Tettegouche

On my mission to conquer as many state parks as possible, Tettegouche was the third on my list. First stop on the trip was at Russ Kendall's Smokehouse. I'm not really that fond of smoked fish, but Grandpa gets what Grandpa wants. I'd been by Kendall's many times in route to Barthell's cabins where I spent quite a bit of my youth. The scenic drive between Duluth and Two Harbors is awesome, and I highly recommend it-- especially if you're not in any hurry.

The fog never quite lifted the entire day, and admittedly I thought there was a fire in the Silver Bay/Beaver Bay area. The odd weather provided some interesting photo opportunities throughout the day, primarily along the water and up on top of Palisade Head.

The stairs and inclines were pretty intense in comparison to Gooseberry Falls. In hindsight, these obstacles were nothing compared to what I would later experience at Cascade River and Judge Magney State Parks. The difficulty overall in the hike was well worth shagging the unambitious hikers who stick close to Gooseberry where the main attractions are a quick paved walk.

The vastness of the landscape is not done any justice in these photographs.

Cascade River State Park

There were a few stops this summer that I failed to blog about. One of them was our trip to Cascade River State Park, Judge Magney State Park, Grand Portage, and Grand Marais. I'll try to post bits and pieces as Picasa makes this uploading a snap. Mostly I'm just longing for summer to come again as the leaves on the trees begin to turn color and fall to the ground. Here's hoping this winter isn't quite as long as the last.

Jay Cooke Redux

I decided I need to start doing a better job of blogging with my photos. So, here it goes:

This was my second time this summer at Jay Cooke State Park, and I do have to stay that it was one of my favorite state parks in MN. The landscape is absolutely amazing. Don't get me wrong, all the parks that I have visited this summer have something wonderful to offer, but in terms of hiking, views, and access, Jay Cooke is my favorite.

Besides taking hikes with my buddy Kyle, I have also been hiking quite a bit with my friend Amy. Both are pretty enthusiastic photographers which makes our jaunts more fun.

This particular trip up to Carlton might be the final trip of my summer. All in all I've been able to 8 state parks in the last 5 months-- a summer tradition I'd like to continue. And well, I've got the bag and shoes, I can't quit now. I need to get a return on my investment.

End of August at the Arb