This could be your front porch!!

“Lonely Goose” Mouth of the Hurricane river by Michigan Nut Photography

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore asks if you’ve ever thought about being a campground host?

If the answer is “Yes!” they are seeking a volunteer campground host for the month of June at Hurricane River Lower Campground. Volunteer campground hosts work 5 days a week and stay in a designated campsite, assisting fellow campers with information and registration, but they do not handle any money, and do not clean restrooms. Campground hosts are welcome to bring their own RVs and campers, though there are no electric or sewer hookups (vault toilets are available) and cell reception is limited.

Hurricane River Campground is on the eastern side of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, about 12 miles outside of Grand Marais. The campground sits above a sand and pebble beach on Lake Superior, which is dotted with shipwrecks as it stretches east towards the Au Sable Light Station.

It’s an awesome spot – learn more & apply on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore website!

John took this photo of a lonely goose at the mouth of the Hurricane River way back in 2012! For sure view & purchase prints from Pictured Rocks & elsewhere on his website!!

Solar Storm could bring northern lights to all of Michigan tonight!

Aurora Borealis over Lake Superior by Lake Superior Photo

Shawn Malone shared this photo yesterday saying: Incredible. There are now 4 CME’s earthward directed headed our way in the next few days. Levels of up to G4 storming are now forecast for auroras (see below for chart). Two of the CME’s merging late the 10th into the 11th are responsible for the G4 forecast for that time. I can’t ever remember this many earthward CME’s in such a short period of time from one region (3664 in this case).

…This is pretty amazing. Region 3664 is HUGE. Looks like that region alone has released 5 CMEs now, the last one tbd if it is earthward, but the rest appear to be with G4 storming in the forecast for Fri into Sat and very possibly beyond. This is the weekend to make a trip if you can, however we have cloud cover tomorrow night (aka tonight), MN looks better in that respect

FYI a G4 level solar storm can make it possible to see the aurora as far south as Detroit!!! She took this near Marquette. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram and FOR SURE view & purchase her work at LakeSuperiorPhoto.com where she has a massive northern lights gallery!

Before & after the fall at Miner’s Castle

Miner’s Castle before it fell by Sue Spaulding & Miner’s Castle (post-collapse) by Arie Koelewyn

17 years ago today, one of Michigan’s most notable rock formations became less notable when the northeast tower of this distinctive formation collapsed. The day after, the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore reported:

On Thursday morning, April 13, 2006, the northeast turret of Miners Castle collapsed. One turret remains on Miners Castle, the best-known feature of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The collapse was reported via cell phone by fisherman in the area, according to chief ranger Larry Hach.

Most of the rock fell north and into Lake Superior, and there were no injuries. The lower overlook platform near Miners Castle appears to be unaffected.

While the rockfall at Miners Castle on April 13 was startling, such events are not rare along the Pictured Rocks escarpment. At least five major falls have occurred over the past dozen years … Rockfalls along the cliffs typically occur in the spring and fall due to freezing and thawing action of Mother Nature.

You can read more & see more photos in this Absolute Michigan article on the collapse of a turret at Miner’s Castle.

All clear beneath Copper Harbor

Lake Superior, Copper Harbor, MI by Michigan Nut Photography

Let’s stay up on the Keweenaw Peninsula today with a look at the crystal clear waters of Lake Superior as seen from under the surface of Copper Harbor! For almost all my life, Lake Superior has been the cleanest & clearest of the five Great Lakes. Imagine my surprise to learn that in 2017, Lake Michigan & Lake Huron were found to be more clear than Lake Superior:

While Lake Superior has not gotten any dirtier, lakes Huron and Michigan have gotten significantly clearer in the past 20 years or so, a study published earlier this year in the Journal of Great Lakes Research found.

Anecdotally, scientists knew water clarity was improving in those lakes. But it hadn’t been quantified.

“What surprised us was the magnitude of the change,” said Robert Shuchman, a study co-author and co-director of the Michigan Tech Research Institute. “We had no idea the data was going to tell us that Huron and Michigan have surpassed the water clarity in Lake Superior. That was the startling piece.”

Scientists analyzed satellite images of the lakes captured between 1998 and 2012. Over that period, they found, the depth that light could penetrate down into the water — known as the photic zone — increased by about 20 percent in lakes Michigan and Huron.

They attribute part of that change to less phosphorous runoff. Climate change also likely plays a role. But the dominant factor is the explosion of invasive zebra and quagga mussels in the lakes since the late 1990s, researchers concluded.

