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!

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.

Sturgeon River Gorge: Michigan’s Grand Canyon

Posted on by farlane

Michigan's -Grand Canyon--2

Michigan’s -Grand Canyon–2, photo by ShaneWyatt

The Ottawa National Forest page on the Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness says:

The Wild and Scenic Sturgeon River rushes out of the northern portion of this wilderness, over the 20 foot volcanic outcroppings of Sturgeon Falls, and through a gorge that reaches 350 feet in depth and a mile in width. Throughout this rugged, steep Wilderness, the Sturgeon and Little Silver Rivers and their tributaries have carved falls, rapids, ponds, oxbows, and terraces. Stunning views are possible from the eastern rim of the gorge. Except for a few naturally bare slopes, most of the land is forested with pine, hemlock, aspen, sugar maple, birch, and basswood. When the leaves of the hardwoods change color in the fall, they form a vivid tapestry.

There are few established trails in Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness, and the few overgrown logging roads are hard to find and follow. The North Country National Scenic Trail parallels the northern and eastern boundaries for about eight miles. Sturgeon River Campground offers seven sites on the southeastern boundary. In spring and during peak runoff, kayaking and white water canoeing are challenging, and only recommended for advanced paddlers.

Check it out bigger and see more on Shane’s map!

More Michigan rivers on Michigan in Pictures.

Elliot Falls aka Miners Beach Falls

Posted on by farlane

Elliot Falls

Elliot Falls, photo by Aaron Peterson

In Wednesday Waterfall: Elliot Falls, aka Miners Beach Falls Aaron Peterson writes:

There are so many big, raucous thundering waterfalls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that it’s too easy to overlook little gems like Elliot Falls at Miners Beach in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore near Munising in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

For years I’ve heard this waist-high falls called Miners Beach Falls, and also Potato Patch Falls referring to the nearby backcountry campsite called the Potato Patch. However the actual Potato Patch Falls is a wispy pillar located between this lower falls at Miners Beach and the campsite where the stream drips off a sandstone ledge.

A recent interaction on Facebook set the record straight on the beach falls though:
“Elliot Falls is named after my great aunt’s husband, who had the cabin there for many years. Bob Elliot had ‘Elliot’s Farm’, and the home had also been known as “Zimmies” in later years prior to being torn down by the park service. The house sat right over the creek (you could see the creek through the floorboards in the bathroom). A few pipes and concrete slabs still remain at the site. “

Read on for directions and to view Aaron’s photo bigger. See more great shots from the UP on his blog and also at aaronpeterson.net.

Many more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!

Battle in the Mist

Posted on by farlane

Battle in the Mist

Battle in the Mist, photo by Anapko

Great shot of the rock formation known as Battleship Row in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Check Andrea’s photo out big as a battleship and see more in her Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore slideshow.

Many more photos from the Pictured Rocks on Michigan in Pictures!

Stormborn

Posted on by farlane

Stormborn

Stormborn, photo by adonyvan

Jiqing Fan thinks that the dragon that hatches from this would be a match for Daenerys Stormborn’s… Check it out bigger and see more (including another view) in his Houghton / UP Michigan slideshow.

The Only Choice: Seul Choix

Posted on by farlane

Boulder Splash - Seul Choix Point (Gulliver, MI)

Boulder Splash – Seul Choix Point (Gulliver, MI), photo by Aaron C. Jors

Wikipedia’s entry for Seul Choix Light begins:

This location is the only harbor of refuge in a long and dangerous stretch of coast; the translation of the French name is “only choice” so it is clear that it was used as a refuge by the early French traders in this area. Local references state that the correct pronunciation is “Sis-shwa”, assumed to be the common name used by both the French Voyageurs and the Native Americans with whom they traded furs.

In the 1880s, there was increased maritime traffic between the harbors on Lake Michigan’s western shore and Green Bay on the one hand, and the Straits of Mackinac on the other. Although the St. Helena Island Light marked the western entry into the Straits, and Poverty Island Light lighted the entrance to the Bays de Noc, there were no lighthouses to aid mariners navigating a dark 100-mile (160 km) stretch of coastline on the southern shore of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The navigation season along this shoreline often began and ended with treacherous storms. Waves would build as they traversed the lake, making shelter a matter of life and death. Thus, mariners would seek shelter on the leeward side of points protruding into the lake along this stretch of unlighted shore.

You can read on for more and also check out The Haunting of Seul Choix Point Lighthouse on Michigan in Pictures for more about this lonely locale.

Check out Aaron’s photo bigger and see more in his Michigan slideshow.

Sunrise Splash-in

Posted on by farlane

Splash-in 2013

Splash-in 2013, photo by Gary of the North(Footsore Fotography

Check Gary’s photo out big as the sky and see more in his Grand Marais Michigan slideshow.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Overlooked Falls in Porcupine Mountains State Park

Posted on by farlane

fallen tree [Overlooked Falls 2478 2481]

fallen tree [Overlooked Falls 2478 2481], photo by Frank Kaelin (aka Fir Dawg)

GoWaterfalling’s page on Minor Waterfalls has this to say about Overlooked Falls 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.

Check this out bigger and see more in Frank’s Mainly Water slideshow.

Many (many) more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!

Miners Castle Sunset

Posted on by farlane

"Miners Castle Sunset" - Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - Munising , Michigan

“Miners Castle Sunset” – Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, photo by Michigan Nut

I figured to close “Pictured Rocks week” on Michigan in Pictures, I needed a photo from one of the people who captures the stunning beauty the best – John McCormick aka Michigan Nut. As you can see from this shot, he really does an excellent job of capturing the stunning colors of this wild & amazing place.

Check his photo out bigger and definitely don’t miss his Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore slideshow. Michigan in Pictures has lots more photos from John too!

You can read more about Miners Castle too!