Crossing Lake Superior

Sunday, Aug 5, 2000

We were up just after 6:00 this morning. We packed the van, left the key in the cottage, and drove the couple of blocks to the lot designated for Isle Royale parking.

From there we walked to Red's restaurant at The Pines Resort for breakfast (I saw on the WWW that the owners were seeking to retire. You can buy the place for just $750,000 ).  Sue ordered a cinnamon roll that we split four ways.... it was HUGE! I could have stopped there.

We walked back to the dock, checked our bags, and boarded the Isle Royale Queen III for the 56 mile, 4 1/2 hour cruise across Lake Superior.

<<Special note for those who think I'm too much of a gadget freak>> I'll have you know that while I made notes of our crossing with my Palm Pilot, mine was NOT the only palm PC I saw on the trip. Hah!  While I won't burden you with it here, I DO have photographic evidence on hard disk for doubters.

Anyhow......It was interesting watching folks use their time while crossing the lake. There were some who studied maps and planned their expeditions. I saw a young woman putting lots of little braids in her relatively short hair....bet she was headed where there are no showers. Lots of folks read, played cards or just watched the lake go by. We shared space with a young art teacher who killed time sketching. One family had brought a grocery sack full of food, so they just ate their way to the island (and offered to share, too.)

It seemed that the most common pastime, though, was simply sleeping....it was amazing to see the places where people could curl up for a nap. Sue, Rob, and Laura made up for some of the sleep they lost on Friday night's drive. And of course I snapped pictures and recorded  my thoughts.

When we arose in Copper Harbor, it was sticky and on it's way to getting hot. That changed on the water. The lake had just "turned over" within the last few days. That means that all the cold water from the bottom of the lake had risen to the top. Surface water was only about 42 degrees, so it was pretty chilly on deck.

The lake was really calm for most of the trip, just a little roll, hardly enough to matter. With about an hour to go that changed. There was a steady rolling that made motion-sick-prone Laura grateful for her Dramamine. I was grateful for the Captain's introductory advise to keep one hand for yourself, and one for the boat. It would have been pretty easy to lose footing. Still, with a small bit of caution, maneuvering on the ship was not difficult at all.

There was a group of Boy Scouts who took up residence at the ship's bow. They watched and watched and watched to see their destination. They could have relaxed...fog kept the island invisible until we were only a few minutes from landing.

The Isle Royale Queen III is operated by a family. Three brothers take turns sailing as its captain. Believe it or not, this ship is actually a few feet longer than the ships Columbus used to sail to the New World.

This is Copper Harbor from the deck of the Isle Royale Queen III at dock.

The Keewenaw Peninsula while leaving Copper Harbor

Some folks spent time watching from the deck.

A young woman braids her hair, other folks play cards, read, or sleep.

Some people studied maps and planned their hikes. Other folks slept.

An art teacher sketched to fill the hours, and others (can you guess?) slept.

and slept

anywhere they could find a place, they slept.

Boy Scouts stood in the bow, trying to see Isle Royale through the fog.

Finally, just a few minutes from docking, the island became visible through the mist.

Isle Royale is about 5 miles wide by 45 miles long. Elevations reach around 600 feet above Lake Superior.

The power of Lake Superior can be seen in how solid rock is scoured to great heights.

We docked in Snug Harbor...a harbor within a harbor...we entered via Rock Harbor