Winding River, photo by paisleyrainboots
Sarah took this last week at Pine Bend County Park and says that it was a beautiful day despite the 30 degree temperatures.
View her photo bigger and follow her on Instagram. You can also tune into her blog.
The Anvil and the Pine
Cliffs from below, photo by David Clark
David writes that “The Anvil” is a high point where a white pine somehow makes a living growing out of a crack in the rock. On his blog, Cliffs and Ruins he writes:
This is one of my favorite places along the Cliff range: The Lookout. Apparently different people have different lookouts, but this is what I think of as the Cliff Lookout.
It’s a bit of a hike (no, you don’t have to go straight up the side of the cliffs… but you can if you want), but the view is 100% worth it. You can even see the silhouettes of the Huron Mountains in the distance. The most amazing thing, to me, is that tree — you can see it here. It’s a big old pine growing straight up out of the rock, over the edge of the cliffs.
There’s nothing quite like the solitude at the top of the lookout. When I snowshoed out to the lookout, there weren’t any tracks at all on the trail to the lookout — nor on the trail to the trail! It was one of those feelings which I love when I’m hiking up here — that I’m the first person in years to set foot here and see these sights. It might not be true, but this is still one of my favorite places to go whenever I really need some time alone.
View his photo background bigtacular and see more in his Winter slideshow. You can purchase David’s pics right here.
More winter wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures.
It’s a long night for December’s full moon
The moon will be full at 7:27 am tomorrow, which basically means tonight. The Old Farmer’s Almanac has this to say about the December Full Moon, known also as the Cold Moon:
During this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and nights are at their longest and darkest. It is also sometimes called the Moon before Yule. The term Long Nights Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time.
The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.
Also, I found a moon phase calendar for December 2014 (and beyond) that’s a really cool way to visualize the month’s moon!!
View Craig’s photo from back in 2009 on the Grand Haven south pier background big and see more in his Pier slideshow.
There’s many moons in the Michigan in Pictures archives!
Baker’s Falls … and the Michigan in Pictures Twitter
Bakers Falls, Wakefield, MI, photo by Josh Ringsmuth
Yesterday Michigan in Pictures joined Twitter @michpics. In addition to tweeting out the daily photo, I’m planning to dig out gems from the huge archive of pics & posts here, and also to share some of the many photos that I can never get around to featuring in the one-a-day format of Michigan in Pictures. I hope that you’ll follow me and tweet pictures at me there as well.
In honor of the occasion, I thought it would be good to share the first picture tweeted at me, even though it means back-to-back waterfalls. It’s of Baker’s Falls in the western U.P. aka Gabbro Falls about which GoWaterfalling says (in part):
Gabbro Falls is on the Black River and is as impressive, if not more impressive, than its more celebrated neighbors downstream along the Black River Scenic Byway. This is a largely wild waterfall with no fences or barriers of any kind. It consists of three separate drops. When the water is high there is a fourth drop that is the height of the other three combined. The main drop falls into a narrow crevice between two large rock formations.
Gabbro Falls is relatively easy to find but there is some confusing information out there. The waterfall is also known as Baker’s Falls, and it is often mistakenly called Garbo Falls (gabbro is a type of rock).
Read more & get directions at GoWaterfalling.com. Michigan in Pictures has more of those Black River waterfalls, and if you’re curious about gabbro, Wikipedia has your answers.
View the photo on Josh’s Twitter and follow him at @DaRealOtisJosh.
Tale of the tape at Laughing Whitefish Falls
Laughing Whitefish Falls, photo by James Marvin Phelps
GoWaterfalling’s page on the Laughing Whitefish Falls says (in part):
Laughing Whitefish Falls is in the Laughing Whitefish State Park. This is one of the most impressive of Michigan’s waterfalls. I believe it is the highest waterfall in Michigan that is readily visitable.
The falls can be found off of M-94, about 30 miles from Munising or Marquette, and just outside of Chatham…
The waterfall is named for the river. The river is so named because the mouth of the river resembled a laughing fish when viewed by the Ojibwe from Lake Superior.
