Restoring Mt. Baldy

National Lakeshore officials and volunteers replanted thousands of Marram Grass plants after they were uprooted by winds from Hurricane Sandy.



Planted just weeks earlier, in an effort to restore and retard the erosion of the dune, the grass didn't stand a chance against the 50 -70 mph gusts off Lake Michigan.



Volunteers walked the beach and recovered the small plants blown hundreds of feet across the dune. Others dug a series of holes for volunteers to drop in the small grass plants.



For about a year, areas of Mt. Baldy have been sectioned off with rope to prevent visitors from walking on the delicate grass until it reaches a state where it is mature enough to hold in the blowing sand. These plants will help prevent Mt. Baldy from "walking" away from shore - literally. Sand is picked up by winds from the windward side of the dune, and deposited on the leeward side, in effect, moving the dune grain by grain.



The dune moves on average four feet a year, but it appears to have moved at least that much during this single storm. Trees on the leeward side of the dune are being buried at a fast rate.



As my son and I helped, around 20 others assisted with the planting on Saturday morning - staying as long as they could. Many people helped out the day before too. Their efforts will help Mt. Baldy remain the largest "living" sand dune in Indiana.

Highlighted Summit

Some days it pays to get up early. This particular weekend, we headed out around 5am, and drove the 1 1/2 hours to Mt. Baldy, then hiked the dune and set up some camera gear.

A few minutes later, the sun made a short appearance, illuminating the summit of Mt. Baldy with a gold and red light. Set against the storm clouds, the sand appeared to catch fire.

Mt. Blady Progression

Click on the image to see it larger on Flickr.com

Mt. Baldy, a "living" sand dune in Michigan City, Indiana, is on the move. Winds off of Lake Michigan carry sand grains from the windward side of the dune (facing Lake Michigan) to the leeward side (away from Lake Michigan), in effect, moving the dune south at a pace of a couple feet per year.

Over the past four years, I've taken photos of the trees on the backside of the dune. The movement of the dune can be seen by looking at the branches of the tree in the center of each image. The pine tree was completely covered by 2010.
Following the windstorm last week - from Hurricane Sandy - the dune seems to have buried the tree two or three additional feet.
Dune restoration is in progress, but the storm was a set-back. Tens of thousands of marram grass plants were planted a few weeks back. The grass holds the sand, and prevents it from blowing away. Unfortunately, the 60mph winds of the recent storm uncovered the newly planted marram grass, threatening the success of the restoration. Last weekend, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore park officials and volunteers picked up all of the uncovered grass plants and replanted them in hope they will remain, take root, and keep Mt. Baldy from literally blowing away.

Waiting for Sunrise

Figuring it was the last "easy" time I would be able to capture the sunrise at Mt. Baldy, I headed out around 5am. A 90 minute drive and a ten minute walk later, I arrived at the top of Mt. Baldy, a 125 foot tall sand dune on the outskirts of Michigan City, Indiana.

Set up the camera and waited for the sun to rise. Clouds covered the sky above and all around, except for a tiny band along the east horizon - just enough to allow a clear view of the sky.


With only about 10 minutes of time before the sun was covered by clouds, I turned around to capture the first light on the dunes behind.

Lake Michigan Gale

The effects of Hurricane Sandy were felt as far west as the Great Lakes, and Lake Michigan, in particular, was hit hard. The Indiana shore of Lake Michigan received quite a punch from the storm, with winds topping 60 mph, and waves towering over 20 feet.


It was nearly impossible to capture clear images of the storm - the lenses were covered with water in seconds. I was wise enough to enclose my camera and lenses in plastic prior to heading out, so the equipment was safe and protected, but the exposed glass had to be wiped clean every 10 seconds.

Most of the Indiana beaches were closed, so I had to remember all of the access points I frequented over the years just to get a glimpse of the lake. I was one of the few who ventured near the sand - getting sand in my eyes, mouth, ears and everywhere! Turns out a bit later, I found one beach that was easily accessible (along with several other people), so photos were possible for a bit - until the rain.

Lock 20, Hennepin Canal

A colorful autumn day at lock 20 of the Hennepin Canal. This canal connected the Illinois River to the Mississippi River, and was the first major construction project in the United States to be entirely made out of concrete - not cut stone.

The canal was used from 1904 until 1951. There are plans to make 50 miles of the canal navigable again - including three or four locks.

Red Covered Bridge

A drive over the Red Covered Bridge in north central Illinois was the perfect start to a crisp, Fall morning. Built in 1863, the bridge continues to support traffic in Bureau County, Illinois- one vehicle at a time.


The bridge spans 149 feet across Big Bureau Creek, and is on the National Register of Historic Places

Golden Canopy

Even though the morning was overcast and a bit wet, the color of these trees was amazing. A golden canopy lining the way to Lake Michigan.

I could only imagine how this would have appeared if the sun was out that morning.

A Helping Hand

Photography grip for the day, Mike hands Chris his camera after waiting for him to climb up a dead tree for a better view of the surroundings.
The grass was almost four feet tall, and while we stayed on the animal trail (so we didn't kill or harm any plants), an unobstructed view was only possible if one got a bit higher off the ground.

Higher for a Better View

Even at the top of a 100 foot tall sand dune, the view can be obstructed by trees and the tall marram grass.

Chris climbs up a dead tree to obtain an unobstructed view of the Fall color in the valley between the dunes.

