Snowshoeing or cross country skiing around the North Woods this time of year can yield many wonderful sights. Like this one from Bugsy Sailor, over in our Guest Gallery. The sunshine illuminating the needles gives one the promise of brighter days to come! Anyone know what kind of tree Bugsy photographed here?

Mary,

A very appropriate picture this morning. Last evening I pulled into the parking lot at the Copper Country Mall, facing west just before sunset, going to pick up Edie. Almost blinded by the blazing sunlight, I remember turning off the key and closing my eyes, thinking how warm the sun was, and what a treat this time of year, and how relaxing just to sit still for a moment, and...

About twenty minutes later I woke up. The sun had gone below the trees, and I realized I was probably keeping the wife waiting.

It's a little warmer today in the Keweenaw, with high's in the 30's. Have fun in the sunny South.

ch

Mary, I believe that tree is a woodin one. ;>)

Yah I tink that dersa spruce of the woodin genius, but i
leave it to da intaylecktuals to speak me juust what kinder
of spruuce it real is.

Charlie,

Please don't look into the blazing sun while you are driving. It could be hazardness to you health.

.

If you look closely, you will see that it is a black ice spruce

Mary,
Nice pic, The snow on the needles looks like a mountain range in the background. Looks like a snow pine to me.

Ah, Yoopers, don't be fooled......remember the snowstorms of March!!?? (Especially 1979!!)

We're not fooled, just desperate! Just think...pretty soon the frogs will be chirping! Then we'll have the best 3 weeks of the year- warm, breezy, no bugs! Ahhhhhhh.....

Yep, soon we will trade our SHOVELS in for our SWATTERS and begin our other Copper Country season

I heard someone refer to a similiar tree many years ago as a 'jack pine'. I don't know if that's a true description or just a yooper term, like 'holy wha'.

Perhaps a cousin Jack Pine. Thousands were cut to hold up the hanging wall.

David S.-CA
Jack Pine(Pinus Banksiana) is definitely a species of pine. I do not believe today's picture is an example of one. This Pine needs high temperature to open it's cones to let out the seeds. That is why you will see them in areas of a previous forest fire.
Talking about late snow fall, I remember a blizzard in the 1950's that came on May 16th and closed all the schools.

Thanx for that. Simply art. Or nature's beauty. No difference, 'cept the latter has to be seen.

The storm of 79 is still my favorite one, if I remember right the wind gust hit 60 and Houghton recieved 12" of snow. The day started off in the 40's with a stiff breeze. By lunch the schools were closed. A couple of hours later the snow started and you couldn't see across the street.

Could go for another storm like that again.

With all that snowfall, does the UP have much of a
flooding problem in the spring?

Tonight I pack up the truck and tomorrow I drive north with my canine pals beside me and the cat alongside too. A few days. That's all we got.

'Dere's a saying in da Yoop, that it's winter year round up 'dere. It's tough sleddin' for da three months in the summer.
I wouldn't trade 80 degree weather and sunshine year round for the 4 seasons in the Copper Country. I guess if you're born and raised in it, you don't know nothing else.
I miss my home land!!

Hey Almost There! I'm packing up my vehicle and heading to the UP, too! Can't take all my critters with me this time, just may have a youngun or too.

One of my fondest memories of the UP is 10" of snow on May 10!

Hey Joe Finn in Rhinelander, one of my favorite old stomping grounds. I can remember downtown Rhinelander in the 1970's, or more importantly the beer bars sporting the 10 cent glass of brew. I lived in Illinois back then but would visit the Dietz family of Dietz Construction in Rhinelander from time to time. Great memories.

one thing i learned in high school, which by the way,( when regan was president)is that the pine forest in the u.p. consists of white pine where in fact one of the last virgin strands of white pine is located . so i belive the survey says.... white pine

I see the mountain range in the picture, too!

It seems we're all sick of winter (too soon) all across the country! Well, except for the ski areas! We have to remember the picture of the buried stop sign of awhile back to warn us off of too much complaining. It's not over yet...

It's not over yet but today is beautiful. Pure sunshine....brings ambition. I've been spring cleaning all day.

It isnt a White Pine...that is for sure. It has to be a spruce of some sort....probably blue!

I'm glad to see the sun has been shining. Enjoy it.The UP is a great place to live but I know the winters are long as I grew up there. I live in Florida now. It takes a hearty soul to survive the winters in the UP. Florida's winter weather is like the UP's fall, minus the colors, but add in lots and lots of sunshine. Enjoy the winter. I'm a wimp but you all can handle it.

28 th Level cross cut

PINE?? Definitely not! This is clearly a member of the Spruce family. Spruces native to the U.P include the Black Spruce (Picea mariana), found in marshy lowland areas such as the Seney Stretch, and the White Spruce (Picea glauca)which tends to prefer a little drier location. In addition, many people have imported Blue Spruce and Eurpoean Spruce as ornamental trees for their yards...

Mike in Redford MI. My dad grew up in Dollar Bay and you reminded me of what he used to say 8 months of winter and 4 months of poor sleding.

My dad always said 8 months of winter and 4 months of poor sleding. Dad was Russ from down town Jacobsville. Nanc

Looks like a round balsam to me, but it could be a
spruce. Def. not pine.

Hit 40 F. in Northern Wis. for the first time since
November! Spring is on the way!

We are finally getting our January thaw bout time !

Just when you thought it was over, 42 in Northern Wis today and a winter storm watch for Thursday night and Friday. 4-8 inches of heavy wet stuff with high winds..............

ch, you're lucky the wife didn't come up on you and think you had a heart attack. Must need a good rest from the winter.

My thermometer said 45.3 deg. this afternoon here in Cornell. Snow is almost all gone from the garage roof. Saw a starling already but no robins yet. Looking forward to heavy wet snow for tomorrow evening and Friday. Riiight! :>)

Anyone ever had a brew at the Northwestern in Rhinelander.