Interesting Beach Hike

Since the sun was out yesterday we, of course, had to hit the beach again.  But just as friends, Renee Beaver Stocking and Lois Fite, and I headed toward First Creek, the fog started to roll over the shoreline from east to west.  The mixture of fog and sun made the hike west along the beach quite interesting.

There were more rocks exposed yesterday....

Snow melt art....

The sun illuminated part of the fog....

Greenery we spotted on the hike back out....

Bird's Eye View of the Shore Ice from the Bluff

Yesterday Lois Fite and I were able to drive most of the way to Sable Falls.  This section of the road is not plowed in the winter to accommodate snowmobiles, but with the warm temperatures as of late -- a lot of the snow has melted.  We parked on the road rather than risk the snow still in the parking lot and access road and hiked in.  Our original plan was to go down the steps.  However, the steps were still covered in ice so we went up into the dunes instead. 

In the dunes most of the snow is now gone...

Walking over to the bluff...

I think the shore ice sort of looks like roasted marshmallows....

The  top of an ice volcano...

Ice monster....

Ice art...

Sable River from the foot bridge...

Beach Melt Continues -- Some Rocks are Showing

The sun again drew Lois and I out yesterday.  We hiked from the boardwalk west so that we could check out the amount of melting that has occurred during the last few days.  A week ago the beach was covered in snow.  We skied the beach with no worries about hurting our equipment.  Yesterday we discovered that all the snow on the beach has melted.  The dramatic melting certainly shows the power of the sun.

Looking east -- all sand, rocks, and driftwood....

There is a lot of ice off shore, but the size of the shore ice has reduced significantly.  As the ice melts, the sand mixed in with the ice stays on top.  The "icebergs," as we call them, look more like dunes than mounds of ice.

Looking west...

Some rocks are showing, but still not at the high water mark where most of the rocks are still caught in ice...

With all the snow melt the power of First Creek has intensified to the point that it starting to break through the ice....

Rocks....

It is not at all safe to go out on the ice, especially now that cracks have formed on them everywhere.

Then some local residents ran by...

The lighthouse ....

Sucker River Hike and History Book Update

The sun was out yesterday with temperatures in the mid-40s so exercise partner, Lois Fite, and I discussed where we could hike in the sun.  We decided to park at the end of Cemetery Road and hike the beach toward town.  We walked along the Sucker River.  It was beautiful!

Before I get to the photos -- an update on the history book.  I am now around 65 percent done with the first draft and have completed page 146.  It is cool that I am now up to the 1880s when Grand Marais is starting to grow as a town.  Since the book is going beyond just Grand Marais, I have decided to change the title.  I was going to call the book "At the End of the Road."  However, since so much of the book happens before M77was  built in 1919, the title must change to properly reflect the book's content.  I have been asking for suggesting from others and have received many good ideas.  My current working favorite is "Superiorland," which was suggested by one of the owners at Fox River Auto yesterday, where I went to get a couple of things fixed on my car.  What do you think?

Now for the photos...Lois checking out the river...

Looking up river...

Others also checking out the river and ice...

Looking down river toward its mouth...

 
River mouth....the flow has broken through the shore ice.

Outer harbor light....

 

Looking east....

The moon was awesome last night!  The stars were also just popping through the blackness of space!