Perhaps not the first image one would expect out of a hike in a National Park. But it fascinates me how this steel mill sits literally in the middle of the park, the contrast between heavy industry and nature is so strongly illustrated in this area. I pass by this scene on my way to 2/3 of the trails in the park. When the weather is cold the steam from the stacks is most impressive. What you cannot really make out in this pic is the exhaust for one of the big furnaces which emits a massive amount of steam about every 20 minutes or so. I just missed it this time…

The criss crossing patterns of the reeds and tall grasses of the marsh provide support for the freshly fallen snow.

When out hiking there is a strong tendency to always be looking ahead and to the side. Every now and then it pays to simply look straight up. One of the things I am learning as a photographer is to stay conscious of stopping to look up and back to where I have come from.

It does not take much color to stand out in the otherwise nearly monochrome scenery. This early in winter many of the trees still have enough leaves to make a visual impact.

Tracks in the snow show that I was not the only person out that day. But notice how the snow still clings to the branches which crowd the trail at this point. Not so many so many people have passed this way, otherwise most of this snow would have been dislodged.

Winter wonderland. I love how the the snow highlights the intricate patterns of the intertwining branches in the forrest.

Through a small gap in the branches you can glimpse some of the buildings in the steel mill which was the subject of the first picture in this post. This trail parallels the mill.

Leaves are ever fascinating.

This is the root system of a tree at the edge of the marsh which blew over sometime ago. Looks sorta like a bad toupee which has flipped up in the wind.

Top, middle and bottom. Three bands representing different colors and textures.

End of the day, about to head back home.