Excuse me as I borrow the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, from this famous poem-"The Song of Hiawatha", for the title of this story. Here is a bit of trivia for you...Jane Johnson of Ojibwa and Irish descent , was the wife of Henry Schoolcraft who was a geographer, geologist and ethnologist . The Ojibwa indians were one of the tribes that lived in the Lake Superior area. Jane shared Ojibwa legends with her husband ,whose research and writings were in turn used by HWL in the writing of his poem "Hiawatha". Jane was the first Native American literary writer and poet, so very much an author of note in her own right.
We have heard about it in tales of Indians and canoes.. but today i enjoyed Lake Superior by kayak. I had the fun of kayaking along the shores of Pictured Rocks National Lake shore. Dave and I discovered this area 35 years ago on our honeymoon around the Great Lakes and loved it then! But,I had never been this close to the beautiful rocky outcrops and nature painted cliffs. They were spectacular!! Here it is Sept 27 and the weather is still nice enough to kayak on Lake Superior! You just have to have a south breeze and that keeps the waves away from the beach where we put the kayaks in the Lake. The shoreline is a combination of rocky cliffs and sand beaches but mostly rock cliffs in this area.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was a real treasure to behold! The lake was a beautiful emerald green color and the water was so cold and so clean that you could see some of the sandstone rocks on the bottom of the lake , even though the water is quite deep in this area near the cliffs. The "painted" rocks are colorful with orange ,yellow, brown, grey,black, white and sometimes even green stains from the gently dripping ground waters, rich with minerals like iron and copper, that have dripped over them through the many, many years. Some of the cliffs have a steady dripping over them like a gentle wee waterfall ,while others are dry but still colorful. Some of the rock formations can look like castle tops. One section of the cliffs is called "Battleship Row", as it has three large outcrops in a row looking like a dock of famous battleships from war. White Seagulls and black Cormerans can be seen perched on the sharp ridges of the rock and flying to and fro.The rocky cliffs that tower above the water of the Lake are from "50 to 200 feet above the water and are made up of 500 million year old sandstone! The National Park area extends to 73,000 acres and became a National Lakeshore in 1966, according to a park brochure.
There was one section of the cliffs that looked like a wall of stripes, as if some magnificent piece of fabric or Indian blanket was thrown over the cliffs. There was another section ,when seen very close up, that looked like a three dimensional carving of a house perhaps on the cliffs of Scotland, or so i thought. I also saw a distinct face with two holes for eyes , a protruding nose and carved mouth, perhaps just nature's wear and tear, but he was certainly smiling at me! There are rock arches , wave like formations like ripples in the rock walls ,and even caves, on this rocky coastline. The waves sneak in and under the bottom of the cliffs ,and then often come crashing out in small spurts that sound like muffled thunder- it showcases the power of these huge bodies of water that make up the Great Lakes, all in ONE sound! The surface water sparkled in the sun and when I stopped paddling my kayak for a moment, I could just sit, close my eyes, and let the gentle wind and waves drift me on, I could picture being a Native American paddling by these same shores so many, many years ago. It was as if I was stilled in time with the awe and beauty of these cliffs. It was so very peaceful as I paused to really breathe in this vast feast for the eyes.
We kayaked about 90 minutes, but as the wind was starting up a bit, we had to head back.
On the way back in the distance, I could see a sightseeing boat coming from Munising harbor. The trees are just beginning to show their Fall colors ,and this is a spectacular view from the water ,especially in Fall. However the color and formation in the cliffs is ever present, and can be seen by boat from about May till Oct. It is always an amazing sight.
I guess i was one of the lucky ones today....enjoying another great natural beauty of God's creation and nature's artwork- a beautiful symphony of natural composition. I thought of
my son in law Andy ,who paints , and how he would have marveled at the natural color and beauty of these cliffs. Hopefully someday i can take him to see this by water , to get some of this same magnificent experience for himself. What a glorious Fall experience!!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Great Lakes Update Sept 09
There is an interesting website for any of you who want to find out information about the current issues related to the Great Lakes. It is GLIN or the Great Lakes Information Network. I got the following updates recently while scrolling through their latest news blips....
** Bay Shipbuilding Co located in Green Bay filed a notice with the State of Wisconsin that it anticipates laying off as many as 405 people this Fall due to the economy...The port of Greenbay
had an economic impact of $75 million on the area last year but is anticipating a dramatic fall off this year.( This is sad news for Door County to be sure.)
