Waterfall Wednesday: Return to Manganese Falls

Posted on by farlane
manganese-falls

Manganese Falls by John Gagnon

I shared this photo from John nine years ago but came back for a second look! Trip Advisor shares that Manganese Falls are fed by Lake Manganese, a pristine little lake worth visiting too:

The falls are at the mercy of the seasons. The falls run rampant in spring with all the snowmelt (270″ average) and rainfall. Then as the season progresses, they become much less intense ending in fall as not much more than a trickle. The box canyon that surrounds the falls is a beautiful and dramatic 100 foot drop. It is lined with mosses, ferns and other boreal fringe flora, making it worth the stop even in the fall. There is a scenic trail that leads down and over a bridge to the lower end of the falls. It is definitely worth taking if you have the time.

The awesome GoWaterfalling’s page for Manganese Falls has directions & more info!

See more in John’s Rivers/streams gallery on Flickr.

Lots more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!

Manganese Falls by John Gagnon

Manganese Falls by John Gagnon

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Dawn Amidst the Fog

Posted on by farlane
Dawn Amidst the Fog by Eric Hackney

Dawn Amidst the Fog by Eric Hackney

An absolutely stunning shot of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge that links to the cities of Houghton & Hancock on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

See more in his Landmarks & Landscapes gallery on Flickr and for sure view & purchase his work at erichackneyphotography.com.

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Phone vs Camera: Northern Lights edition

Posted on by farlane
Northern Lights: Phone Edition by Monika Kross
Northern Lights: Phone Edition by Monika Kross

Northern Lights Phone vs Camera by Monika Kross

Given the veritable explosion of aurora borealis & nighttime photos due to the fact phone cameras are finally allowing people to take low light pictures, I think it’s important for folks to understand that even though you can’t get results like you see from some of the best northern lights photographers, these photographers aren’t faking or cheating. They are simply working with much more photo data & understanding of how to apply it than most people.

Monika shares “The difference between a phone shot and a camera shot, each taken several minutes apart. I took quite a few phone shots that night, esp as I worked my way up the coast of the Keweenaw in 28mph winds. In each phone shot, I see noise, blown pixels, and black feathering. Shooting on a camera in raw, we have to edit to put the contrast, color, and texture back into it. It looks very milky before editing and it takes a lot of work.

Click above for Monika’s Facebook or follow her on instagram at MichiganUnsaltedGirl!

PS: The phone camera is on the left!

PPS: More posts about camera operation & cameras on Michigan in Pictures!

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Ontonogan is Waterfall Country!

Posted on by farlane

Behind O-Kun-de-kun Falls by Neil Weaver Photography

Ontonogon County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is full of waterfalls. Pasty.com shared: The name “Ontonagon” is derived from the Ojibway word “nontounagon,” which means “I lost my bowl.” Local legend surrounding the name stems from the story that a member of Chief O-Kun-De-Kun’s band was washing bowls near the mouth of the river when she was startled by an unkempt stranger in a canoe. The woman inadvertently dropped one of the bowls into the river and exclaimed “nontounagon”. The white man took her declaration to be a reply to his question about the name of the area.

I have also heard that it refers to the bowl shaped harbor – maybe a reader will have the answer, and if you want to explore Waterfalls of the Keweenaw has a whole list – collect them all!! ;)

Get lots more photos from Neil on his Facebook and at neilweaverphotography.com!

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A New Blue at Adventure Mine

Posted on by farlane

Blue Mineral at Adventure Mine

Blue Mineral at Adventure Mine

WWJ-Detroit shares that a bright blue mineral has been discovered at a mine on the Keweenaw Peninsula that so far has people perplexed:

The mysterious mineral was found on rock walls in the historic U.P. Adventure copper mine in Greenland Township, south of Lake Superior.

On Sunday, officials from the mine have posted pictures on Facebook of the mystery substance found on rock walls, but the bright blue material has not been positively identified.

Officials said they believe it to be a secondary mineral caused by a reaction with air and water. The mine operated from 1850 until 1920 and 11 million lbs. of native copper has been extracted.

