Category Archives: Nature

Destination, Nature, Photography, Wildlife

South Dakota – Black Hills – Day 6

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SD – Black Hills / Custer State Park | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

untitled-IMG_1299-1299A quick peek outside around 11:30 p.m. gave us a good idea of what was in store for us on Day 6.  We were so glad we moved from the tent to a cabin.  The scene was all too familiar – the first snow – but it was way too early.  Snow is not necessarily what I want to see on September 11th, but it was quite beautiful and hard to get too upset about.  The fresh blanket of snow was going to make for lovely photos.  We awoke to an accurate forecast – about 6″ of fresh snow fell overnight.  It was a bone chilling 27 degrees as promised.  It was brrrrrrr-eautiful!

I made short work of the snow on car with the broom from the cabin – no brush in the car this time of year.  It just didn’t feel right turning on the heated seat this time of year, butt it felt alright soon enough 🙂  We headed into town for our coffee and bagel at the 1881 Bank Coffee House.  This was our third visit.  As the name implies, the store was originally a bank; the interior is quite nice.  The coffee was wonderful.  The bagel situation on the other hand had issues every day for some reason.  Two of the three days a cream cheese or butter was missing each day and this day one was toasted and one was not.  FYI, the dash defrost barely provides enough warmth to reasonably heat up a bagel.  Check your bagels before departing 🙂

The Scenery

We didn’t really have a plan for today.  We didn’t know what to expect from the snow fall.  We ventured into Custer State Park to see what we could find.  The fresh blanket of snow was quite pretty.  Back-roading was out of the question today; we tried.  The roads were snowy, wet and extremely muddy.  We made it as far North as Pactola Reservoir (last photo) on the main roads and decided to head back to the park to look for wildlife.  We ran into a group of long horns that where pretty lively in the fresh snow – especially the little one.  Cute lil bugger.

Pactola Reservoir

The Wildlife

We explored several Custer State Park roads today in addition to well-traveled Wildlife Loop Road.  4 Mile Draw Road (CSP 7), Swint Road (CSP 5), Fisherman Flats Road (CSP 2) and Oak Draw Road (CSP 3) were all nice to drive.  You never know what is around the next corner.  We were pleasantly surprised to stumble upon several Mountain Bluebirds having just read about them at the Wind Cave National Monument.  We found more Elk, but the herd was not any closer than earlier days sightings.  The buffalo and pronghorn looked great against a snowy backdrop. //Custer State Park map//

Buffalo
Buffalo
Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Buffalo
Pronghorn
Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Elk
Blue Heron

Here is a video clip from heading into Custer State Park the morning after the snow fell.

 

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Destination, Nature, Photography, Travel, Wildlife

South Dakota – Black Hills – Day 5

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SD – Black Hills / Custer State Park | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

Day 5 – the day of mist, rain and dense fog before the expected 6″ of snow fall and subsequent 27 degree morning temp.  We wisely decided to move to a camper cabin before the unseasonably cold and snowy weather moved in.  It was a bit damp and breaking down the tent was not on my to do list at this point.  The cabin was a short distance from our tent site; relocating camp was easily accomplished.  We left the tent up in hopes that mist/rain would subside and breeze would dry things out and headed for Wind Cave National Monument.

Hidden beneath the rolling prairie of the southern Black Hills is one of the world’s longest caves.  Swaying prairie grasses, forested hillsides, and an array of wildlife such as bison, elk, and prairie dogs welcome visitors to one of our country’s oldest national parks and one of its few remaining intact prairies. Secreted beneath is one of the world’s longest caves, Wind Cave. Named for barometric winds at its entrance, this complex labyrinth of passages contains a unique formation – boxwork.

There are a few different cave tours to choose from, we went on the Natural Entrance tour.  It was a lot of stairs, but they are mostly all down.  The elevator that takes you back to the surface is lower in the shaft than the level you entered the cave on.  Here are some iPhone shots on the monument grounds and inside the cave.  Great tour.

one of the rare uphill stairs
flowstone
Ribbon formation – a.k.a. bacon

It was still very foggy and misting some when we left Wind Cave.  Once back at the campground it was time to take advantage of the break in the mist/rain.  Packing away a wet tent is never any good.  The rain fly was a bit damp, but that is all; it would dry quickly in the cabin.