** Microbes of "eco friendly bacteria" that kills invasive mussels is currently being tested in Canada to continue to search for solutions to the intense problem of zebra and other mussels being brought in by large Great Lakes vessels as they move from one lake to another. (These mussels greatly interfere with water and other intake valves in the Great Lakes. You can see piles and piles of white zebra mussel shells on the coastlines of islands in Lake Michigan. There is a also a severe decrease in fish species due to the mussels eating the plant matter that the small fish usually eat ,thus depleting both the small and large fish populations in Lake Michigan, so this is greatly affecting commercial and sport fishermen.)
** there are 228 World War II planes on the bottom of Lake Michigan( We all know there are lots of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes but i didn't think about war planes that have gone down).
** Bay Shipbuilding Co located in Green Bay filed a notice with the State of Wisconsin that it anticipates laying off as many as 405 people this Fall due to the economy...The port of Greenbay
had an economic impact of $75 million on the area last year but is anticipating a dramatic fall off this year.( This is sad news for Door County to be sure.)
** Microbes of "eco friendly bacteria" that kills invasive mussels is currently being tested in Canada to continue to search for solutions to the intense problem of zebra and other mussels being brought in by large Great Lakes vessels as they move from one lake to another. (These mussels greatly interfere with water and other intake valves in the Great Lakes. You can see piles and piles of white zebra mussel shells on the coastlines of islands in Lake Michigan. There is a also a severe decrease in fish species due to the mussels eating the plant matter that the small fish usually eat ,thus depleting both the small and large fish populations in Lake Michigan, so this is greatly affecting commercial and sport fishermen.)
** there are 228 World War II planes on the bottom of Lake Michigan( We all know there are lots of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes but i didn't think about war planes that have gone down).
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
A "Krazy Kamping" Adventure on Rock Island
It was a beautiful summer weekend and the whole family was on Washington Island for the week.Dave usually took his week of summer vacation the week the girls and i worked VBS( vacation bible school) at church. We would do VBS mornings and spend the afternoons in family fun. This week the girls brought up Katie's best friend Sharon to help with VBS too and the three of them decided they would like to try camping on Rock Island Saturday eve.
On Saturday we took a lovely boat ride along the coast of Lake Michigan down the Door County coast and stopped for an early supper of hamburgers in one of the little towns along the way. Then we boated over to Rock Island to drop off the girls for their camping adventure. We had loaded up the boat with a tent and sleeping bags and a little cooler of drinks and snacks for the girls to use camping. They would not have to cook any meals as it was just for over night and we had already eaten supper and would pick them up in the morning so could catch a late breakfast with us when we got back.The girls had never camped alone so they though this was great fun. I think they were in their mid or early teens if i recall correctly?I was sure they would have a fun time.
We arrived at the dock at Rock Island and walked the girls with their camping stuff to a camping site and helped them put up the tent(as it was our tent from before we had kids and they had never set it up before). I think Dave set up a camp fire they could light after dark as well.
Then we left them to their fun.
The next morning we went to pick the girls up. It had rained overnight so i hope they hadn't gotten too wet as they just had one change of clothes along with them.We were surprised that they met us at the boat dock and we didn't even have to help take down the tent or carry anything back to the boat. But as we got closert to the cdock we noticed their sober expersssions.Maybe it hadn't been the fun they thought they were going to have?
The girls then began to tell the tale of what had unfolded that night on Rock Island. First of all they had a camp fire and Sharon managed to get too close and got a cinder in her eye-(which she was covering up as we approached the dock. Then they told of the torrential rain that had fallen and how the tent leaked and Liz had slept in a puddle all night.The mosquitos were also terrible , getting about 20 plus in the tent everytime they unzipped the door. They also said that a bird sat on top their tent and squacked all night long !! In the morning the Mayflies were out of control and covered the entire top of the tent after the rain storm ( harmless but creepy for them i guess). Katie was the only one that did not have a sad story to tell., although she looked like she was worn out from the stress they expereinced all night. None of them had slept well that is for sure.
