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Lake Superior North Shore

35 images Created 4 Mar 2018

Lake Superior North Shore

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  • I have learned to never give up on a sunset until 20 minutes after the sun goes below the horizon. This is one reason why. When high clouds reach almost to the horizon, but not beyond it, the sun can reach up to illuminate those clouds from below. Colors are intense, but only for a few seconds. It is good to be ready! Harbor Lighthouse, Grand Marais, MN
    Ready for a Long Dark Night_IMG7469.JPG
  • The Lake Superior shoreline offers endless possibilities for great sunsets with powerful foregrounds year 'round. This view is available in late September.
    Sunset on the Rocks_IMG6162.JPG
  • Sunrise is overrated.  In the hour preceding sunrise, colors are more intense. This view includes the "stack" of standing rock with Shovel point behind it.
    Dawn at Tettegouche State Park_IMG32...JPG
  • Perfectly still, a little light fog, and a half hour before the sun rises. These pastel colors are typical of the Lake Superior palette.
    Dawn at Grand Marais Harbor_IMG5754.JPG
  • The story of Hjørdis starts in a backyard near Detroit, Michigan in the early 1970s. Kenneth Woodward, a General Motors machinist and general foreman, bought plans from naval architect Thomas Colvin to build his Gazelle design, a 42’ junk-rigged schooner. Seven years and over 6,000 hours later, Kenneth splashed the boat and named it after his mother: Hjørdis. He and his wife Katey spent the next decade living aboard and sailing Hjørdis off the Florida coast.<br />
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Fast forward to 1997 when Hjørdis was sold and eventually ended up on Lake Superior on the docks of a fledgling folk school. Given the rich history of schooners on Lake Superior, the North House board saw the intriguing possibilities of having a “floating classroom,” and the Hjørdis became a part of North House.
    Hjordis Leaving Grand Marais Harbor_...JPG
  • I was lucky enough to be at the waterfront with a camera on a Grand Marais evening, when this happened!
    Grand Marais Rainbow_IMG6355.JPG
  • Little Two Harbors Morning_IMG9709.JPG
  • These pilings at Split Rock River date back from the late 19th and early 20th century. This was when the Split Rock Lumber Company logged the area. The company logged Norway and White pine. They built a railroad 10 miles long to carry the cut logs down to the river mouth. There they were dumped into the water and sluiced from a dammed area at the river mouth into the lake. They were then gathered into rafts and towed down Lake Superior to a sawmill in Duluth. The pilings are remnants of the old wharf that the company used from 1899 to 1906.
    Old Pilings at Split Rock River_IMG2...JPG
  • I was lucky enough to be at the waterfront with a camera on a Grand Marais evening, when this happened! It lingered for half an hour!
    After the Rain at Grand Marais_IMG63...JPG
  • Stoney Point Drive is off Scenic Hwy 61 between Duluth and Two Harbors.  This shack, once used by local commercial fishermen, is on private land. It has been carefully rebuilt and maintained by the couple across the road who live in a log home.  They graciously allow free access for photographers and others who wish to view this piece of Lake Superior history.
    Stoney Point Fishing Shack 2_IMG7244...JPG
  • On East Bearskin Lake at a campsite landing, early morning sunlight sets the trees aglow.
    Canoe Landing_IMG2847-Pano.JPG
  • A careful walk with ice spikes on my boots brought me to this scene. On a February visit to Artists Point, Grand Marais.
    Icy Morning at Artists Point_IMG4009.JPG
  • This series of drops on the Cascade River is simply known as "The Cascades".  It is one of the most visited and photographed sites on the North Shore. This late summer morning  presented a peaceful mood.
    The Cascades_IMG6057-2.JPG
  • A tombolo is a sand spit that connects an island to land. This island on Lake Superior near Grand Marais, is sometimes connected by a tombolo, thus its popular name. I have been asked if the color of this intenxe sunrise is real. The answer is "almost.".  I had to tone it down a bit!  "Real" would have looked fake.
    Colvill Island Under Ice_IMG7573.JPG
  • On a fall camping weekend at Goosebery Falls State Park, late night rain, wet rocks, and departing clouds joined up to create this beautiful late September sunrise.
    Gooseberry Shore Sunrise_P1050914.JPG
