Tahquamenon River Trail

Tahquamenon Falls State Park

Upper Falls. Beautiful, but not the only reason to visit!

The 2nd largest state park in Michigan (#1 is Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park) boasts the 2nd largest waterfall in the U.S., east of the Mississippi. Tahquamenon Falls State Park receives 500,000 visitors a year due primarily to the two waterfalls that call the park home. Not to discount the park's other draws, the falls are far from the only reason to stop by.

Snowshoeing the Tahquamenon River Trail

Undisturbed forest, some of it old growth, surrounds park explorers, and it is the tannic acid from the many hemlock and cedar trees that give the falls their unusual brown tones. Evidence of beaver activity presents itself in the gnawed-on trunks of many of these trees along the river. Year-round presentations and workshops educate visitors, such as a snowshoe making workshop, in which participants weave their own pair of traditional snowshoes.

Tahquamenon River

Winter is a spectacular time to visit Tahquamenon Falls State Park. The droves of loud snowmobiles tend to wipe out any chance of seeing moose; however, the 40+ miles of hiking trails ensure plenty of opportunity for peaceful winter hiking. Many miles of cross-country ski trails are groomed, and some of these are lit with lanterns for night skiing.

Lanterns have been lit along a ski trail in preparation for night skiing

Backcountry campsites have recently been added to the state park and more are in development, providing year-round camping opportunities. The North Country Trail uses the scenic Tahquamenon River Trail as it winds through northern Michigan before eventually making its way south to the Lower Peninsula.

Tahquamenon River Trail follows the river for 4 miles
between the 2 waterfalls

For hikers with a lot of vacation time, the North Country Trail Association recommends a 102-mile stretch through the Upper Peninsula - beginning at Munising Falls in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and ending at Lower Falls in Tahquamenon Falls State Park - and considers it a premier segment of this 4600 mile multi-state hiking trail. A couple of weeks could not be better spent!

Smokey should have worn a sweater. He looks nervous.

With an average of 200 inches of annual snowfall, winter enthusiasts of all kinds are guaranteed not to be disappointed when traveling to this park. Snowshoeing is an ideal way to explore the area in winter, and on a recent trip to the winter wonderland that is the Tahquamenon River Trail, snowshoes were a must.

Enjoying the winter wonderland

A 4-mile, one-way route between the Upper and Lower Falls, the TRT is possibly the most beautiful trail I've ever hiked in winter. Beginning at the Lower Falls, we were greeted by the roaring sound of the fast-moving river. Mist filled the air above mounds of snow and ice, which had accumulated along the river bank and around the island that splits the river and causes a series of cascades.

A section of Lower Falls - mostly hidden under snow and ice

True to its name, the Tahquamenon River Trail briefly leaves the water to climb a ridge, but quickly returns to hug the river for the majority of the trip. As we walked between the river and snow-blanketed forest, the only sounds we heard depended on the mood of the river – serene bubbling in calm areas, or loud roaring where the the current was more forceful. Light intermittent snowfall added to the beauty of the day, and reinforced my philosophy that most things are better with snow.

Snow-blanketed forest along Tahquamenon River

The festive looking Interpretive Gazebo
Snowshoes were made available for park visitors who wanted to try them out

The Upper Falls can be seen along the trail from the top of the canyon in which the river flows. A staircase then leads visitors to a viewing platform near the top of the waterfall for an up close view of the 200-feet wide by 50-feet high drop. Near the Upper Falls parking lot, an interpretive gazebo provides park information, and is a hub of activity such as the guided snowshoe that was taking place on this particular weekend. Tahquamenon Falls Brewery and Pub is the perfect place to finish off the day with a bowl of wild rice soup, a whitefish sandwich and a pint of Porcupine Pale Ale by the fireplace.

A beautiful moonrise over Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub

Press Play on the 2 videos below to see the Upper and Lower Falls in action!

Upper Falls:


Lower Falls:
(video temporarily unavailable)

Munising Falls

It is tradition for me to visit Munising Falls whenever I’m near the western end of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Even in summer, when not much more than an unenthusiastic trickle of water drools from the top, I still must see it.

For me, most of the attraction is the sandstone formation that the water falls from. I am fascinated by the eroded cliff formations and canyons that were formed in the region when it was covered by glaciers. Here, Munising Creek drops 50 feet into the canyon below on its way to Lake Superior, a short distance away.

