November Hiking Photos

This week was busy preparing for a speech I gave at the Marquette History Museum on Wednesday.  It is ironic that in the year I published my first human history book (Superior Land and the History of Grand Marais, Michigan), I spoke at the state historical society meeting as well in Marquette on Wednesday -- both times about natural history (agates).  Thanks to everyone who showed up this week.  Thanks also to friends, Jim and Helen, for their hospitality.  I stayed at their house that night and then yesterday Helen and I went hiking.  Since it was 73 degrees and sunny, it was hard to believe that this is mid-November.

We hiked a trail that is located across the Carp River from Marquette Mountain ski area.

 

On the map below, I highlighted red the trail we hiked.

Our goal was to reach the Morgan Creek waterfall.

Almost the entire trail took us through a beautiful hardwood forest.

Although the trails are used for hiking, they are also used by mountain bikers and skiers in the winter.  There were several jumps on the trails.  I cannot even imagine....

Parts of the trail brought us along the Carp River.

There were spring-fed tributaries feeding into the main river system.

Finally we arrived at the waterfalls...

At the falls Morgan Creek (which is spring fed) and Carp River come together.  You can see the light-colored sand on the left from Morgan Creek on the left of the photo below where Morgan Creek joins the Carp River.

Helen spotted a woodpecker...