Just think - - we're less than a month away from Spring (ya, right). You wouldn't know it by all the single-digit and no-digit thermometer readings lately. And they've had their share on the east end of the peninsula, too. Lyn Rayrat shows us some hard and running water at Tahquamenon Falls. Reminds me of the pipes at my old camp - - though they weren't nearly as pretty.

Neat picture, but I think I will wait until summer to see the Tahquamenon Falls. Haven't been there in years. Worth the drive. Glad for the early posting Toivo.

Pretty Picture. Don't have to look at it to get cold. We are haveing our share of the cold weather down here also. 2:20 AM in Missouri and its 2 above and will most likely get colder before morning. We also had about 3 In. of snow or like they would say in the north country a heavy frost. Have been enjoying all the pictures and bits of news and history.

Great photo! I lreally like the icicle in the center of the picture. By looking at this pictures, it looks like winter is never going to looosen its grip. Looks like March will "Come in like a lion" Hopefully it will follow suite and "Go out like a lamb".

www.sushicam.com A Yoopers life in Japan

Lovely! Hard to believe there's open water, as cold as it's been.

(Sorry for the double post but)
does anyone know what "Tahquamenon" means? I assume it's a native word?

Jeff, your sushicam site is amazing. Now I have another site to check every day along with pasty.com.

does anyone know if there is any radiostaions from the up, perferrably the keewenaw area you can listen to on the web? We used to listen to wmpl from hancock but no longer get it.

Peg Riemer just uploaded a nice summer scene from the same spot, to remind people of the color green.

Wow what a contrast. With Peg's picture, now I can appreciate what I am seeing in Lyn Rayrat's picture. The winter black, gray and white is beautiful. I can just barely detect green in the tree boughs. Too bad the camera cannot pick up what we see through our eyes. This is a constant frustration for me. I have even considered the Canon 1Ds 11 megapixel camera to meet my expectations but $8000 is a little steep for a novice like me. Good job Lyn.
Regards,
Donn

Toivo and Pam Riemer: Thanks I needed that second picture. -10F driving in to work this morning, without the windchill.

It is cold here! 19 degrees. That's cold for Texas, but it sure is nice to have once and a while. Sleet fell last night - a total of 1 inch or so. I have never seen it sleet like that in my life. We may get more sleet today. My husband and I use to live in the U.P. and miss it. Great picture!

Can someone direct me to the other winter photo of Taquamenon that was up a couple years ago? I'd like to see that in comparison to this one. Lovely scene, miss this place so much!

December 21, 2002 had the photo on the pastycam

After lengthy research at the Google Branch Library - how's this for the meaning of Taquamenon:

From the Ojibwe for "this is a short route" (Ou=this + takou=it is short + minan=trail or path). This name refers originally to Tahquamenon Bay, which the Indians used as a shortcut while traveling. The bay has a small island in it that facilitated the "shortcut" from Whitefish Point across the open and at times dangerous bay. The name was later given to the River that enters into the bay.

To be honest I was hoping for something a little more sensational. The Ojibwe must not have had spin doctors like we do these days. Maybe they figured a place with such simple beauty didn't need a hyped up name...

I have been looking unsuccessfully for what Tahquamenon means too. Thanks, JimR, you beat me to it. I was about to say that it means "name of river, hard to spell".

Loved both pictures of Tahquamenon, but my favorite falls are Silver River (in L'anse, not the Keweenaw ones of the same name) and the L'anse Falls by the powerhouse. Beautiful falls without a huge drop, but lots of character and rushing water.

The Objibwe like many Native American tribes did not need hype to appreciate what they had. They call themselves "The People". Their titles for other things were equally descriptive, hence Tahquamenon bay as JimR says is simply The Shortcut. How many of our towns have a "Main Street"? They aren't named for or to commemorate anything, they are (or in some cases were) simply the main street. In England, there are 5 rivers named "Avon". When the Romans were exploring and labeling places for their maps, they would come upon the indiginous people and ask "what do you call this river?" The natives would look at them as if they were stupid and say "Avon" which means river in Celt. What else would you call a river? So the Avon that goes through Bath is not the same Avon as goes through Shakespeare's birthplace of Stratford-on-Avon or the other 3 plus 2 in Scotland.

Place names can be fun, if not necessarily exciting.

I do believe Taquamenon means rootbeer :D

Thought I would add this photo of the falls I took in October. Not quite at peak, but now everyone can see the falls in every season.

Personally, I like Pegg's definition.

There is a lot of water roiling over the falls indeed. Kudos on the fusion of seasons represented in picture. It is the epitome of the fortitude of the UP. Is there any qualm about our rationale of inhabitance?

Wheatman

This discussion reminds me: My husband (from Michigan) always teases me about the 'descriptive' signs we see in Wisconsin on our way up north. Signs like EAT or FOOD or CHEESE or BEER.

Third picture of the Autumn falls is my favorite.
Regards,
Donn

great photos of the falls in all the seasons. also, thanks for the sushicam address. finally,got to pasty cam, have been working on my dreaded income tax returns most of this day. good news is i don't have to pay in more and like mc donalds i get some change back.

re TAHQUAMENON...note that it rhymes with "phenomenon"....just checked thru some old Lure Books (anybody else remember these?) from the late 1940s and early 1950s...two suggested the name relates to the "black golden water" and a third sugested "choke cherries" via Father Baraga...so, go figure! The true meaning probably is one of those already cited earlier on today's pastycam notes. On an unrelated matter, one of the scariest things I've ever done was walk BEHIND the Upper Falls...back in the days long before signs and barriers precluding this sort of thing (and also back in the days when I was MUCH more younger and foolisher!). 'Twas bad enuf working your way across the river behind the falls once, but then you hadda turn around and do it again to get back to the parked-car side of the river!