I looked at Sharon and knew i should take her into the clinic on the island to check out that eye before we headed home the next day,as I wanted to return her to her parents in the best shape we could. Then I looked at Liz and knew she would also have to go to the clinic to check out her sun issue. Liz with her fair skin and freckles gets sunburn very easily and she knew to cover up while on the boat. But i thought she would choose a hat and sunscreen...instead she chose to wear long pants- jeans and put a towel over her arms..so the only thing that was showing were her hands and feet. It was also a very bumpy ride so perhaps she did not drink enough fluids while boating. Well the combination of the two surely made her dehydrated and then the sun took its toll. The next day Liz got Cortisone pills as she DID have sun poisoning!
So much for camping FUN??!! In just a matter of 17 hrs,these girls had experienced a little bit of everything bad that could happen!! Needless to say they were not keen on the camping concept for awhile after that.
I am happy to report however that Liz and her husband Andy put camping equipment on their wedding registry a few years ago( as did Dave and I 36 yrs ago) and recently experienced their first family camping outing with their little Bulldog Polly, off the coast ot Oregon, where they now live. They had a great time and look forward to doing it again soon. So camping was not ruined for her at least. I don't know if Sharon camps and i am not sure if Katie has camped since, but perhaps and hopefully it is just that the opportunity did not present itself.
OH that human nature can sure mess up opportunities given to us by mother nature..he he.
This was a Krazy Kamping adventure to be sure!!
On Saturday we took a lovely boat ride along the coast of Lake Michigan down the Door County coast and stopped for an early supper of hamburgers in one of the little towns along the way. Then we boated over to Rock Island to drop off the girls for their camping adventure. We had loaded up the boat with a tent and sleeping bags and a little cooler of drinks and snacks for the girls to use camping. They would not have to cook any meals as it was just for over night and we had already eaten supper and would pick them up in the morning so could catch a late breakfast with us when we got back.The girls had never camped alone so they though this was great fun. I think they were in their mid or early teens if i recall correctly?I was sure they would have a fun time.
We arrived at the dock at Rock Island and walked the girls with their camping stuff to a camping site and helped them put up the tent(as it was our tent from before we had kids and they had never set it up before). I think Dave set up a camp fire they could light after dark as well.
Then we left them to their fun.
The next morning we went to pick the girls up. It had rained overnight so i hope they hadn't gotten too wet as they just had one change of clothes along with them.We were surprised that they met us at the boat dock and we didn't even have to help take down the tent or carry anything back to the boat. But as we got closert to the cdock we noticed their sober expersssions.Maybe it hadn't been the fun they thought they were going to have?
The girls then began to tell the tale of what had unfolded that night on Rock Island. First of all they had a camp fire and Sharon managed to get too close and got a cinder in her eye-(which she was covering up as we approached the dock. Then they told of the torrential rain that had fallen and how the tent leaked and Liz had slept in a puddle all night.The mosquitos were also terrible , getting about 20 plus in the tent everytime they unzipped the door. They also said that a bird sat on top their tent and squacked all night long !! In the morning the Mayflies were out of control and covered the entire top of the tent after the rain storm ( harmless but creepy for them i guess). Katie was the only one that did not have a sad story to tell., although she looked like she was worn out from the stress they expereinced all night. None of them had slept well that is for sure.
I looked at Sharon and knew i should take her into the clinic on the island to check out that eye before we headed home the next day,as I wanted to return her to her parents in the best shape we could. Then I looked at Liz and knew she would also have to go to the clinic to check out her sun issue. Liz with her fair skin and freckles gets sunburn very easily and she knew to cover up while on the boat. But i thought she would choose a hat and sunscreen...instead she chose to wear long pants- jeans and put a towel over her arms..so the only thing that was showing were her hands and feet. It was also a very bumpy ride so perhaps she did not drink enough fluids while boating. Well the combination of the two surely made her dehydrated and then the sun took its toll. The next day Liz got Cortisone pills as she DID have sun poisoning!
So much for camping FUN??!! In just a matter of 17 hrs,these girls had experienced a little bit of everything bad that could happen!! Needless to say they were not keen on the camping concept for awhile after that.
I am happy to report however that Liz and her husband Andy put camping equipment on their wedding registry a few years ago( as did Dave and I 36 yrs ago) and recently experienced their first family camping outing with their little Bulldog Polly, off the coast ot Oregon, where they now live. They had a great time and look forward to doing it again soon. So camping was not ruined for her at least. I don't know if Sharon camps and i am not sure if Katie has camped since, but perhaps and hopefully it is just that the opportunity did not present itself.