I could spend hours examining the layered walls of rock that surround me while walking the short path from the interpretive center to the waterfall. I am mystified by the people I have seen walk briskly toward the sound of splattering water, never once look from side to side, stop for a moment at the first viewing spot, snap a photo and turn around. I lose sleep over this kind of thing; it is the curse of the obsessive rock nerd.

Barriers have been put in place fairly recently in an attempt to stop visitors from walking under the cliff and behind the waterfall. Signs posted warning of the potential danger of falling rock lend justification to these measures, and in warmer months it is not unusual to see a park ranger keeping a casual eye on potential adventurers.

During winter, Munising Falls creates a different, possibly even more spectacular scene. A massive column of ice is created, giving the falls a much bigger presence. Unfortunately, lack of funding does not allow the interpretive center to remain open through the winter months, but the smaller number of visitors allows more freedom to explore and photograph the area without having to wait for people to get out of your frames. You are also less likely to get caught climbing over the barricades. Normally, I obey the rules about this kind of thing. I respect the desire to keep natural areas untouched and keep erosion to a minimum, but it is really hard to resist getting closer to that column of ice.

I speculate that when rules are broken and the ice is observed directly, the sound of running water can still be heard from within the frozen waterfall. I imagine that the trickling echo could lead someone to look down past the base of the ice to see the stream of water rush out to continue its journey. I can’t say for sure, though, and I have no idea where these photos came from.

The North Country Trail (also called the Lakeshore Trail along this stretch of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula) can be accessed directly behind the interpretive center. For backpackers through-hiking the NCT - a 4600-mile footpath running from North Dakota to New York - Munising Falls would be a nice rest stop. It is also either the starting or ending point for those hiking the 42-mile Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore section only. This route is a one-way trip from Munising to Grand Marais (or the other way around) and features some of the most awe-inspiring scenery of the entire multi-state trail. I am considering this option for a fall backpacking trip later this year.

Eben Ice Caves

Rock River Canyon Wilderness

Stalactites of Ice

I recently returned from three days of snowshoeing in the Upper Peninsula with my sister, Andrea. We dubbed our trip 'Frozen Ice Crystal Palace Adventure 2010'. In addition to being fanatical rock nerds, we are also certified ice geeks and had been looking forward to visiting some icy hot spots in the far north of Michigan.

Photo by Andrea
Our first destination for FICPA 2010 was the Eben Ice Caves, located in Rock River Canyon Wilderness in the western section of Hiawatha National Forest. Rock River Canyon is 150 feet deep and lined with sandstone outcrops, which have been eroded to form concave overhangs. During winter, ground water seeps over the edge and down through the sandstone where it freezes, creating huge curtains of ice and closing off the front of the outcrops to form caves.

In winter it is possible to access the ice caves from the south side of the wilderness area. A few miles north of Eben Junction, visitors can park their cars by the side of the road and cross an open field to the forest. The field is private property, but the owner allows for its use in winter to access the ice caves.

Photo by Andrea

After checking in at the Sunset Motel in Munising, we headed west on M-94, drove through Chatham, turned North at the Eben post office, then right onto Frey Road. We parked the car where the road curves left at the open field and headed to the first phase of our Ice Adventure.

Rock River Canyon

It felt much colder than it actually was. The temperature was somewhere in the low-mid 20's, but the light wind felt like an arctic assault to the face. Shortly after entering the woods, the effects of the wind tapered off and an interpretive sign welcomed us with information about the wilderness.

First Glimpse of Ice

From there the trail is easy to follow; the path has a few steep spots, but doesn't really require much work for such an awesome pay-off. Shortly before the caves, a short bridge cuts across a stream, then the trail curves to the right and begins to climb. The ice becomes visible at the center of the “V” created by the hills on either side of the path.

The Ice Cave

We had both seen a few photos of the ice caves, but none of them really captured the size of this phenomenon. It was difficult to decide where to begin to tackle it photographically, and we immediately began climbing around the hillsides to get a more expansive view, and crouching and crawling around at the base of the ice to see every possible angle. Unfortunately, my camera malfunctioned shortly after our arrival (I was able to fix the problem later), but luckily I could rely on Andrea to capture every square inch of the area and give me copies later.

