National Forest – Thomas J. Spence Images

Lake Superior, Aurora Borealis and the North Shore Woods – My Favorite Landscape Photos from 2022

A couple of weeks back, I posted my favorite wildlife moments of the past year. I took a lot of wildlife pictures, but when the critters aren’t cooperating or active, there is always something worth taking a look at, especially during the magical morning and evening light hours. I made a number of landscape photos I was quite happy with. We had a few incredible nights of northern lights this year that kept me out for hours in the National Forest. Minnesota has some of the darkest skies in the nation and Mother Nature and the night sky did not disappoint. I’ve included a few images from various nights. Lake Superior gave me a few favorite moments as well, as it always does, so there are quite a few of those included in this post. Last spring I took a road trip to another one of my favorite places, southern Utah. It’s really a paradise for photography. I’ve grown to enjoy the desert, mesa and canyon country of Utah almost as much as northeastern Minnesota. Almost 😉 There are a handful of photos from this year’s trip, which includes my personal favorite photo of the year! So from snowy scenes to sunshine, from forested landscapes to desert scenes, from the northern lights on northern nights, to southern sights on southern nights, the rivers and lakes and woods and hills, these are my favorite scenery shots from the past year in no particular order. Thanks to all for subscribing and following along and supporting me through print sales and calendars.

April 2022 – Winter lingered on for a spell last spring. The thaw was slow to come. Superior National Forest – Minnesota

A blue hour sunset along Lake Superior at Temperance River State Park. The variety of rock colors on the beach here can be pretty wild. And it changes with every storm.

Summer serenity at Sugarloaf Nature Center near Schroeder, Minnesota

A rare SAR arc, or sub auroral red, during a wonderful display of aurora borealis.

The northern lights and a SAR arc lighting up the sky over the Temperance River in Superior National Forest, Minnesota.

Those first few snowfalls of the season always have more beauty than the next few, it seems. This was early November. The rushing river added to the magic of the first real snowfall.

A few inches of rain, dropping temps and a little snowfall. Perfect recipe for a stunning landscape. November 2022

I was a little light on sunsets and sunrises on The Lake this year. I was usually chasing wildlife if I was out taking pictures. I did luck out a few times. This particular evening was out of this world.

The eyes of fall watching with a stony brow. Potholes and fallen foliage at Temperance River State Park

Autumn paddle in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Lakeside path in autumn splendor. It really was a remarkable fall color season.

Sawbill Trail, fall colors and Lake Superior – Minnesota

Calm reflection in Superior National Forest. One of the most serene scenes I captured this year. A light dusting of snow and a touch of fall gold.

The view from Carlton Peak in Tofte, Minnesota

A nice aurora arc over the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The calm waters of Sawbill Lake and some of the darkest skies in the lower 48 enab6us to experience the northern lights quite often here in the Arrowhead. This night, another skywatcher was lighting the fog from a dock up the shore. I liked the way his headlamp lit the fog.

An amazing, early September display of the northern lights along Lake Superior. Tofte, MN

September 3rd aurora borealis. This was a memorable night in Superior National Forest. This display started as the moon was setting, still casting shadows and the ground fog over the creek set the scene off.

Same spot different day, it’s a favorite location 🙂

Sunrise color over the Temperance River in Superior National Forest – Minnesota 🌲

Lake Superior is out there… This view from Carlton Peak in Tofte, Minnesota was ethereal with a blanket of fog breaking up and rolling over The Lake – summer 2022

A climber nearing the top of his climb at Palisade Head – Tettegouche State Park

Summer sunrise at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. This was an extra special visit, photographing sunrise with family during our summer family reunion on Lake Superior.

The Bears Ears – Bears Ears National Monument – Cedar Mesa – southern Utah is another special place for me, so I’m including a few photos from this year’s trip.

Ancient Puebloan petroglyphs, snakes and spiders? And Orion in the dark, Utah skies.

This peninsula of land held ancient Puebloan dwellings and ruins. One of the most memorable days of the year for me was hiking and exploring Road Canyon.

Mt. Ellen in the Henry Mountains with the uplift of the Waterpocket Fold viewed from the east side of Capitol Reef National Park – Utah. Maybe you had to be there, but this is my favorite photo of 2022. I’ve really embraced using my Canon RF 100-500mm lens for a lot of non-wildlife landscape pictures. The compression and scale and distance it can cover, especially in places like Utah’s canyon and mountain country, brings a great perspective to the scenery. I love the drive on the east side of Capitol Reef. The Notom-Bullfrog/Burr Trail roads offer some of the best photography opportunities I’ve encountered. This particular day I had wind, sleet, snow, rain and a bit of sunshine. The light was pretty good at this stop. I’m always intrigued by these Henry Mountains when I see them in the distance.

The Moki Dugway in southeastern Utah. A little steep, a touch terrifying, but well worth the effort.

The Big Crane – Butler Wash/Comb Ridge. Half the fun was getting there. I had an adventure finding this one. I didn’t have a map or gps, and almost gave up after a few failed side trips. I’m glad I found it. One of my favorite trip memories and photos.

