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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Grand Island Ice Cave Sunrise by Michigan Nut Photography
Incredible shot from inside an ice cave on Lake Superior’s Grand Island taken last weekend. You can check out another on John’s Facebook page and view & purchase his work at michigannutphotography.com.
More photos & information at the Grand Island tag on Michigan in Pictures!
On his Twitter, Michigan’s Sunrise King Bugsy Sailor shared a phenomenon that I’d never heard of – Orehenge! He writes:
Twice a year, for a few days stretch, the sun rises down the center of the historic Marquette ore dock.
And oh boy, does the community loves it! Just as they should. But my introverted self, loving my mornings of solitude and meditation, has to overcome a lot of anxious energy to walk into a crowd during my most cherished time of the day.
Orehenge, as it’s affectionately called, falls in November and January, where the sun is really seen at sunrise. From my January data over three years, there is less than a 20% chance of seeing the sun at sunrise.
There’s more observations & photos of this very cool seasonal happening and the crowd that showed up @BugsySailor on Twitter. For sure check out his Twitter for more & if you’re low on Upper Peninsula swag, his UP Supply Co is a great source!
Tobin Harbor Sunrise by Carl TerHaar
How would you like to wake up to this view?? Well, if you are a college student, the Isle Royale Wolf-Moose Research Project is seeking volunteers to assist with data collection for the 2022 summer field season. Students studying natural resources, conservation, ecology, or related fields will gain valuable field work experience working with distinguished researchers in Isle Royale National Park in the longest continuous study of any predator-prey system in the world.
The opportunity is for 4-5 weeks between early-May and mid-June, and requires students to have documented experience backpacking & camping for extended periods of time in remote settings, proficiency with orienteering, and the ability to get along with others in backcountry settings for 10-day periods of time are all critical. Get the full rundown of qualifications, activities & more on their website at IsleRoyaleWolf.org.
Carl is definitely Michigan in Pictures’s Isle Royale Bureau Chief! His photos feature prominently in our posts about Isle Royale & his photo of a Bull Moose Faceoff is one of the most popular photos of all time on Michigan in Pictures. He took this way back in the summer of 2009, and you can see hundreds more in his Isle Royale National Park gallery on Flickr. For sure head over to his Mackinaw Scenics website to view & purchase his work!
Winter morning on Agate Beach by Gary McCormick
Here’s a special Science Term Throwback Thursday from January 14th 8 years ago!
Ernest W. Marshall talks about a common winter feature along considerable stretches of Great Lakes shorelines, the Icefoot, a narrow fringe of ice attached to the coast:
Air and water temperatures must be sufficiently low before an icefoot begins to form. The conditions favorable for icefoot formation are broad open shorelines gradually sloping below water level, and facing so that wind-blown spray is carried inland toward the shore to freeze. The character of growth of an icefoot differs during different periods of the winter. During the course of the winter the icefoot may suffer periods of denudation alternating with periods of accretion. The development of an icefoot can be held at one stage by the early freezing of fast ice offshore. An icefoot can be composed of any combination of frozen spray or lake water, snow accumulations, brash, stranded icefloes, and sand which is either thrown up on the icefoot by wave action or is blown out from the exposed beaches.
Observations of the icefoot along the shorelines of Lakes Superior and Erie indicated that the moderately steep portions of the shore were characterized by narrow terraces composed of frozen slush and brash thrown up by storm winds. The outer edge of this icefoot was often cusp-like in form, resulting from the mechanical and melting action of the waves. The inner portions of the cusps acted to concentrate the wave action, forming blowholes which threw spray back on the icefoot.
You can click to read more.
Gary took this photo at one of my favorite places, Agate Beach on Lake Superior in Grand Marais. In the distance is Grand Sable Dunes & the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. See more in Gary’s Grand Marais Michigan gallery including a shot of a staggeringly huge ice mound & view and purchase his work at Footsore Fotography.
Milky Way over Au Sable Point Lighthouse by Michigan Nut Photography
EarthSky says that the annual Geminid Meteor Shower that will peak next week is one of the year’s best:
The Geminids are a reliable shower for those who watch around 2 a.m. local time from a dark-sky location. We also often hear from those who see Geminid meteors in the late evening hours. This year, a waxing gibbous moon will be above the horizon during peak time for viewing. But it’ll set shortly afterwards, leaving the sky dark for watching meteors. Thus the best time to watch for Geminid meteors in 2021 is likely before dawn – say, from around 3 a.m. to dawn – on the morning of December 14.
It’s a somewhat narrow window for meteor-watching. But still worth a look!
On a dark night, near the peak of the shower, you can often catch 50 or more meteors per hour. On an optimum night for the Geminids, it’s possible to see 150 meteors per hour. A new moon on December 4 means that the peak of the shower coincides with a moon just a few days past first-quarter phase.
Click through for all the details but remember the key to success is finding dark skies!!
John took this back in May 2014 at the Au Sable Lighthouse in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. See more in his Starry Nights gallery on Flickr & view and purchase prints & calendars on his website.
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