Gaze into Fall’s Mirror this weekend!!

Posted on 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!

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The Boys of Summer: Waterfall Edition

Posted on by farlane
Bond Falls by Gowtham

Bond Falls by Gowtham

Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air, the summer’s out of reach
Empty lake, empty streets, the sun goes down alone
I’m driving by your house, though I know you’re not home
-Don Henley

There’s still some summer left to squeeze, but these cool nights tell me it won’t be long before the summer out of reach!

Twelve falls ago, I featured this passage along with a different photo from Gowtham. He took this one at Bond Falls in the UP way back in 2009. While he doesn’t seem to be doing a whole lot these days on Flickr, you can for sure follow along in the journal on his website!

There’s more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!

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Spider SZN

Posted on by farlane
Spider & Web by David Marvin

Spider & Web by David Marvin

Click On Detroit shares the reason we’re seeing a lot of spiders and webs in Michigan right now:

…Most spiders’ breeding seasons coincide with the transition from summer to fall. If you see more spiders than usual around your home during these months, chances are they’re mature males wandering far and wide in search of a mate. In fact, less than 5 percent (yikes) of the spiders you encounter inside your home have set one of their eight feet outside, according to Rod Crawford, Curator of Arachnids at the Burke Museum at the University of Washington.

Unlike humans, spiders are considered cold-blooded creatures since they don’t have a mechanism to regulate body temperature. When it’s cold, some spider species go through a process of cold-hardening to survive the winter. Beyond the chemical transformation in their bodies, many spiders seek shelter in piles of rocks, leaves or wood. Once snuggled up, spiders enter a slowdown state called diapause. In diapause, spiders are not completely inactive. Instead, they may emerge on warmer days to hunt and feed on any insect prey that may be active during this time.

So that’s fun 😉

David shot this in July – check out his latest on Flickr!

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Waterfall Wednesday: Yellow Dog Falls

Posted on by farlane
Yellow Dog Falls on the Yellow Dog River by Tom Clark

Yellow Dog Falls on the Yellow Dog River by Tom Clark

Travel Marquette shares that Yellow Dog Falls are a bit of a drive from Marquette, but well worth the drive time & not that difficult to reach with a trail along one of the wildest streams east of the Mississippi, with multiple waterfalls in just a two mile section of river.

The Yellow Dog River is one of the cleanest and least contaminated rivers in Michigan with water quality above and beyond drinking water standards that is considered a cold water fishery and a blue ribbon trout stream by the State of Michigan. Read much more from the Yellow Dog Watershed.

Tom took this photo last fall. See more in his UP October 2023 gallery and for sure view & purchase his work on his website.

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

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The expectations of Fall

Posted on by farlane

Fall Expectations by Fire Fighters Wife

Fall Expectations by Fire Fighter’s Wife

“You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light … but you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen.”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

As usual, Beth has a great photo/quotation pairing to start your day with! See more in her For the love of Camp! gallery on Flickr.

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Mac & Trees

Posted on by farlane

Mac & Trees by Noah Sorenson

Mac & Trees by Noah Sorensen Photo

Here’s a shot with a banger of title from Noah. Head over to Noah’s Instagram for the latest! 

PS: Dozens of photos & articles about the Mighty Mackinac Bridge on Michigan in Pictures.

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Farlane Friday: Fall Color from Sugar Loaf

Posted on by farlane

Fall Color from Sugar Loaf

Fall Color from Sugar Loaf by Andrew McFarlane

Every so often I like to sprinkle in one of my own photos on Michigan in Pictures, and today is one of those days! I took this photo on October, 22, 2018 at the long-shuttered Sugar Loaf Resort on the Leelanau Peninsula. The ski run was called Devil’s Elbow, and you can see Little Traverse Lake, Lake Michigan, and South Manitou Island & Pyramid Point in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (shout out to the Lakeshore for yesterday’s 51st birthday!)

