Saginaw at Mission Point, photo by Krystal Kauffman
Capistrano has their swallows, but a sure sign of Spring in Michigan is when the freighters return to the Great Lakes. One of the best places for shipwatching is right where Krystal took this photo: Mission Point at the mouth of the North Channel near the Soo Locks.
View the photo bigger and follow My Michigan by Krystal on Facebook for more.
Happy Mother’s Day, photo by Jim Sisko
Happy Mother’s Day to all you Michigan moms! I appreciate how hard you work every day doing the toughest job that I know of. Here’s hoping that everyone takes some time this weekend for the mothers in their lives.
Jim shared this several years ago and wrote:
This is my wife Margie (AKA Mom to our daughter and Grandma to our two granddaughters) looking out at Lake Superior from the beach of her favorite place in the world, Little Girl’s Point. Margie is the best person I have ever known, and i’m eternally grateful that she chose me to spend her life with. My Mother has been gone almost 25 years now and I still think about her every day, but especially on this day.
View the photo bigger and see more in Jim’s Random 19 slideshow.
Sante River, April 2017-19, photo by Invinci_bull
Paul’s Falls on the Sante River at Waterfalls of the Keweenaw begins:
Finding a sizeable river that flows east from Toivola/Twin Lakes is tough – finding a waterfall along one is even harder. Paul’s Falls on Sante River fulfills both of those criteria with an impressive drop down into a sandstone bowl. While much of the river is a meandering flow along a gentle rocky bed, here the water plunges over a lip of sandstone and pours down onto a steep slope of mossy rock. The river banks steepen to dangerous levels below the falls and create a descent cave on the north side.
Read on for directions, map, and more!
Nathan took this photo in April and writes “I decided to check out the remote and topographically intriguing Sante River gorge, deep in the heart of the Keweenaw Peninsula. I wasn’t expecting to find Paul’s Falls at the end of it!”
View it bigger and see more inNathan’s Sante River Exploration – April 2017 slideshow.
More Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!
Lake Superior Shoreline, photo by Kirt E. Carter Photography
View the photo bigger, see more in Kirt’s slideshow, and view work & check out his blog on his website.
Dance of Light, photo by Eric Hackney
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”
― Marie Curie
The NOAA/NWS Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has forecast a G2 level storm for tonight, which may very well produce Northern Lights! The SWPC is an invaluable scientific resource that is wholly produced by our tax dollars. In addition to letting us know when northern lights are possible, the SWPC helps to maintain our modern communication grid when the Sun gets a little extra exuberant.
It’s my heartfelt belief that one of the duties of our government is to work to make our country the leader in scientific advancement. As threats in public health, the environment, and a host of other realms increase, we need to be investing much more in science, not less.
To any who are participating in any of the 15 local Science Marches in Michigan today, the March for Science in Washington DC, or anywhere else, I salute you.
View Eric’s photo bigger and see more in his Personal Favorites slideshow.
PS: Happy Earth Day everyone.
Breaking Fall – Gerlach Point, photo by Aaron C. Jors
Gerlach Point is located east of Miner’s Beach in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
View Aaron’s photo from fall of 2015 bigger, see more in his Michigan slideshow, and view & purchase more photos at Aaron C. Joors Photography.
Lots more from Pictured Rocks on Michigan in Pictures!
Fellow Sun Gazer, photo by Footsore Fotography
While lots of people are looking at their gardens and thinking about April showers & May flowers, here’s a reminder from Sunday in Grand Marais that for some in Michigan, winter is still very much in play!
View the photo bigger on Facebook and follow Gary at Footsore Fotography on Facebook for lots more from Grand Marais and the surrounding area.
Rainbow and fog bank over the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, photo by Ann Fisher
May you have all the happiness
And luck that life can hold
And at the end of your rainbows
May you find a pot of gold.
~ Old Irish Blessing
A very happy St. Patrick’s Day and health & good fortune to you all!
View Ann’s photo background bigtacular and see more in her 2016 UP slideshow.
