These playfully constructed stone sculptures, are called cairns and in Inuit - inuksuk is meant to represent a human figure, and is called an inunguak (“imitation of a person”). In Italy, especially the Italian Alps, a cairn is an ometto, or a “small man”. In German and Dutch, a cairn is known as steinmann and steenman respectively, meaning literally “stone man”. Still, a good excuse to stroll our Lakewalk and enjoy them before weather and clumsy tourists knock them all down.

Photo credit: Ted Heinonen