Know Your Michigan Waterfalls: Morgan Falls Edition
January 11, 2013
Calming Currents – Morgan Falls (Marquette, MI), photo by Aaron C. Jors
GoWaterfalling’s page on Morgan Falls explains that:
Morgan Creek tumbles 20 feet into the Carp River, creating this small wild waterfall. This is one of the more accessible of the Marquette waterfalls. The more impressive, but much hard to visit Carp River Falls are half a mile away.
Morgan Falls is located about two miles south of the city of Marquette. Of the many waterfalls in Marquette county this is one of the easier to visit, especially if you have four wheel drive. The waterfall is located at the confluence of Morgan Creek and the Carp River. The creek cascades down 20 feet to join up with the Carp.
…There is some disagreement about the name of this falls. According to some Morgan Falls is actually a cascade further upstream, and this is just an unnamed waterfall. This is the more distinctive and photogenic of the two features.
Read on for more information including directions.
You can view this photo on black. Aaron has several more great waterfall shots on Michigan in Pictures and even more in his Michigan waterfalls slideshow.
There are even more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures too!
New Destination
November 24, 2012
New destination, photo by Moobyluvsme
Gorgeous photo from last month. Check it out big as the sky, download it as a background and see more in Mike’s slideshow.
Safe travels this weekend everyone!
Tahquamenon Falls are pretty big
November 12, 2012
Tahquamenon Falls Panorama, photo by Unified Photography
Wikipedia’s Tahquamenon Falls entry says that the upper Tahquamenon Falls in Tahquamenon Falls State Park are more than 200 feet across with a drop of approximately 48 feet. In the spring, the falls can push as much as 50,000 gallons of water per second. That makes it the third most voluminous vertical waterfall east of the Mississippi, after Niagara Falls and Cohoes Falls in New York.
As you can see, they are impressive even during times of lower flow. I thought this shot did a great job of conveying the size of these magnificent falls and really hope you get a chance to see them!
Check this out big as a waterfall and see more in Kenneth’s Pure Michigan slideshow.
Much more about Tahquamenon Falls on Michigan in Pictures!
Fall is hanging on
November 2, 2012
Untitled, photo by Brooke Pennington
Although an early leaf drop has been forecast, it seems from the photos in the Absolute Michigan pool that pockets of fall color are still to be found.
Check this out on black and see more in Brooke’s bokeh slideshow.
More bokeh on Michigan in Pictures including Ross’s excellent photo and explanation of what bokeh is and isn’t.
Pumpkin Army
October 25, 2012
pumpkins 3, photo by northernlightphotograph
Over on Absolute Michigan our PumpkinPalooza can tell you everything you want to know about pumpkins including some facts from our friends at Taste the Local Difference:
Pumpkins are a member of the cucurbita family, which includes squash, watermelons, and cucumbers. Their origins are believed to have come from Central America. Seeds from related plants have been found in Mexico that date back over 7000 years ago.
Pumpkins were an important food source for Native Americans. They regularly made pumpkin porridge, stew and pumpkin jerky and they made a broth that contained squash blossoms. They also dried pumpkin shells, and then weaved them into mats, which they used for trading. Early pilgrims quickly added pumpkins to their menus and also sent seeds back to Europe. The earliest version of pumpkin pie was made by baking a hollowed out pumpkin that was filled with milk, honey and spices.
Pumpkins are high in potassium, Vitamin A and fiber. They are also a good source of beta-carotene. Pumpkin seeds are rich in magnesium, copper and cholesterol-lowering phytosterols.
Read on for more including recipes and a comprehensive listing of Michigan pumpkin patches.
Check this out bigger and in Tim’s big old Petoskey images slideshow.
Lots more pumpkins on Michigan in Pictures.
2012 Michigan wine vintage looking great
October 18, 2012
41.52 – Evoke: Ooooooh’s, photo by Kc Jacoby Photography LLC
I ran into Ken last weekend in Traverse City, and – like many visitors to the region – he spent some time touring Traverse City’s wine country. The vineyards look great at this time of year and (even better) the grapes in these vineyards and all over the state are defying the general agricultural awfulness. Long, dry summer made this vintage year for wine grapes from Crain’s Detroit Business begins:
Call it global warming or climate change, it doesn’t matter to winemaker Lee Lutes. He calls the past few years of long, warm, dry summers an “exceptional growing season” for his grapes.
Today the head winemaker at Black Star Farms is helping harvest the crop on the winery’s 150 acres on the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas.
