Although we were just in the neighborhood on Monday for the Seven Wonders of Michigan, I couldn’t resist encouraging you to take a look around at one of my favorite Michigan hikes when Gary shared this photo of a storm rolling into Chapel Beach yesterday! The river you see in the foreground is the Chapel River that flows from Chapel Falls (pictured below).
Michigan has some truly incredible sights, but I have to think that Chapel Rock in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore belongs at or near the top of any list of the 7 Wonders of Michigan. Apparently I started to compile a list back in 2015 & added Mackinac Island’s Arch Rock to it. Let’s add Chapel Rock as well. If you have suggestions for the list, share in the comments and then we can vote on them all!
The Chapel area was named by early European explorers and is found on early maps as La Chappelle. Chapel Rock is a remnant of Cambrian age sandstone that was carved by Lake Nipissing high water some 3800 years ago. Continual erosion has carved the rock into the beautiful sculpture it is today. There once was an archway connecting the rock to the mainland (see pic below!). The arch collapsed in the 1940s. The lone white pine on Chapel Rock is estimated to be about 250 years old.
Atlas Obscura adds that a member of the Douglass Houghton expedition exploring Lake Superior’s southern shore described a single pine tree that grew like a “spire” out of the sparse dirt covering the top of the outcropping. Till this day, the same resilient pine stands sentinel over Chapel Rock, connected to the mainland by its extensive root system.
Craig shares that the cool weather has him thinking about autumn colors, and that he was honored to have this photo purchased by National Geographic for a book on national parks! I will for sure share the book when it’s out. You don’t have to wait to see more from Craig though! Follow Craig Serken Photography on Facebook and view or purchase his work on his website!
So far, smoke-induced air quality advisories have been issued for more than 20 days. Last year, there were none due to wildfires.
…Atmospheric conditions and wind direction bring smoke from Canada into Michigan. High-and low-pressure systems are common ways smoke is transported, said Rebecca Hansen, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Grand Rapids office. Most recently, all those cloudless skies—due to a high-pressure system—helped blow the smoke right into the state, she said. ‘”Due to the light winds moving around, that’s helping the smoke stay over the area too … Canada has been experiencing warmer and drier conditions, and that definitely increases the wildfire risk,” Hansen said.
Sometimes we see two rainbows at once. Not all of the energy of the ray escapes the raindrop after it is reflected once. A part of the ray is reflected again, and travels along a different path inside the drop to emerge from the drop at a different angle. The rainbow we normally see is called the primary rainbow and is produced from one internal reflection. The secondary rainbow arises from two internal reflections and the rays exit the drop the second time at an angle of around 50 degrees, rather than the 42 degrees for the primary rainbow. This effect produces the secondary rainbow, with the colors reversed from the primary rainbow. It is possible for light to be reflected more than twice within a raindrop, but these additional rainbows are typically never seen under normal circumstances.
Atmospheric Optics (the OG rainbow site) adds that secondary rainbows appear broader than the primary rainbow, measuring approximately 1.8 times its width so the top rainbow is the copy!
John shared this photo of a doble rainbow over Lake Superior’s Munising Bay on his Facebook. For sure follow him there and view & purchase his work at michigannutphotography.com.
One of my favorite things about Michigan in Pictures is seeing some of the incredible cameras people are using.
One man who has some sweet gear is Kirt E. Carter and he has been bringing some incredible Hasselblad pics to the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr for the better part of a decade. I figured today was a good day to bring attention to his amazing work. The large one below of icicles on the Eagle Harbor shoreline – see more in the Hasselblad search in the Absolute Michigan group & for sure head over to his website to view & purchase his work!
“Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?”
It’s November 10th again, which means that for the 48th year straight year I have Gordon Lightfoot’s legendary ballad to the Witch of November on repeat. My absolute favorite version of the song (as many of you know probably all too wdell) is this version that Joseph Fulton created way back in 2009. Given YouTube’s ruthlessness on music copyright, I have to assume that Lightfoot blessed this because from the moment Harry Reasoner begins speaking, who wouldn’t?
