West Grand Sable Dunes Hike

Yesterday morning my friend, Jill, and I hiked from the Log Slide into the west end of the Grand Sable Dunes. It was cloudy, but calm with temperatures in the low 50s.  I didn't take a lot of photos, but here are a few.

The next photo shows a weird pattern of erosion.

A gravel bed....

Looking back west toward Au Sable Point.

We saw a lot of deer tracks, but then spotted some moose tracks.

I have only seen two moose in the wild and have never been lucky enough to get a picture.  Here is one I borrowed from the Internet.

Here is the range of the North American and European moose. 

The moose (North America) or Eurasian elk (Europe) (Alces alces) is the largest species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the antlers of the males.  Moose typically inhabit boreal and mixed deciduous forests in the Northern Hemisphere in temperate to subaratic climates.   Moose used to have a much wider range but hunting and other human activities greatly reduced it over the years. Moose have been re-introduced to some of their former habitats. Their diet consists of both terrestrial and aquatic vegetation. The most common moose predators are wolves, bears, and humans. Unlike most other deer species, moose are solitary animals and do not form herds. Although generally slow-moving and sedentary, moose can become aggressive and move surprisingly fast if angered or startled. Their mating season in the autumn can lead to spectacular fights between males competing for the right to mate with a particular female.  It is estimated that there are less than 500 moose in the Upper Peninsula, including Isle Royal.

The thistles are starting to bloom.  Here is a photo of a large one...