Know Your Michigan Mushrooms: Black Trumpet

Posted on by farlane

IMPORTANT NOTE: Mushrooms can be dangerous and even deadly! Be careful and know what you’re eating. As the saying goes: “There are old mushroom hunters, and bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old, bold mushroom hunters.”

Black Trumpet

Black Trumpet, photo by I am Jacques Strappe

The Michigan Morel Hunters Club features mushrooms that are in season in their Mushroom of the Month. One of the late summer mushrooms they have  highlighted are Black Trumpets (Craterellus cornucopioides):

Black Trumpets (aka horn-of-plenty) mushrooms are a wonderful edible mushroom that grows in Michigan from July through September. They are fragile mushrooms that look like a cornucopia (horn-of-plenty) or maybe like trumpets but are black or gray instead of gold. Despite somewhat funereal descriptions and European names (trompette de la morte in French and trombetta dei morti in Italian), they are very tasty mushrooms that can be widely used in cooking. They are strongly flavored mushrooms with a fragrant aroma. Their strong flavor and aroma allows them to be used in a wide variety of dishes. Though they are difficult to find, they are definitely worth pursuing. Fortunately, they grow in clusters so there often are many where one is found.

…Trumpets are ideal for sophisticated dishes because of their fragrant aroma and strong flavor. Because of their fragrant aroma they are often dried and pulverized for use as a seasoning for everything from soup to steak. They are very easy to dry requiring only a few hours in a dehydrator or a couple of days of open air drying. They are delicious sautéed in butter with parsley and chives as a side dish.

Read more at the MMHC including how to identify them. A good thing is that the only similar mushroom (black chantarelle) is also edible! Also check out these black trumpet photos and ID tips at MushroomExpert.com.

Marjorie says that they found a grove of these tasty critters and harvested a large bag full of them … and that they smell like apricots. View her photo bigger and see more in her surprisingly large fungus & lichen slideshow. There’s lots more from Marjorie on Michigan in Pictures including her multi-day Michigan Photographer Profile.

More mushrooms on Michigan in Pictures!

Sleeping Bear Winterscape

Posted on by farlane

Sleeping Bear Winterscape

Sleeping Bear Winterscape, photo by ManualFoci

We interrupt this summer to check in with winter. James writes:

I’ve been visiting Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes all my life but it wasn’t until I was an adult photographer that I hazarded a trip up to our northern Michigan National Lakeshore landmark in the depths of Winter. I was confident it would be awesome and I wasn’t disappointed. Driving north on Route 22 from the little town of Empire I turned left onto South Dune Highway and soon could see Glen Lake to my right and Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes to my left. The Visitors Bureau is officially closed in Winter and so I parked my Cherokee at the side of the road and proceeded on foot along Hunter Road to the base of the mountainous dunes. Ahead of me was the leeward side of the dunes and as such they are steep. Part way up I saw an ominous sign that read “Avalanches Stay Off”. I noticed that there were other brave souls already on the dunes and so I figured it was safe to climb.

With Linhof camera on Gitzo tripod and a 35 pound Domke camera bag the climb up the dune was a challenge. Flat, and with small undulating hills punctuated by the occasional tuft of intrepid dune grass, the top of the dunes resemble the high desert plains of the southwest. As if trying to brave the frigid gale winds of nearby Lake Michigan, the sandy hills had solidified into rows of spiny ridges with the top of the hill resembling a marble cake with layer upon layer of sand and ice. In the distance the luminous midday sun lit a gently sloping bank upon which a barren stand of trees proudly stood. I moved my gloveless hands frantically over tilt and swing controls and finally turned the aperture ring to F22. The wind chill was well below zero. I snapped off but two 4 X 5 exposures and quickly donned my Baxter gloves to venture off in search of another Sleeping Bear winterscape.

Check this out background bigtacular and in his A Great Lakes Love Affair slideshow.

You can check out the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore website and see more black & white photography on Michigan in Pictures.

Along the Trail at Pictured Rocks

Posted on by farlane

Along The Trail

Along the Trail, photo by nasunto

Michigan in Pictures regular Nina Asunto is posting trip reports about her trip at the end of June to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. In Day One: Chapel / Mosquito Trailhead to Chapel Beach she writes about a common June annoyance in the Upper Peninsula that this year proved more that annoying:

We arrived at Chapel Beach campground just before noon and had to put our bug nets on as soon as we got there. The campground consists of six sites, which are in the woods at the top of a bluff above Lake Superior. One of them (#6) is at the edge of the woods, and it is close enough to the beach to benefit from the breeze coming from the lake. This site was already occupied, of course, so we chose site #3, which was further into the woods. Under normal circumstances, this would be a really good campsite, with Chapel Creek running alongside it creating a nice atmosphere. Unfortunately, the exceptionally wet spring had ensured that this typically buggy season far exceeded expectations. The word “brutal” doesn’t quite do it justice – it was a buzzing hell-scape. The only thing to do was to set up camp as quickly as possible and flee to the beach.

