Collecting the Sap

Visitors to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore's Maple Sugar Days can experience the entire process of Maple syrup production.

Here, Mike uses a hand brace to drill a hole into a demonstration tree. Later, he'll pound a metal spile into the hole. The spile not only acts as a spout for the sap, but also as a hanger for the collection bucket.

The bucket is then covered with a piece of sheet metal to keep out debris, animals, and most importantly, rain. The sap already has a high water content, and adding any more will only lengthen the time it takes to boil the sap down into syrup.



These buckets can be seen all over the sugar bush, and can fill up in just one night.

Old School Maple Sugar Production

Three kettles hang above open fires, boiling maple sap collected from the trees in the sugar bush. An annual demonstration at the Chellberg Farm, a historical site at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Maple Sugar Days shows the historic methods of making maple syrup.



In this demonstration, the large kettle holds a large quantity of raw sap. Once it boils down, it's transferred to the middle kettle where it boils down even more. The third kettle holds a nearly finished product.

To test the syrup, a twig was bent into a loop, similar to a children's bubble wand. The twig was dipped into the syrup, and when the syrup sticks and covers the opening in the loop, it's ready for bottling.

Maple Sugar Time

It's early March, and that means the sap is running - it's maple sugar time at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Each year, the Maple trees in the sugar bush of the Chellberg Farm are tapped for their sap. The sap is collected in galvanized buckets and transferred to the sugar shack for processing.



The sugar shack has a large wood fired boiler where the sap is boiled down until the water content is reduced. Around 40 gallons of sap are needed to make 1 gallon of maple syrup.



Gallon jugs are hung above the boiler to warm them. Warming the jugs this way, slowly brings them to the temperature of the syrup. When the hot syrup is poured into the warmed jug it will not break. However, if the syrup was poured into a cold jug, it would quickly shatter.

Deserted

A walk through Cowels Bog ends on Boater's Beach. This beach is not normally crowded-especially in February. Apart from a few homes a long walk down the beach, the only way to get to the beach is by boat or a two mile hike through the woods.

I found my first Striped Racerunner lizard in these sands a few summers ago.

Rolling Horizon

Bare trees line the top of the rolling dunes just before sunset.
Cowels Bog, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Confluence

The Bailey Generating Station borders Cowles Bog, marking the confluence of man and nature. Looking west, one sees industry, looking all other directions- nature.

Following a two mile hike through wetland, woods and dunes, the tail opens up to the beach and Lake Michigan. Known as Boater's Beach, this remote shoreline is mainly accessed by pleasure boaters who anchor just off shore to enjoy a quiet, almost deserted beach. It's a bit too long of a walk for someone wishing to arrive by car with umbrella, cooler and chairs - and just as long back to the parking lot.

Along the trails, you will experience swamps, prairie, woods, oak savanna, conifer forest and beach - including some plant life mostly found in warmer climates such as prickly pear cactus.

The generating station spoils the view in one direction, but it's not difficult to ignore it, and find yourself lost in a time when the entire Indiana shore of Lake Michigan was unspoiled dune.

Overcast River Walk

A heavy, wet snow fell overnight, following an afternoon of rain showers. The wet snow, and lack of wind resulted in snow that covered every branch of every tree.
This is the DuPage River in Naperville, Illinois.

Incoming Snow Clouds

Light snow showers were falling shortly after these clouds rolled in, but no accumulation was expected.
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Siblings

The inner and outer lights of the St. Joseph, Michigan range lights. Located at the end of a 1000 foot long pier, at the mouth of the St. Joseph River.

Ice is forming on the base of the catwalk supports and the outer light.

Iced Supports

Heavy surf creates ice on the support structure for the catwalk leading to the St. Joseph, Michigan inner light. Waves frequently washed over the pier on this day, making it dangerous to walk out to the lighthouse, and deadly to walk past the inner light to the outer light. The waves could easily wash a person over the side and into the 33 degree water.

Sparkles

The constant splashing of Lake Michigan covered the railings of the St. Joseph, Michigan pier with a coating of ice. Two feet thick in some places, but here, just a small amount formed. The sunlight sparkles in the water below.

Frigid Waters

Waves batter the pier as cold temperatures cause the spray to freeze on the 35 foot tall outer range light and the catwalk. I had hopes of walking out to the tower, but they soon faded as I saw the waves crashing over the pier.

Forming Ice

Mid February cold weather and wind are finally in the process of creating a thick layer of ice on the outer range light. The waves were much too high to risk walking out on the pier, so we had to walk part way out on the opposite pier.

Wind and Waves

Wind and waves take their toll on St. Joseph's outer light. 45 mile per hour winds, 15 foot waves, and splashes up to 70 feet in the air, contribute to the ice build up on the lighthouse.

Sunk

Only a small portion of this rusted barge is visible after it was left to sink and rust in the steamboat basin of the Illinois and Michigan Canal just off of the Illinois River in LaSalle, Illinois.

Just a short walk along the muddy bank of the steamboat basin, past the official end of the I and M Canal trail.

Slope Revealed

Winter reveals the true contour of the dunes along Lake Michigan's Indiana shore. There is quite a difference between the contour of the ground and the treetops. Water and nutrients collect in the small valleys between the dunes, and the trees benefit from this extra moisture, growing taller and stronger. Trees near the top of the dunes appear to be a bit more stressed, from the lack of moisture, nutrients and the elements.

Franklin Street Bridge

Built in 1932, the Franklin Street Bridge crosses Michigan City's Trail Creek, allowing easy access to Washington Park. The bridge has a 213 foot span and has its original railings - unusual for bridges of this age. Unlike the many Chicago bascule bridges which utilize truss construction, this bridge used plate girders, making this a significant Indiana bridge.

Artist's Easel

A quick project for my nephew Tom, who's becoming quite interested in fine art. He needed an easel for drawing and painting. This one is made from poplar, stands 7 feet tall, with two adjustable clamps that will hold canvas or boards as large as four feet tall.


It's built using pocket screws - screws drilled in on an extreme angle to join two flat boards of wood.

Constant Bombardment

High winds and waves batter the 108 year old South Haven, Michigan lighthouse. It's been a warm winter so far, and any ice that builds up from splashes like these soon melts.

Most years, ice builds up from windy days in December, and remains until February or March.

Shrouded

Waves crash into the pier of the St. Joseph, Michigan lighthouse, shrouding the outer light in a cape of water spray.

The lighthouse is 35 feet tall, at the end of a 1000 foot pier.

A fellow photographer braves the elements to get his perfect shot.