Frozen (not the movie)

My stop at Gooseberry Falls State Park gave me the unusual opportunity to have the falls all to myself, a very rare experience.  I guess it pays to get there early and be willing to be out in single digit temps.

Adjustments

For the fourth year in a row, I had made a plan to take part in the “Opt Outside” movement started by REI.  It has grown over the years to include many other businesses.  In Minnesota, all the state parks are open to the public for free on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
However, as the day drew nearer, I became concerned about the weather due to the extended forecast calling for freezing rain on Friday and I had hoped to travel up the north shore of Lake Superior to visit Cascade River State Park.  In the event travel wasn’t possible on Friday, I chose to take my trip on the day before Thanksgiving and opted to only go as far as Temperance River State Park.  I also made stops at Gooseberry Falls State Park and Tettegouche State Park.
As it turned out, not only did it not rain till much later in the day Friday, the temps were in the low forties.  Over the three days around Thanksgiving I managed to get in three very nice hikes. The day up the shore, through the woods and on the shore of Park Point and on the Superior Hiking Trail above Duluth.  Not once did I think about wanting to go shopping!  (Except for some thoughts of getting some new hiking boots.)

Here are a few memories from the last three days.  If you stare at the black & white image for awhile, it morphs in to all kinds of strange things.