  • On a rainy day in late September. The falls are subdued this time of year. A slow rain adds richness to the rocks and roots. So unlike the wild and crazy spring scene at this location.
    Gooseberry Middle Falls _IMG9776.JPG
  • A late September evening with clear skies.  The Milky Way center will set within the hour. Jupiter on the right casts a bright reflection on Lake Superior.
    Milky Way at Split Rock Lighthouse _...JPG
  • Water from wave action fills depressions in the rock, much like tidal pools on ocean shorelines. These pools provide a micro environment that supports plants and small sea life.
    Reflecting Pool at Split Rock River_...JPG
  • A long exposure treatment produces richer colors and smoothes water. This helps reduce the image to the essentials of shape and texture.
    Rocky Beach at Split Rock Lighthouse...JPG
  • A ledge of sharp rocks occupies the beach just below Split Rock Lighthouse. I feel this view makes a point about why the lighthouse was necessary.
    Split Rocky Dawn_IMG9697-2.JPG
  • This island near Covill just north of Grand Marais is sometimes linked to shore by a sand spit known as a tombolo. Located on a lakeshore segment of the Superior Hiking Trail, it is one of my favorite spots for an early morning visit.
    Colvill Island Sunrise_IMG6518-3.JPG
  • The Edna G. is a retired tugboat at Two Habors, Minnesota. It remains as a legacy of the days before  ore freighters had bow thrusters - which allow them to maneuver without the aid of a tug.
    Edna G. at Two Harbors _IMG1793-2.JPG
  • From Grand Marais Harbor. Looking east at sunset, the beacon had just come on. The last of the sun behind me lights what is visible through the fog.
    In The Light Of The Setting Sun_IMG6...JPG
  • Where the Gooseberry River flows into Lake Superior. The best sunrise of the week combined with wave action from yesterday's wind, created this beautiful scene.
    October Sunrise at Gooseberry River_...JPG
  • I had camped here on November 10th to photograph the lighthouse beacon at the Edmund Fitzgerald memorial. The next morning I awoke to a wonderland of fresh snow. In calm air with light snow still falling, it was fun to photograph this delightful scene.
    Split Rock Lighthouse in Fresh Snow ...JPG
  • Stoney Point juts into Lake Superior just south of Knife River. This rugged shore displays its volcanic history stripped bare by glacial flow from the last ice age. At the junction of warm land to the north and cold water to the south, atmospheric convection often generates interesting cloud formations.
    Clouds Building at Stoney Point_IMG9...JPG
  • These popular falls are  usually crowded with tourists. By arriving before sunrise, I enjoyed some solitude on this calm, early fall morning.
    Middle Falls at Gooseberry_P1050963-...JPG
  • This small island stands just offshore near Grand Portage, MN. At this time of year, the rising sun shines through the "hollow".  This day's view included bonus sun dogs!  (Sun dogs may appear when the air temperature is below zero.)
    Hollow Rock and Sundogs_IMG7438-3.JPG
  • This is a classic North Shore overlook for good reason. The view extends northeasterly toward Shovel Point and the Sawtooth Mountains beyond.  Step carefully toward the edge for this view.
    Early Fall at Palisade Head_IMG7235-...JPG
  • Split Rock Lighthouse is a small presence under this grand Auroral display.  A picture like this is a gift. The display lasted for 20 minutes, then it was gone.
    Aurora Over Split Rock 2 _IMG4375.JPG
  • Walking the basalt shelf on a calm, cool evening at Gooseberry Park, you can nearly have the place to yourself.
    Peaceful Evening Moment_1090601.JPG
  • At the peak of the season these invasive lupines like the road edges. Beautiful to behold, but only the native variety supports pollinators.
    Lupine - Lake Superior_1090733.JPG
  • The Civilian Conservation Corps was formed during the Great Depression to put working men back to work. Skiled stonemasons constructed many of the buildings in Gooseberry Falls State Park. They also built these picnic tables!
    CCC Picnic Table_1090632.JPG
  • A quiet evening at the Two Harbors harbor entrance, untll I saw lightning on the horizon. This 30 second exposure captured the next bolt. Then, it was time to go, as thunder sounded directly overhead.
    A Storm Approaches_IMG4561.JPG
  • Pancake Ice moves with the breath of the lake - up and down, back and forth, collisions rounding its edges.
    Slow Dance_IMG4013.JPG
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Steve Simmer Photography

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