Heather Outdoors

Heather Outdoors Outdoor adventure enthusiast based out of Marquette, MI.
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I would choose to cut my own arm off over choosing A If that was an option.
06/10/2026

I would choose to cut my own arm off over choosing A If that was an option.

Pick two. I will absolutely be making assumptions about you as a person.
06/09/2026

Pick two. I will absolutely be making assumptions about you as a person.

06/08/2026

Another day, another spring WTF update in the U.P. Although it wouldn’t surprise me if this was snow in June, it’s actually popple. That fluff is aspen and cottonwood seed, each little parachute carrying one seed off to plant a tree and live its best life somewhere downwind.

And no, it’s not to blame for your allergies. These trees pollinated earlier in spring, long before the cotton ever showed up. Your real nemesis this time of year is grass pollen, peaking the same week. Popple takes the blame but grass does the damage.

Popple is really a northern, boreal tree, and we only get to have it this far south because Lake Superior keeps our summers cold. It throws cool air miles inland and holds this whole north-woods forest in place, way south of where it should be able to grow. As things warm up, that cold water may be the thing that lets these trees hang on longest. So go ahead and thank Gitche Gumee for the popple.

06/07/2026

It’s that time of year again when Yoopers turn into an all-you-can-eat buffet for the unofficial Michigan state bird.

All that snowmelt I’ve been talking about… The same meltwater that flushes the Lake Superior watershed with trash every spring also leaves behind a thousand little puddles, and floodwater mosquitoes lay their eggs in exactly that. Add a warm, soggy spring and every rain since has hatched a fresh batch.

The only things that have ever personally helped me are long thick layers and a head net when necessary, otherwise you basically have to ride the season out. I’ve never tried Permethrin on my clothing, although an obsessive reapplication of strong DEET can provide tolerable relief. The best defense is waiting until mid-July when the dragonflies show up to help.

The good news is this time of year is great if you want to do things outdoors with less crowds! Also, how great is this original audio with the clip. That alone is almost worth it.

06/02/2026

It’s that time of year again. Every spring, as snow melts and water levels rise, all the trash that’s been collecting in the Lake Superior watershed all winter starts moving. Rivers and tributaries like the Dead River are the last line of defense before it reaches Lake Superior.

I grabbed what I could today, but I spotted a tire, some debris I couldn’t reach, and a handful of frisbees that met their fate along the edge of the Powder Mill disc golf course near the river. Going back later this week with the wetsuit and snorkel to pull those out before the current takes them the rest of the way to Superior, and to add to my disc collection 😆

If you paddle, kayak, canoe, or just walk the shoreline, this is the time of year to do it with a trash bag. Tributaries, riverbanks, and creek mouths are your hotspots. What you pull out now stays out of Superior.

Leave it better than you found it. 💙

06/01/2026

Anyone else participate in No-Mow May to save the bees? Dying to hear the opinion of a melittologist.

05/26/2026

MARQUETTE! We are heading your way and would love to see you at Founders Landing cleanup on June 16. You are the final stop on our Great Lakes Cleanup Road Trip — an effort to raise awareness about plastics in our freshwater.

This event is about stewardship and education through action. 🌊 🧤 🪣

We’re inviting anyone and everyone to lend a hand, build community, play some games and maybe even win a prize or two! 🌸🤭

Thank you for sharing among your networks and RSVPing at www.greatlakeslove.org

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Marquette, MI

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