OH that human nature can sure mess up opportunities given to us by mother nature..he he.
This was a Krazy Kamping adventure to be sure!!
Monday, September 14, 2009
BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY
Several years ago , Liz was working as a waitress on Washington Island for her summer job the summer after she graduated from high school. We would see her on weekends when we came up to Wisconsin to recreate for the weekend. It was a hard job and she worked really hard all summer and came hone dead tired at the end of each day. This incident happened during one of the week nights while she was staying in our house after working a long hard day of waitressing.
One of best friends on the island was our church pastor- Dale. He was a gentle, low key, happy guy who was easy to talk to and be around. We spent lot of time with Dale , his wife Pam and their children., over many years. They moved to the island to work at our church the year we bought our summer house on the island..so i guess our newness brought us closer together too. It was a blessing to have them in our lives. I knew if Liz had any problems she could always call Dale or Pam for help during the week ,when we were not around as they just lived down Main Road a few blocks.
Well one night Liz came home from the restaurant where she worked, sat down to relax but soon found that she was not alone........ a small black bat was flying around in the house!! YIKES!! Washington Island has a large Bat population and sometimes we would even get them down our wood stove pipe and they would fly out when you opened the door to light the fire in the wood stove but usually you might just find one dead in the ashes (as they could not get out once they made their way in). But we never had one in the house before. Yikes....what to do???? Liz was tired, upset and alone and all she could think of was to call Pastor Dale.
Of course the nice guy that he is, and the father of two daughters of similar ages, he came right over to rescue our Liz. Dale and his daughter Susie came along to help. They entered the house holding two tennis racquets??!! Yup- that was his plan for the ousting of one small black bat... the tennis racquet was his weapon of choice. So, according to Liz who told us this tale later, they proceeded to chase that poor little bat all over the house with the tennis racquet until ...BONG..... yep one dead bat. Well i am sure Liz was forever grateful but they must have all had a bit of a laugh after that Bat attack! Oh i wish i could have been there to see Pastor Dale, an avid tennis player in his day i may add, swinging that racquet at that poor little bat. It was surely beyond the call of a duty for a local pastor to make house calls to kill bats!!
One of best friends on the island was our church pastor- Dale. He was a gentle, low key, happy guy who was easy to talk to and be around. We spent lot of time with Dale , his wife Pam and their children., over many years. They moved to the island to work at our church the year we bought our summer house on the island..so i guess our newness brought us closer together too. It was a blessing to have them in our lives. I knew if Liz had any problems she could always call Dale or Pam for help during the week ,when we were not around as they just lived down Main Road a few blocks.
Well one night Liz came home from the restaurant where she worked, sat down to relax but soon found that she was not alone........ a small black bat was flying around in the house!! YIKES!! Washington Island has a large Bat population and sometimes we would even get them down our wood stove pipe and they would fly out when you opened the door to light the fire in the wood stove but usually you might just find one dead in the ashes (as they could not get out once they made their way in). But we never had one in the house before. Yikes....what to do???? Liz was tired, upset and alone and all she could think of was to call Pastor Dale.
Of course the nice guy that he is, and the father of two daughters of similar ages, he came right over to rescue our Liz. Dale and his daughter Susie came along to help. They entered the house holding two tennis racquets??!! Yup- that was his plan for the ousting of one small black bat... the tennis racquet was his weapon of choice. So, according to Liz who told us this tale later, they proceeded to chase that poor little bat all over the house with the tennis racquet until ...BONG..... yep one dead bat. Well i am sure Liz was forever grateful but they must have all had a bit of a laugh after that Bat attack! Oh i wish i could have been there to see Pastor Dale, an avid tennis player in his day i may add, swinging that racquet at that poor little bat. It was surely beyond the call of a duty for a local pastor to make house calls to kill bats!!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
A BONUS FALL WEEKEND
What a bonus two weekends in a row of perfect weather in Wisconsin on Washington Island- warm in the sun, cool in the shade and no rain. Dave said it was an unusual stall of high pressure causing this warm, no wind, no rain weather. It was glorious on the island now for the first two weekends in September- no cooling off yet this Fall. I thought my swimming was over but i had two great days of swimming- Friday late afternoon I swam in Washington Harbor- no boats and no wind so no waves at all-WOW!The water was now 70 degrees- having warmed up 6 degrees in 6 days of warm weather- surely the warmest of the season! I swam from Schoolhouse Beach to the end of the harbor and half way across the bay, and then Dave and Mike picked me up with the boat to go fishing. We only caught a few little guys, as Salmon season is really over now ,so t we threw them back in for the Seagulls to eat.
