Sunset Beach Hike

As for an update on the history book, on Monday I added information about the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and worked on graphics.  Yesterday I started editing.  Given the length of the book, editing is a long process.  I was only able to get through half the book yesterday despite working on it all day!  Editing will continue for several days....

A couple of nights ago I did go for a walk on the beach.  This is the first time this spring that I have gone down to the beach at sunset.  I was happy to see that the sun is now setting far enough north that it is already past Au Sable Point!  I was also very surprised to see that there is hardly any shore ice left -- at least little to no ice out in the lake.  There is still ice covering up the rock along the shoreline, however.

As you can see below, the shelf ice is still covering up the rocks....

I only found one small area with a few rocks....

Porcupine Mountain Ski Hill and Maple Syrup Sugar-bush

While in the Keweenaw last weekend my son and I decided to get some real exercise.  The ski hill has been closed for a couple of weeks, but we climbed up to the top.  I was on snowshoes and Kevin had his telemark skies. He puts skins on the bottom of his skies so he can climb up.  At lower elevations it rained all day, but at the top of the 1,300 foot hill it was snowing -- hard!  Although I was glad it was not raining, it would have been nice to see the view from the top!

View from the top....

We stopped by one of Kevin's in-law's sugar bush.  The sap was flowing!

Boiling pan...

Barrels filled with syrup...

One of the lines that automatically feeds the sugar-bush building....

Porcupine Mountain State Park Hike

Late last week I spent all of my time trying to finish imputing information from the data base I compiled into the history book.  I finished the task on Thursday night around 10:00 p.m.!  There is still a lot of work to do to finish the first draft, but I am very happy with the progress.  In addition to editing, I want to see if I can get any tourism data plus a few other things.  I hope to have the first draft completed in the next couple of weeks!

After a month of working hard on the book (and enjoying every minute of it), I took the weekend off and went to the Keweenaw to visit with relatives for Easter weekend.  One day we went to the Porcupine Mountain State Park.  The road to Lake of the Clouds was not open so we began our adventure by hiking the Deer Yard Trail.  I love all of the cabins the park has for rent.  They are very basic with fold down bunks, outhouse, and fire ring, but I think they are awesome!  Someday soon I want to rent one of them.

Cold Beach Walk

Yesterday it was cold, windy, and snowing but Jamey and Lois and I went on a walk on the beach anyway.  It was good to take a break from working on the book. 

There were fewer icebergs and less shelf ice -- the spring break up continues!

Along the base of the bluff we noticed several curved trees.  Jamey had to try one out as a seat!

Sable Lake to Lake Superior hike in the Grand Sable Dunes

The road to Sable Lake is now open so yesterday Lois and I decided that we just had to hike the Grand Sable Dunes.  As many of you know, I absolutely love the dunes!  The temperature was around 30 with a bit of a breeze so it was chilly.  But the sunny skies were fantastic and it sure felt good to be back up in the dunes.  We hiked all the way across the dunes to Lake Superior and back.

Sable Lake from the top of the dune...

I love this time of the year in the dunes when there is extreme contract in colors with snow, sand, dune grass, and trees...

 

But there are sections with almost no snow...

 

  

 Then we arrived at the bluff...

Heading back....