See Striking Photos from a Northern Michigan Snowshoe Hike

One of Michigan's most beautiful state parks looks enchanting under a blanket of fresh snow. A hiker documented his snowshoe trek on the Old Growth Forest and Au Sable River trails at Grayling's Hartwick Pines State Park.

In Robert Frost's famous poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, the protagonist is on a long journey and doesn't have any time to waste. Even his horse knows business is urgent and shakes the harness, jingling the bells as an auditory reminder of the task at hand. Although he has "miles to go before I sleep," the narrator takes a few precious moments to stop and enjoy the breathtaking beauty of nature. Watching the woods filling up with snow is time well spent.

What Frost's verse does for New Hampshire, Brian Wellwood's photos do for our incredible Michigan winters. Taking to the 49 acres of old-growth forests in the Hartwick Pines State Park just after a significant snowstorm, Wellwood documented his 5 1/2 mile hike with magnificent photos shared in the I Love Michigan State Parks Facebook Group. I couldn't scroll past them and was fascinated by the splendor of the blanket of fresh snow on the trails and the stately pines. I reached out to Brian for permission to share the photos with you and he readily agreed to freely share the beauty Mother Nature so generously bestows on us so often that it is easy to take for granted. Let's take a walk in the woods together- snowshoes are not required.

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