And while the region’s crop of tart cherries was ruined by the weather’s mood swings in the spring — 80 degrees in March, then frost in May — wine grapes mature later and, for the most part, survived if not thrived. The variety of grapes grown in Michigan are really meant for warmer regions.
Check this out bigger and see more in Ken’s Traverse City slideshow.
More Michigan farms on Michigan in Pictures.
Waterfall Wednesday: Greenstone Falls
October 17, 2012
All About Fall – Greenstone Falls (Porcupine Mountains State Park – Upper Michigan), photo by Aaron C. Jors
GoWaterfalling’s minor waterfalls page says:
Greenstone Falls is a small scenic falls on the Little Carp River. The falls is about 20′ wide, and less than 10′ high. This is the most easily reached of the “backcountry” falls in Porcupine Mountains State Park, being about 1/2 mile from the trailhead. The trailhead to the falls is at the end of Little Carp River road. If you continue on the trail for another 2+ miles you will reach the much larger Trappers Falls.
Trappers Falls looks like a pretty cool natural waterslide!
Check this out on black and see more in Aaron’s great Waterfalls slideshow. Aaron has several more waterfall shots on Michigan in Pictures too.
Many more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures.
Michigan Wild & Scenic Rivers: Au Sable River
October 16, 2012
Changing Skies over the Au Sable HDR, photo by hz536n/George Thomas
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States that certain selected rivers of the Nation which, with their immediate environments, possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.
~Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, October 2, 1968
Michigan’s has 16 Wild & Scenic Rivers. One of these is the Au Sable River. The 23 mile stretch of the river from Mio downstream to the 401 Bridge is the portion that has the National Scenic River designation, considered to offer some of the best canoeing in Michigan. It’s also a blue ribbon trout stream with excellent brown trout fly fishing and holding walleye, pike and bass as well.
With all that going for it, I was surprised by the lack of quality information available online about this river. Sometimes, having to dive a little deeper pays off as it has this morning with Michigan’s Au Sable River: Today and Tomorrow by G. E. Hendrickson. The paper was prepared way back in 1966 for the Michigan Department of Conservation under Gov. George Romney’s administration in conjunction with the Geological Survey and the United States Department of the Interior.
Located in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan, the Au Sable is known for its high water quality, scenery, recreational opportunities, coldwater fishery, and historic and cultural significance. It may just be the. If that were not enough reason to visit the river, the Au Sable is also one of the best canoeing rivers in the Midwest.
Two south-flowing rivers rise in the country north of Grayling. One, the Manistee, turns west to Lake Michigan; the other, the Au Sable, turns east to Lake Huron. Both are famous trout streams, but the Au Sable is perhaps enjoyed and cherished by more people than any other Michigan river. Cool clean flowing water, natural cover, and gravel spawning beds make it an outstanding trout stream. Its natural beauty attracts canoeists, campers, and cabin dwellers.
The upper Au Sable is a young river, as rivers go, having settled down to its present course after the glaciers retreated about 12,000 years ago. It was named by early French explorers, the name meaning “River of Sands.” Following close on the heels of the retreating ice, the earliest Indians moved into Michigan, and possibly into the Au Sable area. The Indians hunted for deer, bear, mastodons, giant beaver, caribou, and other wildlife. They also fished for many species. To the Indians the Au Sable was a source of food and drink and a highway for canoe travel. Early white traders and explorers used the river for the same purposes, while the lumbermen valued it chiefly for transporting logs.
You can read on for a lot more including the story of the extinction of the Au Sable river Grayling and Au Sable River drift boats.
Check this out background bigtacular and see a ton more in George’s Fall & Autumn slideshow.
More of Michigan’s Wild & Scenic Rivers on Michigan in Pictures.
A Mere Reflection
October 12, 2012
A Mere Reflection, photo by Happyhiker4
Mark took this photo 2 years ago today on Boardman Lake near Traverse City.
Check it out on black or jump into his slideshow. He posts mostly on his Mark Lindsay Photography Facebook page these days, so that’s probably the best place to keep up with his work.
More fall color on Michigan in Pictures.
Sunrise at Lake of the Clouds
October 8, 2012
Sunrise at Lake of the Clouds, Porcupine Mountains, photo by Neil Weaver Photography
Lake of the Clouds is a favorite here on Michigan in Pictures, so it was a happy morning when I found Neil’s great shot of sunrise over the lake.
Head over to Facebook to see it bigger and see more from the UP and elsewhere in Neil’s Landscapes & Lakescapes album.
