• Monday-What'sUP March 19 - 10:58 pm

With the warmer temperatures and the sun shining so brightly lately, we have bare roads and parking lots here in the U.P., but if you're lucky and don't mind a trek to find it, you can still do some cross country skiing, like Peter Wilberding did here. Of course this photo was actually taken two weeks ago, that's why there are still clumps of snow on some of the branches, but you should be able to find some snow in the woods if you're so inclined. Peter took this shot at the Cedar River Pathway between Escanaba and Menonminee. It's a cross country ski trail maintained by the DNR, which is part of the Escanaba State Forest. The day it was taken, the trails had not yet been groomed from a recent snowfall. Scenes like this will be only a memory in a few short weeks, as spring is slated to begin this coming Wednesday!

These pictures are great, but it'll be nice seeing some pretty birds or something that reminds us of spring.

Still plenty of cross country skiing in the Keweenaw. I went to Swedetown Saturday and Maasto Hiihto (in Hancock) Sunday and plan to ski Tech today. Spring skiing is fast!

That is a beautiful snowy woods picture, even if it does have tracks in it. :-) It almost reminds me of a famous poem about walking through the woods on a snowy evening.

"Whose woods these are I think I know..."

And now for a different quote, for all whose bodies quicken towards spring, from Henry Mitchell who for many years was the Washington Post garden writer and one of my favorite writers of any subject. This is from One Man's Garden. Here he is speaking of gardeners scorning to retreat to Florida, keeping watch with their plots through the winter:

"Let it come, whatever comes. The gardener walks always with the unseen crown of oak leaves, the invisible rush of roses, the tuberoses and cestums in his nostrils throughout all the decay of the year.

"Hold onto it, I say. It will come again. But far more than that, it has already been and the gardener has been through it and in it. It was him. So is this winter him, this sleeted ivy, which was sacred, all the same, to the god."

Looks like a great trail no matter what season.

Unfortunately Mt Bohemia and the Porcupine Mtn ski hills are closed for the season. Us downhill skiers didn't get much use of our passes this year.

For one I am glad that winter is almost over. Had enough of it!! Spring is almost ready to be sprung! Will be glad to be able to travel, be able to take in the sights in the UP again! Never can get enough of them that is for sure.

Here in western Washington state the daffodils are already beginning to fade. However, spring is not quite all here yet as 12-24 inches of snow are predicted in the mountain passes today.

Hi im doing some family history on my uncle. His family home stead was in the Huron Mountain Club can any one help me? His last name was Webster i have names and lots of storys of when i was little and would love to here more thanks.