The day was still young and there was much of the Custer State Park to explore.  We drove up to Mt. Coolidge Fire Tower in a blanket of fog.  There were breaks at times that offered somewhat of a view.  At 6023 ft. I am sure the view is dandy on a clear day.  From there we explored North Lame Johnny Road (CSP4) as we made our way toward the donkeys down by the Buffalo Corrals.  We were a bit disappointed to find no donkeys around especially since we were toting two large bags of carrots.  Perhaps they were driven away by yesterdays stampede.  We headed South on Red Valley Road (CSP6) into Wind Cave National Park where we spotted some Elk at a great distance.  We would have liked to get a bit closer, but that opportunity never arose.  We made a big loop South in Wind Cave Nation Park and came back around North and headed for Custer.  The light was getting low and our stomachs where empty.  [[Custer State Park Map for reference]]

Here are a few shots from Lame Johnny and Red Valley roads.  Beautiful country and a bit of wildlife as well.  Another great day in the hills.

view atop Mt. Coolidge
A stream along Lame Johnny
View of Red Valley

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Destination, Nature, Photography, Travel, Wildlife

South Dakota – Black Hills – Day 4

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SD – Black Hills / Custer State Park | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

It was a beautiful morning.  We did not feel like waking at 4 a.m. to search out a sunrise spot.  The puppy-kid was very much at home in the tent. We slept in some, gathered our gear and prepared for a day of traveling.  Coffee and a bagel from a shop in downtown Custer was just the time-saver needed to get us moving along with ease and wide eyes.

untitled-IMG_1223-1223

The plan for today was the Needles Highway (87) – an incredibly beautiful stretch of road between Legion Lake and Sylvan Lake (see map below).

NeedlesHwyMap
Needles Highway Map – click to enlarge

Distance: 14 miles | Expected travel time: 45-60 minutes | Tunnels: Tunnel 5 (Near Needle’s Eye), 8′ 4″ wide by 12′ 0″ high; Tunnel 6, 9′ 0″ wide by 12′ 3″ high.

The Needles Highway is a spectacular drive through pine and spruce forests, meadows surrounded by birch and aspen and rugged granite mountains.

The road’s name comes from the needle-like granite formations which seem to pierce the horizon along the highway.

The roadway was carefully planned by former South Dakota Governor Peter Norbeck, who marked the entire course on foot and by horseback. Construction was completed in 1922.

Visitors traveling the highway pass Sylvan Lake and a unique rock formation called the Needle’s Eye, so named for the opening created by wind, rain, freezing and thawing.

 

I do not recall how many times we stopped along Needles Highway, but it was frequent.  There is so much gorgeous scenery to take in.  To really take a look around you will want to dedicate more than the suggested 45-60 minutes.  The road is curvaceous and steep in spots.  Take you time and enjoy.  Here are some shots from the Needles Highway.  We went from Sylvan Lake to Hill City to Key Stone; from there we experienced the 17 miles of 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 pigtails, 3 tunnels, 4 presidents and 2 splits along the Iron Mountain Road.

The first four photos are from an area between the town of Custer and Custer State Park and the last few are from Mount Rushmore area and the Iron Mountain Road.

If all that wasn’t enough, we were pretty entertained by the donkey’s in Custer State Park along the Wildlife Loop Road.  Remember to bring a big bag of carrots and you will receive all the attention you want – perhaps more.  They are characters.

It was quite a day and we saw a lot, but it wasn’t over.  We continued on our way along the Wildlife Loop Road; just down the road from where the donkey’s where we ran into a bit of a stampede.  The Buffalo were right out of the car window raging past the car – on the road, in the ditch and further out in the grass.  We were at the park a few weeks before the roundup and parts of the herd were being moved closer to the Buffalo Corrals in the Southern part of the park.  It was quite a spectacle.  What a day!

It didn’t even occur to me to roll video until well after the masses of buffalo had come through, but here is short snippet of video of a few stragglers toward the end..

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Destination, Nature, Photography, Travel, Wildlife

South Dakota – Black Hills – Day 3

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A continuation from the Badlands Series | Day 1 | Day 2 | Scenery | Wildlife

SD – Black Hills / Custer State Park | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

Day 3 we opted to sleep in a bit, pick up camp and ready ourselves for the next leg of our vacation, The Black Hills & Custer State Park.  From Interior, SD we head West on 44 to Rapid City. We really didn’t need to go to Rapid City, but Caribou was calling our name.  After obtaining two vessels of turbo-charged caffeinated awesomeness we continued on South on 79 towards Hot Springs; heading West again at the Flying J truck stop.  We opted to stay at Custer KOA campground as we were unable to find a tent camping option within Custer State Park that allow pets.  The KOA is just West of Custer; it was plenty close to town.  This became our home base for the next few days.   The campground was sparsely populated with motor-homes.  There were no other tent campers in sight.  Clean bathrooms and showers just like our previous experience at the White River KOA.

After setting up camp we headed South to see what Hot Springs, SD was all about.  We didn’t really find much there in town other than the Dew Drop Inn.  I was in the mood for some ice cream, but no luck here as it was closed and for sale.  A few minutes East of Hot Springs we located a cold spring.  It was a nice little pit stop in the middle of the warm day; a refreshing place to dip your wiener in the cold water to cool her off.

We headed back to Custer State Park in search of wildlife .  It didn’t take long to find some.  We had a great day 3.  Here are a few shots from our first day in the Black Hills.

The Scenery

The Wildlife

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Destination, Nature, Photography, Travel, Wildlife

Badlands National Park – The Wildlife #exploresd

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Badlands National Park – The Wildlife

Badlands National Park not only boast beautiful scenery, but also plentiful opportunities to view wildlife.  We met the Western Meadowlark, mule and white-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, and many prairie dogs.  The Prairie Dogs are quite entertaining to watch…our favorite wildlife in the park.  We didn’t spy any bobcat, coyote, pronghorn or bison.  We heard a lot of coyotes.  Here are a few shots of the wildlife we experienced.

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Destination, Nature, Photography, Travel

Badlands National Park – The Landscape #exploresd

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Badlands National Park – The Landscape

Our second day started out early.  There isn’t anything quite like making coffee at the picnic table by flashlight at 4 a.m.  It is a titch more involved than hitting a button on a Keurig machine.  In case anyone is wondering…there isn’t a coffee shop anywhere close and open at that hour…not in Interior, SD.  With full mugs we set out and secured our sunrise spot at Door, Window, Notch Overlook in Badlands National Park.  The scene was shaping up nicely.  It is always preferable to see some clouds aloft.  It was a pleasant early morning sipping coffee while watching the light of the new intensify.  Here are a few shots of the sunrise unfolding over the rugged landscape of the badlands.

Sunrise @ Door, Window, Notch Overlook in Badlands National Park.

September 7th 2014.  Sunset @ Badlands Wilderness Overlook in Badlands National Park.

We had a full day of touring the park admiring the landscape and wildlife.  The grand views and fresh air were relaxing.  Time flies when you are on vacation.  It was sunset time before we knew it.  Badlands Wilderness Overlook was a great choice for sunset.  It is situated West of the Pinnacles entrance to the park South of Wall, SD along Sage Creek Road.  While shooting the sunset we heard a number of coyotes howling in the distance.  A sunset serenade – a first for both of us.  Here are some shot from our sunset shoot at Badlands Wilderness Overlook.

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Nature, Photography

Early in the month of May

Image 4 Comments

The Pasque flower is one of the first wildflowers to bloom in our area of Minnesota.  There was so much going on early in the Spring; especially once it arrived after much delay.  We didn’t get out to the River Terrace Prairie State Natural Area (aka gravel prairie) right away, but made it in time to still witness these first offering of bloom and color.

River Terrace Prairie SNA is just over 10 minutes West from Vasa, MN off of Hwy 19 and North on Sunset Trail.  The Cannon River flows along the areas edge on the other side of Sunset Trail.  Miesville Ravine County Park is just beyond the river.

2014-05-04 River Terrace-DAN_Map

 

Here are some shots from the trip.

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Destination, Nature, Photography

Minnesota North Shore – The In-Between, Day 4 #exploremn

MN North Shore

MN North ShoreThis was finally the morning where there was no fog to speak of along MN North Shore.  Although waking up at 4:30 a.m. while on vacation seems a bit crazy, sometimes it pays off.  The Grand Portage Trading Post (gas station) is not open at this hour.  You are stuck with the coffee in your room.  We made our way to Hollow Rock Resort for a sunrise shoot.  It is a very short distance from the casino.  It was a cool morning and the mosquitoes where a titch unruly, but manageable…at times.  Our Hallow Rock Point sunrise shaped up nicely – no fog, clouds on the horizon and beautiful color.

Grand Portage National Monument was next on the list.  There is some amazing history to learn about there.

CanadaMN North Shore

The journey didn’t end here.  We ventured into Canada.  I have never been into Canada from this entry point and finally my curiosity was going to be over.  Not far in we spied a cheese sign and had to check it out.  Thunder Oak Cheese Farm was a nice little pit stop along our way and certainly filled the void during snack time, which happened to be at that very moment.

