I needed a photography fix, and decided it was time to test whether Chance would like camping. So we headed to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan this week hoping for some early autumn color. Chance was a great camper, loved hiking in the woods, and plenty of patience for my photography. More woods images to come, but for today, some beach images. We camped along the Au Train River, and it emptied nearby on a great sandy beach into Lake Superior. The Ojibway used the river as a route between Lakes Superior and Michigan, and early French explorers named it Au Train, for “traverse.” Our first stop after setting up the tent was a walk on the beach where the river emptied, and lovely, short dunes needed to be traversed.
After stretching our legs, we got back in the car to head west to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Unfortunately, since you are standing on the shore, you really can’t see the “Pictured Rocks” unless you get out on a boat. A few spots give a hint, and we spotted the boat I had reservations to ride in a couple days. Unfortunately, just as my previous trip to the U.P., my cruise was cancelled because of rough waters.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
The next day, after getting up before dawn and lots of hiking in Pictured Rocks, we stopped again at Au Train beach for a sunset walk before returning to camp. It didn’t look promising for a sunset with high haze, do doubt from smoke drifting all the way from the western fires.
Lake Superior is massive. A true inland ocean. It holds more water than all the other Great Lakes combined. But this evening, it was as calm as a tiny pond. Only a couple inch wave would form and break right before the shore. And in that small moment as the water moved up and back, it would catch the light from the shrouded sun.
Off shore was even cloudier and the distant island of Au Train rested between the clouds and water.
As the sun got lower, the color close to shore intensified.
Long before it got to the horizon, the sun traversed behind the haze and clouds, but provided a farewell view.
