northwest

Gaze into Fall’s Mirror this weekend!!

Posted on October 10, 2024October 10, 2024 by farlane

Autumn Reflections by Julie Chapa Photography

Pure Michigan’s Fall Color Forecast for October 11 (see below) shows that the Upper Peninsula will be at or passing peak this weekend while most of the Lower Peninsula will be in the 20-60% range. Remember that leaf color can vary significantly even locally, and in addition to producing different colors when they turn, trees change at different times. Typical patterns have more color change the further you are from the Great Lakes. You can see this in the graphic below where much of the UP’s Lake Superior shore hasn’t hit peak yet.

I’d love it if you’d share what fall looks like in your neck of Michigan in the comments below, on the Facebook post, or in our Michigan in Pictures group where this photo was shared!

Julie shares the story behind this gorgeous shot: Luckily I got up early this particular morning and the water was like glass! I was able to catch this awesome autumn reflection shot at Mirror Lake in the village of Fife Lake, Michigan. The nice mist coming off the water was definitely a bonus making it a truly serene and beautiful experience.

Follow Julie on Facebook & view & purchase her work on her website!

Lake Michigan Salmon vs Homestead Dam

Posted on September 30, 2024September 30, 2024 by farlane

Overcoming Obstacles by SueFi Photography

NOTE: This could very well be a steelhead, but salmon season is ON

American Boating shares that the Lake Michigan salmon run – when adult salmon return to the river of their birth to lay eggs – occurs every fall:

There is no set start date, but you can usually start to see fish in the river in early September, and expect the run to be pretty much done by the end of October. A lot of this depends on the weather. A lack of rain and/or warm weather can make the run start later, and extra rain with cooler temperatures can cause the run to start a little earlier. I guess it all depends on when the fall rains and cooler temperatures hit the area. If you go to the rivers during September and October you are going to eventually find fish, it’s just a matter of timing it to catch the big run.

It’s pretty cool to watch too! The Betsie River salmon fishing group on Facebook confirms that the 2024 salmon run is well underway!

Sue caught this great pic of a salmon following its instincts as it attempts to surmount Homestead Dam in Benzie County, relying on its “inner knowing” and putting all focus and energy to making its way upstream! For sure follow her at SueFi Photography on Facebook for more!!

More fish & fishing on Michigan in Pictures.

Bad News for Northern Michigan Sweet Cherries

Posted on August 19, 2024August 19, 2024 by farlane

Left Behind by Mark Smith

via Leelanau.com… The Leelanau Ticker shares the sad saga of one of the worst growing seasons for Northern Michigan sweet cherries in recent memory:

In a summary, it was a disaster,” says Philip Hallstedt, who owns the Northport U-pick cherry farm Hallstedt Homestead Cherries. “For sweet cherries, rain, wind whip, and humidity set the stage for high infestation of European brown rot and spotted wing drosophila. A fellow farmer shared that 90 percent of his sweet cherry harvest was lost – which is tough, as sweet cherries are the cash crop for many growers to sustain their operations, given that tart prices are so low.”

Brown rot is a fungal infection that attacks flowering cherry trees and hampers their ability to produce fruit. The disease thrives off high moisture levels and spreads in windy conditions, making this year’s humid, rainy, breezy spring a perfect storm for mass cherry crop impact. Meanwhile, spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is an invasive fruit fly species native to Asia but first identified in Michigan in the fall of 2010. Since then, the pest has become arguably the top concern for Michigan cherry growers, according to Michigan State University Extension. SWD attack ripening fruit and lay eggs inside, not only compromising cherry quality but also triggering further proliferation and infestation. Per MSU, a single SWD female “is capable of laying 300+ eggs,” which can then develop into adults “in as little as eight days.”

To add insult to injury, the 2024 cherry season actually started off promisingly. According to Hallstedt, cherry farmers typically experience what is known as “June drop,” where a cherry tree “senses its crop load” and then sheds unpollinated or damaged cherries as an act of selecting which cherries have the best chance at reaching maturity. This year, June drop was atypically small, which cleared the way for what might have become one of the biggest sweet cherry crops in recent memory.

Milo and the Morazan

Posted on August 2, 2024December 31, 2024 by farlane

This photo was the fifth most popular photo of 2024 on Michigan in Pictures!!

Milo and the Morazan by Chris Roxburgh

If you love the Great Lakes and aren’t yet following the exploits of Milo’s owner, Great Lakes shipwreck explorer Chris Roxburgh, then today is your lucky day!! Follow Chris on Facebook and view & purchase his work including some awesome coffee table books on his website!

If you’re wondering about the shipwreck of the Francisco Morazan off South Manitou, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore shares:

On the night of November 28, 1960, Lake Michigan would claim one of her most recent victims. The steamship Francisco Morazan ended a 38-year career when she ran aground on South Manitou Island. She had sailed for eleven owners, under six flags, with eight names.

