I got the itch to go canoeing for possibly the last time of the year and maybe the last time with my solo canoe. I took a route starting from Big Lasalle Lake, just a bit north of Lake Itasca State Park, then headed north through the Lasalle Creek to Middle Lasalle and finally to lower Lasalle Lake and back.
The paddle began with a nice wind pushing me to the north towards the creek. There was some nice stands of Tamarac on the north side of the lake.
Once I got to the creek that's when the fun really began. The creek is definitely deep enough to float a canoe but it runs briskly and has many tight turns. To add to the challenge there are a number of deadfalls across it and beaver dams to pull over.
the narrow pathway of Lasalle Creek
The creek is lined with beautiful forest
One of many beaver dams I had to pull over
I took a video at my second portage site showing some of the dead fall i had to portage around on the creek.
After traversing my first leg on the Lasalle Creek I arrived at Middle Lasalle Lake. This lake is pristine and completely undeveloped. It is surrounded by high ridges (for this part of Minnesota) on either side and the forest on the ridges is very beautiful. On the west side it is mostly hardwoods and on the east it is softwoods including a beautiful stand of mature Red Pine. I took a video on the lake giving a panoramic view of it.
This seemed like a great spot to have lunch so I trekked up the eastern ridge into the Red Pines and sat high above the lake to eat.
Self Portrait among the Pines
Looking down the Ridge to Middle Lasalle Lake
I took a video of the ridge as I thought the area was absolutely gorgeous. I didn't take the best route through the forest as I went through some thick brush so it's a bit shaky but it gives you an idea of the beauty of the ridge.
From Middle Lasalle I continued north along the creek. It continued to be a challenge as there were more beaver dams, portages around dead falls, and lot's of tight turns. I arrived finally at Lower Lasalle Lake (also just called Lasalle Lake). This lake, much like Middle Lasalle, was pristine with no development to be seen on the southern half of the lake. The Minnesota DNR actually just recently acquired the land around the lake and it turning it into a public recreation area. I like to think I was the first to paddle this since the DNR acquired it!
Some nice Pines on a point on Lasalle Lake. The point was my turnaround spot.
Tamaracks mixed with spruce, balsam, and Aspen on the south side of Lasalle Lake
A closer view
I took a panoramic video before heading back upstream on the creek.
After turning around the trip back upstream proved to be quite challenging. With the current running hard it made making the tight turns quite difficult. Some of the obstacles I was able to get around without portaging or pulling my canoe were impassable without getting out of the canoe on the way back. It ended up taking longer than I had hoped so I ended up paddling a bit after dark. After a little bit of worrying that I wouldn't be able to find the public water access on Big Lasalle I made it to my car safely and very pleased with a great day of paddling. I was very glad I wore rubber boots for this trip and next time I'd probably bring a hand saw to try to cut some of the dead falls to portage less. Maybe with the DNR owning some of this land they'll start clearing the creek as it's very beautiful and has great potential as a canoe route!
My last week of work with the crew members was really nice. The project was a little boring as we were dealing with Buckthorn removal but there was much beauty between the work at Maplewood State Park and getting to stay at Glendalough State Park.
Sunset at Glendalough State Park during a trail run
Sunset on Lake Emma at Glendalough
a hung up tree a Beaver tried to fell on the Lake Emma Extension trail
more trees felled by Beaver
A huge tree (either Basswood or Cottonwood) at Maplewood State Park
Some random pottery we found in the woods
Deer at Glendalough
Sunset on Annie Battle Lake at Glendalough State Park
Sunset through a stand of oaks near the group camp at Glendalough
Sunrise on Annie Battle Lake as seen right outside our Bunkhouse
another sunrise shot
Golden Hour photo of the beach at Annie Battle Lake
our bunkhouse
another of the beach
I took a few videos as well. The first here is of the huge tree we found.
The next video is of some pottery we found in the woods at Maplewood State Park. Apparently a local artist has strewn art throughout the park and has left it for public viewing. This mini village we found was very intricate in design and it adds a nice flair to walking through the woods here.
And lastly one of the many deer we saw at Glendalough.
