Shadows

 

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 continued to hike during this latest blast of polar air and steady snowfalls. There's something special about hiking in untouched snow, of seeing the whiteness sparkle in the sunshine. 

I especially like winter hikes when the sun is out because the light bounces and becomes more brilliant. 

Here's a look at some shadows on my hike today:

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

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.

Mammals of Isle Royale

 

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/

While the moose and wolves on Isle Royale capture  most of the attention of visitors, there are other creatures living there.

If we exclude bats, there are only 11 mammals on the island:

moose, wolves, beaver, muskrat, otter, fox, short-tailed weasel, red squirrel, deer mouse, snowshoe rabbit, marten

Pretty sure this is an otter (above and video below)

Master engineer, the beaver.

The most vocal resident on the island, the red squirrel.

Me and my hiking pals (April, Zan and Julie)

We found this recently killed bunny along the trail. Note the blood on the leaf.

We didn't see any fox this year, though they left scat along many of the trails we hiked.

Isle Royale 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/

In this year of quarantine and shut downs, the longest-running wildlife study was also paused. Moosewatch volunteers usually gather in May, June and August to hike Isle Royale under the direction of scientists to find and gather moose bones for study.

I've hiked this expedition five times, and last year was the leader of the first all-women team. My team was already set to hike in May when the pause button was pressed on just about everything.

And, yes, in the scheme of things, this was a small thing to cancel. Lives -- too many lives -- have been lost due to the mismanagement of the response to the pandemic. Jobs have been lost. Lives disrupted. 

When Isle Royale National Park announced they would be opening for seaplanes and private boats in late July, I took the opportunity to schedule some time there with friends from Moosewatch. 

It was an opportunity to be immersed in nature, to unplug from the news, to recenter myself.

Here are a few photos from Isle Royale 2020:

After hiking 50 miles (L>R Me, Julie, Zan, April)

Blueberries on the Greenstone Ridge

View from tower on Mt. Ojibway

On tower (Zan, April, Julie)

Sunrise, Moskey Basin

Adult and pup wolf tracks (dollar bill for scale)

Butterflies

Thimbleberries

ground squirrel

why they're called thimbleberries

Sunset, Lake Richie

Lake Richie, like a mirror

Merganser with chicks