Lake Superior Ice Cover Still Remains -- Post 1

The weather satellites that measure ice cover and other conditions on the Great Lakes have only been operational since 1980.  According to these records, this year has the most ice cover remaining on Lake Superior at this date late in May.  As of today, Lake Superior still has 2.8 percent ice coverage, according to the NOAA websites.  A close up of the satellite image showing the shoreline from Munising to Grand Marais is below, along with the NOAA map.

The other night we could see ice east of town, so friends Jamey and Lois and I decided to hike the beach and have a picnic. 

I took a quick photo before we headed down the bluff.

Floating ice just off shore...

An interesting freighter has heading eastbound.

We had a picnic before taking the hike.

Once down the beach, we headed east toward the majority of floating ice.  I took the photo below looking west.  Lots of downed trees....

Iceberg scat -- i.e. rocks, rocks, and more rocks.

Iceberg or floating dragon?

Botryoidal ice.

Bear dog didn't seem to mind the cold water.  He did retrieve the stick off the iceberg, but he didn't like the ice.  We think because the ice was moving and rocking back and forth -- Bear may have thought that the icebergs were alive.

These fishermen are crazy.  They had to steer around icebergs.