North Shore Water Features

 



Nearly 48 hours of rain made us and all our gear wet and somewhat less than cheerful, but it made the rivers of the North Shore of Lake Superior spectacular. It was hard to choose only a few pictures to show you, but these are the ones I selected. The one above is the Twin Falls on the Baptism River. Very scenic, but the Baptism River kept the trail at arm's length.



The next day we reached the Split Rock River. It was my favorite. There were cliffs, and rock formations, whitewater, and flat water. We ate our lunch on a rock projecting into the river. But I chose to show you this foam "pill" that the currents had formed in an eddy. It was about two feet across! The picture below is the opposite shore from where we ate lunch. I like the blocky cliffs and the vertical trees. Just outside the picture the water was white and roiling. Recall that the story about the merganser ducks riding the rapids was on the Split Rock River.



A couple of days later we reached the Gooseberry River. It can be just as wild as the first two, but it had now been several days since the rain, so it was calmer again. On this day it was a river with places one could play and explore. This boy was enjoying the day with his family, and who can resist rocks and water on a warm day?





I think tomorrow I'll share some fun closeup details from the hike. Then maybe it will be time to bring the posts back closer to home!

	See The Coffee Clatch, er... Qoffee Quack, Part 1
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Baby Moose

The Disclaimer- I DID NOT TAKE THESE PICTURES



I received these pictures in an email today. They are supposed to have been taken in Naubinway, Michigan, which is in the Upper Peninsula about 40 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge. There is also a banner for the St. Ignace News. However the News has a disclaimer printed in October 2007 saying that the pictures never appeared in their paper, and that they have been also reported to come from at least one other state. They warn about things like computer viruses.



Well, what can I say except that I have not seen the pictures before, I have no idea where they were taken, but I think they are adorable. I mean, baby moose are like Cabbage Patch dolls... they are so ugly that I just want to hug them (not a good idea in the real world).



If you've seen these before, you'll have to pardon me, but I just love them.

See St. Ignace News disclaimer
See Feeling Overwhelmed, O Deer! for a baby deer nursing- I did take this picture

The Coffee Clatch, er... Qoffee Quack, Part 2

 

~~ ... continued ~~
>

"That was altogether too common of an experience for me. See that rougher spot where the water rushes over those rocks? Let's swim there!"
"Patty! You can't be serious."
"Oh, but I am, Claire. And you know Adelle will tag along"
"Let's do it!"



"Exhilarating!"
"Just frightening enough!"
"Quack!"
"Adelle! Watch your language!"



~~ Again ~~


~~ and again, and again, and... ~~




"I could do this all morning. It's such a rush!"
"Let's go again!"
"Adelle, you silly goose, you're so dizzy you can't even stand up."




See The Coffee Clatch, er... Qoffee Quack, Part 1

The Coffee Clatch, er... Qoffee Quack, Part I

 
~~ The Setting ~~
The Split Rock River (Minnesota) on a lovely late summer day.

~~ The Ladies ~~

Three Common Mergansers, so called because they can be found pretty much all over the northern US. Nevertheless, I don't see them that often, so I'm always tickled to find some. They are clearly out to take a stroll and smell the flowers, right?

~~ The Program ~~

"What's on the program today, Claire?"
"Just a little swimming, Patty."
"Oh, goody, girls, I do love a nice refreshing dip!"
"Adelle, you are such a follower."



~~ Success ~~

"Bless my tailfeathers! We made it!"
"Adelle!"
"Adelle, get those sorry tailfeathers up on this rock! What shall we do next, girls?"

Finish the story at The Coffee Clatch, er... Qoffee Quack, Part II

~~ ...to be continued... ~~
See Fluffy Treats on an Urban Trail for other swimmers

More Tracks and a Ducky Promise

 


After yesterday's post there were some comments about what I believe was a wolf track that I'd like to discuss, and compare to the cougar (mountain lion) tracks shown today.

I'm very certain that the track shown yesterday is canine. The nails show, which would be unusual for a feline track unless it were trying to keep its balance or something. The shape of the pad is also very canine.

There was another question about why there was only one single print. The answer to that is simple, but I didn't explain it. There was only one soft spot in the dirt of the trail that would take a print. I suspect that the animal was walking right down the trail, but it only stepped on that soft spot with one foot.

The cougar tracks photos shown here were taken in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 2005. The DNR refuses to admit that there is a cougar population because then they would have to manage it. But all the local people we talked to said that everyone knows they are there. I didn't have the sense to put my knife down beside the cat tracks, but they are larger than the canine track!



Here's another cat track from the same series. Note that the cat had five toes on this foot! You can also see that the pad isn't the same shape as a dog track. The picture below is a print from the same foot, but in a muddy spot. The cat still didn't really extend its claws, but you can see that it was flexing them a little from the more pointed ends of some of the toes.



Oh, and the promise? Tomorrow, I've got a funny, ducky story to tell!

	See Makin' Tracks for the wolf print
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