On April 26, I did something I hadn’t done in a while. I took a quick trip up the North Shore to Gooseberry Falls as one of my friends visited from my hometown and wanted to go.
As we made the trip, I noticed the temperature gauge read a brisk 38 degrees. In my mind, 38 degrees isn’t exactly the ideal temperature to take a trip to see Gooseberry Falls. We decided to take the scenic drive anyway.
When my friend Katie and I got there, it wasn’t the Gooseberry Falls that I am used to seeing. The benches outside the indoor station were empty, whereas in the summer they’re jam packed with people.
As we started walking the path to the upper level trails, the mud sank beneath my shoes. What I saw, however, was still breathtaking. Brown water came tumbling down from the falls faster than I had ever seen. While it sounds kind of gross, it contrasted nicely with the snow still lingering on the April ground.
Gooseberry Falls is easily a place where people can spend all day. I found it harder to stay and enjoy the paths as the temperature was chilly and a lot of the paths were covered in snow. While I prefer the warm summer air when I visit, Barb Biagi disagrees.
She quickly summed up why she thinks Gooseberry Falls is still a great place to visit in winter-like conditions.
“I love it when the falls are falling really hard. It’s the best when it’s snow covered,” Biagi said.
So now is your chance, Duluth. Visit Gooseberry Falls to see the water really fall or wait a couple of weeks for a shot at hopefully warmer temperatures.
This story is part of our #Five3Duluth project, a collaborative social media event chronicling a day in the life of Duluth. If you want to read more stories like this or participate yourself, join us on Saturday, May 3, by sharing your pictures or stories that day on Twitter at #Five3Duluth.