March 30, 2014 Oslo & Roxie's Big Adventure at the Indiana Dunes

It was a beautiful sunny morning and the forecast called for our warmest day since last November. We decided to get an early start and hike to the beach on Trail #8 at the Indiana Dunes State Park. The low morning sun created great light for pictures.

Here's Roxie getting tired of waiting for me while I was taking pictures.

Chrissy and Oslo waiting for us on Mount Jackson, elev 176 ft.

Most of the north facing valleys were still filled with snow.

The third and final climb before running down to the beach.

The deep blue sky colored the lake with an amazing shade of blue.

There was still some shelf ice out on the lake but along the shore was a lot of broken ice chunks floating in open water.

These two were thrilled to find snow and ice.

While I took pictures...

...Roxie drank water and ate some ice.

The sand covered ice chunks were about 5" thick.

Air bubbles moving under a thin layer of ice. I am easily amazed by things like this...

...and things like this. Giant chunks of ice thrown onto to shelf ice at different angles.

The colors and patterns were very interesting to me.

Oslo photo bombed my picture of Chrissy and Roxie.

We decided to walk west along the beach instead of hiking over the dunes so I could take more pictures and because the dogs were getting worn out from the warmer temperatures. Chrissy & I loved the warmer temperatures.

I love pictures of signs. We passed these signs along the path back to the campgrounds.

Who knew the American Revolution was fought on this beach?

We stopped at these signs as we drove out of the park on Route 49.

We stopped at the National Park Visitor Center and bought a National Parks Pass to support America's Greatest Idea. If you have a few extra dollars, please support the parks any way you can.

March 23, 2014 Oslo's Endless Winter

The Beach Boys had their Endless Summer, this year is my dog Oslo's Endless Winter. Since we woke up to snow falling once again, we decided to head out to the Dunes for a hike with the dogs. Unfortunately, I-80 from the state line to I-65 had about 25 accidents. There were cops, firetrucks, ambulances and tow trucks all over the highway in both directions. So we decided to go to West Beach and hike the Long Lake Trail.

Yes, that is cactus in the snow. 

Oslo & I fell behind Chrissy & Roxie but we could follow their trail.

Roxie stopped to see where we were. Chrissy could care less where we were.

I have this same picture from last fall and there was hardly any water in Long Lake. Our near record level of snow this winter has solved that problem.

Oslo is thankful that his prayers for snow have been answered so often this winter.

Time for a snack...snow.

Ever since a young child was swallowed by a sand dune at Mt. Baldy last summer, the National Park Service has been checking all the dunes for sinkholes. The boy survived being under the sand for hours but Mt. Baldy has not reopened yet. 

Here's Roxie & Christy running down a dune that is not closed off.

On our way home we stopped at Marquette Park to check out Lake Michigan. At West Beach, dogs are not allowed on the beach. The wind was blowing straight off the lake and the lake effect snow was really coming down. The shelf ice went about 200 feet into the lake and the waves were pounding over the top of the twenty foot high sections out on the lake. 

Here's a few shots of the ice that is still on the lake in late March.

Christy & Roxie couldn't take the wind anymore and found some shelter in the dunes...where they waiting for me & Oslo...who would have spent the rest of the day on that beach if I let him.