Blue chandelier

What we weren't able to capture, however, was the amazing sound inside the cave. The drips of water falling from above created wonderful echoes and added to the cave atmosphere. There is much variation of color and texture to the ice in different parts of the cave. Some formations were smooth and clear, others were bumpy and hollow-sounding, and there were some columns that looked like dripping candle wax.

Waxy Ice Column

The ice was mostly white or had a yellowish tint from the sandstone. Light shining through from outside of the cave gave other areas a blue or green glow. The cave floor consisted of waxy-looking pools of frozen water in some areas, and exposed earth in others.

Inside the cave - Photo by Andrea

We spent at least an hour at the Eben Ice Caves, and could have lingered a lot longer had it not been for the cold catching up to us due to lack of activity. We had intended to hike to a nearby waterfall after leaving Rock River Canyon, but it was now close to sunset, so we tabled that for later in the trip and headed back to Munising to drink hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps and decide on the following day's hike.

"I could happily die in this cave." - Andrea

More photos of the Eben Ice Caves can be seen here.

Winter Is Coming

Soon, the mighty Sasquatch who haunts the sparkling white trails - aka me with my many layers of outerwear - will be glimpsed loping clumsily through the Michigan forests.

Sasquatch?

Although we haven't been sprinkled with any snow yet in lovely Metro Detroit, it is freezing outside today (and not much better inside). I'm not quite in winter mode yet, so I've been revisiting last year, looking at pictures from snowshoeing weekends past, and thinking about exciting and chilly things to look forward to.

Pinecone nestled in snow - Hartwick Pines State Park

I recently received two Michigan hiking books from my in-laws for my birthday. The pages I have read so far have succeeded in plunging me into a serious state of couch-bound hiking fever. I intend to use them to plan a cold weather adventure or two for after the holidays, but until then, I am going to spend some time remembering when...

Au Sable River

Typically, my partner in all things winter adventure is my sister, Andrea. Always ready for a spontaneous trek through snow and prepared with enough survival equipment and provisions in her car to sustain a small community, Andrea is an ideal cohort. Were we to become stranded on a seldom-used logging road in the Upper Peninsula, we would be able to live comfortably in her Toyota Camry for quite some time. She even has a specialized tool to break the car window glass should we become submerged in an icy lake after sliding on a patch of black ice. Of course, most of these points are moot considering we usually take my larger vehicle; regardless, when we are together I rest easy knowing every scenario is covered.

Parking Lot at the Trailhead - Au Sable River Trail

In Andrea's opinion, vast stores of knowledge and random skills should be acquired in the event of cataclysm or extreme boredom. Once, while camping in the Pictured Rocks area, she insisted upon attempting to start a fire by rolling a stick between her hands, intent on using the friction on the end of it to ignite a small pile of tinder. Despite my protests, she continued in this endeavor while I unloaded our equipment, started an actual fire in the provided fire ring, began cooking dinner and enjoyed a spectacular sunset over Lake Superior. Only when the scent of brats grilling over open flame proved too overwhelming to the senses did she relent, claiming that she almost had smoke, but needed to change into warmer clothes due to the 'sudden' disappearance of the sun.

Trekking through snow - Photo by Andrea

Last winter, Michigan experienced heavy snowfalls and temperatures in the single digits and teens for the first several weeks of the season. Andrea and I decided to travel to the Grayling area the first weekend in February to visit Hartwick Pines State Park and to check out the nearby Au Sable River Trail. When under several feet of snow, this part of the state is a popular destination and it is not uncommon to see much of the population getting around on snowmobiles instead of in cars. It strikes downstaters as funny that printed advertisements in much of Northern Michigan for restaurants, hotels, and other attractions often include driving directions for traveling by snowmobile.

The foggy forest - Au Sable River Trail

Naturally, a spontaneous warm-up tried to destroy our plans. A solid month of below freezing temps and nearly constant snow was about to be thwarted by a freakish warm front; however, cold conditions prevailed throughout the first day for our visit to the Old Growth Forest in Hartwick Pines State Park. We found that the trail had been heavily groomed for Cross-country skiing and walking without the aid of snowshoes, so we took the advice of the DNR employee at the visitor center and ventured off-trail. Somehow we managed to spend 5 hours in this small section of woods, tramping through snow drifts, photographing large trees, and occasionally falling on our faces. We returned to the visitor center as the sun started to go down to find everyone had gone home.