Would love to see that same spot again sometime with a little sunlight to add that magic sparkle to the snow!

My wife (a native Texan)and I were vacationing in Michigan toward the end of June in 1992. We camped near the falls and she about froze to death. Morning coffee never tasted better. I think the falls were only a couple of degrees from freezing then. Our first hint that we might be in for a cool trip was down state a few days earlier when we tuned to WJR and listened to the morning disc jockey (JP McCarthy?) talk about watching a fourth of July parade in the UP during a snow shower. The falls were beautiful then, but it was only a quick peek and back into the car.

Doug,
Hope I don't in trouble, but this is the only photo I have with some sun.
Are we even allowed to post photos?!?!?

Nan in Mass. My favorite winter Tahquamenon picture was 1-04-01. Has that "blue" snow look.

Beautiful pictures of the Falls. My husband was a Park Ranger there from 1963-65. We lived at the Park Headquarters. Both the Upper and Lower falls are beautiful but 4 miles of tall pines in between. Felt like a midget next to them.

This is a great site,visit 3-4 times a week.The pictures show the great beauty of the U.P.

Victor,
Just wanted to let you know that I have watched more than one 4th of July parade in the snow in the Copper Country. There's nothing quite like it. :)
On another note, we were at the falls this summer and hiked the trail from lower to upper late in the afternoon. We thought we would have plenty of time, but it was (nearly) dark by the time we got to the top. We concluded that the trail was marked by river miles, not actual walking miles! It was gorgeous though, and we'll have to do it again sometime at a slower pace when it's lighter out.

Bee - Sarasota, FL What a beautiful display of photo's. Won't be long and will be on our way to Ahmeek (early June)

I have visited pastycam a dozen or so times since I found it last month! This place rocks!
My grandmother was born and raised in Hubbell and my great uncle owned the IGA in Lake Linden up until five years ago. That store had been in my family for nearly 100 years!
My mom was born in Munising, where my grandfather was from.
I am a troll! I was born "under the bridge". My dad came from Kentucky so I have quite a diverse background.
Since my roots are diverse I can tell you that NOTHING beats the UP for viewing God's creation!
Thanks! Lou

Lou - I remember an IGA in Hubbell - walked there many times to get milk for supper. Where was there an IGA in LL? I can think of the Quality SuperValu, DeMars, and the little grocery store across from the gas station in the middle of town (whose name I can't remember right now). There was also Curtin's store across from the school when we were kids. Was one of those an IGA at one time? If you're thinking of the IGA in Hubbell, you must be related to the LeBlanc family.

John, are you in Canton, Ohio? That's where Edie and I are tonight, on our way back from the South. Pasty.NET has a good fast connection here in Canton, and we've been catching up on the Cam Notes.

Actually, I went hunting (took awhile -- good thing my job's a fluffy one) and this is the shot I was thinking of: http://www.pasty.com/cam/2000/cam123100.html

To Lisa, WI.
You bet I am a LeBlanc! My Great Uncle Albert LeBlanc owned the store last. It was my great grandfather LeBlanc's WAY back before I was around. I meant Hubbell, I had LL on the brain while I was typing.
My grandmother, who just passed away was MaryAnn LeBlanc, (Burke was her married name).
My second cousin Karen just had her son married up there at the Catholic church! My Mom and Aunt went up but I was too busy to go! I usually make it up to Munising once a year but haven't been back to LL or Hubbell in 7 years. I do miss is so!
Small world! I am glad to see so many people on here talking up the area!
God bless you all!
Lou

I worked as a Park Ranger at T.F.S.P. many years past. The trail between the lower falls and the upper falls is very nice walk. Last time I did it was in May before the mosquitoes came out. The river had flooded the trail in many spots due to snowmelt and it was necessary to remove my shoes and wade. Huge hemlocks and white pine abound much like what is found at the Porcupine Mts. State Park. Tourists used to ask us what the word Tahqueomenon meant. We used to misinform them that it meant "land of the BIG mosquitoes".

Lou - My mom still lives in Hubbell so I get back there pretty often. Sue LeBlanc was a good friend of mine while we were growing up. She would have been Albert's niece, I believe. Her father is Carl LeBlanc who worked at the IGA for a time, but then moved into some other business ventures. I remember Albert also owned the dimestore in LL for awhile after it ceased being the Ben Franklin's. We used to call it Albert's Mini-Mall and knew between the IGA and the store in LL, if you needed anything, Albert could provide it. He even drove to the LL store once to get an item he didn't have in stock in Hubbell while we waited! What a guy for pleasing his customers. Sad to see the IGA closed up these days.

I LIKE PASTY'S!!!!

Lisa - You bet it is sad. Sue, is my Uncle Carly's daughter. She is living in MN now, I do believe.
You want to know what I miss the most? My great uncles themselves. My Uncle Joe LeBlanc, who owned the hardware store in Hubbell, and my Uncle Albert LeBlanc and my Uncle Wayne Olli are passed on.
My grandmother, who was 89 and lived on her own up until weeks before, passed two years ago now.
My Great Uncle Albert had a big heart. I miss him the most because he used to come down to the Detroit area to visit us.
Do you remember Karen LeBlanc? She worked in the store with Albert, her father, until the day he closed it.
We still have all those memories though. No one can "close" those.

Lou, I do remember Karen, although she was
a bit ahead of me in school. Don't know
whether she would remember me... You're
right - Sue is in Duluth. I see her now and
then at the 4th of July festivities. Your great
uncle Albert did have a big heart and was
well-known for that. I agree, the memories are
great.

from joyce in cleveland .....does anyone have a picture they can put in here of the old ben franklin store that was in munising michigan...i used to vacation there and i always loved that ben franklin...thanks