This photo was taken in the early morning at South Temperance Lake located in the BWCA in northern Minnesota. With only a short portage from Brule Lake (located just to the east), this lake offers 4 campsites with a variety of unique opportunities to view nature. It was one of the lake that was devastated by the 1999 blow down, however, it provides a unique look at mother nature and its destructive forces as well as it's ability to regenerate.

Although a blow down appears very devastating to the forest, it creates a necessary opportunities for many low lying plants to grow. With the sun reaching the forest floor many plant species can take root, giving many of the animals an abundance of forage such as berries and vegetation.

Like anywhere on the water, Brule Lake offers an amazing sunrise. If you ever take a trip to the Boundary Waters, you have to set your internal clock (or alarm clock) to wake you up for the sunrise. This photo was taken at 5:29am, perhaps my favorite time to be in the BWCA.

The early mornings provide a better wildlife and landscape viewing opportunity then any other part of the day. The lighting is perfect for photography, wildlife activity is abundant, and the wind is most often calmer then any other part of the day.