I’m up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a couple nights, hoping for a clear sky to practice Milky Way photography. On my drive up I stopped for a break at Otsego State Park.
I had just made it through a driving rainstorm, the kind where everyone slows down and turns on their emergency blinkers because you can’t see anything. It was stressful, so I figured I’d look at a state park I have never camped at and get a little walk in too.
Though it wasn’t raining, the sky didn’t look promising for night sky photography. I didn’t stay long, wanting to get to the UP and my destination camp site.
But once over the bridge, the sky turned even more ominous.
It was sprinkling when I got to my camp site, so I waited in the car for the sun to come out. And it did.
But then, halfway through my tent set up, the sky suddenly and with no warning let loose with a downpour. I managed to get the rainfly up over the exposed tent and then I dashed for the car.
And hoped.
Would the rainfly keep the inside of my tent dry?
Would I ever get a clear night to try to find the Milky Way?
You’ll have to stay tuned to find out.
Change Is Hard 
July 22, 2023 at 2:55 pm
Oh dear. A driving rain and camping outdoors? Doesn’t sound like my cup of tea. I hope you left Penny home with her daddy because wet Sheltie fur isn’t very appealing to dog or human. I’ll stay tuned, hoping your adventure ends on a brighter note!
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July 23, 2023 at 10:46 am
Penny stayed home with her dad. She’s not tent-ready yet..but I hope she will be by next summer. On the other hand I just ran across a post I did in 2011 when Katie and I spent our very first night in the tent, in the backyard and got spooked by a snorting deer. Katie would have been 4.5 years old..much old and more mature than Penny is at 7 months. So I might be expecting too much too soon.
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July 23, 2023 at 8:41 am
So many questions. I’m betting on a very good outcome. I love the pic of the ominous looking sky, but sorry it was not the day you were hoping for.
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July 23, 2023 at 10:48 am
I think it has rained at least one day on every camping trip I’ve gone, ever since I can remember. This was the most rain in the shortest amount of time that I’ve experienced though.
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July 23, 2023 at 9:01 am
Hi Dawn! I haven’t blogged in forever, but I still see your posts on FB so I decided to pop over here and see if you were still blogging. I’ve become a more regular camper recently ( in a pop up camper) and I have been hoping to try some Milky Way photography too, but alas the weather here in New England has not been very cooperative either. I’ll be curious to see if you eventually get your shot! Out of curiosity, what do you like to do for food while camping? I have a tendency to go a bit “over the top” – I have a griddle, camp stove, dutch oven, a small grill – way too much lol! I do enjoy cooking outdoors, but sometimes I think maybe I need to simplify a bit!
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July 23, 2023 at 10:54 am
Hi there! The weather everywhere has been awful for Milky Way photography. All that smoke and haze, and then the normal rain and clouds. It’s frustrating when there are so few really good nights with no moon to begin with!
So cooking….well cooking while camping is my worst problem. Well, not actually a problem when I’m alone, but a problem when I’m with someone else who is going to expect at least one meal a day!
This week I just ate bagels and crackers and fruit. I took along non refrigerated milk in little cartons and cold cereal but I never did open those. Sometimes camping is an excuse to eat stuff that’s bad for you like Cheese-Its.. I took a box with me but never opened it either. Guess this time I wasn’t into eating that much.
One hard thing about tent camping is keeping stuff cold. I haven’t found the perfect cooler yet. Most times I just don’t bother to try to keep stuff cold. But that really limits what I can bring with me.
I did buy (finally) a coleman stove, but it’s big and heavy and I don’t always take it along. When I camp with a friend of mine who likes fine food I take it. She brought salmon to our May camping trip and we steamed it with a little water in a frying pan. It was wonderful. But that’s not the norm for my camping food. I think I’d like the small grill, if it would fit into my car along with everything else.
I definitely think I’d like the pop up trailer!!!!
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July 24, 2023 at 5:41 am
It has been the wettest July on record here. When its not downpouring, we’ve had to cope with the wildfire smoke – not sure which is worse, the smoke or the rain. Every sunny, clear moment feels like a gift this summer!
I hope your campsite dried out and you had some fun! That bridge is so stunning.
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July 24, 2023 at 1:18 pm
Yes, I used a cutting board as a squeegee to push the water out from underneath my tent and slept just fine for two nights! I kind of wish I was in a camper though.
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July 24, 2023 at 5:46 am
These crazy downpours every few hours have been ruled here in NJ this summer. Sun, then rain- pelting like you said, then sun. I’m glad it came out and you were able to set up but now I am on the edge of my seat waiting to hear and see those Milky Way pics! 🙂
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July 24, 2023 at 1:20 pm
I think it has rained at least once on every camping trip I’ve ever been on. Rain is not so good when you’re trying to get stars photographed.
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July 25, 2023 at 12:04 am
I LOVE the header photo with the barns and the truck. I could eat it up. 🙂
The weather here in the pacific northwest has been horrid hot and dry. Finally rained here just today after more than a month of 90-something degree weather and no rain. Wacko stuff.
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July 25, 2023 at 7:20 pm
The weather here in Michigan hasn’t been that different than a normal summer here, other than the smoke from the Canadian fires. But we hear the heat is coming later this week, so we’ll see how I feel about it then.
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July 25, 2023 at 7:53 am
Michigan has been having such crazy weather! I hope you and your tent were dry inside it. And that you got some great photos…I love the suspense of waiting to see what you captured. 😉
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July 25, 2023 at 7:21 pm
I’ve been lazy and haven’t processed many photos from this last trip. I need to get going because you all are waiting…plus I have another trip coming up! The tent was dry enough for me to sleep in it…and I finished drying it out when I got home. It’s all packed up now ready for the next adventure. I think it rains at least once on every camping trip. There must be some rule about it.
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July 26, 2023 at 6:18 am
Enjoy the adventures while the weather permits! Photo processing is for the rainy/snowy days 🤣
I can’t remember a trip anywhere when it didn’t rain at some point, so I agree, it’s a rule! 😉
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July 25, 2023 at 3:16 pm
hope you stayed dry and got your photos! You don’t camp alone do you?
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July 25, 2023 at 7:22 pm
Well it didn’t turn out exactly the way I thought it would. But I got some photos. Yes, I often camp alone, but in state parks that are full (bumper to bumper full) of families, so I’m not really alone. This trip I was supposed to meet another milky way photographer, but her plans got changed so I was alone in a very very crowded campground.
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