Overall the project was really nice. I saw over 10 deer every trail run I did at Glendalough. Saw some beaver and heard a barred owl. You can hear the call of the barred owl on the video below. The owl scared me a ton as it was only 10-20 yards away and I was walking by myself in the woods after dark. It has a really cool call though so check it out.
Other than that life has been real good. I'm working hard at trying to find a job in NYC. It's going to be quite the change of pace going from Bemidji to NYC but I look forward to it. Hopefully we'll get some snow soon up here and I'll get to enjoy the Minnesota winter for a bit before I leave. Stay tuned for more blog updates feel free to comment, email, or call me!
The seasons continue to change in the North Country. The bursting colors of Autumn which were showcased in the last post are quickly waning and are fading into the frosty days of winter. Temperatures are dropping rapidly, ice is beginning to form on the lakes, and pretty soon a blanket of fluffy white snow will cover the ground. The transitional seasons, spring and fall, are very brief here but also very enjoyable. Though our peak fall colors are brief up north in the area I live we are treated to a round two in late fall. This second round of color features the golds and burnt oranges of Tamaracs and the last bit of color from the stubborn Aspen and Oak that just don't want to drop their leaves.
I was able to see a lot of this type of color in Late October as I worked and played in a lot of areas with heavy Tamarac stands. The Big Bog State Recreation Area was one such area. If you remember from earlier in the year we worked there putting cages around Cedar saplings to protect them from browse. This is what we were doing here again. The pictures below are mostly from a walk through a Black Spruce/Tamarack Bog. Mid to late October has to be one of the best times of year to go to this place as the colors are just bursting.
Tamaracs
Close up of Tamarac needles
Lone Tamarac among Black Spruce
An open wetland in the foreground moving into heavily forested Bog
a Black Spruce teeming with cones
Below are a few Random Pictures from Lake Bemidji State Park
Lichen and some late fall color in the understory
A porcupine
An old bench I found in the woods
The following pictures are from the fire tower at the Big Bog SRA. The surrounding area is mostly completely wild and there are a few pictures of Red Lake, which is the biggest lake completely in Minnesota.
View of the surrounding Wilderness
A bay of Red Lake
Looking at the open expanse of Upper Red Lake
In my free time I spent some more time in heavy Tamarac areas driving through the Chippewa National Forest en route to a trail run on the Cut Foot Sioux trail.
A stand of Black Spruce/Tamarac off of Hwy 2
Same stand but also viewing a small lake
A Tamarac Swamp
A Beaver pond surrounded by Tamarac
An open wet meadow with a Tamarac Stand in the background
During the run I was able to see a number of other beautiful scenes.
A stand of old growth White Pine at Norway Beach Recreation Area
Red Pine lining a trail at Norway Beach
Shoreline of Cass Lake
I took the south end of the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway on my way to the trail run
A crossing of the Mississipi
Mississippi River
A small lake with a beaver lodge and some nice White Pine
at the Lake Winnibigoshish campground
another shot of the picnic area and Lake Winnie
A conifer stand and small river off of a a Chippewa National Forest Road
My trail run took me over the Continental Divide
A Red Oak
The trailhead
A red squirrel on top of a big snag
Our last project for the month was at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge. This is another repeat project where again we were treating Aspen with herbicide. Not the most exciting project but being in the refuge at this time of year is a treat as wildlife is really abundant. As fall migration for waterfowl is really kicking up there was just an incredible amount of Ducks and Geese around. We also saw a number of deer, porcupine, woodcock, Red Squirrels, some otters, beaver, and even Moose! This made the project way more exciting.
Bull Moose!
Having fun during a break
Some beautiful oaks on the fringe of a prairie and Aspen stand
Misty morning at Agassiz
Aspen with morning light
A stand of Quaking Aspen
Morning at Agassiz
A moth seemingly perfectly adapted to blending in with Quaking Aspen
Jeff with a massive deer rack
One of the many deer we saw at Agassiz
Our favorite porcupine hanging out in it's Oak tree
Some planted spruce by the visitor center
Sunrise on our drive to the worksite
Deer grazing during the morning hours
And last but not least a few videos. The First is of the Bull Moose and the latter two are pans of Cass Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish
