• Wednesday-What'sUP October 11 - 12:39 pm

On any given day, you can travel anywhere in the U.P. and find the progress of the foliage color change in varying shades. Some looking more subtle and quiet, like the first shot from Aimee Rathbun, who was exploring around the Freda area when she snapped this sandstone cliff picture. The leaves aren't all that colorful, which may have more to do with the type of trees than being so close to Lake Superior, although I think the latter also has an effect on when the leaves change their color.

You can see the difference in Aimee's second photo from the Michigan Tech trails. That one was snapped a day earlier than the Freda shot, but the colors are more dramatic and there are more bare branches too. That's why it's difficult to predict when the colors will be at their peak UP North here, since it depends so much on where you are. The time for prime viewing of the beautiful hues is running out quickly now, the next color we'll be seeing then is gray, which will soon after be followed by white.

Love the colors. Nothin' like fall to make you sentimental.

Great pictures this morning! Looking down on that very sheer sandstone cliff over the Big Lake is amazing, and nice color in the second picture. Thank you, Aimee and Mary for sharing.

oh yea----i remain walter p

Beautiful, beautiful shot of my favorite lake. Wish I was there!

I was certain that top picture was from Freda. I have that very same picture somewhere in my files (probably never to be seen again). I love being there.

The cliffs on lake superior are amazing.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

The beautiful pictures made me sing this morning!
Feel free,because we are to join in.

Very nice picture. Where is Freda located? Kiitos.

I just love the UP in the fall! We were to go to Iron River this past weekend to check on a house we are selling and get some pasties. But no luck!
Maybe in November.

I like the song David...it's appropriate. Did you know the song was inspired by a woman at Pike's Peak in Colorado Springs, Colorado?

Her name was Katherine Lee Bates, an English
professor. She only wrote the words and her text was
later put to a tune by Samuel Ward.

We saw the same area as the top shot last week when we were up at the old Freda stamp mill. The colors look about the same as then.

Matt k, from Houghton, take the Canal road west until you get to the Liminga road, then take that to the end and that will be Freda.

Freda Sandstone... sounds like a Flintstone character

No,i did not know any of that. Thank you for the lesson.

That was beautiful David. I could hear you from here. I LOVE that song.

My Uncle would love this picture of the Freda sandstone. I hope he's looking. I didn't know he checked this site out until I saw a post from him the other day. Hey Uncle Gord, glad to see you're feeling better.

Great song forsure, but David it hurt's my ears when you sing it! lol just kiddin buddy!

at first glance i thought that was the north shore of presque isle in marquette ... but nope, its not. what i would give to be in the UP right now ... maybe camping on Chapel beach listening to the waves pound the shore and the white pine atop chapel rock swaying.

If you go to Freda, look for the signs that say "covered road".........it is worth the drive....

Great geology in that first shot!! You can really see the layering that took place as it was being deposited.......

Was someone singing? I thought something was caught in a trap. ;-)

It's amazing how the shoreline of Lake Superior changes as you travel from the Porkies, past the Keeweenaw, Marquette, Munising and on to Whitefish Bay. There's something there for everyone!