Tag Archives: Outdoor Guy Photography

Nature, Photography

Two Harbors Waterfront | Minnesota North Shore

It was a beautiful morning with a touch of fog rolling about on the lake.  A quick visit to the waterfront and a stroll out along the breakwater was in order.  From this vantage point it was easy to get a better view of the exterior of the abandoned site we just came from.  The left behind Polaroid made you wonder – who was she, where was she from and what did she think about the beautiful place.  The lone fisherman set against the lake and fog was interesting as well.  The stroll was short, but pleasant.  There is only one bad thing about traveling the North Shore of Minnesota; that is realizing it is time to head back home :-/

Abandoned, Destination, Photography

Two Harbors Abandoned site | Minnesota North Shore

On our way back down the North Shore we stayed in Two Harbors.  Lou’s Fish House has some very tasty morsels for the smoked seafood connoisseur.  The smoked jumbo shrimp were fantastic!

If you are into architectural antiques, be certain to stop by North Shore Architectural Antiques and check out the inventory.  There are lots of interesting old pieces there to browse.  They offer a deconstruction service – three levels in fact.  I see this becoming more and more popular as society is taking to the repurpose, reuse, reclaim and recycle movement.

You can head down to the waterfront and observe a working ore dock by walking out on the break-water.  Also in the immediate vicinity are four locations operated by the Lake County Historical Society:  Two Harbors Lighthouse, The Depot Museum, Edna G. Tugboat and 3M Museum.

This is a great town to spend some time in.

two-harbors-abandonedThe Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway (DM&IR) is a railroad operating in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin that hauls iron ore and later taconite to the Great Lakes ports of Duluth and Two Harbors, Minnesota. Control of the railway was acquired on May 10, 2004, by the Canadian National Railway when it purchased the assets of Great Lakes Transportation.

— WIKIPEDIA

150px-logo_of_the_duluth_missabe_and_iron_range_railwayThe Duluth, Messabe and Iron Range Railroad began in Two Harbors with a 6-stall wooden roundhouse, but it didn’t take long for the railroad to expand. By 1930, a machine shop, boiler shop, car shop, boiler house, storehouse, foundry, engine room and a 50-stall brick roundhouse blanketed the 30 acres of DM&IR’s lakefront property. 109 locomotives were maintained by the shop, half of which were overhauled annually, while 30 or so received light repair. The roundhouse and machine shop ran 24 hours, maintaining the fleet for both a long ore season and abusive timber season, in addition to limited passenger service.

Out of the 30 buildings that comprised the historic shops, 8 still exist today, although the roofs of many are failing catastrophically. Historic roundhouses and locomotive shops all over the Midwest have been destroyed, but these are still preservable, in spite of the damage. With a little social-historical consciousness and the desire to save those reminders of bygone days that mark the American timeline.

— SUBSTREET.org

This site was absolutely fantastic!  I must say that it is my all-time favorite abandoned site to date that I have had the privilege to shoot.  The lighting inside was amazing and the graffiti outstanding.  I shot this location with my trusty Nikon D60 coupled with the Tamron 18-270mm @ 7.1 on auto ISO.  This is the camera that is by my side at all times.  You’ll notice the grain in the photos.  I think it adds character to the images.  I was going to process this location all in B&W, but the colorful graffiti, moss and other aspects of the building dictated otherwise. On some level I wish I would have spent more time and used a different camera, lens and tripod.  Different gear and more time would have allowed for a more complete exploration of the light and angles of this relic and captured some rock-solid exposures.  I think some really amazing HDR photography could be produced here.

An extensive account of the history of this location is available via Sometimes-Interesting.com’s Ghosts of the Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range Railroad.

Destination, Nature, Photography

Hollow Rock Point Sunrise | Minnesota North Shore

While in Grand Portage, the fog cleared enough on the morning we were to depart long enough, to get a sunrise shoot in.  It was early and the mosquito’s relentless in their desire to rid us of our blood.  It is not exactly in the forefront of your mind to get up at 4:30 a.m. while on vacation, but some days it is worth it.

