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!!
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