Gooseberry Falls State Park is a favorite among North Shore travelers and is one of Minnesota's most visited state parks. A unique aspect of this park, besides the five waterfalls, is the exposed roots of the many cedars that line the river. These twisted and gnarled roots attach themselves to the exposed rock bed in seemingly impossible ways, providing support and nutrients for the trees. This quartet of cedars leading to the Middle Falls has, no doubt, stood watch over these falls for many decades. Their uniformity and strength make them almost seem like the columns in a cathedral crafted by Mother Nature.

Another interesting feature is what looks like the face of a bearded man on the facing root of the nearest cedar. Can you see it?

Grand Marais is renown for its picturesque harbor, quaint downtown, and unique "northwoods" setting. On a recent visit, I noticed a few small fishing boats in the fog-filled harbor. In this image, I captured one of these boats as its fishing couple leisurely paddled toward shore, fishing rod extended above the water. As this couple enjoyed their last few paddles on the harbor, I appreciated this juxtaposition of elements that embodies Grand Marais and makes it a special place in many people's hearts: the boaters casually traversing the foggy bay, the harbor lighthouse signifying an era now gone, the Sawtooth Mountains projecting above the harbor in the distance, and a touch of boreal forest that is prevalent in the Arrowhead region.

This scene, along with some beautiful music from an adjacent festival, made this an evening to remember!

Sunrise at the Setting Arch

As many of you already know, the famous Tettegouche Sea Arch pictured above collapsed sometime this past August 20 or 21. Located on the shore of Lake Superior in Tettegouche State Park between Palisade Head and Shovel Point, it was shaped by and had survived countless violent Lake Superior storms and contrasting Minnesota seasons.

I took this picture at sunrise less than a month before its collapse. This sunrise was not particularly spectacular, so I was looking forward to photographing it again during a future sunrise; little did I know that the arch was in its sunset days and that this would be my final view of it. No unusual lake or weather conditions were present at the time of the collapse; it was just time for it to go. The unattached remains is now known as the Tettegouche Sea Stack.

Much like the arch, our lives are shaped by the storms of life. We are strengthened by many of them, but over time, they begin to wear on us. Eventually, we either succumb to a major storm or go quietly as in the case of the arch. The arch's fate serves as a reminder that everything comes to an end and we must be sure to make every day count.

Click here to see before and after photos of the Tettegouche Arch from the Duluth News-Tribune.