5-9-2022
Paradise, MI
I’ve done it again. I’ve found my way back to the falls. This time with the excuse that spring is the only season I haven’t seen yet.
In the parking lot Gob finds a snow drift. He is thrilled and immediately rolls. Every time we see snow, I tell him it’s the last time. And Michigan keeps making me a liar.
The falls are, of course, as beautiful as ever. But the water level is the highest I have ever seen. They are rushing with a new-found ferocity. Mist pours over us on the platforms.
I feel obligated at this point to choose a favorite season for the falls. So I guess I’ll say autumn. The colors add so much beauty. And the roads are still easy to traverse.
Winter would be second. It’s a majestic wonderland. The fluffy white snow stained a light pinkish brown by the tannins. The icicles weigh down the trees along the river. The falls themselves beginning to freeze over. The only, but major, downfall is the treacherous driving conditions if you’re not used to and prepared for the snow.
Summer and spring are gorgeous of course. But too plain to make the top of the list. Bugs put summer at the bottom.
So there it is. In order of best to worst times to visit. Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer.
1-22-2022
Despite the questionable snowy conditions, I can never pass up a chance to see the falls. Especially in peak winter. And I just HAD to show them off to my mom.
The parking lot is full of snowmobiles. The snow up to our knees. And in keeping with my last few visits, daylight is running out.
After a cold dash through the woods, we find ourselves taking in the beauty of nature’s root beer float.
Now I guess I just need to get back for a spring look.
10-3-2021
The one good thing about our rainy day is that we are well ahead of schedule. So instead of an early campsite stuck in the car, we book it to our favorite waterfall. Afterall, I haven’t seen it in peak fall yet.
We arrive with just enough time to catch its glory before the sun set. Definitely worth an extra couple of hours driving today.
10-17-2020
Paradise, MI
I’ve heard that fall in Tahquamenon is something you cannot miss. I fear we are a week or two late for peak colors, but I finally have a long weekend and thankfully Mason is free enough to tag along.
As we cross into the UP, there is snow on the ground. I am not mentally prepared for this. The park is teaming with cars. We can see Gob’s anxiety growing. We decide to take him on a big hike before attempting to see the falls. A tired pup is much more manageable around crowds.
The golden leaves surround us. Half are still hanging onto their branches, the others littering the ground. But quickly the forest changes and leaves turn to needles.
As get get to the halfway point of our loop, it starts to rain. In true fashion, we are unprepared. By the time we get back to our car, we are soaked to the bone and cold. We blast the heat in the car and take a nap before heading to the lower falls.
The rain has at least lessened the crowd. Gob insists on getting his picture taken at the photo board again. He’s such a ham.
The fall colors surrounding the falls are spectacular, but as I had feared, we missed peak color. I guess that just means we will have to try again next year.
6/7/2018
Paradise, MI
8:00 am – We make it to our first actual destination – the lower falls of the Tahquamenon River. There are no other cars in the lot. We open the door and are immediately swarmed by mosquitos. Not ready to deal with that, Mason and Gob take a nap while I look through my camera roll.
8:30 am – The mosquitos are still thick in the air. We douse ourselves in bug spray and head to the falls. The water looks like Coke.
There is a 4 mile trail that connects the upper and lower falls. We decide not to hike there and back, but will do a mile or two of it.
The trail follows the river. Gob loves this because he takes a dip in the water whenever he gets a chance. We see one other couple. All they say is, “How do you like these mosquitos?” with a big smile on their faces and a small laugh at the end. From this, we determine that they must be from the mid-west. Only mid-westerners can be this sarcastic so early in the morning.
I feel like we’ve been walking forever. In reality I has been less than an hour. I ask Mason how he’s determining our milage. He is not. He says, “We will turn back when the trail goes away from the river.” I look at the trail map. It does not travel away from the river at any point. We go a little further, and Mason begrudgingly turns around. He tells Gob, “Mom is making us turn around because she doesn’t like fun.” I push him into the river. Not really, but I think about it.
9:30 am – We get back to the ranger station at the lower falls. There’s one of those painted wooden boards with the face hole cut outs for photo-ops. I have no idea what they’re actually called, but you know what I mean. I get Mason to put Gob’s head through one of them. Gob is such a good moose.
10:00 am – The upper falls are much more majestic than the lower falls, but also more crowded. There is some sort of summer camp going on. Cliques of middle schoolers litter the parking lot. I am overwhelmed.
We walk to the first overlook. Thankfully the camp appears to be in the drop off phase, as no children are seen on the path. The trail to the overlook turns into a metal flight of stairs. You can see through them to the ground below. Gob is not so sure about them. He timidly tries out each step before trusting his full weight on it. Eventually Mason takes pity and carries him down the steps like a baby.
Back at the top of the stairs, Mason decides he wants to explore a 4 mile loop before heading to a second overlook of the falls. We start down the trail and are immediately up to our ankles in mud. Mosquitos and flies remain thick, swarming our faces and making the hike less enjoyable. Mason can no longer handle it, and we decide to run as much of the trail as we can. Being that I have not run in months, am holding my nice camera, and the trail is mostly mud and branches, this was a tedious task for me. Mason and Gob are leaping over logs, scampering over mud puddles. And I am trudging along behind them. Stopping at every log so as not to fall and break my camera. Trying to run on the very edge of the trail where the mud was not so thick and slippery. In the end we ran about half the trail. I realize how out of shape I am.
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