Reflecting

A boy gazes into the reflecting pond at the Marshall Field grave site at Chicago's Graceland Cemetery.

Marshall Field was one of Chicago's department store pioneers.

Pinnacle

The boys climbed to the highest dune for a panoramic view of Lake Michigan to the north, and the colorful, forested dunes.

Not a trek for the lazy!

Last Waves of September

A surfer catches the last waves of September 2012. Not exactly legendary for it's surfing, the Indiana shore of Lake Michigan provides ample wind and waves for exciting surfing, kite surfing and wind sailing.

As long as the water remains unfrozen, kite surfers are often seen December - February despite the bone chilling temperatures.

Autumn at Chicago's Graceland Cemetery

Perhaps it's due to the warm winter and early spring, the dry summer, or both - the leaves are changing color a bit early this year.

The lagoon in Chicago's Graceland Cemetery is bordered by the colors of autumn. The memorial to Potter Palmer can be seen on the opposite shore.

Orange Sky, Green Water

Not a typical evening on Lake Michigan. High winds and distant storms created waves on the Indiana shore; waterspouts in South Haven (should have made the trip up there)!

A few moments after sunset, the sky turned orange while the lake remained green. I was the only human in sight. It made for an interesting walk back from Kintzele Ditch, and I returned to my car in the dark. Alone. Something unusual for early Fall, but common for the months to come.

Catching the First Morning Light

I'm up before the sun most days, but don't always get the chance to capture photos of the first light. For photographs, iIt can only be compared to the light just before sunset, but I think the morning light has much more going for it.
Fog, dew, haze, frost- so many little things that add interest to a photograph, not to mention to a morning walk. While these moments can be captured, it's almost impossible to capture the feeling of being immersed in "the morning." You need your other senses to get the full experience.

The Last Set

A few minutes before 1:00 am, the crowd thins out at Chicago's legendary Green Mill Lounge. A few minutes before, patrons lined the floor shoulder to shoulder. Playing to standing room only crowds every Thursday night for over ten years, the 15 piece Swing Shift Orchestra plays big band jazz complete with old time commercials, for a taste of a 1930's radio show.
The lounge opened in 1907, and continues to this day. Al Capone frequented the lounge back in the 20's (his favorite booth is just behind the dancers).

Forgotten

On the edge of a tiny town in northwest Indiana, kids play on a teeter totter left to decay in an overgrown playground of the empty Lincoln School.

Replaced with a new school a few miles away, the Lincoln School closed well over a decade ago. The monkey bars and teeter totters wait in silence for local children, but rarely if ever are used.



Purchased by a local businessman, the school was used for a time for special events and parties, but now the "for sale" sign begs for a new owner.

I'm not sure what a small town could do with a building like this, but it's sad to see it stand empty, with only the echoes of the children who once roamed the halls, played in the playground, and sang behind the now boarded-up doors.

Basking in the Late Summer Sun

A small sunflower basks in the warm summer sun at the foot of a Lake Michigan sand dune.

Contrary to popular belief, sunflowers do not track the sun from morning to evening. You can see this proven here, by the shadows on the petals.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

No More Apples

Each Fall, we'd drive out to Eberly Orchards near North Liberty, Indiana to pick apples. The kids enjoyed it. There are countless "you pick" apple orchards around the Midwest, but none could compare to Eberly's.



Visiting Eberly's was a walk into the past. From the hand pruned apple trees, to the old, rustic barn used as the store front, time seemed to freeze around 1949.



Upon walking into the barn, visitors were surrounded by hand written notes and signs - mostly jokes or riddles written by the owner. Hand made wooden shelves held a variety of fresh-picked apples, and a small assortment of empty bags for the u-pick adventurous type.

There was no such thing as a quick visit, as Mr. Eberly would talk at length to every customer as if he'd known them all his life. Kids would be questioned as to what they should do with the core of the apples they eat in the orchard. His response:

Boy: Apple core!
Friend: Baltimore!
Boy: Who's your friend?
Friend: Me!
Then throw the apple core at the person who said 'me'.

Before heading out into the orchard, Mr. Eberly would take an apple or two off the shelf and cut it into sections for you to try.

Only a few acres in size, the orchard was not fancy or manicured, simply left to nature. The trees had dozens of apples underneath, left to rot and fertilize the trees. The types of apples were written on white, plastic can lids, then hung from the branches of the first trees in each row. Eberly could tell you from the barn, exactly which row had Empire, or Red Delicious, "The fifth row is Empire, then the next two rows are Red Delicious, but they're not ready yet. Go over three more rows and you'll see the Gala."



After filling up our bags, we'd head back to the barn. Mr. Eberly would stop and see what we picked. All five of us would hold a half peck bag. The hand penned sign on the shelf read $2 a half peck. Of course he would ignore the sign and say," That'll be $5" -never full price. I think he remained in business just to visit with his customers.



On a wooden counter near the door was an antique cash register used to ring up sales. A few clicks of the number keys and a ratcheting sound followed by a bell, and the cash drawer would open up. He'd put in the money, then continue to talk. On the way out, he often offered the kids peacock feathers he collected from the peacocks that roamed his farm.

While I'm sure we can find lots of u-pick orchards around the county, I don't think we'll ever bother going apple picking again - it won't be the same.

As his hand written retirement sign stated.... "Thanks for the memories."