Fiery Fall Foliage at Fenner

Posted on by farlane

Fiery Fall Foliage

Fiery Fall Foliage, photo by David Marvin

Let’s head out of autumn with a with a bang and this firework of a maple! I hope you get a chance to get out and enjoy what remains of the 2015 fall color touring season in Michigan. mLive updated their color report with some pics from readers:

The colors are fading fast and the leaves are falling, but there are still some Michigan areas with peak color. The inland areas of the Upper Peninsula and the inland areas of northern Lower Michigan are past fall color peak now. The leaves are falling fast.

But the shoreline areas and the peninsulas are warmer. Some of those areas are still at peak, or even just peaking now.

It will still be well worth the trip to the Leelanau Peninsula and the Old Mission Peninsula this week and probably even this weekend.

We took the drive of M-22 along the shore of Leelanau County Sunday, October 18, 2015. Along the shore there was still some green and was a few days away from peak. Old Mission Peninsula was 50 percent green still on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015. So if you are going north this weekend, take the routes near water and you’ll be pleased.

The southern half of Lower Michigan is peaking now through the next few days. This weekend will still be real nice to take that last fall color drive.

Also have at these aerial photos of fall color from a U.S. Coast Guard MH-65D Dolphin helicopter they shared a week ago.

Check this photo out big as a tree and head over to Dave’s blog for more photos & writing from Fenner Nature Center.

More fall wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures.

A Pair of Predictions for Winter 2016

Posted on by farlane

The ice, with some people thrown in for scale

The ice, with some people thrown in for scale., photo by Bill Dolak

It was nice to read NOAA’s forecast for Winter 2016 predicting that El Niño will give us a warmer than normal winter in Michigan:

One of the stronger effects of El Niño is warmer than normal winter temperatures from the Pacific Northwest through the northern Plains into the Great Lakes. NOAA places most of Lower Michigan in an area with a greater than 50 percent chance of warmer than normal temperatures. That also means there is a 33 percent chance of normal temperatures and a 17 percent chance of below normal temperatures.

So, it’s not a sure bet that it will be a warmer-than-normal winter, but indications are strongly leaning in the warmer direction.

The farther north you are in Michigan, the higher the chance of warmer-than-normal temperatures. The Upper Peninsula has at least a 60 percent chance of warmer-than-normal winter temperatures.

If you read on at mLive, meteorologist Mark Torregrossa has some caveats that temper this a bit. You can also just throw big buckets of frozen water on the whole idea of a warmer winter if you believe in the Farmers’ Almanac 2016 Winter Forecast where they predict that:

…the winter of 2015–2016 is looking like a repeat of last winter, at least in terms of temperatures with unseasonably cold conditions over the Atlantic Seaboard, eastern portions of the Great Lakes, and the lower peninsula of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, most of the Tennessee and Mississippi Valley, as well as much of the Gulf Coast.

Gack. For the record, the Almanac has nailed the last two winters for Michigan…

Bill took this shot in March of 2015 on the heels of the most brutal winter that Michigan had seen since … well … 2014. View it background bigtacular and see more in his South Haven slideshow.

More winter and more weather on Michigan in Pictures.

Fall…ing: Michigan is Still Michigan Edition

Posted on by farlane

Fall-ing Northern Marquette County

Fall…ing, photo by Thom Skelding

Yep. This photo pretty much sums up the weekend!! In Michigan gets bragging rights to first heavy snow east of Rockies, mLive meteorologist Mark Torregrossa writes:

Michigan now has bragging rights to the first heavy snow of the winter, east of the Rockies. Overnight Friday, October 16, 2015, and this morning, lake effect snow has been falling in part of the Upper Peninsula and a large area of northwest Lower Michigan.

The Kalkaska area, east of Traverse City, has officially reported 5.7 inches of new snow.

The northwest Lower Michigan snow belt has received areas of two to five inches of the winter wonder.

Click through for more, including some photos.

View Thom’s photo background bigtacular and see more in his slideshow.

More fall wallpaper and more winter wallpaper

Winter Is Coming … apparently tonight

Posted on by farlane

North Country Girls

North Country Girls, photo by Michael

While El Niño is predicted to bring a milder winter for Michigan in 2016, it looks like things will kick off early with a chance of a dusting of snow tonight & tomorrow:

The coldest air of the season will pour into state on Friday and into the weekend. The cold air will bring widespread lake-effect rain showers to West Michigan. The rain may mix with some wet snow over parts of the state late Friday into Saturday afternoon.

A better chance of accumulating snow will be over the higher terrain of Norther Lower Michigan and parts of the Upper Peninsula.

I should add that although you may want to see it from your car with the heater cranked, color around the state is still really nice!

Michael took this last January when Detroit was locked in the grip of the White Walkers. View it background bigtacular and see more in his slideshow.

More Detroit and more winter on Michigan in Pictures!

Mission Hill, Spectacle Lake & Fall Color 2015

Posted on by farlane

Mission Hill View Upper Peninsula Michigan

Mission Hill 3, photo by Susan H

Here’s a look-in on the current state of fall color in the northeastern Upper Peninsula. DWHIKE has this to say about the Mission Hill trail, which also affords views of Spectacle Lake & Monocle Lake:

Monocle Lake sits just inland from Lake Superior about a half hours’ drive west of Sault Ste. Marie. Along its south shore is a nice National Forest campground which serves as the trailhead for the days adventure. The Monocle Lake Trail heads east from the swimming area at the south end of the lake for little more than a quarter mile where it splits north and south in to the North Country Trail and the Mission Hill Trail respectively…

Directions to Trailhead: -Take Highway 221 north from M-28 west of Sault Ste. Marie. -Follow Hwy 221 for 2.5 miles, through Brimley, to Lakeshore Drive. -Turn left on Lakeshore Drive, follow it 5 miles to Tower Road on the left. -Follow Tower Road (which changes to dirt as you climb the hill) 1.5 miles to overlook and trailhead on the right.

