Rainbow Falls on the Black River by Michigan Nut Photography
Rainbow Falls is the last of five waterfalls on the Black River in the Upper Peninsula. You can read all about Rainbow Falls & the Black River (and see another shot of these falls by John) on Michigan in Pictures.
As you can see, the Yoop is looking pretty beautiful right now!! See more on the Michigan Nut Facebook & view and purchase prints at Michigan Nut Photography!
Here’s a great shot from Mark showing the current state of color on M-22 on the Leelanau Peninsula. You can check out a current map of Michigan fall color along with some photos on mLive.
This weekend will be amazing for fall color so get yourself up or outside this weekend!
Head over to downstreamer on Flickr for the latest from Mark.
Riverbank Reflection by Jeff Dehmel
Sweet shot by Jeff from last October. See more in his Fall 2020 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!
Overlooked Falls by Jim Sorbie
GoWaterfalling’s page on Minor Waterfalls has this to say about this pretty little waterfall in Porcupine Mountains State Park:
Overlooked Falls is a small falls on the Little Carp River. The scenic falls consists of two drops, each about 5′ in height. This is the most easily accessed of the falls on the Little Carp River, big or small. It is only a few hundred feet from the parking area. The trailhead to the falls is at the end of Little Carp River road. This is also the trailhead to Greenstone Falls, which is about 1/2 mile away. The trail also leads to the much larger Trappers Falls, which is three miles away.
I found this great shot by Jim this morning in the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr which just happens to be from September 22nd way back in 2014! See more in Jim’s Color Tour 2014 (UP & Ontario) gallery.
Many (many) more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!
Reaching for the light by Mike Carey
In just over a day – 3:20 PM tomorrow at the vernal equinox to be precise – Summer 2021 will be in the books. Here’s hoping you get a little of that summer light before it’s all gone!
See more in Mike’s Lake Michigan 2021 gallery on Flickr.
AuTrain Falls U.P. Michigan by Linda Carter
Visit Chatham has a truly delightful post about the AuTrain Falls explains that they are located about 8 miles south of AuTrain, 5 miles east of Chatham, and 10 miles southwest of Munising. They say (in part – read it all if you can):
The AuTrain Falls are part of the AuTrain River. A major reason why the falls were created is because of the large power dam located about a mile south of the falls site, in close proximity to highway M-94. The Forest Lake Dam, ran by Renewable Energies Resources, is the main source of water for the falls. When water levels are high on the AuTrain Basin, an increased flow of water is released via the dam and down the river. The AuTrain River actually flows from South to North.
When more water is released via the dam, the more volume of water that flows through the falls. And especially during the spring season, the falls are a fabulous view! Even though the falls may not be as spectacular during the summer months as compared to the spring season, the falls are still wonderful to visit year-round. They are even accessible during the winter season! And you can’t say that about most Upper Peninsula falls.
Read on for more.
Linda took this at the end on September 29, 2020. See more in her Falls gallery on Flickr.
Houghton Douglass Falls by Michigan Nut Photography
Waterfalls of the Keweenaw says that Houghton Douglass Falls on Hammell Creek is:
A wildly tall and impressive waterfall, Douglass Houghton Falls was once a popular destination for locals and Michigan Tech students alike. Crumbling cliff walls and numerous accidents, many of them fatal, pushed the land owner to cut off access. While the falls are still reachable by following Hammell Creek upstream from Lake Linden, the danger of a careless visit cannot be understated.
This waterfall is well over a hundred feet with several plunges bouncing off the sharp, volcanic rock. Steep walls make it difficult to reach the small drops in the meadow above, but a great view down towards Torch Lake can be made down the green creek valley. A small exploratory shaft is drilled into the side of the falls only a few feet above the creek. While it’s hard to reach and dangerous to explore, this waterfall is one of the highlights of the Copper Country.
More about how to visit at Waterfalls of the Keweenaw.
John took this pic back in October and notes that at 100′ feet, Houghton Douglass is Michigan’s tallest waterfalls. You can read the comments on the pic right here, follow the Michigan Nut Photography Facebook page for more, and view & purchase photos at michigannutphotography.com!
More Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!
Canopy of Color by Patton Photography
Here’s a cool shot from way up on the Keweenaw Peninsula. See more in Patton Photography’s Michigan gallery on Flickr & have a great week!
Although like many in Michigan I have a light dusting of snow here in Detroit this morning, I’m not quite ready to surrender to winter.
TP writes that he captured this shot of the morning scene on Ellsworth Lake in northern Michigan as the waters stood still at sunrise. The mist hovered over the water as the autumn colors and reflections popped out. See more in his Michigan Autumn Colors gallery on Flickr!
Michigan in Pictures 