Any fall trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan must include an excursion to the Presque Isle River – the largest river in the Porcupine Mountains State Park. The morning I traveled to this river was overcast but with nice cloud detail, and a chance of rain loomed. As I arrived, I noted a steady breeze in the forest canopy, but not strong enough winds to dampen my enthusiasm.
My main focus on this trek was the last quarter mile of the river, just before it flows into Lake Superior. In this area, the river traverses a series of low falls and cascades before dividing into two faster and narrower channels that cut through the underlying billion-year-old bedrock. This division creates a small island, after which the forks join up again before arriving at the lake.
To reach the island, I crossed a suspension bridge over the high, swift-moving water due to recent heavy rainfalls. The air’s movement along the water surface, the gentle breeze in the trees, and the swaying bridge under my feet tested my patience, but I was rewarded with this capture.
Presque Isle River
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After completing the shot, I finished crossing the bridge and hiked to the far side of the island. Not many photographers shoot this side, choosing instead to stay on the bridge or head to the end of the island where the river splits. I found this relatively unexplored side of the island had its own charm, and I was hoping to find good tree color along the gorge wall.
I was happily surprised to find nice fall leaf colors along the eastern bank of the stream, and this capture displays the area just below the river’s split. The water is calm here, creating splendid reflections in the river.
Bottom of the Gorge
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Moving down the island’s shoreline, I found a spot where I could isolate driftwood pile seen in the above photo. The view presents as monochromatic greens and whites, and I pressed the shutter, I knew I would post-process this image in black and white for greater tonal impact.
Log Jam
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Lastly, I found this view of the exposed canyon wall and the forest canopy rising above. The forest lining the gorge is dominated by old-growth sugar maple, hemlock, and white pine, some of which are over 400 years old. For me, knowing of the billion-year-old Nonesuch Shale bedrock, the ancient hardwood trees, and the awesome natural beauty make this a very special place. You can find the whole collection in the Featured Images section under Fall Falls
Ancient Rocks
These are the technical details for the image:
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