Michael Stephen Wills Photography

From Music Canyon

Down South

October 8, 2022October 5, 2022 MichaelStephenWills

Dutchman Trail follows the outflow of two springs along the canyon floor: Music Canyon and LaBarge springs. Here we are climbing Peters Trail to the eponymous mesa and facing south / Southeast, looking down on Dutchman Trail.

This is rough country below Bluff Spring Mountain. Stag Horn Cholla cactus is lower right with Prickly Pear cactus scattered in the brush. Poles of young saguaro cactus are scattered around the lower slopes.

Click Me for the first post of this series, “Bluff Spring Mountain.

Torr Head Wildflower Meadow

can you see any other flowers/plans in this photograph? Please leave a comment if you do.

October 7, 2022October 4, 2022 MichaelStephenWills15 Comments

We parked below the Coast Guard station, headed toward the height of Torr Head. I was stopped in my tracks by the hillside meadow wildflower profusion.

Here are a few I identified, listed by common name: Bluebell, Daisy, Meadow Buttercup, Sea Campion, Yarrow. We love daisies and buttercups around home. We spotted Sea Campion on the Dingle Peninsula, as well. Yarrow is common through Ireland. I don’t recall seeing bluebells anywhere else.

It was the bluebells in this photograph that clued me into why I took a photograph of the hillside. The view north takes in coastal sheep pasture looking on a portion of North Channel and the Irish island Rathelin.

The web page I used for identification was wildflowersofireland.net . Great information and links to the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland with a distribution map.

Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

A Bit About Torr Head

the information board is not to be outdone

October 6, 2022October 4, 2022 MichaelStephenWills11 Comments

Twenty five minutes before the photos of Pam on Torr Head we enjoyed this view from high above. The placard captures and explains a great deal.

There is at least one tanker ship traversing the North Channel. You can just make out the Torr Road we followed through those farm buildings to the parking near the Coast Guard Station.

Informational Placard near Coast Guard Station

Here is a post published last year with more views of this coast.

Here is a gallery for easier flipping between photographs. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Black Mountain

Million Dollar View

October 5, 2022October 3, 2022 MichaelStephenWills6 Comments

After a respite among the cool spring waters, we headed up Peters Trail for the top of Peter’s mesa where, for all we knew, there was no water.

In this photograph I face northwest, looking down on Dutchman Trail. The peak, upper center left, is Black Mountain. The cleft of Charlebois Canyon is lower middle right. Stag Horn Cholla cactus is lower right with Prickly Pear cactus scattered in the brush. Poles of young saguaro cactus are scattered around the lower slopes. Look carefully and you can make out the pooled water of our rest stop.

Unidentified Tree

silhouette

October 4, 2022October 3, 2022 MichaelStephenWills8 Comments

This branch of spent, lancate leaves with hanging seeds grows wild on the slopes above Treman Gorge in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State.

Assistance with identification of this tree is requested. Please leave your suggestions as comments to this post. Thank You, everyone.

Here is a series of Lucifer Falls view from the overlook.

Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Around the Mountain

The beetling cliffs of Bluff Spring Mountain

October 3, 2022October 3, 2022 MichaelStephenWills

Here is a recap of the last few Superstition Wilderness posts. The expedition route, in red, starts on the right where Dutchman and Terrapin trails meet. The total distance is 2.6 miles. Photograph timestamps tell me about 2 hours passed — 1.3 miles per hour in this rough country.

I came upon the wildflowers of “Desert Color” a few minutes after starting.

“Ominous Splendor” photograph was taken just before Bluff Spring Mountain Canyon (green text).

“Marked Saguaro” was encountered a few minutes before the Cottonwood tree of “Riparian,” marked with a pushpin.

“Spring Flow” is the endpoint on left.

Here is a gallery of photographs from this portion of our expedition.

The beetling cliffs off Bluff Spring Mountain loom over where Terrapin and Dutchman trails meet. Patches of yellow are Mexican Poppies blooming on the talus slope. Terrapin Trail climbs the ridge, to right, Here is where I caught up with mounted expedition members, the spotted rump of an Appaloosa figures prominantly next to the sign post. Superstition Wilderness, Tonto National Forest, Arizona

Spring Flow

Rest Before A Climb

October 2, 2022October 4, 2022 MichaelStephenWills3 Comments

The expedition party rested where Dutchman Trail intersected the creek, full of flow from Charlebois Canyon, Music Canyon and LaBarge springs. We filled the water reservoirs in preparation for the climb up to the night’s camping spot on Peter’s Mesa, a 1,300 foot climb over 1.2 miles.

Behind Colorado and “Ed’s Horse” (don’t recall the name) is Bluff Spring Mountain.

Click Me for the first post in this series, “Bluff Spring Mountain.”

Riperian

Blessings of Water

October 1, 2022October 3, 2022 MichaelStephenWills2 Comments

A view to west on Dutchman Trail between Bluff Spring Mountain and Peter’s Mesa. The creek flowing from Charlebois, Music Mountain and LaBarge springs nourishes this Fremont’s Cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and other riparian flora. The tree is flanked by volcanic rock from an ancient eruption.

Click Me for the next Superstition Wilderness post, “Spring Flow.”

Gorge Exploration

Fillmore Glen State Park, Moravia, New York

September 30, 2022September 30, 2022 MichaelStephenWills6 Comments

Late August last I captured these photographs and videos on the fly using an Iphone7 while Pam and I walked Fillmore Glen State Park, Moravia, New York. Click me for “The Space Station and the Waterfall,” another glen exploration.

Ephemeral Waterfall

Metal Intrusion

Spring thaw washed away the gorge wall, this functional metal bridge will outlast all but the most catastrophic gorge wall disruptions.

Graceful Waterfall Overview

Flora

White Baneberry, aka “Dolls Eyes,” a fascinating plant, entirely poisonous.

All parts of all Baneberry varieties (red and white) are highly poisonous, the bane of Baneberry. The berries are deadly. Ingestion of as few as two berries by children will cause death from cardiac arrest. Six for an adult.

Landscape Features

Overview, Spillway and Pond

Greetings from Torr Head, Northern Ireland

September 29, 2022September 23, 2022 MichaelStephenWills13 Comments

Pam is standing on the closest point on Ireland to the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland, framed by the Irish Sea, blue from reflected sky on a June day.

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

From a June 6, 2014 day spent among the Antrim Glens of Northern Ireland.

Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Here is a series of Lucifer Falls view from the overlook.

Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Metal Intrusion

Flora

Landscape Features

Copyright 2022 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills