The recent rains have not made an impact on the water level on the Mississippi River. The satellite image gives you a sense of where the water line typically is. I haven’t seen the water this low ever.
These image where captured August 23rd, 2021.
After consulting The Photographer’s Ephemeris and Skyfire app it appeared as though there would be a great chance for some color at sunrise this morning at one of my favorite locations – Bay City.
While driving from Red Wing to Bay City, my optimism for color was not increasing. When I arrived at the Bay City campground, there was a bit of color on the horizon out over the bay.
As you can see from the above photo, the cloud cover was dominating the scene. Even though it was in the single digits and quite cold, I stuck around. Clouds can shift and conditions can change rapidly. I capture three different [mostly gray] panorama via my drone.
I am always fascinated by the patterns in the snow and ice.
It didn’t look like the sunrise was going to amount to much. I put my drone away, but hung around a little longer. The sun tried a bit more to break through, but didn’t really completely. I took a couple photos with my iPhone and then there was nothing but gray.
Skyfire forecasts are displayed as a map overlay with varying colors to indicate the type of conditions and forecast probability of a colorful sunrise or sunset. Colorful conditions arise when there are clouds in the sky that are underlit by the sun when it is near the horizon.
Although it is possible to see colorful clear skies, these colors are typically associated with twilight conditions (such as the ‘Belt of Venus’ or the deep blue/orange colors of nautical twilight). Skyfire forecasts do not cover these phenomena.
Clear skies, that is, where there are expected to be no clouds to underlight, are not assigned a color. Cloudy, overcast conditions, where the extent of the clouds precludes the chance for underlighting, are shown as white.
When cloud cover is broken, or lies at the edge of a weather front, there is a chance of colorful underlighting. The probability of a colorful sunrise or sunset developing is indicated on a color spectrum ranging from blue/green to red, where the redder the color, the higher the probability, as shown in the table below:
| Clear | Clear skies forecast |
| Cloudy | Overcast, with little chance of underlighting |
| 50% (blue) | Clouds with some chance of underlighting |
| 70% (yellow) | Clouds with a good chance of underlighting |
| 90% (red) | Clouds with a high chance of underlighting |
The Wind River is a minor tributary of the Mississippi River in western Wisconsin in the United States. It flows for its entire 9.0-mile (14.5 km) length in western Pierce County. It rises in the town of Trimbelle and flows southward through the towns of Oak Grove and Diamond Bluff. Wind River joins the Mississippi near the unincorporated community of Diamond Bluff, which is within the larger jurisdiction (the town). ~wikipedia
I’ve driven past Wind River on Highway 35 thousands of times and never really gave it much thought. It’s rather small and not particularly picturesque from the the highway. You can bet a better look at in along 1005th Street. The view from the air provides an entirely different perspective. There are so many of these little pristine spring-fed streams and rivers feeding into the mighty Mississippi.
Some additional view of sandbars in the backwaters of the area
A French settler, Monte Diamond, named the community after the area’s limestone bluffs. The unincorporated community of Diamond Bluff is located along highway 35, the Great River Road, on the mighty Mississippi River.
Looking West from Diamond Bluff. Treasure Island Casino and the Prairie Island Nuclear Plant is off in the the distance.
Looking East at Diamond Bluff
Mid-river views
Vertical panorama, up river with post sunset colors on the horizon
Hunter’s Point Park is a special place to Copper Harbor residents as well as visitors to the area. Access to the point was in jeopardy a few of years ago when a development company purchased it along with the surrounding property. It is now a Township Park and continues to be open to the public.
Hunter’s Point is bursting with natural wonders. Flora is abundant; wildflowers, lichen, mosses, cedars, hardwoods and pines. Otters, martins, beavers, deer, squirrels, chipmunks and various other wildlife enjoy the area too. The geological formations are special on the point. The basalt in this area is the oldest rock on earth-essentially, the earths crust. It’s like a window to the past.
Add Hunter’s Point Park and other attractions to your Copper Harbor trip itinerary using our Copper Harbor route maker tool.
~www.inspirock.com
Hunters Point park is just under a 10 acre parcel of land with 4000+ feet of shoreline. It is a great spot to explore and stretch your legs. There are interesting rock formations to examine and lots of birds and other wildlife scurrying about.
The upper peninsula of Michigan is a splendor of color to behold in the Autumn season. It was also windy when we were there. I didn’t get to fly my drone as much as I would have liked, but did manage to get in the air a few time when the wind calmed down for a moment. Hunters Point was one of those calms spots…for a moment.
Red Wing Photography Club September meeting was at Covill Park in Red Wing, MN this evening. Perfect weather – mid 70s. Hazy skies no doubt from the massive amounts of forest fires out West.
I shot several series of frames from the Mavic Mini drone for panorama and HDR compositions as well as a few single frame images.
The dynamic range on the Mavic Mini is not great; bracketing does the trick to make up for its shortcomings.
Towboat with barge downriver
Off in the distance, a front was drifting by Red Wing Sunday evening as the sun was setting. The sun was still shinning brightly behind the clouds; shooting rays into the sky. [click on images to enlarge]
A bit later I shot two more panoramas to capture the full length of the cloud bank (21 frames each).
I then combined them both together into a 42 frame panorama
Pine Creek, view from Lake Pepin
Ice breaking up
Railroad Trestle from above
Pine Creek, Valley View
Lake Pepin view from Pine Creek valley
Lake Bailey, in Keweenaw County, is a 204 acre lake with an average depth of 3 to 6 feet known for big, fat perch and northern pike.
Along M-26 east of Eagle Harbor, there is a boat launch that gives you a nice vantage point of the lake.
Minneopa State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was established in 1905 to preserve Minneopa Falls, a large waterfall for southern Minnesota, and was expanded in the 1960s to include the lower reaches of Minneopa Creek and a large tract of prairie. Minneopa is Minnesota’s third oldest state park, after Itasca and Interstate. Two park resources are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the 1862 Seppman Mill and a district of seven Rustic Style structures built by the Works Progress Administration in the late 1930s. The park is located almost entirely on the south side of the Minnesota River, 3 miles west of Mankato. In 2015 the state reintroduced American bison to the park in a 330-acre (130 ha) fenced enclosure, through which visitors can drive in their vehicles. ~wikipedia
It has taken quite a while to get out this way to visit Minneopa State Park. It certainly did not disappoint. Views of the falls are easily accessible by concrete sidewalks in very close proximity of the parking lot.
If you are feeling a wee bit more adventurous, you can descend the stone staircase to river level and make your way around to the base of the falls. The trail is sketchy for a ways after to cross the foot bridge, but levels out nicely closer to the falls. The views are worth the extra effort.
Views of the Minneopa Creek and Falls from below.
