Troutbirder II

Troutbirder II
Click on Mark Twain to jump to Troutbirders book review blog

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Father of Waters

The first time I saw this sign was 1954. I was camping with my parents and brothers at Itasca State Park in northern Minnesota. Like most visitors, we jumped across the rocks, thus leaping over the mighty Mississippi. We visited that place again last week with our friends Gary and Rosie.







The roads into the Park are lined with majestic Norway (Red) pines. These are survivors from the era of unrestrained logging that took place throughout the north country in the late nineteenth century. Itasca was our first state park. It was created, after much ado, as a gift to future generations, to show what our beautiful pristine northern forests looked like before being converted into lumber.






Here "Preachers Grove" reminds of that primeval forest. We took several hikes throughout the area. Fall was just beginning to make its appearance on the leaves. There was a crispness in the air which made everything seem sharper to the senses.





A blowdown had occured several years before as a result of the massive storm that did so much destruction in the BWCAW. Now regrowth made some of the trails seems claustrophobic as we picked our way through the damaged area.





A small opening and pond was the home of a beaver family.


We also saw the largest white pine in the park and a red pine which shared with a similar tree in Michigan the honor of being the largest of its kind in the United States. From this beautiful setting, The Father of Waters, third largest river in the world, drains half a continent on its way to the sea.

9 comments:

  1. Your photos and description of Itasca State Park bring back memories of my last visit there. There had been very heavy rains prior to our arrival and the headwaters of the Mississippi were atually backed up into the big parking lot! Our kids were able to float from the edge of the lot, down the beginnings of the river, then get out, cross the lot and do it again!! They all had a blast. Itasca is the only place I've ever seen a Red-headed Woodpecker. Your photo of Preacher's Grove is beautiful. Glad you had a good time there.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your photo of Preacher's Grove, it is beautiful. All the photos are wonderful. I live on the west coast in the Hot Desert, so I only get to enjoy the beauty of greenery, huge oak trees, and the beautiful forest through pictures.
    Thank you for sharing them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Been wondering where you had wandered off to. Always nice to go back where we were as children. The photograph of the sun filtering through the trees is excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love the photo of the forest with the sun coming in... just beautiful! Thanks for taking us along troutbirder.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Boy, one of these days I need to visit up there. That grove of trees looks fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Loved that Preacher's grove photo! And was that largest white pine that you saw in Mich located in Hartwick Pines State park?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wonderful photos. I especially love the grove with dim sunlight filtering thru.
    Marnie

    ReplyDelete
  8. What wonderful photgraphs of such a lovely place. We used to drive along western Wisconsin up the Mississippi to the headwaters. Such a beautiful and changing area.

    ReplyDelete