Ancient Puebloan dwellings in golden canyon light. I was fortunate to visit some special places and ruins on this trip. Good light and photo conditions didn’t hurt! Cedar Mesa – Utah

Spring thaw and rains gave us rushing, raging rivers last spring. This was early May along the Superior Hiking Trail.

Waving curtains of light in Superior National Forest. This was a beautiful July night of aurora in the woods.

It was the calmest of summer days. I made a lot of cards out of this one. It makes a good print too 🙂 Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center. Schroeder, MN

Pre-dawn light and color on the beach in Schroeder, MN.

It was a fun, fulfilling year of picture taking for me. I hope you enjoyed the little recap of my landscape and night sky photos. If you missed it, take a look back at my favorite wildlife moments of the past year in a previous post. Have a Happy New Year and thanks for following along. See you in 2023. ❄️🌲

My Favorite Wildlife Pictures and Moments of 2022

With the year coming to a close, I thought I’d put my favorite wildlife moments of the year together in no particular order. It was a good year. A handful of Canada lynx, lots of spring and fall moose with a few from summer mixed in. I saw a lot of red fox, including a few “cross fox” color morphs. It was also a fun year of birding with a few unique encounters. Here’s a collection of wildlife pictures from the past year.

Red fox in summer cover in Superior National Forest

A beautiful bull moose with velvet covered antlers enjoys some summer swamp vegetation. Minnesota 🌲

A pair of Canada lynx prowling the back roads of the forest in Northeastern Minnesota 🌲

A common loon in the Temperance River dead waters. Spring 2022.

A porcupine feasting in the tree tops of Superior National Forest. I rarely see these critters, so getting a few photos was a treat this year.

A black throated blue warbler in Tofte, Minnesota. This one was a happy surprise right in my own yard last spring.

Scarlett tanager on the edge of the BWCA in Superior National Forest.

Red headed woodpecker – Tofte, Minnesota

One of my absolute favorites from this year. This beautiful bull on a frosty fall morning gave me many fine silhouettes.

The largest bull moose I encountered this fall was a truly magnificent animal. Superior National Forest – Minnesota 🌲

Frosty the bull moose. Our first frost of the season and a big bull in a logged area of the forest.

A young little “cross fox” kit checks me out from a roadside. This is a color variation of the red fox. Around 25 percent of red fox get this cross color variation.

I ran into a little family of red fox numerous times over the summer. It was fun to catch these two in a moment 😍

Spruce grouse with tail flash. The spruce grouse has a strut and dance that often ends with this brief, spectacular tail flash. It only lasts a fraction of a second, so you’ve got to be quick on the shutter.

A little video of the dance and tail flash

Spring morning fog and smoke on the water. I think this scene speaks for itself.

Breakfast with a group of bull moose

It’s always a treat to catch a bull moose in summer velvet antlers. The velvet contains vessels that “feed” the antlers. Their antlers can grow up to 3/4 of an inch per day!

Golden morning light and a beauty bull moose. This one is the cover of my 2023 Minnesota North Shore calendar. You can click the photo for calendar ordering link. Thanks for all the orders this year 😊

I just loved this encounter. This big bull almost disappeared into the swamp. He’s actually standing up in this photo in a wallow in the swamp grass.

Definitely in my top 5 favorites from 2022. Mama moose overlooking the landscape as her young feeds in the river. Superior National Forest – Minnesota 🌲

A recent Canada lynx encounter led to many fun photos. This one will probably make the 2024 calendars!

Thank you all for taking a look and following along this year. I appreciate all of the support. The wildlife opportunities in Superior National Forest and the surrounding areas are second to none. It was a wonderful year of wild encounters. I’ll do a post in the coming weeks with my favorite landscape/Lake Superior/northern lights pictures. Be sure to subscribe here to be notified when I post. 🎁🎅🎄❤️

A Collection From Winter 2022 – Lake Superior and Superior National Forest

A collection of winter photos from Superior National Forest and Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota – 2022

It’s the last official day of winter. Spring begins tomorrow, and a lot of us are probably ready for it! Here’s a collection of photos from the past few winter months. There are some dog sledding photos, a lot of grouse, some lynx, a moose and some other random, scenic winter wonders. I hope you enjoy.

This winter, we got some ice. It never really stayed long enough up here in our neck of the lake, but we did have some great ice piles and ice sheets breaking up and moving.

Ice Break Up at Sunrise on Lake Superior – Schroeder, MN 2022

Piles of ice along the shoreline of Lake Superior – Tofte, MN 2022

Morning light on the rocks – Schroeder, MN 2022

A pastel sunset on the shores of Lake Superior – Temperance River State Park, MN 2022

Grouse are probably the most abundant wildlife species I find in the winter months. The moose tend to move a lot less, and therefore, I rarely spot one. The grouse seem to be plentiful, especially the spruce grouse. Here’s a fun collection from this winter.

