I visited the Mt. Baldy section of the Indiana Dunes National Park today. While technically in Michigan City, it is a small part of the Dunes National Park that runs from Miller all the way around the southern tip of Lake Michigan almost to Michigan (the state, not the city).
Mt. Baldy is so named because it is a giant dune of raw sand, devoid of the marram grass and other flora, so its bright, almost white sand glows on a sunny day like today. Folks are not allowed to tread on Baldy to get to the beach, because a number of years ago a young boy almost died after falling into a sinkhole on its face, created by a rotted tree that had been covered up.
Mt. Baldy is known as a “living dune” because it is slowly progressing south, away from the beach, like a tidal wave of sand. It is one of the most unique features about the Indiana Dunes.
I did this sketch “en plein aire”, while sitting on a railroad tie wall, with my trusty .05 Micron.
A most excellent day.