Waterfalls, Wildflower and a Bird

I didn’t get around to posting this from last Sunday until now. I went out to see if I could get to Upper Letherby Falls, as the road can be very very muddy, and deep thick mud at that, this time of year. Well, yes there was mud, but not as bad as last year and the Subie plowed right through it. There was even some snow left out there once the elevation got up a ways. Anyway, on the drive to the falls I was driving along quite slow with my windows down and sunroof open, and as I came close to a creek I’ve seen many times I heard water falling, or rapids or something, I wasn’t sure, so I stopped. I went into the woods just 25 feet or so and there it was, another waterfall I never seen. Went back and go my camera stuff and went back in to the falls. Was a really pretty falls with a small pool at the bottom. After getting home I found the falls is named Pea Can Falls. Why I did have it on my GPS I have no idea, but it there now.
After enjoying the falls I headed up the road just a little ways further to park and go down to Upper Letherby Falls. I only got a video of the falls because all my photos didn’t turn out due to too much sun, but it was still nice to be there.
On my way back home I stopped a few times for some wildflowers, they are just starting to come out.
Then once home, a Baltimore Oriole surprised me at some oranges I had put out, but I caught him in a tree.
I don’t know, I’ve lost my thoughts, so I guess this post will end now. Just wish I had someone to talk to about things, just things, then I would remember.

Pea Can Falls

Bloodroot

Baltimore Oriole

Ogemaw Falls

I was hoping to get out a little today, although the weather forecast wasn’t all that great, so I went out early before any rain that might come. I headed out to see Ogemaw Falls on Ogemaw Creek, another falls I’ve been wanting to check out for some time, but just haven’t. Drove out US-41 and turned just before just before Alberta on Baraga Plains Rd. Two mile or so down the road is a small sign stating “Ogenaw Falls”, so I parked along the road and followed a small trail back to the falls. I was surprised how easy and short of a trail it was, so that was nice. Arriving at the falls another surprise, it’s beautiful falls, not large, but not real small either and down below the falls was a nice slide. Following the trail a few feet more I found where you can cross the river for a much better view of the falls. Had to hop across on a couple of rocks to get to the other side, but pretty easy going. Spent quite a bit of time just enjoying the falls and taking photos, but thought I better get going as the clouds were starting to darken. On the way back crossing the the river I slipped a bit and one foot went in up to just short of my knee, but hey, I found out my hiking boot don’t leak. lol Took a few more photos at a spot I saw on the way down then headed back to the car. Baraga Plains Rd goes a long way, but along the way is where Menge Creek Rd starts/ends, so that’s the way I went home. Oh, and it started to rain shortly after I got into the car, so good timing.
Anyway, got home in the rain, took a shortish nap and by then the rain had stopped and the sun came out. Spent the rest of the day sitting on the deck with the boys taking photos of birds.

Ogemaw Falls

The Main Fall of Ogemaw Falls

Ogemaw Falls Slide

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Purple Finch – Male

White-striped White-throated Sparrow

Finch Fight

Finch Fight

Peanut Butter and O-Kun-De-Kun Falls

Nice hike today out to O-Kun-De-Kun and Peanut Butter Falls. I’ve been wanting to see these for quite some time, so today was the day. O-Kun-De-Kun is a very pretty 20 foot falls and Peanut Butter (named so due to the color of the water) is another very pretty 8 foot falls. Both falls are on the Baltimore River in Ontonagon County. The 2.5 mile round trip hike is quite nice, though there is quite a bit of good ol’ slippery mucky mud this time of year. My legs are going to feel it tomorrow I’m afraid, as I seem to be out of shape from the winter.

Peanut Butter Falls

Peanut Butter Falls

O-Kun-De-Kun Falls

O-Kun-De-Kun Falls

Big Erick’s Falls – Huron River

After quite a rainy morning I thought I was take a chance and go out to Big Erick’s Falls on the Huron River. It was well worth it. The weather turned out really nice, at least out there away from Lake Superior. When I first got to the river it didn’t look all that great due to almost too much water rushing, so I drove on for a ways. There’s a wee bit of mud on the trails this time of year and the Subie did great going through it. After a few miles I turned around and went back to the river and decided hike back in along the river. When I first setup my camera, there was a really cool fog that would roll through just above the river. After a while the fog lifted and the sun came out and got really warm, the car said 60°F when I got back to it.
It was good to get out again, I feel better for it.

