Chapel Area Hike -- Post 5

Here are the last pictures from the Chapel-Mosquito hike that friend Wendy and I took a couple of weeks ago. The rock formations at Mosquito are unmatched in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Chapel Area Hike -- Post 4

I arrived back home from the busy down state trip on Thursday. Thanks to all those who put me up including friends Lynnette, Joan, Marsha, Steve, and Sandi as well as my son Jonathan and his wife, Jessica. The Mason show was one of the best of the year. I also had a blast visiting with people who brought agates by for me to see.

Since I have been gone, I have to play catch-up with this photo blog. I am still posting the pictures from the hike Wendy and I did around the Chapel loop a few weeks ago. In addition to the standard Mosquito Beach photos, I've tried to document the rock formations. First, a picture of Wendy and I sitting in a little wave-carved cave.



Here are a few shots looking east.





Mosquito Beach is all rock -- there is no sand. But the rocks are amazing as the following series shows. Two photos down shows fossilized lake bed ripples.









The trees along the Lake Superior shoreline sometimes have to hold on for dear life. It helps when there are two hugging each other.


Although most of the leaves were down, we found a few areas that still had brilliant color.

Chapel Area Hike -- Post 3

Here are some more photos from the hike that friend, Wendy, and I took in the Chapel area of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Chapel Area Hike -- Post 2

On our hike in the Chapel area, we continued past Chapel Rock and Chapel Beach around to the Grand Portal Point. This rock outcropping is probably my favorite place along the Pictured Rocks Cliffs.



When we arrived to Grand Portal Point, there was a couple sitting out on the end. I must admit that I myself have sat on that rock. I prefer now to sit back a ways.



While having lunch I hand-held the camera for this shot of Wendy and I.



Here are a few more shots from the walk to Grand Portal Point.

Chapel Area Hike

After returning from WI and MN, I really needed a hike. Friend, Wendy, and I decided to hike the Chapel Loop. It was a gorgeous fall day with temperatures in the 60s. We walked the trail to Chapel Falls first.




Along in our travels we spotted this tree growing inside the stump of another tree.



The fall color along the trail was inspiring.



I'm not sure how many times I have hiked to Chapel Rock. Seeing the survivor tree growing on top of the rock with roots free-spanning it over to the shoreline still gets me every time. I am amazed that the tree holds its own against the storms of Lake Superior.

MN Trip -- Second Post

One day while in Minnesota, we decided to head up to Duluth as well as Gooseberry Falls. We didn't do much agate hunting, as there was not time, but we did stop by one beach. I found a few carnelian chippers, but these beaches on the north shore are too accessible to traffic. They are very picked over.

We also visited friend, Terry Roses, at his store Fragments of History. If you are in the Duluth area, you must stop by. Below are several of the specimens he loaned us for the book photography.



Tarry has a lot of great rocks for sale, as well as some that are not. Here are some of the latter.


Terry loves showing off his agates, as do many of us. He was entertaining us with some of the special specimens.

Here is a shot of Terry and his assistant, Leslie. We had a blast hanging out at the store.

Minnesota for a Few Days Off

After Cranberry Festival at Eagle River, friend Jill and I headed to Minnesota for a few days of agate hunting and meeting up with friends. We usually go to a friend's gravel pit in Carlton County. This was one of the last ones that allowed you in during the day. Now even this pit is off limits while the crews are working, mostly due to enforcement of regulations due to agate pickers who didn't respect the privilege.

While in the area, We visited with Bob and Sue Davis. Here is a couple of shots of an agate found by them as well as a shot sitting with some of the huge pumpkins that they grew this summer.





After the gravel pit's operations were closed for the day, we headed over with Kat Thomas and Sharon Smith from the Cuyuna Gem and Mineral Club, who had driven up to Carlton to spend some time with us. It was a beautiful evening.




After talking with several of the people who loaned rocks for my recently published agate book to the photographer, Tom Shearer, I've decided that when possible I'll take pictures of the rocks and their owners. I made a decision when producing the book to not include information about the size or dimensions of the agates. The purpose of the book and the photographs is to help readers to think like an agate. The sizes of the agates included in the book are irrelevant. However, it is kind of nice to show those who are interested how big the stones actually are.

Below is a picture of three agates donated by Sharon Smith, as well as a shot of Sharon holding the treasures. The agates, as pictured below, are used in Figure 78 (Mexican agate), Figure 45 (Eagle agate), and Figure 121 (Don't Worry agate). Sharon also donated the agate for Figure 82 (Crop Circle agate), but she sold the agate to photographer Tom Shearer.