Chapel Of The Pines - Hartwick Pines State Park

Overnight, the temperature began to rise, causing the air to be thick with fog when we set out for the Au Sable River Trail at 8:00 the next morning. Although the warm-up bummed us out a little and caused the thick blanket of snow to change from solid to gas practically before our eyes, the fog added an interesting element to that day's hike. The Au Sable River Trail is one of the prettiest trails I have ever seen, and we hit the jackpot of first impressions by seeing it in winter. At the first of 2 river crossings, our minds were so blown by the beautiful scenery that we accidentally spent an hour there marveling at the view and taking photos from every angle. A lone cross-country skier from Lansing stopped to chat with us and said that she travels to that area as often as she can in winter just for this trail. She described it as mystical, and I could not argue.

Bridge crossing the Au Sable River with fancy mystical effect

Back in Detroit, Andrea insisted on visiting a strange local phenomenon before heading back to her home on the west side of the state. Last winter, one could find images of this mysterious oddity all over Flickr. On Belle Isle in the Detroit River, a gigantic blob of blue ice formed and grew, attracting people for miles around. I tried to convince Andrea that while this enormous ice beast had once been magnificent, due to the warming temperatures, it must be a puddle by now. She was not to be discouraged, and we soon found ourselves driving across the Belle Isle Bridge in order to seek out this anomaly.

Belle Isle Ice Blob

Lo and behold, the majestic ice sculpture still lived, though it was smaller and kind of melty-looking. It was still pretty impressive, though, and I apologized for naysaying. Next year, we will be better prepared to appreciate this frozen mountain while it is in the prime of its short life; however, the ultra cold conditions of last winter provided a special set of circumstances that might not be repeated again soon.

Andrea gets a closer inspection of the melting ice blob

My fingers are crossed for another spectacular Michigan Winter, but if the weather remains as quirky as it has been over the last month, I may be disappointed. My dogs' coats can't decide what to do, and the pattern of shedding, thickening, then shedding again is driving me insane. I'm sure they are looking forward to games of 'catch the snowball', and so am I.

Au Sable River Trail

Queen and King of Winter

Snowshoeing In Metro Detroit

Stony Creek MetroparkThe Metro Detroit area is roughly bordered by Huron River to the south and west, and Clinton River to the northeast. Following these rivers and including Southeast Michigan's five major counties, Wayne, Oakland, Macombe, Livingston, and Washtenaw, a park system provides recreation opportunities year-round.

The Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority was created in 1940 to provide residents of Southeast Michigan opportunities to enjoy the outdoors within a relatively short driving distance. To this end, thirteen Metroparks were developed and serve to protect the area's natural resources.

The HCMA believe their efforts “are guided by the belief that the use of parks and exposure to natural environments enhance society's health and quality of life.” I was very happy to discover the existence of this park system a few years ago, primarily for winter activities.This part of Michigan typically doesn't receive a large amount of snow (so far this season is proving to be a wonderful exception), but when a storm does comes through and blankets the region with a nice layer of fresh white powder, it's great to have a few decent trails within an hour's drive.

So far I have only explored two of the Metroparks, Kensington and Stony Creek, which also happen to be the largest at over 4300 acres each. Last Sunday, following a whopper of a snowstorm that lasted the entire day before, I drove to Stony Creek Metropark in northern Oakland County with my snowshoes, camera, camelbak, and, of course, kleenex. It's such a bummer to forget that cold air makes the nose run and not come prepared.

After paying the $4 entrance fee, I drove north very slowly on the snow-covered road that winds through the park past a golf course to the west (presently used for cross-country skiing), a fitness trail, and several designated picnic areas along the east shore of Stony Creek Lake. The lake is fed by Stony Creek and has three distinct segments; the southernmost is the largest and the center of activity at the park. The middle section hosts a few stray picnic areas, and the northern section exists within a quiet nature study area where activity is limited to hiking or mountain biking. This was my destination. The nature center at Stony Creek provides interpretive displays showcasing the area's natural points of interest and is home base for a handful of trails that wind through this section of the park. I chose the East Lake Trail which is a small network of four connected trails along the eastern shore of Upper Stony Creek Lake. On the western shore, Osprey Trail loops through an area which was part of an osprey re-introduction program that began in the late 90's.

