake Superior Rocks

Can you find me in this photo? 

Massive sandstone formations dominate the western portion of the lakeshore. It's difficult to get the scale of these formations until you find the person in the shot.

We hiked five days...more to come.

Happy 50th Sleeping Bear 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/

Sleeping Bear Dunes is celebrating 50 years as a National Lakeshore.

Today, I joined up with fellow volunteers with the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes to greet visitors at the Dune Climb. 

We masked up and offered hot chocolate and information about our wonderful lakeshore.

We met visitors from Ohio and from all over Michigan. 

The mission of the Friends group:

"Protecting resources and heightening visitor experiences in partnership with Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore."

Masked up to meet visitors!

Anniversary merch can be purchased at FriendsofSleepingBear.org

Hundreds of volunteers give thousands of hours each year to improve and protect this wonderful park.

Volunteers from the Friends are involved in the following activities on a routine basis:

• manage Adopt-A-Beach, Adopt-A-River, Adopt-A-Trail
• manage the maintenance and Trail Ambassador program for the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail
• Support the park in developing new trails
• manage field mowing to preserve historic agricultural landscapes
• publish 13 visitor guide booklets about the science and history of the area
• provide housing stipend for Interns
• provide funding for NPS project grant requests

• Learn more:
•  Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Trails

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 have enjoyed being an Adopt-A-Trail volunteer this year for the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. Each month (April thru September), volunteers hike their assigned trail and report on any downed trees, pick up trash, and greet visitors on the trail.

My trail is the Farms Trail which is part of the Bay View series of trails.

It has been wonderful to see this trail in three seasons. This month, the leaves were beginning to change and the old apple trees on the trail were laden with fruit. 

Did you know you can forage in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore? 

Yep. 

It's perfectly fine to pick a few apples along the way.

I usually head to the lakeshore after my hike. This time, the lake was calm and lovely.