Click above for a map where you can need both lakes and get more about the Monocle Lake Trail from the DNR.

Susan took this photo on Sunday. View it big as the sky and see more in her UP slideshow.

Lots more Fall wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures!

Waterfall Wednesday: Catching Fire at O Kun de Kun Falls

Posted on by farlane

O Kun de Kun Falls falls on the Baltimore River

O Kun de Kun Falls, photo by Tom Mortenson

GoWaterfalling’s page on the O Kun de Kun Falls says in part:

O Kun de Kun Falls is one of the largest of the waterfalls in Ontanagon county. It is not as large as Bond Falls or Agate Falls, but it is just as scenic and far wilder. It is a mile plus hike to O Kun de Kun Falls and there are no fences or signs. The waterfall is also unusual in that it is an actual plunge falls. Only a handful of the many waterfalls around Lake Superior are plunge falls. You can go behind the falls if you want, but you need to be careful and sure footed.

Read on for more including directions. You can also check out the Ottawa National Forest page on O Kun de Kun Falls for a satellite map of the area.

If you’re wondering about the name of the falls, it was after a famous chief, Kun de Kun meaning “To Keep Up the Net” from the Leach Lake band of Ottawa. Here’s a picture of him!

Last Tuesday Tom took us to Bond Falls, and he returns this morning with a shot from O Kun de Kun showing that fall color is finally kicking off! View it background big and view lots more of his waterfall photos on Flickr.

More fall wallpaper and more waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures.

Michigan in Petoskey stones in the Final 20 for ArtPrize 7

Posted on by farlane

michigan petoskey stone

michigan petoskey stone, photo by Jacob Vanderheyden

The ArtPrize Seven Final 20 has been announced with 3 of the top entries from 2013 once again in the running. Click the link to see them all, incuding this one: michigan petoskey stone by Randall Libby from Manistee. It’s on display at the DeVos Center – here’s the scoop:

WORLDS LARGEST PETOSKEY STONE DISPLAY Using petoskey stone and fossil, a framed two-dimensional display with a square shape that measures approximately nine feet (9ft.) tall by nine feet (9ft.) wide / a depth of approximately 4 inches and a weight near 700lbs. Subject matter- State of Michigan map with all 83 counties. One of a kind Hundreds of hours of labor with hundreds of individual slices of semi-precious stone- this item is sure to compete for top placement in art prize. To see examples of earlier work go to petoskeystoneart.com

View Jacob’s photo background bigtacular and see lots more in his ArtPrize 2015 slideshow.

More of ArtPrize through the years on Michigan in Pictures.

Bond Falls in Autumn

Posted on by farlane

Bond Falls in Autumn

Bond Falls in Autumn, photo by Tom Mortenson

Here’s the latest cover photo for Michigan in Pictures, one of many in the Michigan Cover Photos group on Flickr!

It’s from early October of 2013, and while it looks like our color season could be pretty darned good, it’s probably a little late this year. Via the Freep, it looks like the recent run of “Indian summer” is pushing color back:

The Upper Peninsula, which usually has plenty of fall color by this time in September, is still lolling around in green, reports Pure Michigan and the Foliage Network, which monitor fall color in the state.The very western Upper Peninsula as of Thursday was showing between 12% to 30% color, but the rest of the state had none.

Things seem to be about two weeks or more behind schedule.

Still, “cooler weather has taken hold and should help to get things going,” reports Market Rzonca, who runs The Foliage Network.

Pure Michigan’s fall color blog (Michigan.org/fall) predicted that peak fall color in the U.P., including Mackinac Island, is not expected to hit for about three weeks. Same with Alpena, Charlevoix and Ludington. Farther south, the show will come even later.

View Tom’s photo background bigtacular and check out more of Tom’s Michigan waterfall photos.

There’s more fall wallpaper, more about fall color, and more on Bond Falls on Michigan in Pictures.

 

Super Blood Moon Eclipse

Posted on by farlane

Super Blood Moon Eclipse

Super Blood Moon 09/27/2015, photo by Alex Thorpe

While clouds marred much of this rare total eclipse of a perigee moon aka super moon, there were places & times that worked.

Check out this gallery of eclipse photos from Fox 17 viewers and definitely share yours and others you find on the Michigan in Pictures Facebook!

View Alex’s photo background bigtacular and see more in his slideshow. It looks like he got a little hint of the northern lights in the long exposure too!

More eclipses on Michigan in Pictures!

Waterfall Wednesday: Wyandotte Falls on the Misery River

Posted on by farlane

Wyandotte Falls Upper Peninsula

Wyandotte Falls, photo by David Hedquist

Waterfalls of the Keweenaw has this to say about Wyandotte Falls on the Misery River:

Misery River drains Lake Roland and Gerald (aka the Twin Lakes) westwards out to Lake Superior, passing over the small Wyandotte Falls along an otherwise twisted and swampy route. This waterfall is just downstream of a set of ponds next to a small set of cabins and the Wyandotte Hills Golf Course. Nestled in an older grouping of huge cedar trees and surrounded by smooth, moss-covered rocks, this waterfall seems ancient compared to the nearby golf course and state park. Also, due to the twin lakes upstream, Wyandotte Falls is susceptible to a rather large influx of spring melt.

You can click for more including photos and a map.

View David’s photo background big and see more in his Wyandotte Falls slideshow.

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