We stayed at Grand Portage Casio instead of Hollow Rock Resort because we were only going to be in this location for a day (two-day minimum stays :-\ boo).  I get it, though, why mess up a cabin for only one night.  I definitely want to get back here and stay the minimum two night or more.  We inquired at the front desk if it would be o.k. to go to the resort and shoot the sunrise; it wasn’t an issue.  Drive in, park, be quiet and get your shoot on.

Hallow Rock is right out the front door of most of the cabins as are wonderful views of the lake and shoreline.  It is a beautiful location to capture a sunrise.  I consulted the Photographer’s Ephemeris for details.  There would be no sunrise alignment in July, but you can catch the light in the hollow rock.  If you are looking for absolute alignment and want to see the sun rise through the hollow rock, sometime between October 13 – 20 is likely your best opportunity.  There is some room for variation of position on the shoreline, but I think that would be the most ideal window to work with.  Sunrise is at a more reasonable hour (7:15 a.m.) and there would hopefully be less skeeters then too 🙂

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The Photographers Ephemeris

Here are my shots of that lovely morning sunrise.

Destination, Nature, Photography

Grand Portage National Monument | Minnesota North Shore

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Grand Portage National Monument is located on the north shore of Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota.  It exists to preserves a vital center of fur trade activity and Anishinaabeg Ojibwe heritage.  Opened in 2007, the Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center features exhibit galleries about Ojibwe culture and the fur trade, a bookstore, multi-media programs, park offices, archives and a classroom. The center is a collaboration between the National Park Service and the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

History

As early as 2,000 years ago, Indian Nations probably used Gichi-onigaming, or “the Great Carrying Place”, to travel from summer homes on Lake Superior to winter hunting grounds in the interior of Minnesota and Ontario. In 1729 Cree guide Auchagah drew a map for some of the first French fur traders, to show them how to reach the “western sea” of Lake Winnipeg. In time, Grand Portage became the gateway into rich northern fur-bearing country, where it connected remote interior outposts to lucrative international markets.

The Grand Portage trail is an 8.5-mile trail connecting Grand Portage with Fort Charlotte on the Pigeon River. Voyageurs from the interior of Canada would carry their furs by canoe to Fort Charlotte, and portage the bundles of fur to Grand Portage. There they met traders from Montreal, and exchanged the furs for trade goods and supplies. Each canoe “brigade” then returned to its starting place. The fur traders built Fort Charlotte as a trading fort at Grand Portage. There they built the Grand Hall in the French colonial style, which housed their meetings, a general store, and other facilities.

In mid-July 1802, partners of the North West Company, the most successful fur trade company in North America, met in their Grand Hall at Grand Portage. They voted to move their summer headquarters from the protected shores of Lake Superior’s Grand Portage Bay 50 miles north to the mouth of the Kaministiquia River. Almost from the time the Anglo-Scot Nor’Westers had organized at Grand Portage in the mid-1780’s, an emerging United States wanted them to stop competing with Americans in this territory.

The July vote meant that the North West Company would tear down its 18 buildings and transport the materials north in company schooners for use in constructing the planned new Fort William, far from U.S. soil. The buildings were constructed from native squared spruce, pine and birch and were surrounded by more than 2,000 cedar pickets.

Here are my shots from a recent visit to Grand Portage National Monument.


The Grad Portage Trail – seen here in red – must have been quite a haul.  The North Canoe was used on this routed.  At 25′ long, 4′ wide with about 18″ of draft when fully loaded; the canoe itself weighed about 300 lbs.  This was about half the size of the Montreal Canoe that was used on the Great Lakes.  Even with a crew of 5-6, transporting the 300 lb. canoe and just under 3000 lbs of supplies all divided out into 25-30 90 lb packs called pieces, could not have been an easy task.  Those voyagers where hearty stock no doubt.

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Beginning at the stockade on Grand Portage Bay of Lake Superior, the 8.5-mile trail leads westward into the wilderness to a mid-point on the Pigeon River. It passes numerous rapids and a variety of waterfalls.  The most notable are Middle Falls and Pigeon Falls.  Both are part of the Grand Portage State Park and are within the Rove Formation.  Middle Falls is most easily seen from Pigeon River Provincial Park on the Canadian side of the border. To avoid numerous short portages, the Grand Portage was developed.

