Fuzzy Sandstone

Yes, we're still in the forest.  It was so damp that day.  Trickles of water were constantly dripping down the sandstone walls, feeding vast carpets of moss and leafy green plants. 

In this cliff you can see the drill holes from quarrying the sandstone.

Big blocks of sandstone were everywhere and covered in moss and lichen.

Talk about a rock garden!

More to come...

Forest Flora

 

With all the rain we had been getting lately, the forest was teaming with interesting plants, including the bright orange fungi above.  Those little guys were sprouting everywhere!

Here's another fungi infestation on a dead tree.

I have no idea what this is.  It was actually the first intriguing thing I saw on my hike.

More to come...

Burbling Brook

Blog number 2 from my hiking day trip.

Before I could take an image of this gurgling burbling brook,  I had to re-arm myself with another round of bug spray.  It's amazing the swarm of mosquitoes this one little trickle produced!  I think they were thicker here than anywhere else in the park.  I'm glad I brought the spray on the hike, and so were three poor souls who came along about that time.  It was either they borrow my bug spray or stop at the hospital for a blood transfusion on the way home.

More to come...

Rushing Waters

Yesterday my mission was to take pictures.  My first stop: Banning State Park in northern Minnesota.  This area is known for large amounts of sandstone and there is even an old abandoned quarry on the premises.

It was very quiet and peaceful there.  Not too many people out on a Friday morning.  My main goal at the park was to see Wolf Creek Falls.  The Quarry Loop Trail sounded interesting too, so the park employee showed me how to get from one trail to the other.

I started my hike with my photography equipment, bug spray (a must after all the rain we've been having), and 32 oz of Gatorade.  Onward and upward!

The image above is of the Kettle River making it's way through the park.  It was the dominant sound on parts of the trail, but yet, when the trail curved just slightly inland and through great piles of sandstone, you couldn't hear a peep out of the river.  The only sound then was water dripping down the sheer sandstone cliffs.  Oh, and the sound of buzzing mosquitoes.

More to come...

A Beautiful Ending

I was out driving around this lovely evening and ended up at one of my favorite spots.  I've been here a few times now and I really like the view.  I was privileged enough to get there in time for one of the Master Painter's masterpieces.