A spruce grouse gives me a quick, beautiful warning with his stunning tail display. The spruce grouse will do this display for females, or for territorial reasons as well.
Superior National Forest, MN 2022

Here is a little video clip of the strut that leads up to the tail flash. It’s in slow motion, so you can imagine how quick the full flash actually is. If you study the strut, and have seen it enough times, it can be easier to time for a photo! Enjoy the slow-mo video.

And a flash for good measure! from up in the tree – Superior National Forest, MN 2022

Morning sun for the spruce grouse in Superior National Forest, MN 2022

Roosting on a below zero Morning
Superior National Forest, MN 2022

This was possibly the largest group of spruce grouse I have ever seen. 15 in the photo, 2 more out of frame on the ground, and more in the trees. At least 20 out pecking gravel in the road on a below zero morning in Superior National Forest 2022

The grouse needs small gravel in their gizzard to help grind up undigested foods. You’ll often encounter ruffed and spruce grouse in the mornings, pecking gravel for their digestive systems.
Female spruce grouse
Superior National Forest, MN 2022

A group of grouse pecking gravel.
Superior National Forest, MN 2022

Fresh tracks from a Canada Lynx deep in the forest of northeastern Minnesota 2022

hunting the roads together on a cold winter morning.
Canada Lynx
Superior National Forest, MN 2022

Moose sightings are a bit more rare for me in the winter months. I saw a lot of tracks this winter, but probably only a handful of brief sightings, including this one.
Minnesota Moose 2022

The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is always a winter highlight along the North Shore. The race takes dog teams from Duluth, MN through the forests along the Lake Superior Shoreline inland, almost to the Canadian Border and to the finish in Grand Portage, MN. Here is a small collection from the race at the end of January.

The backroads are always a treat in the winter months. We really had a LOT of snow piled up by the end of February. It was a TRUE Minnesota winter.

Winter beauty on the backroads – Minnesota 2022

Sun breaks through on a morning drive in Superior National Forest

A 22 degree halo around the winter morning sun 2022

A boreal chickadee in Superior National Forest, MN 2022

Happy Spring, everyone! As much as i like the beauty and variety our winters bring, this has been a long one and I’m ready for the greens of spring and summer. Thank you for taking a look at this winter collection.
Tom

Summer So Far in Pictures…

It’s been a fun summer for wildlife and landscapes in Minnesota’s Arrowhead region. I have spent a lot of time working on the Gunflint Trail and the rest of my time exploring and photographing the rest of Cook County, mostly on the backroads and at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Here is a selection of photos that may or may not have been shared on my social media pages. We still have plenty summer left, so I’ll update and do another post a little closer to fall. Thanks for stopping to take a look. As always, you can browse more photos for viewing and for purchase at my Gallery Site by using this link. Photo Gallery

Morning fog on a canoe country lake as a camper enjoys coffee by the shore.

I have had numerous moose sightings this summer. I think I have already seen more moose this summer than I did all of last summer. This young bull ate in a swampy river area for 30 minutes one cool morning at sunrise as fog moved across the water.

Bull moose showing small antler nubs starting

Turtles have been abundant. Early summer, our painted and snapping turtles can be seen along roadsides near lakes, swamps and rivers as they lay their eggs. It is a time to use caution, but it is a great opportunity to see turtles somewhat close. Of course, do not disturb them as they are digging and laying eggs. Give them and all wildlife a respectable amount of space. Pictured here are a couple Snapping turtle shells and an odd, deformed painted turtle. The painted turtle has a condition known as kyphosis. Kyphosis is a condition that causes an abnormal, convex curvature of the spine. It happens in humans as well as turtles. I had never witnessed this condition in our painted turtles.

Snapper shell
Prehistoric looking snapping turtle
Painted Turtle with kyphosis
Painted turtle with kyphosis

Working this summer in the mid Gunflint Trail area has provided a few fun wildlife sightings. The early morning commute was good for a handful of great, yet brief moose sightings. This red fox greeted us many mornings at our jobsite on a BWCA entry point lake. Some mornings, it would be sitting in the grass nearby when we arrived.

Our red fox friend was often willing to pose for a photo before it moved on.

Cabin Reflections off the Gunflint Trail

I have had numerous wolf sightings and encounters this summer as well. They are always pretty shy, but this one cooperated for photos

This gray wolf wasn’t too impressed with me taking it’s photo. 🙂

More moose! This healthy looking cow moose gave me a few minutes of photo opportunities. She looked pretty flighty at first, but she calmed down and allowed me to take a few photos and some video as she chewed on the grass and brush one morning near the edge of the BWCA wilderness.

Canoe country sunset at Sawbill Lake – Boundary Waters

And a few more summer photos from the past few weeks in the forest. Still plenty of summer left, so I will be back with more in a few weeks. In the meantime, keep following on Facebook and Instagram for more weekly photos from Minnesota’s wildest, most beautiful area. The woods and lakes and shores of Superior National Forest.