<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Tannery Falls</TITLE><!-- #BeginTemplate "/Templates/Falls.dwt" --><!-- #BeginEditable "doctitle" --><!-- #EndEditable -->

<SCRIPT language=JavaScript>

<!--

if (parent.location.href != window.location.href) parent.location.href=window.location.href;

<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"><!-- #BeginEditable "meta_tags" -->

<META

content="Tannery Falls, Michigan, Waterfalls, Falls, Upper Penninsula, Munising, Jonathan Gennick"

name=keywords>

<META

content="Tannery Falls, a privately owned, publically accessible waterfall in Munising, Michigan"

name=description><!-- #EndEditable "meta_tags" --><LINK

href="Tannery Falls_files/general_style.css" type=text/css rel=stylesheet>

<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>

<BODY text=#000000 vLink=#000066 aLink=#990033 link=#0000ff bgColor=#ffffff

leftMargin=0 topMargin=0 marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=700 border=0>

<TBODY>

<TR>

<TD>

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0>

<TBODY>

<TR>

<TD vAlign=top align=middle width=224 bgColor=#000066><IMG

height=104 alt="A map of Michigan's Upper Penninsula"

src="Tannery Falls_files/site_logo.gif" width=224></TD>

<TD vAlign=bottom bgColor=#000066><!-- #BeginEditable "page_title" -->

<H1 align=center>Tannery Falls</H1>

<P class=subtitle align=center>&nbsp;</P><!-- #EndEditable -->

<P class=linkline align=center><A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/index.html">Home</A> • <A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/visit_the_falls.html"></A><A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/about.html">About this Site</A>

• <A href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/visit.html">Visit the

Falls</A></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=12 width="100%" border=0>

<TBODY>

<TR>

<TD vAlign=top align=left width=200 bgColor=#000066><!-- #BeginEditable "sidebar_content" --><!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/Library/Alger County Falls.lbi" -->

<P class=sidebartitle>Alger County Falls</P>

<P class=sidebarcontentt><A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/autrain_falls/autrain_falls.html">Au

Train Falls</A></P>

<P class=sidebarcontent><A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/chapel_falls/chapel_falls.html">Chapel

Falls</A></P>

<P class=sidebarcontent><A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/lower_chapel_falls/lower_chapel_falls.html">Lower

Chapel Falls</A></P>

<P class=sidebarcontent><A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/miners_beach_falls/miners_beach_falls.html">Miners

Beach Falls</A></P>

<P class=sidebarcontent><A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/mna_memorial_falls/mna_memorial_falls.html">MNA

Memorial Falls</A></P>

<P class=sidebarcontent><A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/munising_falls/munising_falls.html">Munising

Falls</A></P>

<P class=sidebarcontent><A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/potato_patch_falls/index.html">Potato

Patch Falls</A></P>

<P class=sidebarcontent><A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/scott_falls/scott_falls.html">Scott

Falls</A></P>

<P class=sidebarcontent><A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/tannery_falls/tannery_falls.html">Tannery

Falls</A></P>

<P class=sidebarcontentb><A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/whitefish_falls/whitefish_falls.html">Whitefish

Falls</A></P><!-- #EndLibraryItem --><!-- #EndEditable --></TD>

<TD vAlign=top align=left><!-- #BeginEditable "main_content" -->

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=200 align=center

border=0><TBODY>

<TR>

<TD>

<DIV align=center><IMG height=300

alt="Tannery Falls cascading over the cliff"

src="Tannery Falls_files/Dcp_1505.jpg" width=200

border=0><BR><SPAN class=PhotoCaption><B><FONT size=-1>Tannery

Falls in Motion</FONT></B></SPAN></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<P class=FallsDescription align=left>Tannery Falls is the original

name for these falls, which are now part of a nature preserve owned

by the Michigan Nature Association (MNA). The MNA has renamed them

Olson Falls in honor of Rudolph M. Olson. I don't know whether the

new name will stick or not. It all depends on what people get used

to, I suppose. Tannery Falls is the name listed in the <A

href="http://mapping.usgs.gov/www/gnis/">United States Geological

Survey Geographic Names Information System</A> database. </P>

<BLOCKQUOTE>

<P><B><I>Warning!</I></B><I> While visiting Tannery Falls you may

encounter falling rock, ice, slippery slopes, sheer cliffs, and

debris. There are no railings. Be cautious. <B>Watch your

kids!</B></I></P></BLOCKQUOTE>

<H2 class=FallsSubHead align=left>Where to Go, Where to Park</H2>

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=12 align=left border=0>

<TBODY>

<TR>

<TD>

<P align=center><IMG height=134

alt="The stairs leading from the roadside to the trail"

src="Tannery Falls_files/DCP_1486.jpg" width=100><BR><B

class=PhotoCaption><FONT size=-1>The

stairs</FONT></B></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<P class=FallsDescription align=left>To get to Tannery Falls, take

Munising Avenue east out of downtown Munising. Going east, Munising

Avenue is the same as H-58. You don't have to go far. Look for the

the intersection where Washington Street goes off to your left.

