10,000 Leaves

Nothing is more beautiful than Michigan in the autumn.  Last October I had the privilege to be Artist in Residence at Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park.  For 2 weeks we were provided a cabin in a remote part of the Park that was built by the Friends of the Porkies.  We spent each day hiking  some of the more than 20 trails.  One of only a few protected Wilderness areas in the Midwest, with 60,000 acres, rivers, secluded lakes, old growth forests and countless waterfalls, it was hard to chose the one image that would define my time there.

10,000 Leaves

In the end I chose this view from Summit Peak - the highest point in the Park.  This view gives you an idea of why they are called the Porcupine Mts.  With a little imagination maybe you can see the outline of the porcupines back in the ridge-lines of pine and hardwoods.
Tucked into those deep shadows is Mirror Lake which you can get to from the Peak by following the Mirror Lake Trail.  There is a very nice, secluded rustic campground at the Lake itself.  Only a few sites are there and they require a backcountry pass to camp at.

Mirror Lake

That trail in turn connects with others - well, here's a pdf of them all: Porkies Trails.  You won't be bored, that's for sure.
I highly recommend visiting the Porkies and for all you artists (not just visual) if you are looking for solitude, wilderness, beauty and inspiration, you should apply for this AiR!

8" x 30"
8 birch blocks
27 impressions
edition of 15 on various papers
Papers - Kihada, Kihada light, Echizen and Shikoku.