Pictured Rocks Gathering - October 6-9, 2011

[bill schwab]

Pictured Rocks Gathering
Munising, Mi.
October 6-9, 2011

Days Inn Munising
http://www.daysinnmunising.com/
Double Queen Rooms $70.00 +tax Per night (6 rooms left)
Single/Double Rooms $65.00 +tax per night (4 rooms left)
Call the 906-387-2493 number NOT the 800 number. The main booking office for Days won't kno of the group rate. You'll be calling the hotel directly.

The Days Inn seemed a good base for operations in that it was right on M-28 not too far from the County 58 intersection. Close to town, but on the east side closer to the National Lakeshore. They look pretty clean and up to date, have wireless, a pool, hot tub, etc. We can have a good old time. They also have offered us the breakfast area in the evening if we want to meet, show prints, etc.

I've already booked a room and I see on the other thread that Lee has also. They asked if all booking could come in by Monday morning. They will hold hold the rooms and group price until then. They anticipate filling up for that weekend and want to know what will be available.

More to come. I see that Jim is offering his guide services and Lee is doing some study on sun angles for a potential sunset cruise on the boat tour. I'd love to do that myself as well as take a hike out to Mosquito Creek and Grand Portal Point. One of my favorite spots on the planet and I gotta go up there at least one more time!

Anyway... Lets try to use this thread from now on if we could? Seems easier than digging back into the old Photostock thread.

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Bill

 

[bill schwab]

Pictured Rocks Boat Tours
http://www.picturedrocks.com/

From looking at the schedule, it looks like the sunset cruise is at 5:15 and costs $35.00 per adult. There is also the Regular Cruise at 10AM and the one that includes Spray Falls at 2PM. I will contact them to see if there is a group rate available, but I think we might have to have a sizable group for that.

 

[Lee L]

OK, last daily departure of the Pictured Rocks Cruise boat on our days is the 5:15pm "Sunset Cruise". (I see Bill has already gotten to that.) I'll attach a map courtesy of The Photographer's Ephemeris (set to Oct 7th) showing the line to the Sun at 6:00pm with a narrow orange line, and the thicker orange line to the Sun at sunset at 7:14pm. You can get some idea of how the sunlight will be grazing the cliffs.

On Friday the 7th, the moon will be rising in the east above the rock cliffs just after the cruise departs, and will be about 18 degrees above a level horizon at sunset. How high above the cliffs the moon appears will depend on the distance from the cliffs to the boat. The moon will be about 78% full (waxing gibbous). The moon will rise 22 minutes later on Saturday night.

On our earlier cruise, I shot with a 35mm rangefinder and a 75mm f:2.7 lens. At the distances the boat held off from the shore, this gave a very nice variation of the cliff from including some sky and water to the cliff almost filling the frame. Lake Superior was unusually calm on our trip, but even so the ride became a bit choppy. Be prepared to handhold at higher shutter speeds. A tripod or other support resting against the boat is almost guaranteed to be useless.

Lee

 

[Jerry Basierbe]

Just booked a room. Looking forward to it

Jerry

 

[bobwysiwyg]

Just returned from a week in the western U.P. Sure hope you have better weather than we did. Drizzle and 45F day and night for the entire week save for one day.

 

[bill schwab]

Drizzle and 45F day and night for the entire week save for one day.

That's too bad, Bob. Maybe we'll get lucky, but I'm prepping for winter.

 

[Toffle]

Booked, but only for Thursday the 6th. The week has me dotting the map, and I promised to be home for our long weekend.
It will be good so see some old friends again, if only for a couple of days.
Cheers

 

[bobwysiwyg]

That's too bad, Bob. Maybe we'll get lucky, but I'm prepping for winter.

Thanks, never a total loss though. I can always find something to shoot and shoot with.

 

[Marc Akemann]

FTR, I booked a room. Checking in on the 6th & checking out on the 9th. I'm interested in the boat cruise, hiking, etc.

-Marc

 

[Panoman617]

Looks like I'm just going to miss you Bill I'll be at the Blind Sucker State Forest campground the 1-5 on Co. Rd 407 Grand Maraia Truck trail. You also might like to check out Chipmonk Falls 30 ft fall and Sable Falls 15 tft fall just west of Grand Marais. Also Au Sable Point Lighthouse is a good spot, on the trail out to the lighthouse their are some shipwrecks on the beach. Looked like the color is coming fast this year. A week and a half ago I was up at the Mackinac Bridge out on the cables doing some photos of the cable inspections and the their was spots of color in the low lieing area's.