Definitely visit the Adventure Mine website for information on their tours & the history of the mine.  In the Facebook post referenced, Adventure Mine said “This bright blue mineral has not been positively identified as of this post but it is a secondary mineral that is caused by a reaction with air and water. It was found on the 3rd level in a small stope.” A stope is an excavation in a mine working or quarry in the form of a step or notch & the comment thread has some very interesting ideas as to what the mineral could be.

My own personal pet theory based solely on how cool it would be is that this reaction is due to the same mineral that creates the unique iron ore slag known as Leland Blue. 

PS: After some discussion with Adventure Mine operators, I realize that I took my kids on a tour there 20 years ago. Super cool & a highlight of our visit to the awesome Keweenaw Peninsula – definitely put a trip to the copper-iest of Copper Country on your Michigan bucket list!

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Fog Rainbows

Posted on by farlane

Fog Rainbows by Noah Sorenson

Fog Rainbows by Noah Sorenson

Noah caught some awesome shots on a recent visit to the Keweenaw Peninsula. For sure follow him @noahsorensenphoto on Instagram!

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The Stuff DREAMS Are Made of

Posted on by farlane

The stuff DREAMS are made of by Shelbydiamondstar Photography

The Stuff DREAMS Are Made of by ShelbyDiamondstar Photography

Shelby got an absolutely stunning shot of the aurora borealis on Saturday night on Lake Superior’s Keweenaw Peninsula. Head over to ShelbyDiamondstar Photography on Facebook for more!

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Canopy of Color

Posted on by farlane

Canopy of Color by Patton Photography

Canopy of Color by Patton Photography

Here’s a cool shot from way up on the Keweenaw Peninsula. See more in Patton Photography’s Michigan gallery on Flickr & have a great week!

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Confluence of Montreal River and Lake Superior

Posted on by farlane

confluence-of-montreal-river-and-lake-superior

Confluence of Montreal River and Lake Superior, photo by Kirt E. Carter

Waterfalls of the Keweenaw has a nice feature on the Montreal River and Montreal Falls that says in part:

Located right at the mouth of the Montreal River as it tumbles into Lake Superior, Montreal Falls is a rugged, beautiful cascade over blocky volcanic rocks. The views over the lake are incredible: to the west you can see Bare Bluff and Mt Bohemia rising along the lake shore, to the southwest the distant side of Bete Gris Bay, and to the south (on a clear day) the Huron Mountains ripple up above the lake. The drop sits at the last easily accessible southern spot on the tip of the Keweenaw, with Fish Cove, Keystone Bay, and Keweenaw Point a tough drive/hike beyond.

Some flat ground for camping sits on the shore of the waterfall, complete with a few fire rings and a convenient beach for kayakers, and during summer weekends a few tents can be found near the falls. A narrow trail leads up along the river towards Upper Montreal Falls, more traveled by fishermen than anyone else, and an even fainter path can be found leading further east to Fish Cove.

Read on more maps & more!

View Kirt’s photo bigger, see more in his slideshow, and see more work on his website.

Heavenly curtain at the Phoenix Church

Posted on by farlane

A special Sunday “I changed the cover of the Michigan in Pictures Facebook” edition of Michigan in Pictures.

God is Light

God is light, photo by Jiqing Fan

The Keweenaw County Historical Society page about their Phoenix Church in Houghton explains:

St. Mary’s Church was built in 1858 to serve the Catholic residents in the nearby mining community of Cliff, scene of the area’s first major copper discovery in 1844. Services continued until 1899 when the church was dismantled and reassembled in Phoenix, where it was renamed The Church of the Assumption. Masses were held until 1957, when the last service marked a century of providing spiritual guidance to mining families and their descendants.

In 1985 the Keweenaw County Historical Society took over the property and began extensive repair and restoration work. The church now appears much as it did when folks from another century knelt in prayer, a fitting memorial to one chapter of Keweenaw’s proud heritage. Although now deconsecrated, the church is still used for weddings and memorial services.

More on Pheonix Church from the Keweenaw County Historical Society.

View his photo bigger on Flickr and see more in his Houghton & UP Mich slideshow.

More northern lights and more churches on Michigan in Pictures.