Lots more St. Patrick’s Day on Michigan in Pictures!
Words escape me, photo by Lake Superior Photo
Words escape ME on the beauty of the video that Shawn of Lake Superior Photo shared. The ice caves on Grand Island near Munising didn’t happen this year, a very unfortunate thing for everyone in Michigan who makes their livelihood from winter recreation. However, thanks to the magic of the video below, we can travel back to 2015.
You can view Shawn’s photo from winter of 2015 bigger on Facebook and purchase the photo right here. I can’t stress enough that you should follow Shawn and Lake Superior Photo on Facebook. Please do it.
Now here’s that video. Be sure to turn your volume up and watch in HD – there’s a “boom” from the ice sheet at 4 seconds that’s incredible!
Hacking Site Camping Trip, February 2017-25, photo by Nathan Miller
Nathan took this photo in the Ottawa National Forest’s Trap Hills along the North Country Trail in winter.The Trail winds 4600 miles through 7 states in America’s northern heartland. It is our longest National Scenic Trail, stretching from New York to North Dakota. Michigan holds more of the North Country Trail than any other state:
Entering Michigan from Ohio the first completed segment of NCT is within the Lost Nation State Game Area near Pittsford. The route then threads through a mix of forest and farm country and is a mix of road walks and completed segments. Off-road trail exists in Fort Custer National Cemetery (near Battle Creek), Yankee Springs State Recreation Area (near Hastings) Middleville and Barry State Game Areas. In Lowell, hikers can walk down East Main Street and stop in at North Country Trail headquarters to purchase some official trail gear. Heading north from Lowell, hikers will travel through two more areas with built trail before arriving at the southern boundary of the Manistee National Forest. These include the Lowell State Game Area/Fallasburg County park segment just outside of the city of Lowell and the Rogue River Game Area near Rockford.
Hikers get their first glimpse of the Northwoods in the Manistee National Forest. Within Manistee National Forest, enjoy sandy soils that support a pine-hardwood forest and great hiking along the Manistee River Trail, which forms a great loop hike opportunity. The NCT leaves the Manistee National Forest near the Hodenpyl Dam Pond which features a fabulous new (2009) trail along the Hodenpyl Dam Pond and Manistee River. Continuing south of Traverse City to Kalkaska the NCT is routed through state forest land (the Pere Maruette SF) which offer a number of year round recreation opportunities. The next jewel along the NCT is the Jordan River Pathway, which offers a scenic loop hike near Alba. From here the trail heads towards Petoskey through the Mackinac State Forest. North of Petoskey wonderful hiking opportunities exist in Wilderness State Park, where the trail follows the Lake Michigan shoreline. As one leaves Wilderness State Park and heads towards Mackinaw City the lights of Mackinac Bridge become visible.
…The U.P.’s prime scenery includes large lakes, old growth forests, rugged hills and the Lake Superior shoreline, all set amid some of the most remote, uninhabited country found on the North Country Trail. From St. Ignace the trail heads through the eastern unit of the Hiawatha National Forest towards Tahquamenon Falls State Park (home to the second largest waterfall in the eastern United States). Continuing west, the trail passes through Muskallonge Lake State Park and Lake Superior State Forest towards Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Within Pictured Rocks, enjoy the 43-mile Lakeshore Trail along the Lake Superior shore, one of the greatest hits of the entire North Country Trail. West of Pictured Rocks the trail enters the western unit of the Hiawatha National Forest passing through public and private lands before reaching Marquette. West of Marquette the trail passes through Presque Isle City Park, McCormick tract Wilderness, Craig Lake State Park, Copper Country State Forest, Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness and cuts through historic copper mining sites near Old Victoria. Once entering the Ottawa National Forest segments run along the Black River canyon, towards the wild country of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The NCT leaves Michigan’s Upper Peninsula near the community of Ironwood.
Read on for more at the North Country Trail website, including maps!
View Nathan’s photo bigger and see more in his North Country Trail Camping Trip, February 2017 slideshow.
Michigan in Pictures 