 

Destination, Photography

Cooter Pottery | Minnesota North Shore

dsc_4502As we traveled along the North Shore on our way to Gooseberry Falls State Park we stumbled upon an interesting destination.  Cooter Pottery is located a few miles northeast of Two Harbors, MN; the turn is just past Betty’s Pies – look for their sign.  On the sort 3 mile trip off of the beaten path you will drive right by the Northern Rail Traincar Inn on your way to Cooter Pottery.  The rail cars appeared plenty cozy.  We may have to stay there some time.

Dick Cooter

My pots are fired in a 125 cu. ft. wood-burning kiln inspired by traditional Korean kilns.  The kiln much be stoked with wood every 10 minutes for 36 hours until 2400 degrees Fahrenheit is reached.  Pots emerge from this river of fire with a richness of surface that cannot be duplicated by more modern means.

The pots are sturdy, simple and reflect the processes of making them.  I intend my pots be used for storage, serving and preparation of food, display of flowers, etc.  I hope they bring pleasure and joy to the rituals of daily life.  They are free of toxic materials and are dishwasher and microwave safe.

I follow the tradition in which making a pot is a collaboration among clay, fire, potter and user.  The potter seeks the tension among them so that each element has its place and none dominates for too long.

Dick Cooter’s studio is open daily 10-5 year round.  The next time you are in the area stop by and see his pottery.

Dick Cooter Pottery | 2046 Fors Rd., Two Harbors, MN 55616 | 218-834-5242

Here are my photos of my recent visit to Cooter Pottery.

Destination, Nature, Photography

Two Island River/Taconite Harbor | Minnesota North Shore

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The third point of interest we found on our way up the North Shore to Temperance River State Park is the Two Island River.  It is approximately 15 miles long and flows into Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota at Taconite Harbor.  This private harbor is maintained by the Minnesota Power Company and Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc.  The harbor is a basin less than a mile long and not quite a half mile wide, protected by Gull and Bear Island and a series of breakwaters.

There isn’t a wayside rest here although it would be a perfect candidate for just that.  With coal power plants under environmental pressure, the Taconite Harbor Energy Center may completely twoislandriver-taconiteharborshutdown at some point (at least 1 of 3 turbines by 2016).  Train tracks criss-cross the river with the large taconite operation in the immediate vicinity.  Big industry and the public milling about recreating isn’t necessarily an ideal equation I suppose.  One can image and dream though.

I still maintain this would be a wonderful location of an expansive wayside rest with a short trail upstream along the cascading waterfalls and another down to Lake Superior.  Beautiful views of the waterfalls, river and the numerous wildflowers in full bloom made this an easy decision to turn around, park and explore further.

Schroder, just up the road, is another great place to stop.  There is a pretty good set of cascades on the Cross River – depending on the water level and flow – which all of the North Shore rivers and waterfalls are subject to.  Google Maps captured a photographer capturing the scene as it did its drive-by.

Cross River - Schroeder, MN -Google Maps, Street View
Cross River – Schroeder, MN
-Google Maps, Street View

Here are my shots from our stop along side Hwy 61 at the bridge over Two Island River.

 

Destination, Nature, Photography

Cascade River State Park | Minnesota North Shore #exploremn

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Cascade River State Park

Cascade River State Park

Cascade River State Park is the sixth park you will encounter while traveling the North Shore.  This park doesn’t have much of a presence right off the road; there is a wayside that looks out over Lake Superior, but the best parts are along the easy hiking trails opposite the lake.  These cascades are spectacular.  The River cascades over one ledge after another as it drops 900 feet in the last three miles as it makes its way to Lake Superior.  The volcanic canyon is home to many fragrant cedar trees and we even stumbled upon some lady slippers in bloom.  The 18 miles of hiking trails loop up around Lookout and Mouse mountains as well as parallel Lake Superior right along the beach (1.5 miles) where you will find seven picnic sites.  This park offers a variety of camping options which include several semi-modern drive-up, two group camps and five back pack-in sites.