We made our way through the city of Thunder Bay on our way to find some Amethyst.  There are a few veins of the purple rock North and East of the city.  Amethyst Mine Panorama is where we ended up (B on the map above).    The mine is about 80 miles from Grand Portage, MN and 63 km from Thunder Bay, CA off of the 11/17 Trans Canadian Hwy.  How exciting this destination is – is directly related to how much you like Amethyst.  The mine tour is pretty minimal.  You exit the office and walk by some really big Amethyst rocks and then stand there overlooking a hole in the ground.  The gist of it is that there are two miners picking out the premium Amethyst.  What they don’t want (the not-so-premium stuff) they dump in an area where you can go and dig around yourself.  That is precisely what we did.  They have tools for digging and buckets to collect your treasure in.  When you are done with all of that, there is a washing station to scrub your gems clean to get a closer look at them.  Once you have decided what you cannot live without, it is a short trip to the office to pay $3.00/lb.  Cyndie found some really interesting specimens; for $12 we got to bring them back home.

WARNING & BEWARE

Crazy Canadian blood-sucking vampire gnats abound in the treasure hunting area.  We suffered a bit of a casualty that beautiful July afternoon.  Cyndie was bit in the eyelid a few time – enough to make her one eye swell almost completely shut and there were also a couple of swollen welts on her neck.  There were a few eye patch and pirate jokes.  She was a trooper.  The gnats didn’t bother me, but the crazy Canadian blood-sucking vampire mosquitoes were all over me tapping me for much O Negative nectar.

Amethyst Mine Panorama

We had a pleasant excursion into Canada.  We had planned to visit a couple of provincial parks, but didn’t make it there.  We made our way back to border crossing and then back to Two Harbors.  That was a long day (just shy of 3oo miles), but we saw a lot of beautiful country.

Here are my shots of the Minnesota North Shore – The in between, Day 4

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Destination, Nature, Photography

The In-Between, Day 3 | Minnesota North Shore #exploremn

Fall 2013 MN North Shore series

Day 3 was the day – the morning actually – the sunrise shoot we had hoped for back in July when we planned this trip.  I love it when a plan comes together!  Hollow Rock was right outside our cabin; a mere 100 yards or so to the shooting location on the rocky beach.  That morning was absolutely gorgeous.  Everything came together nicely.  The clouds, color and sun all working in perfect harmony.

Gunflint Trail to Grand Portage

After an epic sunrise experience we set out to explore forest roads between the Gunflint Trail and Grand Portage.  The color around Grand Portage [although past prime] was better than Grand Marais.  I’ve never seen so many Ruffed Grouse in my life.  I seen as many birds on this trip as I had all the years I used to upland hunt.  We were also searching for the third waterfall, Partridge Falls, on the Pigeon River and eventually found it.  We were unable to find a decent falls vantage point down river for a good photograph, but enjoyed the location just the same.  It is quite peaceful out in the middle of nowhere.  Natures beauty really consumes and carries you around from one location to the next.  At one point our travels were impeded by the handiwork some busy beavers.

One bit of advice whilst out and about in strange lands and big wilderness – study a map or two before you set out.  GPS, on more than one occasion, failed to provide adequate direction.  A little bit of mystery is fine, but having a general idea of where you will be traveling – starting and ending up – is paramount to a good trip.  “Ready to Navigate” displayed on the GPS, although humorous, is not helpful at all.  As you can see from the Lightroom Map Module below from GPS data, we covered some ground over three days.  It was a fabulous trip and experience with my betrothed.

MN North Shore

Here are some photos from Day 3.

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Destination, Nature, Photography, Wildlife

The In-Between, Day 2 | Minnesota North Shore #exploremn

Fall 2013 MN North Shore series

Day 2 on MN North Shore began exquisitely.  We made our way down to waters edge for the Sunrise @ Grand Marais shoot.  Nature cooperated nicely.  From there, we back-tracked a bit to Cascade River State Park for a beautiful morning hike up the river gorge among the picturesque cascades.

Park History

Years ago, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had a camp at the Cascade River. The men in this camp worked on a variety of conservation projects. Today, you can see some of their handiwork on the trails that wind along the river. One enrollee told how they cut and moved the large pine logs from Cascade down to Gooseberry Falls State Park to finish buildings in that park. From the beginning, Cascade was thought of as a state park, but it wasn’t until 1957 that it was officially designated as such. -wikipedia

Cascade River State Park photos

Next we got off the beaten path (Hwy 61) and made our way towards another destination (Hollow Rock Resort).  After checking in we were off on the Gunflint Trail to drive a loop through the forest in search of Devilfish overlook.    We got closed, but missed a road and stumbled on a Red Fox – cute little bugger; then just continued on our way.  We decided to take another run at a sunset at Honeymoon Bluff that overlooks Hungry Jack Lake off the Gunflint Trail.  The second attempt yielded better results than the first.

Another full day on the MN North Shore.  Love this place.  There is a surprise around every corner.

The in-between photos

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