Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Exploring the Lake Huron Shore

The Lake Huron shore of the Bruce Peninsula is about as different from the Georgian Bay shore as it's possible to get!  Instead of steep cliffs, boulders and crashing waves, the west shoreline dips very gently into the lake, creating numerous very shallow bays.  We went exploring that shoreline another day, trying to find places for public access (there aren't many).

In some spots at least, it's perfectly flat limestone bedrock dipping gradually into the bay.  This was a small public access point on Pleasant Bay.

Along the sides of these bays, it's often gravel along the shoreline; in the other direction it was sand, and people were swimming.

But take a close look at this picture.  Notice the sedges and grasses that are growing out in the water?  The level of Lake Huron has risen several inches this year, flooding plants that were growing on dry land last year.

 Here's a Shrubby Cinquefoil, growing right in the water.  Plants won't last many seasons like this!

And these are actually some small trees, birch trees I think.

There were a few wildflowers onshore too, like this pale mauve Aster.  We had better luck at other spots up the coast for plants, but this shoreline is known as a botanist's paradise.

We headed on, looking for other interesting spots, and my wife spotted a flutter among the Joe-Pye Weed 30 feet away.  I don't know how she does it!

Yes, it was another Monarch.  We've now seen several more this summer.


18 comments:

  1. Oh, how I'd love to go exploring here with you! Thanks for the enticing photos.

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  2. Beautiful spot. I love those monarchs and am glad to see them flourishing there. :-)

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  3. Wonderful post and photos . My count of the Monarchs has been more this month then all summer and more then all of last years I am pleased to say ! Thanks for sharing , Have a good day and Happy First Day of Fall/Autumn .

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  4. Interesting to see these pretty flowers growing in the water. Beautiful shot of the Monarch.

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  5. I love both sides of the Bruce Peninsula! Having a cottage on the tip (Cape Hurd) we have access to both. I really couldn't believe how high the water was this year. At least 40 feet of "dry" land was covered in water. You got some lovely shots, and I now know that the flowers that are so numerous on the way down to our shore are Joe-Pye Weed

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  6. Monarchs are rare in my garden and I saw only one briefly this year. I hate beautiful places like this with rare public access. My husband will spend hours driving around looking for access to water!

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  7. Always fascinating. Do we know why the level of Lake Huron has risen so much?

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    1. it's constantly fluctuating- in 2015 it was recovering form years of below average-- great hing for the cottagers in that bay with the boat lunch- they were high and dry for a long time
      http://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-water-levels-in-lake-michigan-and-lake-huron-chart-20150709-graphic.html

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  8. You had me with the butterflies. In the Midwest, the lakes fluctuate in depth frequently drowning out trees that pop out when they are down. So much different from the seashore.

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  9. you are lucky to have so much beautiful water here, with so many experiencing such an extreme drought!! i have not seen many butterflies at all this year, just a few in my garden!!!

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  10. A very pleasant area... and good to see the monarch!

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  11. I hope you'll revisit in the late spring when the limestone flowers should be at their best. Some lovely shots of the Monarch butterfly.

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  12. I've seen a few Monarchs every day for the last week or so - all fluttering towards the south!

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  13. The Monarchs are so pretty- your wife has a good eye!

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  14. Beautiful butterfly pics! And nice shots of the shoreline.

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  15. Oh, the monarchs are beautiful.
    Enjoy the shoreline pictures.

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  16. Wonderful photos- I spent summers at our cottage on Pleasant Bay from time I was 8 till 17. Launched our little aluminum boat on that natural boat lunch THOUSANDS of times. My nostalgia for that place and time makes me ache.

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