Mackinac Island Weekend

This past weekend I went to Mackinac Island with a group of friends.  We have been getting together for 32 years!  A great time was had by all!

Getting on the ferry.....

On the ferry from St. Ignace to the island....

The ferry went by the Grand Hotel.

We certainly eat too much food over the weekend!

On Friday we rented bikes and rode around the island.  It was windy on the NW side of the island, but the sun was out!

Cedar forest....

Most every year we cooperatively put together a jig saw puzzle.

We went out to dinner at Mission Point....

I went on a couple of training hikes, taking advantage of the elevation gain on the island.  I took this photo from the East Bluff road.

I love the architecture on the island.

A passing ship....

Hardwood forest....

I was following a path and came across snow melt.  I had to go up and around!

I love the Sugar Loaf rock!

Fort Holmes....

It was warm enough for bugs to be out!

We finished the puzzle!

View of the freighters from our porch.

Dunes Hike with updated beach photos and rabbit

Late last week I found out I need a new well.  There is a breach in the old pipe, so rather than try to fix that and have to get a new well anyway, I am getting a new well.  I cannot believe how expensive it is!

I took the news better than I would have in the past, but did feel the need to go on a hike.  I parked at Sable Falls and went into the dunes.

Approaching the bluff over Lake Superior...

These pictures were taken less than a day after the previous bluff photos.  As you can see, there is little to no shelf ice left.  Waves the previous night obliterated what ice was left.  It was a pleasure watching the shelf ice break up this spring!

Virga to the west (rain that does not reach the ground).

This is what it looks like outside my window this morning.  We could get 2-3 inches of snow.  They say it is May 1st, but I am not sure.....

Dunes hike and beach sunset

Yesterday I went on a hike for a couple of hours.  I planned the timing so I could capture sunset.  I hiked into the dunes from the Sable Falls parking lot.  When I arrived at the bluff looking over Lake Superior, I was amazed at how the shelf ice had changed in just three days.  All the rain as well as waved reduced the shelf ice by at least 75 percent.  In the next week the beach should be ice free.

Notice the ice has melted off the bridge.

The shelf ice is mostly gone.

The reduction of the shelf ice is evident by the floating ice balls to the left of what remains of the shelf ice.  To the right are stones on the beach.

From Sable Falls I drove over to Woodland Park to get some sunset photos.

Once I hiked down the steps to the edge of the shelf ice, I noticed the waves were splashing against the ice.

There is still snow and ice at the bottom of the bluff.