Karen Wils photo Nothing like an old apple says the chipmunk.

ESCANABA — The first frost kisses the plump apples hanging from the gnarly old tree.

They blush with sweetness.

An owl roosts in a high branch waiting and watching for mice to come and nibble on the fallen fruit.

The north wind and the honking geese make lilting music throughout the orchard. It is apple season in Upper Michigan.

The dinner bell is ringing. The deer, bear, raccoon, chipmunks and porcupines are lined up and ready for a tasty treat.

For many generations people were there too with bushel baskets and gunny sacks picking storing, cooking and drying the abundant apples.

Michigan is the third largest apple producing state in the country. The fertile fruit belts surrounded by warmer Great Lakes breezes are famous in our state. Almost every homestead had several apple trees planted up close to the house.

Wild apple trees dot old fields, meadows and roadsides where they are at home among the native trees and plants.

It is hard to imagine a U.P. without apple trees or an autumn without apple pie. But that was the case before pioneers swept across this land. The only native apple species to America is the sour crabapple. The apple tree as we know it came from Eurasia. The hardy seeds from these apples were cherished and planted anywhere people settled.

Johnny Appleseed is more than just a story. He was a real historical figure. John Chapman lived in the early 1800s. He was a preacher who traveled to many states starting orchards from seeds.

Apples thrived in the northern states because apples require cool weather to produce good fruit. Years ago, however, most apples were grown to make “hard” apple cider. This alcoholic beverage was the most popular drink of Americans hundreds of years ago. Apples fermented well and cider was easy to make and keep. Hard apple cider was more popular than beer or wine and it was often safer to drink than some well water.

During prohibition many apple trees were destroyed as a way to stamp out drinking alcohol.

In Upper Michigan apple trees put down sturdy roots. Often riddled with woodpecker holes, bent by the strong winds, and covered with ice, these trees survived. Droughts and tent caterpillar infestation made for bad years.

Still, many of the antique trees continued to grow and produce fruit. At this time of the year, it is so fun to hike around the countryside seeking out the old apple trees.

A trip to the family farm or the county road leading to camp is sure to bring us to some old friends. The old apple trees are almost like family. Great memories include bird hunting under the thorn apples, or gathering apples for pie with grandma by the barn, or deer hunting between thee apple trees or getting kissed beneath the Wolf River apple tree.

It seems old familiar apple trees produce the best fruits for pies, apple sauce, apple cider and wine.

Hike out under the autumn sunshine with the whole family and find an apple tree. What history can your old apples tell?

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Karen (Rose) Wils is a lifelong north Escanaba resident. Her folksy columns appear weekly in Lifestyles.