Then Saturday we spent the whole afternoon on the boat, boating to the Michigan coast near Fairport .As we approached the shoreline we saw a Bald Eagle fly off shore and out into the Lake- WOW!! I had a lovely swim from the boat along the shoreline, as Dave and Mike had anchored the boat off shore and took the rubber raft onto the shore to hunt the shoreline by foot looking for treasure. It was a beautiful spot with high limestone cliffs and one area of cliffs that had actually fallen to the beach making a huge pile of stone - looking like a large jig saw puzzle or a giant game of Jenga- hehe. We took lots of photos. After swimming for about 30 minutes I joined them on shore. We only saw one boat the entire afternoon probably heading on its way from Escanaba to farther up the coast.We had the Lake to ourselves- where was everybody on this perfect day on Lake Michigan??
Then Sunday we took the kayaks to Jackson Harbor and kayaked over to Rock Island State Park where we hiked to the beach and cliffs on the east side after beaching the kayaks.
We saw the lovely Indian cliff sculptures. There are three :one of an Indian warrior, one of an Indian paddling a canoe and one of an angel face. The are carved onto some cliffs that are on shore so you hike to them. You do have to really look closely to find them but they really are something. The beach on Rock island is beautiful, as you can see no civilization at all except a bit of the campground in the woods behind it. You can take a passenger ferry from Washington Island or boat across. There is a nice hike to the lighthouse, nice picnic area, historic boathouse and nature center and nice walk-in camping sites.Many visitors do annual camping trips once they discover the beauty of Rock Island. You just have to choose your weekend as Black flies , Mayflies and Mosquitoes can be a problem and cool rainy weather can occur. There are no services at all ,except for campfire wood to purchase and a water well ,and no inside areas open 24 hrs on Rock Island, so you have to carry in any food and supplies and carry out any garbage. This is a real rustic camping experience. There is a shoal between Washington and Rock Island, and in years when the water level has been low in Lake Michigan, hikers and campers have actually walked across the shoal to reach Rock Island in waist high water to get across to camp, picnic, or get back for supplies. But the ferry is always available from Memorial Day to Columbus Day (late May to mid- Oct). Many people just ride the ferry over for the day of hiking and picnicking.
After kayaking back we drove back to the house and loaded the car up to go home. It is the time of year I had to empty out the food from the cupboards and refrigerator to prepare to take it to Michigan at the end of Sept, when we change shores to Lake Superior for the colorful Fall and wonderful Winter months. It was three full days of sun and lake Michigan.... a glorious Fall bonus weekend. Perhaps this was our belated summer as it was truly the best week of the summer weather wise!! We hated to head for home.......but back to the rest of our life for now.
Then Saturday we spent the whole afternoon on the boat, boating to the Michigan coast near Fairport .As we approached the shoreline we saw a Bald Eagle fly off shore and out into the Lake- WOW!! I had a lovely swim from the boat along the shoreline, as Dave and Mike had anchored the boat off shore and took the rubber raft onto the shore to hunt the shoreline by foot looking for treasure. It was a beautiful spot with high limestone cliffs and one area of cliffs that had actually fallen to the beach making a huge pile of stone - looking like a large jig saw puzzle or a giant game of Jenga- hehe. We took lots of photos. After swimming for about 30 minutes I joined them on shore. We only saw one boat the entire afternoon probably heading on its way from Escanaba to farther up the coast.We had the Lake to ourselves- where was everybody on this perfect day on Lake Michigan??
Then Sunday we took the kayaks to Jackson Harbor and kayaked over to Rock Island State Park where we hiked to the beach and cliffs on the east side after beaching the kayaks.
