Giant Sequoia Tree Manistee, Michigan by Charles Bonham
Charles shares that this Giant Sequoia (Sequoiaadendron giganteum) at Lake Bluff Arboretum in Manistee was planted in 1949 on a cliff along Lake Michigan is now over 100 feet tall! You can see another view right here and view lots more on his Flickr!
Hartwick Pines State Park by James Salinas
mLive shares that the woman whose donation created Hartwick Pines State Park has been honored by the Michigan Environmental Hall of Fame:
Nearly 100 years ago, a Grayling woman named Karen Hartwick bought and then donated to the state of Michigan an 8,000-acre parcel containing a rare and precious grove of pristine virgin pine trees.
The donation was significant for a woman acting alone at that time, but also considering that Hartwick’s father had made his fortune from the logging boom that had leveled much of Michigan’s ancient forests.
…Hartwick’s vision gave Michigan its beloved Hartwick Pines State Park, and it’s continued to keep that land safe in the century that has followed. As recently as a decade ago, the original “spirit and intent” of Hartwick’s donation was invoked as reason for the state to drop the land from an auction that would have allowed drilling exploration underneath those prized old-growth pines.
Lots more at mLive, visit the Environmental Hall of Fame & learn more about Hartwick Pines on Michigan in Pictures.
James took this photo way back in 2010. You can see more in his Hartwick Pines State Park gallery on Flickr.
Cherry Jubilation by Mark Smith
Along with everything else, cherry blossoms exploded across Michigan in the last week or two as warm weather released pent-up energy. Up in northwest lower Michigan where Mark got this shot over the weekend, they are going strong. What are you seeing in your next of the woods?
See his latest including some sweet orchard shots on his Flickr & definitely view and purchase Mark’s work at Leelanau Landscapes!
More blossoms, cherry & otherwise on Michigan in Pictures.
Gathering Place by Rodney Martin
This Saturday Woodland Studies, a small exhibition of black and white photographs by Grand Rapids photographer Rodney Martin, will be available for viewing at the Glen Arbor Arts Center. Rodney is a photographer who has been featured in the past on Michigan in Pictures, and we’re excited to see his latest work! The GAAA writes:
Martin focuses his lens on the landscape. For the images in Woodland Studies, he zeros in on rivers, woods and orchards in Benzie, Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties. His images were created in all four seasons; but they are related by the quiet and solitude he frames. There is little evidence of human habitation in these scenes. Instead, the images are studies of shadow and texture, shades of gray, and the deep and refreshing beauty of places off the beaten path.
Woodland Studies can be viewed in the GAAC Lobby Gallery or on the GAAC website starting this Saturday (January 7th).
Regarding this photo, Rodney shares:
I came across this gathering of roots three years ago when visiting the Teichner Preserve on Lime Lake near Maple City, Michigan. I returned four or five times over the past three years looking for the right angle to get the compelling image I wanted. I finally found it on my second visit this year. I call the image “Gathering Place.” The image speaks to me about community. I have been asked whether I warped this image to make the trees spread out from the middle. I did not. Nature did. The trees on the very left of the image hang out over Lime Lake. I suspect that in a few years the trees on the left will succumb to the waves that eat away at the shoreline and then fall into the lake.
Head over to his website for more pics including a really cool 2021 year in review!
Simply gorgeous photo taken earlier this week by Emanuel. Head over to his Michigan gallery on Flickr for more & have a magical weekend!
M-119 – Michigan’s Tunnel of Trees by Dan Gaken
A couple of weeks ago a shared a photo of a tunnel of trees. Several commenters informed me that it wasn’t the Tunnel of Trees. They are of course right as the M-119 Tunnel of Trees has long been one of Michigan’s best fall drives. It begins just north of Harbor Springs & continues for much of the 20 miles to Cross Village. Fall color remains really strong up north, so if you want to explore, head over to Pure Michigan for some great stops along the route!
Dan took this yesterday. See more shots on his Flickr & have a great day!
Travel the Mitten has a great entry on Kakabika Falls that says (in part):
The Ottawa National Forest covers more than 990,000 acres of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and is a popular spot for outdoor recreation, camping, and wildlife viewing. The forest is also home to many waterfalls including Kakabika Falls, a set of cascades on the Cisco Branch of the Ontonagon River. These falls can be reached by a short drive north of the Watersmeet/Marenisco area, and a short, easy hike into the woods. The setting here is peaceful and there is a good chance you won’t encounter other travelers when you visit.
The tallest drop of Kakabika Falls is maybe 8 to 10 feet (most of the drops range from 1 to 5 feet), but this waterfall is more about the sum of its multiple drops than one large drop. The river makes a series of S turns here, and the trail closely parallels the river providing many great vantage points of each drop. As is the case with most waterfalls of this size, it is always best to visit in the spring or after decent rainfall. In dry summer months, we have found that there was barely any water flow here.
Click through for more including photos, map & directions from a really excellent website for Michigan travel ideas!
Neil shared that this is one of the many magical places in the Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, something that one look at his Instagram is all you need to see the truth in that! You can also follow Neil Weaver Photography on Facebook and view & purchase prints (including this one) on his website.
Many (many) more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!
Sunlight through the autumn trees by T P Mann
Fall color remains in full swing across much of Michigan. Here’s hoping you have a chance to enjoy it before it’s gone!
T P took this photo way back on October 20, 2007. See more in his Michigan Autumn Colors gallery on Flickr.
More fall color on Michigan in Pictures!
Mirror Lake in Autumn by Julie Chapa
In their excellent article on The Science of Fall Color, the US Forest Service explains the role of the weather in the annual seasonal show:
The amount and brilliance of the colors that develop in any particular autumn season are related to weather conditions that occur before and during the time the chlorophyll in the leaves is dwindling. Temperature and moisture are the main influences.
A succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp but not freezing nights seems to bring about the most spectacular color displays. During these days, lots of sugars are produced in the leaf but the cool nights and the gradual closing of veins going into the leaf prevent these sugars from moving out. These conditions – lots of sugar and light – spur production of the brilliant anthocyanin pigments, which tint reds, purples, and crimson. Because carotenoids are always present in leaves, the yellow and gold colors remain fairly constant from year to year.
The amount of moisture in the soil also affects autumn colors. Like the weather, soil moisture varies greatly from year to year. The countless combinations of these two highly variable factors assure that no two autumns can be exactly alike. A late spring, or a severe summer drought, can delay the onset of fall color by a few weeks. A warm period during fall will also lower the intensity of autumn colors. A warm wet spring, favorable summer weather, and warm sunny fall days with cool nights should produce the most brilliant autumn colors.
Julie took this photo at a small lake near Fife Lake back in 2014. See more in her Michigan gallery & follow Julie Chapa Photography on Facebook.
TONS more fall color on Michigan in Pictures!
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