You can join the 49th annual Great Lakes Memorial Service, a remembrance of the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald in person at Mariners’ Church in downtown Detroit or on their YouTube livestream at 11am today. On November 11, 1975 they rang their church bell 29 times in honor of all the sailors that lost their lives due to the wreck of the S.S. Edmund FItzgerald. They do it every year, and the beloved service also commemorates all sailors who have lost their lives on the Great Lakes.
Here are a couple of photos I took recently of the beautiful stained glass and the historical marker at Mariners’ Church which is between Hart Plaza and the Renaissance Center on the riverfront in downtown Detroit. Lots more about the Edmund Fitzgerald on Michigan in Pictures!
8PM EDT: This is nothing short of astronomical. I am at a loss for words to meteorologically describe you the storms small eye and intensity. 897mb pressure with 180 MPH max sustained winds and gusts 200+ MPH. This is now the 4th strongest hurricane ever recorded by pressure on this side of the world. The eye is TINY at nearly 3.8 miles wide. This hurricane is nearing the mathematical limit of what Earth’s atmosphere over this ocean water can produce.-Orlando Meteorologist Noah Bergren
The phrase “nearing the mathematical limit of what Earth’s atmosphere over this ocean water can produce” is one of the most terrifying I have ever read, especially when it directly follows Hurricane Helene that killed over 200 people and wrought devastation even in the mountains. Could this be the hurricane cycle that wakes people up to the reality of a changed climate or will we keep acting like it’s normal for hurricanes to wipe mountain towns off the map? Time will certainly tell.
While it’s too early to forecast the impact of Milton on Michigan, Hurricane Sandy in 2012 produced the second highest wave height ever on Lake Michigan of 21.7 feet – click for all kinds of Lake Michigan Hurricane Sandy weather data from the NWS. Cory took this at Sugar Loaf just outside of Marquette way back in November of 2012 in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. See more in his Portfolio gallery on Flickr.
Michigan in Pictures is all about sharing new places & ways to have fun in Michigan. Whether you are visiting or live here, I think it’s important as you’re enjoying your explorations to recognize the hardworking people helping to make the experience of kayaking a mercurial freshwater sea, hiking a wilderness trail, viewing historical artifacts, or simply finding that hidden waterfall or local favorite taco stand as safe & seamless as possible. It’s not easy, and everyone who enjoys Michigan’s diverse offerings owes them a big thank you!
Monika shares: Picture Rocks Kayaking guide breaks a hard right to turn the nose of five kayaks pointing in towards Miner’s Beach. These guides work SO hard and in all weather conditions on the clear but cold Lake Superior! Last summer I met one in the East Channel while crossing and she was towing 2 kayakers home who simply quit paddling. Let’s give them some much deserved applause! 🙌
You don’t take a photograph. You make it. ~ Ansel Adams
Great photography is not easy! Karl shares “Laying practically under my tripod and up against a prickly picker bush, I’m narrowly able to cram in this craggily white birch with a few remaining autumn leaves that are just barely hanging. In the crisp and cold October morning air, I caught one of the nicest and richest sunrises I’ve ever experienced over Lake Superior. This was a good morning.“
The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore asks if you’ve ever thought about being a campground host?
If the answer is “Yes!” they are seeking a volunteer campground host for the month of June at Hurricane River Lower Campground. Volunteer campground hosts work 5 days a week and stay in a designated campsite, assisting fellow campers with information and registration, but they do not handle any money, and do not clean restrooms. Campground hosts are welcome to bring their own RVs and campers, though there are no electric or sewer hookups (vault toilets are available) and cell reception is limited.
Hurricane River Campground is on the eastern side of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, about 12 miles outside of Grand Marais. The campground sits above a sand and pebble beach on Lake Superior, which is dotted with shipwrecks as it stretches east towards the Au Sable Light Station.
