» deadman's hill
I've never hiked it, but the Jordan River Pathway is supposed to be one of the nicer places to backpack in lower Michigan. Deadman's Hill would be the starting point for such a hike and it offers a panoramic view of the Jordan River Valley. We lucked out and caught the trees at peak color.

The view over the Jordan River Valley from Deadman's Hill.

The road to Deadman's Hill.

Jordan River Valley.

Me waking along the fence at the edge of Deadman's Hill (Photo by Megan).

Wide angle view of the Jordan River Valley.

Megan on the fence, and the story of Deadman's Hill.

» sleeping bear dunes
The trees along the lakeshore were much more green due to the warming effect of Lake Michigan, but there were pockets of nice color a bit more inland.

The view from Empire Bluffs.

Pierce Stocking Drive.

Sunset on Sleeping Bear Bluffs. The bluffs may not look tall in this shot but they actually rise nearly 500 feet above the shore.

Sleeping Bear Point and the Manning Memorial Lighthouse as seen from Empire Bluffs.

Dead tree.

For some reason, there were a lot of dead birds on the beach. This one wasn't dead, but I assume it was injured since it didn't fly away when I got close. Some quick internet research indicates that the birds died from botulism which they caught by eating zebra and quagga mussels, invasive species that filter the lake water and end up with concentrated bacteria in their systems. The recent wind storm probably washed the birds ashore from far off places. It was interesting because a lot of the birds, like this one, were species that I had never seen before.

Left: Sunset. Right: Megan on the dunes above the Dune Climb.

The DH Day Barn as seen from the Dune Climb.

Sleeping Bear Bluffs.

Vibrant trees.

Beach graffiti. Michigan played Illinois in football that night and won in a close game.

» boyne
We spent our first night at Boyne Mountain because it was one of the few places that still had available rooms. This area ended up having the best fall foilage we saw, lots of maple trees that were brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red.

Vibrant trees on Boyne Mountain.

Trees on Boyne Mountain (Photo by Megan).

Views from the top of Boyne Mountain: Trees, and the Grand Lodge.

» avalanche mountain, boyne city
I doubt there has ever been an avalanche on Avalanche Mountain (it's not that tall), but the top does give you a nice view of Lake Charlevoix and the surrounding area.

The view from Avalanche Mountain.

» surfing on lake michigan, frankfort
It was a windy day which kicked up some nice waves and brought out the surfers.

Surfing near Frankfort. There were also some kite surfers who looked like they were having a blast.

Left: Breakwater doing it's job. Right: Kite surfer.

Left: Frankfort lighthouse. Right: A small mouse that was running around the beach aimlessly.

 

< Back to Photos & Trip Reports

» all photo reports from lower michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Fall 2012 - Summer 2013
Photos from around town in different seasons.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Fall 2011 - Summer 2012
Photos from around town in different seasons.
Fall in Ann Arbor, Michigan
October 2011
Fall photos, mostly from around the University of Michigan campus.
Lake Michigan
September 3, 2010
A windy, wavey day on Lake Michigan brings the surfers out.
Nordhouse Dunes, Michigan
February 27 - 28, 2010
Winter camping in the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness along Lake Michigan.
Lake Erie, Michigan
February 6, 2010
Checking out the ice on Lake Erie at Sterling State Park.
The Thumb, Michigan
September 6, 2009
Kayaking along the rocky shores of Lake Huron near Port Austin.
Spring in Ann Arbor, Michigan
April - May 2009
Photos of bright colors returning to campus and town.
St. Joseph, Michigan
February 8, 2009
Checking out the ice around St. Joseph before it melted away.
Fall in Ann Arbor, Michigan
October - November 2008
A few attempts at capturing the beautiful fall colors.
Frozen Coast, Michigan
February 16, 2008
Exploring the frozen shores of Lake Michigan, from Warren Dunes to South Haven.
Northern Michigan
October 19 - 21, 2007
Enjoying the fall colors in northern Michigan.
West Coast, Michigan
July 21, 2007
Checking out a couple of the beaches and towns of Michigan's west coast.
Northern Michigan
June 21 - 22, 2007
Canoeing the Pere Marquette River and checking out the Sleeping Bear Dunes area.
Northern Michigan
July 1 - 4, 2006
Checking out Grand Haven, Silver Lake, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Traverse City.
Michigan Spring
April 2006
Spring pictures from around the Ann Arbor area.
Michigan Winter
December 2005
Winter pictures from around the Ann Arbor area.
Northern Michigan
July 2 - 3, 2005
Hiking the Manistee River Trail, canoeing the Jordan River, and making a brief stop at Wilderness State Park.
The Arb, Ann Arbor
January 2005
Pictures from the first big snowfall in Ann Arbor in 2005 when I skied from home to the Arb and fell into the river.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan
May 2003
A visit to Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Favorites
My favorite photos from Ann Arbor.
Michigan Law Quad
Favorites
My favorite photos of the University of Michigan Law Quad.
 
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan
October 12 - 14, 2012
Unrelenting rain drenches our fall weekend trip.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan
February 24 - 27, 2012
Winter photos from the Leelanau area, including Pyramid Point, Empire Bluffs, and Crystal Lake.
Spring in Ann Arbor, Michigan
April - May 2011
Flowers erupt and warm weather returns to open arms.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan
February 28, 2010
Exploring Sleeping Bear Dunes in the winter.
Frozen Coast, Michigan
February 20, 2010
Checking out the frozen lakeshore of Lake Michigan at Warren Dunes, St. Joseph, and Holland.
Fall in Ann Arbor, Michigan
October 2009
Fall color viewed mostly from a few tall buildings around town.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan
May 16 - 17, 2009
Enjoying springtime in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Detroit, Michigan
March 7, 2009
Making a quick and rare trip to Detroit, checking out the haunting Michigan Central Station and a few other places.
The Thumb, Michigan
January 31, 2009
Hiking along Lake Huron to see the rock formations and lighthouse near Port Austin.
Nordhouse Dunes, Michigan
July 26 - 27, 2008
A quick overnight backpacking trip into the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area.
Winter, Ann Arbor, Michigan
January 2008
Winter photos from campus, town, and city parks.
North Manitou Island, Michigan
August 11 - 12, 2007
Backpacking on North Manitou Island, enjoying the sunset, and watching storms roll off from Lake Michigan.
Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor
July 14, 2007
Checking out the flowers and interesting plants of the Univeristy of Michigan Botanical Gardens.
Ice Storm, Ann Arbor
January 17, 2007
Pictures from around town after an ice storm coated all the trees in ice.
South Manitou Island, Michigan
July 2, 2006
Hiking to the sand dune bluffs on the west side of South Manitou Island.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan
February 27, 2006
Hiking and skiing around the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Michigan Fall
October 2005
Pictures from around the Ann Arbor area.
Sleeping Bear Dunes Area, Michigan
May 27 - 29, 2005
Kayaking on Lake Michigan near Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Winter Camping, Northern Michigan
December 2004
Winter camping near the Pine River.
Michigan
Favorites
My favorite photos from Michigan.
Turnip Rock, Michigan
Favorites
My favorite photos of Turnip Rock, from both summer and winter.
Ross School of Business
Favorites
My favorite photos of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
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