Black & White

Went out today to my favorite spot at the bend where the Grand Staircase Falls on the Slate River turns. I shot entirely with in-camera black & white. I’ve been wanting to work on my BW photos for quite some time, so I thought this would be a good way to get a jump on it. After being there for quite a while enjoying it, I took off to see what roads might be open/plowed. I mostly ran into dead ends, but it was still nice being out in the woods a bit. At the end of one of the roads was a driveway to a hunting camp with a sign that read “Camp Left Nut”, I thought it was pretty funny so I took a photo of it. After that I headed home but first a car wash.


First Drive

Yesterday I went for my first real drive in the new Subaru. I headed up for the Keweenaw. The weather was quite gloomy, but that really didn’t matter, I was mainly giving myself time to get use to how a Subaru drives, and I have to say, very very well. I drove on pavement, sloppy snow, ice and then some climbing in snow and ice. This car is very impressive. I went to the end of US41 in Copper Harbor and say that the road out had been traveled, but I just wasn’t ready to give that a try yet, so I headed on down the shoreline. When I passed the road that heads up to Brockway I noticed tracks heading up, but I still wasn’t ready. Finally after stopping for photos along the shoreline, I came to the back entrance  to Brockway, I passed it at first, then said fuckit, I’m going for it, so I turned around and headed up. Following the few tracks heading up, a couple spots I did hesitate, but continued. There was not one single spot this Subie had any problem, it just goes and goes. At the top of Brockway was really cloudy and kind of surreal without anyone else around and during winter. Now it was time to drive back down, so I first put the Subie into Sport Mode (the gear shift can move to the left from drive, that puts it into Spot Mode and allows for tighter gearing), though that was still letting me roll to fast for the snow and ice, so I put it into Manual Mode (from Sport Mode, you can down shift and up shift which places the Subie into Manual Mode). This did the trick going down the steeper parts of the drive down. After getting back to the main road, it was time to head home.
All in all, I think I’m going to be very happy with this Subaru, and even with working it quite a bit I averaged 28 miles per gallon.
I do realize that thick mud and very rocky areas will be out of the question with the Subie, but I’ve been thinking, do I really need to go into the mud? No I don’t, besides, it’s a pain in the ass to clean off.
I need to figure out a name for the Subaru.

Top of Brockway

Heading Down From Brockway

Bleak and gloomy Lake Medora

Keweenaw Shore

Keweenaw Shore

Snowy billion year old lava.

Slate River Hike

Headed out this morning to an area I thought would be about the easiest to get to, the Slate River. It was nice out there, nice and peaceful with not a soul around. I went down river to start with until I got to where there are a couple hunting camps, then back up across the road and followed the east side of the river. I rarely go up this side because you can’t get as far without really bushwhacking. I spent about 3 hours taking photos and just enjoying the river.
I learned something else today… I need a fucking vehicle. First I barely made it up the first hill of Arvon Rd. Then as I drove down the road to the river I needed to turn around because there was no room to park without going into the few inches of snow. While turning around, I got stuck, stuck on flat fucking ground with only hard packed snow. So I got un-stuck and drove all the way back out to Arvon Rd and parked there. I guess it’s time to start hunting for a vehicle. I can’t live without being able to get out and about, it’s part of my life, and without it, I might as well cut my throat.

Waterfall Day

Yesterday I spent the day out and about with an old friend showing him a few waterfalls in the area. I haven’t seen him since living in Alaska when we had a small gathering at the house. He got in touch with me the other day say he was in Munising hitting some waterfalls in the area.
Anyway, he picked me up around 9:00 AM and we headed out to Big Falls. I didn’t know if we would be about to make it there due to the high water level and having to ford part of the Huron River, but it was fine. We spent a couple hours there taking photos then headed back to explore some of the Slate River. Of course I’ve been to all these falls many times, he hadn’t and was trying to mark off some he hasn’t been to.
After spending another few hours at the Slate River, it was time to head back and get something to eat. We had planned to get to a couple more falls, but ran out of time.
We stopped at The Finns to eat, and I must say it’s quite a nice place. I’ve always wanted to stop in there, but just seem to drive by. The pizza was really quite good and probably the best I’ve had in the area so far. I’ll be getting more for take-out another day.

Outhouse on the way to Big Falls. It was kind of startling see the dummy sitting here there.
The outhouse again out in the middle of nowhere.
Big Falls
Big Falls
East Branch Huron River
Quartzite Falls
Quartzite Falls
Grand Staircase Falls and Around The Bend
Road to Big Falls
Autumn Leaves