Get detailed directions at GoWaterfalling.com. They add that later in the year the water flow can get thin enough to be hardly visible!
To answer the question of the height, I found a very cool list of Michigan waterfalls by height at the World Waterfall Database. At 100 feet tall, Laughing Whitefish Falls check in fourth behind:
- Spray Falls – 140′ (towering and incredible – view by Pictured Rocks boat tour or long hike)
- Jasper Falls (125′, midway between Miners Beach & Sand Point along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore shoreline – they say it’s basically a trickle most of the time)
- Houghton Falls (110′, private property/no trespassing! You can click that link for a Michigan in Pictures photo from someone who got permission from the landowner to visit)
View James’ photo on Flickr and see more in his massive Michigan Waterfalls slideshow including a few nice shots of Spray Falls and some waterfall videos!
PS: Just realized that this photo was from way back in 2005! Amazing that I’ve been doing Michigan in Pictures for so long, and that people like James have been supporting me with their photography for so long!
More Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures.
Field of Dreams: Winter Fantasy Edition
Field of Dreams, photo by Terry Waggoner
As winter closes in I can’t help but remember warmer times…
View Terry’s photo background big and jump into his slideshow for more!
More barns on Michigan in Pictures.
Driftwood detail
Driftwood with great detail…, photo by Brad Terry
View Brad’s photo from the Lake Michigan shore in Grand Haven background big and see more in his Pier Series slideshow.
More black & white photography and more winter wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures!
Sunrise Flight
Sunrise Flight, photo by ptpomber
Safe & quick flights … and travels of any kind this weekend. Speaking of flight, if anyone can identify the bird from yesterday, that would be great!
View ptpomber’s photo bigger and see more from Mackinac Island including some very cool winter shots in his slideshow.
Let Sleeping Ducks Lie…
Sleeping Duck, photo by Matt
Is Black Friday over yet? Hope you’re staying safe and getting deals (or staying safe & staying home)!
View Matt’s photo background big and see more in his slideshow.
If you’re up for more duck-based fun, check out the Michigan in Pictures Duckie Project!
Bears, it’s what’s for (Thanksgiving) dinner!
Thinking About the Zoo Visitors?, photo by Maia C
A very happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I remain very thankful that I have such a great group of photographers and readers for Michigan in Pictures. I love doing this blog, and your support makes it possible!
Maia suggests that this lion is perhaps thinking about zoo visitors, but my personal theory is that he’s thinking about bears, Chicago Bears to be exact! Thankfully, the NFL has given us the opponent who started it all, as the Detroit Lions share the history of the Thanksgiving Day game:
The game was the brainchild of G.A. Richards, the first owner of the Detroit Lions. Richards had purchased the team in 1934 and moved the club from Portsmouth, Ohio to the Motor City. The Lions were the new kids in town and had taken a backseat to the baseball Tigers. Despite the fact the Lions had lost only one game prior to Thanksgiving in 1934, the season’s largest crowd had been just 15,000.
The opponent that day in 1934 was the undefeated, defending World Champion Chicago Bears of George Halas. The game would determine the champion of the Western Division. Richards had convinced the NBC Radio Network to carry the game coast-to-coast (94 stations) and, additionally, an estimated 26,000 fans jammed into the University of Detroit Stadium while thousands more disappointed fans were turned away.
Despite two Ace Gutowsky touchdowns, the Bears won the inaugural game, 19-16, but a classic was born. Since 1934, 69 games have been played with the Lions holding a series record of 33-34-2 (.493). And each game, in its own way, continues to bring back memories of Thanksgiving, not only to Lions’ fans, but to football fans across the nation.
View Maia’s photo big as a lion and see more in her Detroit Zoo Spring/Summer 2008 slideshow.
More Thanksgiving features & photos and more Detroit Lions on Michigan in Pictures.
Michigan in Pictures 