Washington Street takes you towards the hospital and the <A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/munising_falls/munising_falls.html">Munising

Falls</A> Visitor Center. On your right, just before you get to

Washington Street, you'll see a stairway leading from the roadside

up into the woods. You should see a bridge as well, but the stairway

is closer to town, and it's the stairway that leads to these

falls.</P>

<P class=FallsDescription align=left><B>Do not park on H-58 to visit

Tannery Falls!</B> You'll get a parking ticket. I learned this the

hard way. Park on one of the nearby side streets. Nestor Street is a

good bet.</P>

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=12 align=right border=0>

<TBODY>

<TR>

<TD>

<P align=center><IMG height=102

alt="The memorial marker for Rudolph M. Olson"

src="Tannery Falls_files/DCP_1489.jpg" width=200><BR><B

class=PhotoCaption><FONT size=-1>The memorial

marker</FONT></B></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<H2 class=FallsSubHead align=left>The Hike In</H2>

<P class=FallsDescription align=left>Climb the steps, and just after

you get to the top, look down and to your left. You should see a

memorial marker embedded in concrete with the name Rudolph M. Olson,

and the dates 1909-1982. One of these days I'm going to phone the

MNA and find out the story behind this. </P>

<P class=FallsDescription align=left>From here to the falls it's

just a matter of following the trail. Do be careful of falling

debris. Much of the time the trail follows the cliff side. I've

never witnessed anything falling myself, but there's ample evidence

of it. On a trip in December 2000, I saw several trees that had

fallen over the edge of the cliff and onto the trail. These had not

been there when I visited in May of that same year. If you're

visiting in the winter, be especially careful of the ice. You

wouldn't want a falling icicle to land on your head. That may sound

funny, but there is a real danger. Falling ice is heavy.</P>

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=12 align=left border=0>

<TBODY>

<TR>

<TD>

<P align=center><IMG height=202

alt="A frontal view of Tannery Falls with some snow on the ground"

src="Tannery Falls_files/Dcp_1510.jpg" width=100><BR><B

class=PhotoCaption><FONT size=-1>Tannery Falls<BR>in

November</FONT></B></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<H2 class=FallsSubHead align=left>At the Falls</H2>

<P class=FallsDescription align=left>When you get to the falls

themselves, you'll see that the stream has undercut the cliff. You

can easily walk around behind the falls if you don't mind getting

your feet wet. If you're careful, you may even be able to stay dry.

To your right as you approach the falls will be a smaller falls

about waist-high that may be manmade. I suspect they may be manmade,

because there is a six-inch brown pipe extending out from these. I

have no idea why the pipe is there. Someday, hopefully, I'll meet

someone who has lived nearby long enough to know the reason for this

pipe.</P>

<P class=FallsDescription align=left>Right smack in the middle of

the trail, just in front of the falls, is a large pile of dirt and

rubble. The trail goes up to the top of this, and I think it's ok to

walk up it, but otherwise try to stay off the sides of this mound.

The nature preserve is trying to replant vegetation on the sides of

the mound where foot traffic has caused erosion. I suspect this

mound is the result of the rock walls caving in at some point in the

past, but I don't know how long ago that would be.</P>

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=12 align=right border=0>

<TBODY>

<TR>

<TD>

<P align=center><IMG height=132

alt="John Grubbs looking at the ice column in December"

src="Tannery Falls_files/Dcp_1545.jpg" width=200><BR><B

class=PhotoCaption><FONT size=-1>John Grubbs on the

ice</FONT></B></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<H2 class=FallsSubHead align=left>Tannery Falls in the Winter</H2>

<P class=FallsDescription align=left>Tanner Falls in the winter is a

site to behold. I've visited once in March, and again in December.