I think this was by far our favorite park of the trip.  The cascades are just so beautiful as our your complete surroundings.  I definitely would like to make plans to return here in the Fall for the leaf color.  From Temperance River on up is my favorite stretch of the MN North Shore.  I stumbled upon the Trifecta:  Three Parks.  Three Trails.  Three Days.  This would be absolutely fantastic to do – especially along this stretch of the North Shore.

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

Here are my shots from my recent visit to Cascade River State Park.

Destination, Nature, Photography

Split Rock State Park | Minnesota North Shore #exploremn

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Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

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Split Rock Lighthouse State Park is the second state park along the North Shore.  This park is best known for its historic lighthouse – which is touted as one of the most photographed in the United States.  The lighthouse and other buildings have been restored to pre-1924 appearance on this 25 acre site and is managed by the Minnesota Historical Society.  The park is 2200 acres in all and features a unique cart-in campground and many scenic trails.  The east and west branches of the Split Rock River join in the park.  There are ten waterfalls on the river, all of which are a moderate hike away via the Superior Hiking Trail and most are not actually inside the park boundaries.

Construction

Hoist & Derrick-lighthousefriends.com
Hoist & Derrick-lighthousefriends.com

Construction of the lighthouse and fog horn buildings was complete in 1909.  The Minnesota Historical Society has used this site as a museum since 1971.  This lighthouse was erected in 1910 from materials offloaded from ships on Lake Superior with a steam-powered hoist and derrick.  The hoist and derrick was problematic in high winds and waves; not to mention extremely dangerous to operate. Supplies for operation were also delivered using this method until a tramway was constructed in 1915.

The Tramway

The tramway stretched from the water’s edge at the dock location

tramway lighthousefriends.com
tramway
lighthousefriends.com

to the South of the lighthouse to the top of the hill where the tram house is located.  An extension of the rail spur allowed the flat car to be pushed over to the oil house and storage barns.  Remnants of the tramway are still present to this day.  There are stairs that parallel the tramway path all the way to the water.  Delivery via Lake Superior came to an end 1934 when a flatbed pickup was used to haul supplies along the Lake Superior International Highway.

Fog Horn

Fog horn building
Fog horn building

We were introduced to the sound of the Split Rock Lighthouse Fog Horn; even at a faction of operation day decibels, it was plenty loud.  I can only image how that building shook every 18 seconds when visibility was poor.  The glass in the widows were “chicken-wired” to prevent them from shattering under the intense vibration.  I am not sure how anyone could have gotten any sleep anywhere near that building.

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Press Play to hear the foghorn

History

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park has a rich and varied history. From 1899 to 1906, the Merrill and Ring Lumber Company logged most of the original Norway and white pine from the area. During peak years, the company operated a short railroad up the river. Pilings from old wharf and dam can still be seen jutting out of the water at the mouth of the Split Rock River.

In 1905, a punishing November gale (the kind Lake Superior is famous for), claimed the Edenborn and the Madiera (a barge the Edenborn was towing) as well as five other ships, within a dozen miles of the Split Rock River. The tragic sinking of these ships fueled the demand for a lighthouse. The fog signal building and lighthouse were completed in 1909 and commissioned one year later. For 59 years, the keepers at Split Rock warned ships away from the rock and treacherous North Shore with its 370,000-candlepower beacon. In 1971, the federal government deeded the lighthouse station to the State of Minnesota to be operated as a historic site. In 1976, the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) assumed operation of the site.

Here are my shot from my visit to Split Rock Lighthouse.

Keepers Quarters
Tramway remnants
Stairs to Lake Superior
shoreline looking South
old water pipe

Views from inside the lighthouse.

Destination, Nature, Photography

Gooseberry Falls State Park | Minnesota North Shore #exploremn

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Gooseberry State Park

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Gooseberry Falls State Park is the first state park you will encounter heading North from Duluth.  This “gateway to the North Shore” is situated 40 scenic miles North from Duluth along Hwy 61 and the beautiful Lake Superior shoreline.  Known primarily for its waterfalls, five in all, this park offers some tremendous views of the awesome power of water.  The 23 mile long Gooseberry River runs through the park with varying degrees of volume as it is highly dependent on rain water runoff.  The river was plump with water for our visit in July; we photographed all but Fifth Falls.  Other items of interest include Agate Beech and the 18 miles of hiking trails, of which 8 are mountain biking trails.  There is no shortage of things to see at this park.