We saw the lovely Indian cliff sculptures. There are three :one of an Indian warrior, one of an Indian paddling a canoe and one of an angel face. The are carved onto some cliffs that are on shore so you hike to them. You do have to really look closely to find them but they really are something. The beach on Rock island is beautiful, as you can see no civilization at all except a bit of the campground in the woods behind it. You can take a passenger ferry from Washington Island or boat across. There is a nice hike to the lighthouse, nice picnic area, historic boathouse and nature center and nice walk-in camping sites.Many visitors do annual camping trips once they discover the beauty of Rock Island. You just have to choose your weekend as Black flies , Mayflies and Mosquitoes can be a problem and cool rainy weather can occur. There are no services at all ,except for campfire wood to purchase and a water well ,and no inside areas open 24 hrs on Rock Island, so you have to carry in any food and supplies and carry out any garbage. This is a real rustic camping experience. There is a shoal between Washington and Rock Island, and in years when the water level has been low in Lake Michigan, hikers and campers have actually walked across the shoal to reach Rock Island in waist high water to get across to camp, picnic, or get back for supplies. But the ferry is always available from Memorial Day to Columbus Day (late May to mid- Oct). Many people just ride the ferry over for the day of hiking and picnicking.
After kayaking back we drove back to the house and loaded the car up to go home. It is the time of year I had to empty out the food from the cupboards and refrigerator to prepare to take it to Michigan at the end of Sept, when we change shores to Lake Superior for the colorful Fall and wonderful Winter months. It was three full days of sun and lake Michigan.... a glorious Fall bonus weekend. Perhaps this was our belated summer as it was truly the best week of the summer weather wise!! We hated to head for home.......but back to the rest of our life for now.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
A SWIM IN THE BLUE.....
Well i had my last swim in Lake Michigan and Lake Superior for this year.
It was cold and clean and relaxing!! It is so very wonderful to swim in the cold, clean water of the Great Lakes off the tip of Wisconsin and Michigan.I swam in Washington Harbor on Washington Island just before we went Salmon fishing. This is the bay i usually swim in ,as it has a quick drop off so deep enough for swimming, unlike alot of the shallow bays around Lake Michigan. You have to walk out in water shoes though ,as the beach is all smooth round stones no sand here, even into the water. I usually just keep my flip flops with me putting my hands in them on my kickboard so i can have them to get out of the water when done swimming.Looks a little funny but works for me.
Once i swam passed a beautiful Loon in Lake Michigan! I had no idea they were that so huge!! The Loon dove underwater and came back up after quite a few minutes on the other side of the bay. I had no idea they could swim underwater! I must admit i was a little afraid that it was going to come up right under me!! I didn't know if it had the temperment of a Swan (that can be quite nasty when disturbed by human activity as i have had Swans chase me while biking and kayaking!!What an interesting and beautiful bird the Loon is ,with their pretty black and white polka dot bodies, like a painting by God to behold!!
I missed going up north all of August this year , when the swimming is best, as this year i was busy with family visits and volunteer work. But next year ,i will plan my calendar better to clear the August weekends for swimming if at all possible. A bit selfish yes, but it is truly my greatest love of the Great Lakes!!After swimming in Lake Michigan ,we caught our last Salmon of the season , a 8.5 pounder, kinda small ,but a keeper just the same. Only 2 boats were out there fishing ,as Salmon season is all but over now. But the sunset and moolight was breath taking and worth the trip even if we had caught no Salmon!! We followed the full moon's light all the way in to the dock after fishing. It was as if it guided us all that way, shining from Rock Island to Jackson Harbor with its beautiful sparkle on the dark water.
My swim in Lake Superior was a REAL treat as i only get one or two a year ,if we happen to visit the right weekend and the south breezes are blowing to keep the water calm on the beach we go to. I always take my kickboard and fins as i swim alone- no other takers for the cold water plunge. It felt cold at first but i warmed up pretty fast. I just had to stay away from the river delta as it got VERY VERY cold near that area. I swam a bit farther out in deeper water that was actually warmer as farther away from the mouth of the river. I swam down the beach to the left and around the rock cliffs to see "Miners Castle" from the water for the first time. This is a rock formation that is part of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore-- so beautiful and tall from my waterview. The sun was hitting it just right to get my best view of it. Dave and Mike took the kayaks out the same way i swam and then when i got back i kayaked a bit the other direction down the beach. As i swam however,boaters passed and waved and a few peole were even watching me in the telescope on the park's viewing platform above ,that stood out above the water's edge with a wooden boardwalk and platform.I guess most people thought the water to be too cold so were suprised to see anyone swimming. But it was just swimmable by my standards. The water temperature in Lake Michigan on our "fish finder" was 64 degrees well below the seasonal norm for this time of year- usually it can be as high as in the 70's in late August!!Lake Michigan was a bit warmer than Lake Superior but i expected that.
