• Friday-What'sUP October 10 - 08:55 pm

We're back in the air with E. Neil Harri to get another bird's eye view of the colors at peak here UP North.

Neil's first shot was snapped as he flew over Mt. Arvon, which is located in Baraga County. At 1,979.238 feet above sea level, this mountain has garnered the honor of being the highest point in the State of Michigan. For many years it was thought that Mt. Curwood (1978 ft.) was the highest point, but a geological survey in 1982 with more modern technology, determined that Mr. Arvon is actually a foot taller than Curwood, so it then took over the title.

Did you spot Neil in this photo? Look closely in the bottom right corner, next to the Pasty.com watermark, you'll see the small shadow of his airplane that he managed to capture, too.

The second and third photos today, were taken while Neil flew over the Yellow Dog Plains area in Marquette County. This would be in the SE corner of the Plains, where Yellow Dog River drops into a gorge, creating the remote and wild Pinnacle Falls, which you can see a bit better in the close-up shot. Neil says that this is a must-do hike, but only for the adventurous, as it's a challenge to get to.

Don't forget, if you'd like to have your own slideshow of Neil's 2008 Autumn Aerial Tour photos, he has a DVD out for sale at the newly unveiled, neilharriphotos.com website. Be sure to click on the embedded links included throughout this paragraph to begin your exploration of Neil's webpage.

Neil also has three other fall color tour DVD's that will be available in the next few weeks. One starting at the Portage canal, which will fly over South Houghton and Baraga counties (including today's Mt. Arvon shot). Another will feature Marquette county current color pictures, including the Pinnacle Falls and Yellow Dog Plains photos from today.

The third in the Autumn Aerial Tour series will include Ontonagon and Gogebic Counties as a unit. That should just about cover the Western and Central areas of the U.P. and you won't even have to leave the ground to take the tour. Best of all, you can watch Neil's Autumn Aerial Tour DVD's whenever you need a U.P. color fix!

Thanks for the beautiful pics!

In the "UPPER PECULIAR", we hope for the best,
which is none to good. Fulfillment!

Ok..time for some kinda contest w/the winner getting a plane ride!!

Neil...your photography is just phenomenal...

But, how do you pilot and take pictures at the same time? :D

LOVE your stuff!!!

Pretty! We're on our way! See ya folks!!!

Fantastic pics, Good Job Neil!!

Enjoy! We leave at 3:00 AM tomorrow morning--that way we hope
to avoid a back up at the border.

Beautiful fall color pictures! Neil's job is one to love, his hours, his "office" his own boss!

Again...great pictures and information. Both Mt. Avron and Pinnacle Falls look like challenging adventures, but worth it if you can do it.

Thanks for the comments. I have been asked many times to do a book. That has many problems with it. I would have to print more than I could ever sell and it would be limited to a few hundred pictures that would never change.That would drive me nuts.
This DVD format is my way of making an electronic coffee table book.This series is a group of travelogues of the Western UP. It is done with the Luke Burns effect that slowly zooms in and out. It simulates flying.It is also looped for continueous play

I added files of all the slideshow photos so you could view as stills as well.You may also print your favorites for non commercial use.
It is a good outlet for my images as I seem to keep taking them. I have at least a dozen more in the works.
My photographer fiends and I ponder how to best store our archives for the future. Each shot is a time capsule in itself. I think making a lot of DVD's and spreading them around the country is a good start.
All my commercial photos are taken from my own plane. I do fly and shoot but I have a safety observer when I do intense shoots.

Neil...maybe you have already though about this, but a future project could include information for each location such as how to get there, maps etc. like the information for today’s photos. Sort of like a traval guide on CD.

(Opps...s/b DVD)

I don't know if this is true. But, I have heard that the poor rock piles at the Empire or Tilden Mines are now the highest point in Michigan.

I am sending away for my DVD of Neil's beutiful pictures. :0)))))

Neil.....you are incredible with your pictures and talent........I think I love you!!!!! giggles...

I love the fall.....gotta get your Dvd's I guess.....I bet my parents in Ala would love to see them especially my daddy....he used to take us to the U.P. on the Ferry when there were more trees than people.

Thanks for sharing your pictures

God Bless

Donna (Donna):
"… how do you pilot and take pictures at the same time?"

Once a fixed wing aircraft¹ is properly "trimmed" it pretty much flies straight and level all by itself, untouched by human hands, except for occasional very slight corrections — and that's even without needing an autopilot.

It is not at all as depicted in so many Hollywood & TV scenes with the pilot furiously and continuously wrenching at the controls like a madman!

¹Helicopters, on the other hand require a bit more active "hands (and feet) on" flyin'. (I've heard it jokingly described as "doing a a ballet on a beachball"!)

MTU's live cam on Mont Ripley is showing some nice color! Check it out!

It's too bad Mt.Arvon doesn't have space at the top for observation like Brockway. I tried to get up there, but couldn't tell exactly where I was. Does anyone know if it's possible to get to the top?

Yes Mooselover, it is very possible to get to the top of Mt. Arvon. The MTU Geology department leads their summer field geology course there each year. Yours truly has been up to the top on several occasions and also in the surrounding areas to do geologic mapping and to teach undergrad students how to do the same.

The geology up there and in the surrounding area is nothing like the Keweenaw; I could go chatting on and on for hours about the Huron Mountains.......

Neil,

I agree with the masses above in their comments, . . . just spectacular aerial Fall photographs !

GB

Neil --

Thank you once again for sharing your outstanding work!

Many, many years ago I had the good fortune to fly over the Huron Mountains with a friend working on accumulating cross-country hours in pursuit of a commercial rating. We were in a Cessna 172. What an awesome experience!

Beautiful fall colors over there~ my mom was raised in Arvon
Township, so would be familiar to her.
off topic- but I'm wondering if the poster who goes by "Heikki" can
please e-mail me. I'm related to your sister's husband- remember
your Hannah Petterson Haugland (sp) post? I can help with his
family tree.

In case anyone is wondering, the coordinates for the top of Mt. Arvon are:

46° 45' 19.8" N, 88° 09' 21.3" W

at least according to my GPS......

Just arrived in Chicago after a week in the UP. Perfect timing! What a treat!

Where is Mt Curwood?

Whoa! Awesome shots Neil! I finally hiked into Pinnacle Falls this past summer. It is a beautiful place! Check out this photo I took at its base at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23861240@N04/2622928627/

Mt Curwood is the ridge you see just to the left of middle on top of photo.

Keith in Kansas (Keithinks):
"Check out this photo I took at its base at:"

Corrected link: Pinnacle Falls