History

The area known as Gooseberry Falls State Park is intricately tied to human use of Lake Superior. At different times, the Cree, the Dakotah, and the Ojibwe lived along the North Shore. As early as 1670, the Gooseberry River appeared on explorer maps. The river was either named after the French explorer Sieur des Groseilliers or after the Anishinabe Indian name, Shab-on-im-i-kan-i-sibi; when translated, both refer to gooseberries. In the 1870s, commercial and sport fishermen began to use this area.

By the 1890s, logging became the principle use of the land around the Gooseberry River. In 1900, the Nestor Logging Company built its headquarters at the river mouth and a railway was used to carry the pine to the lake for rafting to the sawmills. Because of fires and intensive logging pressures, the pine disappeared by the early 1920s.

With the rise of North Shore tourism in the 1920s, there was a concern that the highly scenic North Shore would be accessible only to the rich. As a result the Legislature authorized preservation of the area around Gooseberry Falls in 1933. The following year, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began to develop the park. CCC crews built the park’s stone and log buildings and the 300-foot long “Castle in the Park” stone retaining wall. They also laid out the original campground, picnic grounds and trails. The area officially became Gooseberry Falls State Park in 1937. The CCC camps closed in 1941, but the park’s CCC legacy lives on. Designed with ties to the CCC, a new visitor center/wayside rest and Highway 61 bridge was opened in 1996. CCC camp photo albums: Camp life, Buildings/historic site, Legacy Self-guided Tour checklist & map.

Destination, Nature, Photography

North Shore – Summary | Minnesota North Shore

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northshorestateparks

Wow what a trip.  I’ve been up the North Shore several times.  I’ve been through the area in the Spring, Winter, and Fall, but never in the Summer.  The funny thing though, it didn’t exactly feel like Summer.  With the weird and delayed warmer weather this Spring – Spring is just reaching points Duluth and North.  The lilacs are just blooming now along with all the other wild flowers including lupine.  The roadsides where vibrant with color for the duration.

Leaving the twin city metro area, the weather was the typical July like 90+ degrees; there was a touch of stifling dsc_4482humidity in the air and the possibility of a thunderstorm was very likely.  Life is usually a bit cooler along the North Shore with the breezes blowing over that 40 degree water.  You could say it is a natural air conditioner.  If you have ever been to Duluth, you know full well that there is a chance that you won’t see most of the town and none of the lake when heavy fog sets in.  This is exactly what we were met with.  From 90+ to 50 degrees in what seemed an instant.  Very heavy fog clogged up any hope of a panoramic view and inhibited visibility on the road significantly, but hamper our spirits it did not.  Such is life traveling the shore.

Over the next few days we made our way up the shore seven of the eight state parks in the fog.  This trip was mostly about photographing the waterfalls in each state park, with the exception of Split Rock, the lighthouse is just cool to tour.  It turns outs that fog makes waterfall photography interesting.  It was a godsend considering some neutral density (ND) filters were left behind and one lens (with ND filters) was not functioning correctly.  The fog naturally filtered out the harsh sunlight and created some interesting shooting conditions to say the least.

The State Parks:  (1) Gooseberry Falls |(2) Split Rock Lighthouse | (3) Tettegouche | (5) Temperance River | (6) Cascade River | (7) Judge C.R. Magney | (8) Grand Portage

We are truly lucky to live is such a beautiful area with wonderful and abundant natural resources so close by.  Our state parks are so beautiful.  Aside from the parks, the rest of the scenery along the way is pretty awe-inspiring as well.

We were also fortunate enough to sneak a peek (and several shots) of an old abandoned 3-story warehouse/distribution center in Two Harbors, MN.  It was lovely as were many other places along the way.

In the coming days I will post the photos from each park.  I have a ton of photos (1100+) to look through.  Until then, here are a few shots of our travels along the way and in between the parks – more of these to follow as well.