The other day I led an excursion organized by Visit Keweenaw (our regional destination marketing organization) for some members of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. On this particular excursion, I was showing some of the people the beautiful winter landscapes we get in the Keweenaw. On snowshoes, we explored the area around Hungarian Falls. The snow filled forest and vista overlooking Torch Lake were breathtaking - although the falls, due to it being the middle of February were completely frozen over and snow-covered.
After that I took them along the northern coast of the peninsula so they could see some of the lakescapes where more rugged terrain interfaces with Lake Superior. We explored the area around the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse, ventured up to Esrey Park, and then returned back to Houghton. As we were passing though Eagle Harbor on the return trip, one of my passengers pointed out a coyote that was right at the edge of the lake along the road. It was in a position that was difficult to see from where we were at; so, I continued around the corner to where we could get a better view of the animal. In that very short period of time (about 40 seconds) it had amazingly moved quite a long distance across the ice as it was making its way north east across the harbor.
I got out of the truck to start taking pictures across the hood with my 60-600mm lens. My clients decided to simply stay in the vehicle with the windows down to take their pictures. A couple passing vehicles slowed down to take a look at what I was focused on but then continued on their way.
The falling snow was obscuring the view of the coyote and as a result most of the shots I took of it were soft and blurry - but a couple pictures turned out quite nice with the coyote enveloped in all the white of its surroundings.
Seeing coyotes (and sometimes wolves) travelling on the ice is not uncommon for people who live near Lake Superior’s shore. The dogs take advantage of the easy movement they have on the ice. They patrol the shorelines looking for prey, move between tributaries where they can scavenge and hunt, and venture out on the big lake in search of mates. Given that January through March is their breeding season, it’s entirely possible that this one may have been out looking for a mate…but, given that we initially had seen in scrounging among the uneven snow and ice of the shoreline it seemed fairly obvious it was looking for food. Our presence when we first saw it likely just convinced it to move to another location with fewer people.
If you are interested in personal guided hikes or photography sessions, let me know by filling out the form located on this page. I’ll send you more details and we can work out a schedule.