Some of the highest abundances of quagga mussels in the world are found in Lake Michigan, said Gary Fahnenstiel, a senior research scientist at Michigan Tech and study co-author.

So in the end, not great that Michigan & Huron passed Superior in this. I looked to see if anything had changed in that regard, but it appears not.

You can view & purchase a bunch more photos of this wild place including some more underwater shots in the Porcupine Mountains & Keweenaw Peninsula gallery on MichiganNutPhotography.com!

Lots more Lake Superior on Michigan in Pictures!

Comet P12 Pons-Brooks Visits Eagle Harbor!

Comet P12 Pons-Brooks Visits Eagle Harbor by Shelby Diamondstar Photography

Let’s head WAY north for another exciting celestial phenomenon, Comet P12 Pons-Brooks aka the Devil’s Comet. Space.com explains that the comet is named after French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons (1761-1831) who went on to become the greatest visual comet discoverer of all time:

In today’s world, comets are routinely found when they are far out in space, beyond the ability of being picked up by human eyes, but are caught using robotic cameras attached to large telescopes either here on Earth or from satellites out in space.

In contrast, Pons made most of his discoveries using telescopes and lenses of his own design; his “Grand Chercheur” (“Great Seeker”) was an instrument with a large aperture and short focal length, similar to telescopes that our modern-day amateurs would refer to as a “comet seeker.” Pons is noted today for visually discovering 37 comets (still a record) from 1801 to 1827.

…On Sept. 2, 1883, British-born American comet observer William R. Brooks (1844-1921) accidently found it. Like Pons, Brooks was a prolific discoverer of comets. In fact, his total of 27 visual discoveries is second only to Pons. Not until the first orbital calculations of Brooks’ discovery was made, was it realized that this comet and the comet found by Pons of 1812 were one of the same. So, this comet now bears the surnames of both observers.

With an orbital period of roughly 71 years, comet Pons-Brooks is considered to be a “Halley-type” comet, that is, a comet with an orbital period between 20 and 200 years, often appearing only once or twice within one’s lifetime. Other comets with a similar orbital period include 13P/Olbers, 23P/Brosen-Metcalf and the most famous of all, 1P/Halley. Because it was the twelfth comet to have a definitive orbital period calculated, it is cataloged today as 12P/Pons-Brooks.

You can look for the comet just after sunset, but you will probably need binoculars given the afterglow of the sunset.

MaryBeth took this way up on the Keweenaw Peninsula at Eagle Harbor Lighthouse. Click the photo above to share a comment with her on Facebook and for sure view & purchase her work at shelbydiamondstar.com!

PS: In my best Arnold voice, “I’ll be back” (because she has an amazeballs photo for us!)

Michigan Beach Gem Season

Miners Beach Gems by Steven M Last

The warming temps are definitely bringing out the rockhounds on Michigan’s Great Lakes beaches! Stephen got this beauty shot featuring a rose quartz in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore near Munising. See more on his Flickr & happy hunting!

More Michigan rocks & stones on Michigan in Pictures.

Fallen

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore by Stephen Trynoski

Stephen took this shot of two massive slabs of fallen rock in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore back in 2015. See more of Lake Superior in all four seasons in his gallery.

The day I understood everything

The day I understood everything by Fire Fighter’s Wife

“The day I understood everything was the day I stopped trying to figure everything out. The day I knew peace was the day I let everything go.”
— C. JoyBell C.

Beth took this cool shot of the remains of an old Lake Superior dock a few years ago. See more in her Waterscapes/Nautical gallery on Flickr.

Keweenaw topped 25 feet of snow this winter!

McLain State Park Snowshoeing by Nathan Miller

The Keweenaw Road Commission shared last week that they’ve recorded over 300 inches of snow this winter. The 25 feet of snow is about 6 feet more than normal. While that’s definitely a whole lot, it’s 356 inches of snow recorded in the winter of 1978–79.

Nathan took this photo at the beginning of February at McLain State Park near Hancock on the Keweenaw Peninsula. See more in his McLain State Park Snowshoeing – February 2022 gallery on Flickr.

Geared up for the photo

Intrepid MK2 8×10 at Lake Superior by Kirt E Carter

Here’s a sweet shot large-format, black & white shot of Kirt’s rig for a recent photo shoot at Little Girl’s Point on Lake Superior near the Michigan/Wisconsin border. You can see more on Flickr & for sure check out his website to view & purchase his work! 

More black & white photography on Michigan in Pictures & you can click to read more about the Intrepid MK2 8×10 camera.