Trip the the UP!!!

I got to go the Upper Peninsula this weekend!! Charles and Sarah had to go up and led a trip on a proposed trail on one of the preserves that Charles manages for his work. It was fun, but honestly not all that different than anything we have down here. Lots of snow and the most spectacular frozen lakes. It still amazes me that these huge bodies of water actually freeze solid. Anyhow, this first picture is of Charles' boss explaining the types of trees and soil to our group.

He dug a hole in the snow to show us the depth and the sandy soil beneath. I'm not sure how well you can tell from the picture, but it is about 2 feet deep here.

A couple of the people in our group had those neat old style snowshoes that I would love to use as decoration in my house if I can ever find a really cheap pair. They said that they are kinda a pain to use compared to the new ones becuase of their width and lack of crampons ... but man do they look sweet!!!
The sign says "Please Spare the Wildflowers." Maybe I will come back this summer when there are wildflowers to spare!