The Cascades of Cascade Falls

Wednesday, June 7, 2017 - Esther Lake to the Cascade Falls

Morning on Esther Lake.

Blueberry Blossoms at Esther Lake

Morning on Esther Lake

Land of Sky Blue Waters

Paper Birch Wood

This journey Up North has turned into a photo-recon mission of the North Shore Waterfalls, as I familiarize myself with the new camera, and reacquaint myself with familiar landscapes.  After taking a few photos from the point at Esther Lake, I left my bijou, buggie campsite (although I will admit the pesky creatures were quite lackadaisical this morning), and headed down the Arrowhead Trail, then south through Grand Marais to the Cascade River.  Here is to be found Cascade Falls, with a series of smaller falls beyond known as the Cascades (but of course).  In the several times over the years I have visited here, I never realized there was a differentiation in the naming of these falls; I always considered the whole series to be "Cascade Falls."  Now that I have become aware of this, I can see that why thereof.  When looking upriver at the Cascades, you see a series of smaller falls within the gorge, and it no doubt would be a task to give each one names, such as: lower middle falls, middle middle falls upper middle falls ... you get the point; best call them the Cascades and be done with it!  But I never had a problem calling the whole series of them "Cascade Falls," either.

Cascade Falls

Downstream from Cascade Falls towards Lake Superior. 

The top of the Falls. I first took a photo from this vantage back in `'77. It was quite a scramble to get down here. In 2006 there was too much undergrowth to attempt it, but this year that was gone, and I managed to scramble down again, but it was nerve racking, and I took but one photo ... I'm not as young as I once was.

One of my favorite views on the Cascade Riverb this is just above the second Falls, and I guess you might call it the third falls. I painted a Watercolour of this twenty some years ago, which sadly was stolen by the Grassland Gallery, when the owner disappeared. 

Orange Lichen on the Canyon Wall.

Much to my surprise I spent six hours here on photo-recon.  I could spend several days just here, drawing & painting, as there are so many different vantage points and intimate views, and the variables in lighting, as the Sun moves through the day, makes each of them a different painting for almost every hour of the day; factor in the seasons, then a year here would be well spent.  But my time is limited in my beloved Northwoods; I must soon move on into the West painting and drawing over the next few months on my way back to Oregon, and so I will let the photographs tell the story.

Views of the Cascades from the footbridge.

Along the Cascades ... these stairs always make me think of forest Elves.

View downstream from the Elven Stairs.

Farther into the Canyon of the Cascades.

The last Falls.

Above the last Falls from the other side.

Turning towards the view upriver.

Upriver from the Cascades.

Turning to look downstream ... the last Falls is around the bend.

Strolling back downstream. 

Afternoon light at the Cascades.

I was prepared to head back up the Arrowhead Trail and try out the small campground at Devilfish Lake, not far from last nights Esther Lake campsite, but the Horseshoe Bay campsite was unoccupied, and so I saved myself some petrol, by not having to drive into the interior.  Early enough into camp to be able to have supper finished by sundown, and to enjoy the evening Moon over Lake Superior.

Evening light at Horseshoe Bay.

Moon over the Islet.

Day's end.