Curiously enough, I was also in the UP and stopped at Pictured Rocks that weekend. Without Deep Woods Off, I am pretty sure I would have ended up a bloodless corpse! Click to read more (including her analysis of permethrin vs mosquitos). Follow along as Nina posts the rest of the report on Black Coffee at Sunrise.

Check it out bigger and see more in Nina’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore | June 2013 slideshow.

Northern Water Snake

Posted on by farlane

Northern Water Snake

Northern Water Snake, photo by Brian Laskowski

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources page on the Northern Water Snake says:

Description: A water snake with dark bands or blotches on a light brown or gray background color. Some old adults may appear solid black or brown. The belly is white with reddish half moon shaped markings; some specimens have an orange belly speckled with brown or black. (The endangered Copper Bellied Water Snake has an unmarked reddish or orange belly.) Adult length: 2 to 4 feet.

Habitat and Habits: These snakes inhabit the shorelines of lakes, ponds, or streams. They swim well, seeking food (frogs and fish) and safety in the water, and often bask on objects hanging over the water. Water snakes are not venomous, but will bite if cornered or handled. They are sometimes mistakenly called “water moccasins” (which are not native to Michigan).

Reproduction: Females give birth to their 7 to 9 inch young in late summer. There are 8 to 48 babies in a litter. The young are gray or brown with bold black bands.

Range and Status: Northern water snakes are found throughout the Lower Peninsula and the eastern Upper Peninsula. Needless persecution by humans has eliminated water snakes from many places where they were once common.

The DNR’s Michigan Snake Page adds that there are just 17 species of snake in Michigan, so do what you can to protect this snake and its kin.

Check it out bigger and see more in Brian’s Michiganscapes slideshow.

More Michigan snakes on Michigan in Pictures.

Big Sable Point from 2,000 feet

Posted on by farlane

Big Sable Point from 2,000 feet

Big Sable Point from 2,000 feet, photo by Innerspacealien

The Detroit Free Press recently had a fun article by Ziati Meyer titled Michigan Lighthouse Trivia that related:

LIGHT AFTER DARKNESS: The deaths of 48 people in one year prompted the building of the Big Sable Point Lighthouse. The stretch of water between Big Sable Point and Ludington saw 12 shipwrecks in 1855, so Congress was asked to send money to help. The result — after a Civil War delay — was a $35,000 lighthouse to help ships navigate that area of Lake Michigan

Read on for more fun facts and definitely check out Terry Pepper’s Seeing the Light and our Michigan in Pictures archive for more info and photos of this iconic light north of Ludington.

Check this out background bigtacular and see some more aerial views of the area in Craig’s slideshow.

More great aerial photos on Michigan in Pictures.

Michigan’s Woodstock: The Goose Lake Festival

Posted on by farlane

Goose Lake International Music Festival

Goose Lake International Music Festival, 1970, photo by Michigan State Police (courtesy Archives of Michigan)

The massive Goose Lake International Music Festival took place August 7-9, 1970 near Jackson. Seeking Michigan’s feature Michigan’s Woodstock relates:

Performers included Rod Stewart and Faces, Jethro Tull, Chicago, Ten Years After, Mountain, the Flying Burrito Brothers and prominent Michigan acts such as Bob Seeger, Mitch Ryder, the Stooges, and the MC5. Approximately two hundred thousand people attended.

It began with a man named Richard Songer. In 1970, Songer was thirty-five and the owner of Portland Construction Company, a successful business in Southfield, Michigan. He purchased 350 acres near Goose Lake, located outside Jackson.

Songer intended to turn his Goose Lake property into a permanent park and live music venue. He hired people to pave parking lots and build large concrete rest rooms. A permanent revolving stage was built. As a band performed on one side of the stage, another band would be behind them, preparing to go on. When the first band finished, the stage would turn, and the second band would immediately appear.