…The Morazan was Captain Eduardo Trivizas’ first command. Onboard were 12 crew, and the captain’s pregnant wife, Anastasia. Fog slowed the ship and a bad feeder pump for the boiler forced the crew to stop and drift in Lake Michigan for eight hours to replace it. The Morazan passed Point Betsie in a blinding snowstorm at about 7:15 pm on the 28th. She was pushed off course and ran aground just 300 yards from the beach on South Manitou Island.

Three Coast Guard vessels and a civilian tug responded to the Morazan’s mayday. On December 4, the crew was removed from the ship after it was determined that she couldn’t be salvaged. Attempts were made to salvage the cargo but were ultimately abandoned. In the years afterward, the wreck became a popular hangout for island residents. They helped themselves to the cargo of canned chicken and toys. The wreck is now protected as a part of the Manitou Passage State Underwater Preserve.

Francisco Morazon above & below by Chris Roxburgh

“Your pictures are so pretty” (Torch Lake Edition)

Posted on April 16, 2024April 16, 2024 by farlane

Crazy Fast Times on Torch Lake by Drew Shaffer

This morning I saw this fantastic pic shared without attribution for probably the 100th time. I knew the attribution because I had shared it from Instagram back in 2017.

I know that a million bots building social media using AI will only make things worse, so I really (really) want to make a plea to all of you to FOLLOW THE PHOTOGRAPHER. Every time you do, even if you don’t purchase their work, you build their following which makes it more likely that their work is credited and profitable because making pretty pictures is hard and takes lots of glass & gas!!

Drew Shaffer is a photographer/filmmaker from Ohio with a whole lot of fun stuff going on including some awesome eclipse shots & a very cool looking documentary called The Long Way Forward. You can follow him on Instagram or YouTube!

PS: Yes, dear skeptic. This photo is real and Torch Lake is really that clear some days. Michigan is lovely 😻

Taking a break…

Posted on June 13, 2022 by farlane

Sunrise Greilickville Harbor Park by Jeff Hudson

Good morning everyone. Regrettably, I need to take a break which (fingers crossed) won’t be too terribly long to deal with some health issues. In the meantime, I hope all of you are able to enjoy the bounteous offerings of Michigan summertime!

Jeff took this photo two years ago at sunrise on June 29th (my birthday) in Traverse City (where I currently live), so I thought it would be a perfect placeholder while I’m gone. See more from Jeff in his Most Faved (Best of) gallery on Flickr.

Leland Blue

Posted on January 12, 2022 by farlane

via Leelanau.com…

Leland Blue Stone by Cortney Brenner

In last week’s post about an unidentified blue mineral discovered at the Adventure Mine on the Keweenaw Peninsula, I offered my personal theory that the color is due to the same reaction that created “Leland bluestones”. A couple people asked what the heck a Leland blue is, so here you go:

In the Glen Arbor Sun, Sandra Serra Bradshaw shares that Leland Bluestones were born over 100 years ago in the fires of the Leland Lake Superior Iron Company:

Between the years of 1870 to 1884, the Leland Lake Superior Iron Company operated an iron smelter north of the mouth of the river. They supplied the voracious furnace with ore from the Upper Peninsula. The charcoal they needed was made from local maple and beech timber that was produced in 14 beehive kilns that were kept near the smelting furnace. It produced up to an amazing 40 tons of iron per day. In 1884, the plant was sold to the Leland Lumber Co., which operated a sawmill on the site. Other sawmills and shingle mills operated in Leland during the years between 1885 through 1900.

Back then Leland was a smog-filled industrial town, the main industry of which was anchored by the iron company. The smelting industry failed because of large overhead costs and the lack of a good harbor in Leland. Interestingly, the remains of the industry, including heaps of slag, were dumped into the harbor and today, that has resulted in something as a precious collectible for many. As raw ore was heated, the desired iron ore was separated from various natural impurities. When those impurities cooled, it resulted in a stone-like slag. Hence the Leland Blue Stones were born!

The Leland Blue is a bit of a misleading title to this little man-made gem as it is the mix of blue glass with other chemicals — but this varying chemical medley can also cause the slag to appear in colors of purple, gray, or in shades of green. Today, people relish finding this slag material on the shores of Leland’s beaches. It is not only collectible as a stone, but also sought for as jewelry.

City of Gold

Posted on January 11, 2022 by farlane

City of Gold IX by Andrew McFarlane

OK here’s one of my pics of the frozen Lake Michigan shore of Leelanau County from back in January of 2009. I chose one with sun because I would like to see the sun! See more in my Frozen Shore gallery on Flickr and STAY WARM!!

Sunset on 2021

Posted on December 31, 2021 by farlane

Icy Sunset on Torch Lake by T P Mann

“Even the most terrible days eventually have their sunsets.”
-Andrew McFarlane

Since a Google search finds exactly ZERO results for “Even the most terrible days eventually have their sunsets” I am low key happy to close the year with an original quotation that I think is perfect for the end of 2021. Here’s hoping that the unfolding of 2022 will be miles better & that you are all happy, healthy, and with the ones you love in the coming year!

TP took this back in March of 2021. See more in his Torch Lake gallery on Flickr.

Driving into fall on M-22

Posted on October 13, 2021 by farlane

Tunnel of Trees by Mark Smith

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.

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