Swimming in the Great Lakes is so very peaceful. I just lean on my kickboard with my arms outstreched and kick away with my feet enjoying the view and quiet. Sometimes i turn over and rest the kickboard on my stomach while i kick away for a little variety. I think i swam for a full 40 minutes in Lake Superior, a record for me, that is alot in the cold water of Lake Superior ,but it felt great. Anyway i had my refreshing Great Lakes "Dips"for another year. Now i will just have to wait till next August to swim again-- a short but glorious season for swimming to be sure!
It was cold and clean and relaxing!! It is so very wonderful to swim in the cold, clean water of the Great Lakes off the tip of Wisconsin and Michigan.I swam in Washington Harbor on Washington Island just before we went Salmon fishing. This is the bay i usually swim in ,as it has a quick drop off so deep enough for swimming, unlike alot of the shallow bays around Lake Michigan. You have to walk out in water shoes though ,as the beach is all smooth round stones no sand here, even into the water. I usually just keep my flip flops with me putting my hands in them on my kickboard so i can have them to get out of the water when done swimming.Looks a little funny but works for me.
Once i swam passed a beautiful Loon in Lake Michigan! I had no idea they were that so huge!! The Loon dove underwater and came back up after quite a few minutes on the other side of the bay. I had no idea they could swim underwater! I must admit i was a little afraid that it was going to come up right under me!! I didn't know if it had the temperment of a Swan (that can be quite nasty when disturbed by human activity as i have had Swans chase me while biking and kayaking!!What an interesting and beautiful bird the Loon is ,with their pretty black and white polka dot bodies, like a painting by God to behold!!
I missed going up north all of August this year , when the swimming is best, as this year i was busy with family visits and volunteer work. But next year ,i will plan my calendar better to clear the August weekends for swimming if at all possible. A bit selfish yes, but it is truly my greatest love of the Great Lakes!!After swimming in Lake Michigan ,we caught our last Salmon of the season , a 8.5 pounder, kinda small ,but a keeper just the same. Only 2 boats were out there fishing ,as Salmon season is all but over now. But the sunset and moolight was breath taking and worth the trip even if we had caught no Salmon!! We followed the full moon's light all the way in to the dock after fishing. It was as if it guided us all that way, shining from Rock Island to Jackson Harbor with its beautiful sparkle on the dark water.
My swim in Lake Superior was a REAL treat as i only get one or two a year ,if we happen to visit the right weekend and the south breezes are blowing to keep the water calm on the beach we go to. I always take my kickboard and fins as i swim alone- no other takers for the cold water plunge. It felt cold at first but i warmed up pretty fast. I just had to stay away from the river delta as it got VERY VERY cold near that area. I swam a bit farther out in deeper water that was actually warmer as farther away from the mouth of the river. I swam down the beach to the left and around the rock cliffs to see "Miners Castle" from the water for the first time. This is a rock formation that is part of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore-- so beautiful and tall from my waterview. The sun was hitting it just right to get my best view of it. Dave and Mike took the kayaks out the same way i swam and then when i got back i kayaked a bit the other direction down the beach. As i swam however,boaters passed and waved and a few peole were even watching me in the telescope on the park's viewing platform above ,that stood out above the water's edge with a wooden boardwalk and platform.I guess most people thought the water to be too cold so were suprised to see anyone swimming. But it was just swimmable by my standards. The water temperature in Lake Michigan on our "fish finder" was 64 degrees well below the seasonal norm for this time of year- usually it can be as high as in the 70's in late August!!Lake Michigan was a bit warmer than Lake Superior but i expected that.
Swimming in the Great Lakes is so very peaceful. I just lean on my kickboard with my arms outstreched and kick away with my feet enjoying the view and quiet. Sometimes i turn over and rest the kickboard on my stomach while i kick away for a little variety. I think i swam for a full 40 minutes in Lake Superior, a record for me, that is alot in the cold water of Lake Superior ,but it felt great. Anyway i had my refreshing Great Lakes "Dips"for another year. Now i will just have to wait till next August to swim again-- a short but glorious season for swimming to be sure!
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