While the color isn’t as spectacular this year as 2018, it’s still pretty nice. Also, fun fact: when I was 11 years old an out of control man ran me off the left side of the Elbow. I slid over 100′ down a very steep hill, broke my arm & had to be pulled out by a rope with a snowmobile by the Ski Patrol. You know I was right back at it as soon as the arm healed!!

If you want to read the long & depressing saga of the ski area, head over to Sugar Loaf Resort on Leelanau.com!

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Thanks for the wilderness, Congressman Dale Kildee!

Posted on by farlane

Sturgeon River Gorge I by David Mayer

Sturgeon River Gorge I by David Mayer

This week longtime Congressman Dale Kildee passed away. Kildee, uncle of current Flint Representative Dan Kildee, represented Flint for over 30 years earning the nickname “the Cal Ripken of Congress.” He was involved in many efforts including some vital early childhood bills and (of course) auto industry support, but one interesting thing that I learned from writer David Dempsey is that Dale was the sponsor of the 1987 Michigan Wilderness Act which created 10 State Wilderness Areas protecting nearly 100,000 acres of old growth forest, dunes, lakes, and rivers including Sturgeon River Gorge.

Thank you Dale for your work on the behalf of Michigan’s wild places! Click for a map of all 18 of Michigan’s Wilderness Areas.

David took this back in October of 2012 in the Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness. See more in his Porcupine Mountains gallery on Flickr.

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The Weather & Fall Color

Posted on by farlane

Mirror Lake in Autumn by Julie Chapa

Mirror Lake in Autumn by Julie Chapa

In their excellent article on The Science of Fall Color, the US Forest Service explains the role of the weather in the annual seasonal show:

The amount and brilliance of the colors that develop in any particular autumn season are related to weather conditions that occur before and during the time the chlorophyll in the leaves is dwindling. Temperature and moisture are the main influences.

A succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp but not freezing nights seems to bring about the most spectacular color displays. During these days, lots of sugars are produced in the leaf but the cool nights and the gradual closing of veins going into the leaf prevent these sugars from moving out. These conditions – lots of sugar and light – spur production of the brilliant anthocyanin pigments, which tint reds, purples, and crimson. Because carotenoids are always present in leaves, the yellow and gold colors remain fairly constant from year to year.

The amount of moisture in the soil also affects autumn colors. Like the weather, soil moisture varies greatly from year to year. The countless combinations of these two highly variable factors assure that no two autumns can be exactly alike. A late spring, or a severe summer drought, can delay the onset of fall color by a few weeks. A warm period during fall will also lower the intensity of autumn colors. A warm wet spring, favorable summer weather, and warm sunny fall days with cool nights should produce the most brilliant autumn colors.

Julie took this photo at a small lake near Fife Lake back in 2014. See more in her Michigan gallery & follow Julie Chapa Photography on Facebook.

TONS more fall color on Michigan in Pictures!

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Waterfall Wednesday: Houghton Douglass Falls

Posted on by farlane

Houghton Douglass Falls by Michigan Nut Photography

Houghton Douglass Falls by Michigan Nut Photography

Waterfalls of the Keweenaw says that Houghton Douglass Falls on Hammell Creek is:

A wildly tall and impressive waterfall, Douglass Houghton Falls was once a popular destination for locals and Michigan Tech students alike. Crumbling cliff walls and numerous accidents, many of them fatal, pushed the land owner to cut off access. While the falls are still reachable by following Hammell Creek upstream from Lake Linden, the danger of a careless visit cannot be understated.

This waterfall is well over a hundred feet with several plunges bouncing off the sharp, volcanic rock. Steep walls make it difficult to reach the small drops in the meadow above, but a great view down towards Torch Lake can be made down the green creek valley. A small exploratory shaft is drilled into the side of the falls only a few feet above the creek. While it’s hard to reach and dangerous to explore, this waterfall is one of the highlights of the Copper Country.

More about how to visit at Waterfalls of the Keweenaw.

John took this pic back in October and notes that at 100′ feet, Houghton Douglass is Michigan’s tallest waterfalls. You can read the comments on the pic right here, follow the Michigan Nut Photography Facebook page for more, and view & purchase photos at michigannutphotography.com!

More Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!

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