Because of the heavy snowfall the previous day, the mixed forest surrounding Stony Creek was so serene that I couldn't help but smile as I looked around. I thought I would stumble upon the secret entrance to Narnia at any moment. I spent a very peaceful two to three hours walking through the arresting winter woods. The trail loop is only around 3 miles long, but when practically everything I see begs to be photographed, progress tends to be very slow.

I am very much looking forward to exploring more of the trails within the Metroparks in my area. As I write this, another day's worth of snow is accumulating outside making this weekend another prime opportunity.

Snowshoeing in the Upper Peninsula

Giant Pines Trail, Tahquamenon Falls State Park Although not officially winter yet, I'm currently sitting at my dining room table watching my dogs play in what is shaping up to be the first accumulating snow shower of the season in Metro Detroit. Tromping around on some Michigan trails in my slightly obnoxious yellow Redfeather snowshoes soon is an exciting prospect. I got a great deal on them a few years ago and I have to assume it is because few people would voluntarily pay full price for equipment in such a color.

According to last night's weather report, the west side of the state near Lake Michigan and the Upper Peninsula already have a respectable amount of snow. In the cold months the U.P. is a winter paradise so it was fitting that a few years ago my sister Andrea and I traveled to Tahquamenon Falls State Park located near the town of Paradise, MI for a couple of days of snowshoeing. Eight inches of snow had recently fallen atop the already impressive existing white blanket and a phone conversation with a park ranger assured me that the prime winter conditions were not going to change any time soon.

Cold weather attracts many people to Michigan who appreciate the beauty of the northern woods by snowmobiling, skiing, and snowshoeing more than 6000 miles of trails found throughout the state forests. Winter tourism accounts for 1/3 of Michigan's tourism industry and snowmobiling is king in the northern reaches of the state. Generating over $1 billion a year in economic activity, snowmobilers pour into the streets, many of them sporting neon outfits matching the loud hues of their snowmobiles. Unfortunately, this popular sport is also relatively dangerous and before the trip was over Andrea and I would find ourselves in a bar eating lunch next to a booth containing the remaining, uninjured members of a bummed-out snowmobiling party. Their seriously injured comrade was being transported to a hospital in Sault Ste. Marie, 60 miles to the east, leaving them stranded in Paradise while their car was in Newberry, almost 40 miles to the west.

A pink sun rose over the chunky pack ice of Whitefish Bay early in the morning on our first full day in Paradise and after braving the complimentary hotel breakfast, we set out for the Giant Pines Trail. This section of Tahquamenon Falls State Park winds through a stand of huge old growth white pine, many over 150 years old. As we walked across the hotel parking lot to the car, a bald eagle bade us good morning by soaring quietly 10 feet or so above our heads. We decided it was a sign that the day was destined to be a good one.

Despite the recent covering of snow, the temperature was very mild and we had to adjust our many layers upon setting out. Earlier in the season Andrea and I had taken a brisk morning snowshoe in 7º weather and vicious winds at a park near my home, so this was a very unexpected but welcome surprise. The 4-mile Giant Pines loop was in beautiful winter glory and hardly a sound was heard. The heavy snow clung to the trees in such a way that many dead trunks looked as if they held marshmallows on their tips.At some point we branched off the Giant Pines Trail to explore the path that connects the Upper and Lower Falls along the Tahquamenon River. Due to the unstable snow and ice – the weather had bounced back and forth between bitter single digit and below zero temps to almost balmy periods of mid and upper 30's – we weren't able to walk across the river to explore the many tiers of Lower Falls which was a little disappointing. Still, the there-and-back-again side trip was still fun even without the added element of surprise unstable ice could offer. Plus, Andrea got the added bonus of watching me clumsily squeeze into an outhouse like a drunken, yellow snowshoe-wearing Sasquatch. In my defense, the door would only open part way because a mound of frozen snow blocked its path. While I was extremely thrilled to find the outhouse in my moment of need, I was even more joyful that I had the foresight to bring kleenex as the roll inside was completely frozen with many a frozen bug corpse embedded in the first few layers. After finding our way back to the car, we headed to cozy and cabinesque Tahquamenon Falls Brewery for dinner which included pasties and Porcupine Pale Ale. Once back at our hotel, I gazed out the patio door at the lights of the Canadian shore across the 30-mile expanse of Whitefish Bay while Andrea got to have an engaging conversation about what the heck snowshoeing is with a shirtless (of course), crazily colored pants-wearing snowmobiler guy in the vending room. Good stuff!