You can read on for more and here’s several more links:

Photo caption: A crowded parking area at the Goose Lake International Music Festival, 1970. Photo from State Police records, RG 90-240, housed in the Archives of Michigan

2013 Perseid Meteor Shower

Posted on by farlane

Perseids & the Milky Way

Perseids & the Milky Way, photo by gkretovic

EarthSky.org’s Meteor Shower Guide explains:

The Perseid meteor shower is perhaps the most beloved meteor shower of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. The shower builds gradually to a peak, often produces 50 to 100 meteors per hour in a dark sky at the peak, and, for us in the Northern Hemisphere, this shower comes when the weather is warm. The Perseids tend to strengthen in number as late night deepens into midnight, and typically produce the most meteors in the wee hours before dawn. They radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus the Hero, but, as with all meteor shower radiant points, you don’t need to know Perseus to watch the shower; instead, the meteors appear in all parts of the sky. They are typically fast and bright meteors. They frequently leave persistent trains.

Every year, you can look for the Perseids around August 10-13. They combine with the Delta Aquarid shower to produce the year’s most dazzling display of shooting stars. In 2013, the Perseid meteors will streak across the short summer nights – August 10-13 – from late night until dawn, with little to no interference from the waxing crescent moon. Plus the moon will be near the planet Saturn in the evening hours, giving a colorful prelude to late-night Perseid show. Best mornings to look: August 11, 12 and 13.

Check out Everything you need to know about the Perseid Meteor Shower on EarthSky and also don’t  miss Star Trails, the Perseid Meteor Shower and the Tears of St. Lawrence in the Michigan in Pictures archives!

Greg took this shot in the UP – I’m thinking that’s the Nahma Burner on Big Bay de Noc at the right. Check it out bigger and see more in his stunning Upper Peninsula of Michigan slideshow.

More meteors on Michigan in Pictures.

Aurora over Mackinac … and a chance tonight!

Posted on by farlane

Aurora over Mackinac

Aurora over Mackinac, photo by Aurora over Mackinac by Neil Weaver Photography

I’ve had an eye on the Space Weather over the last few days, and while it doesn’t look like this weekend’s G1 level solar storm has produced anything, there’s a slight chance we’ll see something tonight. Their definition of the G1 level says that aurora may be visible at high latitudes, i.e., northern tier of the U.S. such as northern Michigan and Maine, so you want to check tonight!

Neil shot these Northern Lights over the Straits during the early hours of July 15, 2013. Check it out bigger, view his slideshow and see lots more from Neil on Michigan in Pictures too!

SUP Yo?! Stand-up Paddleboarding at the TC Waterman

Posted on by farlane

SUP Yo?!

SUP Yo?!, photo by Rudy Malmquist

I’ve been doing a lot of stand-up paddleboarding this summer on Grand Traverse Bay courtesy my friend Michael who owns The River of Traverse City. I have been pleasantly surprised at how much fun it is and also what a great workout it is.

In a couple of weeks Traverse City will host the TC Waterman. It takes place on Saturday, August 17th and is the largest paddle board event in the Midwest and also the site of the 2013 Great Lakes Regional Championship. In addition to a variety of races and skills challenges for all ages and skill levels, the event features 50 booths by local and national SUP organizations and companies, free clinics, seminars, and demonstrations. The weekend also features two events from Porterhouse Productions: Paella in the Park on Friday (wine, music & paella) and the Great Wakes Festival Saturday (water-themed activities, organizations, music & fun).

Check this photo out background bigtacular and see more in Rudy’s slideshow.

More Traverse City on Michigan in Pictures.

Wanna Swim There???

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Wanna Swim There???/

Wanna Swim There???, photo by John Burzynski Photography

John snapped this on the shore in Manistee – I guess ambitions run high there! See it bigger and see more in John’s Beaches, Lighthouses slideshow.

PS: Because I know someone out there is wondering: Yes, people have swum across Lake Michigan:

Vicki Keith from Kingston, Ontario, Canada swam across Lake Michigan during the summer of 1988 as part of an event that saw her become the first person to swim across all five Great Lakes. She completed this task in a 2 month period and raised $548,000 to help kids with disabilities.

To date, Vicki hold’s 16 world records in marathon swimming, and has raised over $1,000,000 to help develop programs for kids with physical disabilities.

A number of other people have swum across Lake Michigan, including a fellow Canadian Paula Stephanson, and American Jim Dreyer. Jim Dreyer is from Byron Center, MI. He crossed Lake Michigan in 1991, from Two Rivers to Ludington, and raised money for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America mentoring program. He got involved with the program when he was in his 20s.

Jim Dreyer followed triathlon rules as opposed to marathon swimming rules and therefore wore a wet suit for his crossing.

More beaches on Michigan in Pictures!