Grand Marais Bay Change and Beach Scenes

Yesterday I decided to go to Google Earth to see what their new historic archive photos will show regarding the change in Grand Marais Bay.  There are not a lot of photos in the archive and it is unclear when the most recent photos were taken.  I know for a fact that the Sucker River has migrated farther west than then supposed current photo shows, so I think the one marked as 2012 in fact was taken in previous years.

This first photo was taken in May 1993.

May 1994...

April 1999.....

May 2004.....

April 2012 -- but I'm not sure if that is accurate since friends who live on the beach east of the bay tell me that the river has migrated farther west.

Yesteray I decided I also needed photos from the beach for the online rockhounding adventures.  I finished the first two segments of the Lake Superior agate adventure and am starting work on Segment C.  The first segment traces the early geologic history of the Upper Peninsula.  The second segment describes agate genesis.  In both these sections I have graphics and other information that was not included in the agate books.  Also, rather than have a few pictures support text, in the online rockhounding adventures the text supports the graphics and movie clips.  The third segment will cover beach rocks.  The more you understand beach rocks, the better you are at finding Lake Superior agates.  This segment will be totally dominated by photos as will be the fourth segment that will describe how to find the elusive Lake Superior agate.

Although it was a bit chilly with temperatures in the low 30s, the wind was minimal and the sun was out.  So I brought my beach chair and decided to cook dinner on the beach over an open fire.  The steak and asparagus was terrific. 

As I drove up to the beach access site located east of town, I snapped a couple of photos...

The beach...

At the high water mark, I took the next two photos with and without waves.....

It was a beautiful evening...

Then I noticed that icicles were hanging from the driftwood -- left over from the brief snowstorm and high winds that hit the U.P. the day before.