 

[bill schwab]

A week and a half ago I was up at the Mackinac Bridge out on the cables doing some photos of the cable inspections and the their was spots of color in the low lieing area's.

I am SO jealous. That is something I've always wanted to do.

I was planning on hitting the Sable Falls, but had forgotten about Chipmonk. The lighthouse is on a list of possibles as well. So much to see, so little time. Do you know if the birch forest is still there on the way to 12 Mile Beach?

Thanks for the report and suggestions. I'm really sorry we'll miss you. Next time for sure.

 

[Panoman617]

The last I new the birch forest is still their. That's a winter shot I've ben wanting to do but just can find the time to do. 708 Mahoney Lake Road off of H-58 is nice too. Also some of the small lakes like Gemini, Ross and Canoe are nice for sun rise and set photos with about 150 - 210 mm lens. Going to try to shoot 20 rolls of 120 aday. I sent you an email to your web page and if you would like I can email you a few of the cable photos.

 

[Mark Fisher]

I need to slack off on my schedule......missing this and photostock. Clearly my priorities are shot. Bill, keep posting these! Eventually I'll make it back up!

 

[Lee L]

Just getting some more info online. Here is a page with links to the NPS maps for the area in .pdf and other formats (piro = pictured rocks):

http://www.nps.gov/piro/planyourvisit/brochures.htm

Some of the links are dead, but the main map is a two year old revision, fairly recent.

Lee

 

[eskyone]

Colors peaking

I think our timing will be perfect.

 

[Panoman617]

Bill I've got some maps would you like me to drop them of at the Days Inn befor I go home so you and the group can use them?

 

[Andrew Moxom]

It looks as if I may get freed up to come to this now!! My wife just took on a full time role at work and is unable to go to what we'd planned for on this weekend. So I'll look into the Days Inn costs and see what they have available....

 

[bill schwab]

Bill I've got some maps would you like me to drop them of at the Days Inn befor I go home so you and the group can use them?

That would be great, Jim! How would I get them back to you?

Bill

 

[bill schwab]

This sounds as if it is going to be a good little group! Really looking forward to it and hoping for a little good weather. Looking like it is good we didn't go this weekend! Hopefully this slow moving low pressure spinner will be gone by the time we get there. Fingers crossed!

 

[Panoman617]

Bill you can get me the maps back when you can. I work down in Detroit alot and we can hook up and I can get them from you. I work with the people that make tha ACT 51 maps here at work so it's not hard to get more. It looks like it's going to Sat sunny 54, sun sunny 64, mon some clouds 67, tues sunny 64, wed some clouds 64. If you get those nice slow moveing low pressure from the north you can get some big wave's crashing in. Their a few sopt you can get down and with 12 to 16 ft waves coming in it makes some cool shoot's.

 

[Panoman617]

With rain last week up their the falls should be moving good to. Maybe some fog to in the woods in the morning also. Should be a good week for shooting Oct 1- 9

 

[Marc Akemann]

My trip actually starts tomorrow as I head out to Batchawana Bay, Ontario for 5 days. Looks like calm weather for the week with nice, foggy mornings starting perhaps on Sunday.....Monday for sure. Tom "Toffle" Overton is driving over on Tuesday and then we'll see the gang in Munising on Thursday!

-Marc

 

[bill schwab]

Marc! Have a great trip! See you soon.

@Jim... Thanks for all the great info!

 

[Gim]

Marc and Tom

I'm coming in Tues. ...Alger Falls Motel...Can meet you Tues. night or Wed. Please leave message with Brenda at Desk if I'm not around.

Jim

 

[Marc Akemann]

Marc and Tom

I'm coming in Tues. ...Alger Falls Motel...Can meet you Tues. night or Wed. Please leave message with Brenda at Desk if I'm not around.

Jim

Hey Jim! Sorry, I meant that Tom will be stopping by where I'm staying in the Batchawana Bay area on Tuesday and then we're heading to Munising first thing Thursday morning. Google Maps directions say it's a 3 hr & 20 min drive. So I'd say at least 4-4.5 hours with crossing the Canada/US border and all.

-Marc