Cheated

Ok, so my goal of visiting one interesting place per week is dwindling...its becoming harder and harder to get everything done that I need to get done before the stinky sun goes down!

So, I cheated and my spot of the week for last week was actually a spot on my trip home- the Tioga River crosses M41 not too far from Baraga, out near Parent Lake. There is a neat little roadside park with some small waterfalls, and a short trail that leads back to some smaller, not super impressive waterfalls. Still a nice hike before my long 8 hour car ride home.

So these are the cool little fallsy things near the actual road crossing...

A little further upstream...then as you walk up the trail the river slows down big time and becomes very slow and cedar swampy.

OH...and just before I got to this spot, I had to drive through a snow squall. ICK.

A break from the UP...

So I realize that I have only been up here for a month and a half...but I needed a break. Luckily we had a biologist meeting down home in Traverse City, and my boss let me take the following week off. Yes that's right kids- I got to stay downstate for an entire two weeks.


Well, almost. The week I took off? Yeah, I spent it fishing in PA and OH with Chris :)
Here are some highlights....

Chris' pet duck can be seen in the background :) Little guy liked to eat our chum eggs

Tugging on a fishy!

I love how they are both smiling :)

Very cool underwater shot.

Our duck buddy!

Doubled up...

Got them!

So the long and the short of it is, that it was nice to get away for a week. Between the stresses of trying to get my masters field sampling done and the complications of a new job super far away...I am about ready to pull my hair out!!!!

Near town-

I have not really been venturing too far out of town, because my little adventures are after work since I am never in Baraga on the weekends. Since I work 10 hour days, that leaves very little daylight time left for exploring. So the second spot I found is again on the Falls River, just outside of town. Its the remnants of an old hydroelectric dam that used to provide power to the town of L'Anse- hence it's called Powerhouse Falls.

The old powerhouse is to the left of the falls, and pretty non functional! But the river through this stretch really is very pretty.

The requisite self-photo...

Here we go...

My good friend Mark recently started a blog to chronicle his very cool vacation. It inspired me to do the same and resurrect this old blog I had!

Here is the skinny...I moved to Baraga ( in the Upper Peninsula) about a month ago. I pretty much hate it. Did I mention that I  h.a.t.e. it? But I am trying to at least cope with it to some degree by vowing to go visit at least one very cool natural feature a week.

So far I have managed to find some beautiful scenery, and of course, some fish along the way...

So the first cool spot I found is actually right in the town of L'Anse. Believe it or not, this stretch of very cool river is right underneath US-41 on the Falls River!

There are actually three sets of waterfalls right in town, these happen to be the middle falls