I was on a mission-
To capture the North Woods
of Wisconsin in all of it's
Fall color glory. But I wanted a bit more than photographs,
I wanted to re-create the impressions I had of being there.

My trip to the Hayward area and to Spider Lake Lodge in particular brought me to where the leaves were at their peak of brilliance on the very day
I arrived. My drive up from Minneapolis was lined with nature's fireworks, the only trouble was where to point my camera, there were explosions of color everywhere.

I took a drive back down Murphy Boulevard, also known as Murphy's folly. I was told it took Mr. Murphy nearly twenty years to finish the road, he had to push through some rugged territory. Before it was completed in the late forties you could only get to the lodge by boat or float plane.
A fork in the road
led me to this quiet pond.

It was the perfect time of day to see deer as well. These does were standing right on the edge of the road. My camera was at the ready and I snapped a few shots but then realized I had the settings wrong! I had given up getting the shot when I looked back and discovered the deer had only moved a little way in to the trees.
It was a real treat to capture them photographically.

I got up early the next morning and started my photo safari along the misty shores of Big Spider Lake. The night had brought rain and a few rumbles of thunder, rare for this time of year. Listening to the rain on the roof of the lodge was a cozy experience.
The day started off with a heavy overcast.

I arrived as the sun was setting and a light rain began to fall, a perfect combination for maximum color saturation.
This is Murphy Boulevard, a six mile ribbon of asphalt winding through the forest. Near the very end is Spider Lake Lodge.

Taking stock on the way home, I was content with the images I had a chance to make.
But I know I'll be back for more next year.
You just never know what visual treasures might be around that next bend in the road.

Max Haynes

When the sun finally made an appearance, it was only for tantalizing moments at a time but with patience one could capture the forest being lit up with dazzling color here and there through the trees.

I spotted a sturdy
log lodge of another kind in a nearby wetland, the beaver family appeared to be all set for Winter

The main images were selectively manipulated in Photoshop using the
Spatter filter

Fringe Tree?