Because it has been several months since I posted a web page update, I will include photos from winter, spring, and summer.
These three photos were taken at the end of the winter season. The first image was taken from the east side of Sable Lake looking toward the Grand Sable Dunes in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The second was taken from the top of the dunes looking over the frozen Sable Lake. The third photo shows shore ice in front of the campground in Grand Marais. We had very little ice this winter due to the low snowfall amount as well as the warmer than usual temperatures.
During the spring I was busy finishing up the new book, so I do not have any photos taken in Grand Marais. However, I did participate in an awesome three-day hike in the Porcupine Mountain State Park. The first image shows my friends and me on the shoreline along the Lake Superior Trail in the Porkies. Our hiking club is named Helkarcia (Hel for Helen, Kar for Karen, and Cia for Marcia). We named the falls Helkarcia Falls. The second photo shows a female merganser duck. These are large, long-bodied ducks with thin, pointed wings. Their bills are straight and narrow, unlike the wide, flat bill of a “typical” duck. Females have shaggy crests on the backs of their heads. They are smaller than a Canadian Goose and slightly larger than a mallard duck. Adult males are patterned with white bodies and dark, iridescent-green heads for most of the year. The back is black and the bill red. Females and immatures are gray-bodied with a white chest and rusty cinnamon heads. From late summer to mid-autumn, males wear a nonbreeding plumage that looks very similar to female plumage. In-flight, both sexes show large white patches on the upper wings (larger in adult males). The third sunset photo was taken from our rented cabin, which was located at the mouth of the Big Carp River along the Lake Superior shoreline.
Grand Marais has a traditional July 4th celebration, which is always held on the 4th of July. Usually our firework display is totally awesome. This year, it seems they just lit off a series of finale, grouped together fireworks. There was not time to ooh and aah individual fireworks. The whole show was over in a hurry. I was able to get a few photos. The third photo shows downtown Grand Marais during the parade, which was better than normal with several floats. The last three photos show a wild rose and other pictures taken during a hike across the Grand Sable Dunes from Sable Lake to Lake Superior, and back.
Enjoyed the photos very much. My husband and I were traveling through 2 years ago and only had half a day to visit your pretty little town. He drove around and left me happily on the beach to look for agates. I didn’t find any then mostly because I had no idea what I was actually doing. I have since followed your posts closely and read all the past issues. Thank you for your time and effort educating us wannabes agate hunters. We live in SC but are planning another trip fit this fall. This time I’m armed with knowledge and will be spending a few nights there.