Both times the falls were encased in a column of ice. You can

actually stand there and hear the water falling, but you can't see

it. At least you can't easily see it, because the water falls inside

the ice column. There will be some breaks here and there in the ice

through which you can see the spray falling. </P>

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=12 align=left border=0>

<TBODY>

<TR>

<TD>

<P align=center><IMG height=132

alt="A closeup view showing water falling inside the ice column"

src="Tannery Falls_files/Dcp_1546.jpg" width=200><BR><B

class=PhotoCaption><FONT size=-1>Water falling inside<BR>the

ice column</FONT></B></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<P class=FallsDescription align=left>Ice builds up all around the

bottom of the falls, and you really can't even see where the water

hits the ground. What you have is a column of ice coming down from

the top of the falls and ending in a huge mound of ice on the

ground. The stream flows out from under the edges of that mound.

<P class=FallsDescription align=left>There's enough room in the ice

column that you could probably climb inside if you didn't mind

getting wet from the falling water. <I><B>Don't do this!</B></I> I'm

not suggesting you do this. It would be extremely dangerous. You

would be risking your life. But when I stand in front of that ice

column, the sound of the water is hypnotic, and it calls out to me.

I'm a cave explorer from way back, and to be inside a cave, next to

a waterfall, with the sound of falling water echoing all around is a

profound experience. Listening to these falls cascade down through

the ice reminds me of very much of caving trips gone by.</P>

<P class=FallsSubHead align=left>Upstream</P>

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=12 align=right border=0>

<TBODY>

<TR>

<TD>

<P align=center><IMG height=132

alt="A view of tannery Creek just upstream from the main falls"

src="Tannery Falls_files/Dcp_1519.jpg" width=200><BR><B

class=PhotoCaption><FONT size=-1>Upstream from the<BR>top of

the falls</FONT></B></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<P class=FallsDescription align=left>The bank 50-100 feet to the

east of the falls is climbable, but barely. I don't recommend

climbing the bank. It's steep, you'll cause erosion, and you'll end

up in someone's backyard. You'll actually be very close to the

parking area for <A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/mna_memorial_falls/mna_memorial_falls.html">MNA

Memorial Falls</A>. The backyard you'd be in belongs to the house at

the very end of Nestor street. I went back there once with the

homeowner's permission, and it really surprised me how close Tannery

Falls is to Nestor Street, and to <A

href="http://michiganwaterfalls.com/mna_memorial_falls/mna_memorial_falls.html">MNA

Memorial Falls</A>. I wouldn't have guessed it based on the hike in

from H-58. The photo to the right shows part of Tannery Creek

upstream from the falls. There's actually two or three smaller falls

just upstream from the large one that most people visit. The largest

of these smaller falls is about two feet high. One is so small I'm

not even sure it deserves to be counted. The stream is very scenic

in the winter as it winds it's way through the snow. Also back in

this area is an apartment complex. The stream seems to run around

behind the apartments somehow, but I havn't followed it that far

yet.</P>

<H2 class=FallsSubHead align=left>A Quarter for Your Falls?</H2>

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=12 width=220 align=right

bgColor=#ccff00 border=0>

<TBODY>

<TR>

<TD>

<P align=center><B>A Cabin on Stilts</B></P>

<P>A neice of Hettie Lukowski recently contacted me and told

me about a cabin on stilts that used to be on the property.

It's not clear to me when the cabin was torn down, but it

surely must have been present in the 1950s when the Lukowskis

built their house on the property.</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<P class=FallsDescription align=left>Recently, I was in Wheel's, a

bicycle and ski shop on the corner of M-28 and Superior Street. I

was renting some snowshoes, and while talking with one of the owners

I discovered she had grown up on Nestor Street not far from Tannery

Falls. She told me that when she was young the falls were owned by

an older lady named Hettie Lukowski who charged tourists 25 cents to

walk back and have a look. I think the tourists got the better end

of that bargain—a visit to the falls is worth more than a quarter. I

was also told that Hettie landscaped the area very nicely. Hettie's

father, or perhaps father-in-law, purchased the property in 1935.

The site was kept in the family until the mid-1980s when it was sold

to the MNA, and was purposely kept undeveloped to protect the

beautiful site from commercialization. Sometime after the MNA

purchased the property, the Lukowski house was torn down. </P>

<H2 class=FallsDescription align=left>Ownership</H2>

<P class=FallsDescription align=left>Michigan Nature

Association<BR>Box 102<BR>Avoca MI 48006<BR>313.324.2626 </P><!-- #EndEditable --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<P>&nbsp;</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- #EndTemplate --></BODY></HTML>