Home Archive by category "Lake Superior" (Page 3)

Category: Lake Superior

Short Drive Around

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I had to get out of the house today, I was getting antsy. So, I took a little drive where I’ve gone many times, but I enjoy the drive, it’s pretty. I headed out Arvon Rd to Indian Rd then Herman Rd. Went out through Herman knowing that it only get plowed so far, well, I was wrong, it was plowed further then I’ve seen it. The road with all the way to US41 near Nestoria. I turned around anyway, I just like the drive. After enjoying a nice slow drive through the woods and snow, I went to get a couple photos of Keweenaw Bay, then home. I was only gone a couple hours, but it was nice to get out on this cold day. The whole trip the temp never got over -10°F with passing snow showers and sunshine.

Keweenaw Bay

Herman Rd

Herman Rd

Another Keweenaw Round Trip

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Yesterday a friend was in the area again and was going to head up into the Keweenaw, so he stopped by and we headed out for the day. Being winter, about the only areas you can get to are on the main roads so we headed up the east side and back down the west side. Along the way we stopped at The Gay Bar in Gay, MI, this was the first time I’ve ever been in there and it’s quite nice. We just had a quick drive and headed on. We stopped at the usual spots, Copper Harbor Lighthouse, along the western Lake Superior shore and Eagle Harbor Lighthouse.

Superior Shore

Superior Shore

Superior Shore

Superior Shore

Superior Shore

Copper Harbor Lighthouse

Icy Cedar

Shitty Weather

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Really crappy shitty weather today. We had about 2 inches of snow this morning, but now the temp is up to 37°F with light rain. I went grocery shopping in L’Anse early this morning, so now I’m just basically doing nothing.
Anyway, here’s another photo of the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse from yesterday. Using my largest lens, a 150-500mm, and switching my camera from Full Frame to APSC format, 1.5x making it a 750mm, I was able to get a much closer shot.
I took a bunch of shots trying to time the lantern as it was lit in my direction, counting as I was timing it.

Update – I worked up another photo of the shore very similar to one I posted yesterday. I just really enjoy the way they look.

Eagle Harbor Lighthouse

Esrey Park – Keweenaw Peninsula

Keweenaw Rounder

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I need an escape, so I’m going to round the Keweenaw today. The next few days the weather looks pretty crappy with a winter storm that looks to bring heavy wet snow (up to a foot), freezing rain, and maybe just plan rain. Not fun. So, I’m heading out today. Hopefully I’ll get some photos to post later. My plan is to use only my 35mm lens with the exception of maybe the big boy for a lighthouse.

So using just the one prime lens was nice, but also a trick at times due to having to move more. The only time I didn’t use the 35mm was for the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse.

Esrey Park – Keweenaw Peninsula

Esrey Park – Keweenaw Peninsula

Eagle Harbor Lighthouse

Esrey Park – Keweenaw Peninsula

Tobacco River

Haven Falls

Haven Falls

Haven Falls

First Drive

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Yesterday I went for my first real drive in the new Subaru. I headed up for the Keweenaw. The weather was quite gloomy, but that really didn’t matter, I was mainly giving myself time to get use to how a Subaru drives, and I have to say, very very well. I drove on pavement, sloppy snow, ice and then some climbing in snow and ice. This car is very impressive. I went to the end of US41 in Copper Harbor and say that the road out had been traveled, but I just wasn’t ready to give that a try yet, so I headed on down the shoreline. When I passed the road that heads up to Brockway I noticed tracks heading up, but I still wasn’t ready. Finally after stopping for photos along the shoreline, I came to the back entrance  to Brockway, I passed it at first, then said fuckit, I’m going for it, so I turned around and headed up. Following the few tracks heading up, a couple spots I did hesitate, but continued. There was not one single spot this Subie had any problem, it just goes and goes. At the top of Brockway was really cloudy and kind of surreal without anyone else around and during winter. Now it was time to drive back down, so I first put the Subie into Sport Mode (the gear shift can move to the left from drive, that puts it into Spot Mode and allows for tighter gearing), though that was still letting me roll to fast for the snow and ice, so I put it into Manual Mode (from Sport Mode, you can down shift and up shift which places the Subie into Manual Mode). This did the trick going down the steeper parts of the drive down. After getting back to the main road, it was time to head home.
All in all, I think I’m going to be very happy with this Subaru, and even with working it quite a bit I averaged 28 miles per gallon.
I do realize that thick mud and very rocky areas will be out of the question with the Subie, but I’ve been thinking, do I really need to go into the mud? No I don’t, besides, it’s a pain in the ass to clean off.
I need to figure out a name for the Subaru.

Top of Brockway

Heading Down From Brockway

Bleak and gloomy Lake Medora

Keweenaw Shore

Keweenaw Shore

Snowy billion year old lava.

Lake Superior Performance Rally

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Pretty cool having these cars pass right by the house. I stood out at the end of the driveway, waved and took photos. A good number of the honked as they went by, and a few waved. I tell ya, the smell they give off is definite of some high octane fuel.

I’ll edit and add more photos and info later…

I haven’t had this much fun taking photos in a long time, just wish I had someone to talk to about it.
I saw other photos on FB with some carnage done to the cars, one even on it’s side. I’m sure this was quite a challenge for the drivers with the snow and slush.

Freaking Out

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Well it didn’t last long. The feeling I had yesterday, a bit of being refreshed and ready to start anew, is gone and now I’m overwhelmed with being freaked out, freaked out about closing dates, moving dates, If I’ll have time, just about everything. I’m back to being shaky with my heart pounding and my left eye isn’t focusing correctly. I’m fucking freaking out.

Tried relaxing a bit by processing another photo from yesterday, but it didn’t work, but here it is anyway.

Update: Mowed the fenced area of the yard, it was getting too long. Also, it’s getting so fucking hot and humid again I can only pack stuff for a short time before I have to sit and cool a bit before getting back to it.

Outing in The Keweenaw

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I finally got out of the house to try and clear my head a bit today, it worked a little. I set out to find a path through an area that I’ve never explored, the southern side of Lake Gratiot. I took a trail just north of Gay that ran along the Big Betsy River and toward Lake Gratiot. There was a Y in the trail so I took the right/north turn, that ended after a couple miles at a Conservancy, Gratiot Lake Conservancy. Walked down a short trail to the lake, what a nice view. There was a box with maps of the area hiking trails, they looked quite nice, though I wasn’t really ready for that type of thing, but I will be back some day. So I headed back and took the left of the Y. I didn’t end up going where I thought I would due to so many logging roads in the area, but I did end up coming out onto Gratiot Lake Rd. From there I headed up to Copper Harbor and back south along the shore and then back home.

The shore line from Copper Harbor south has always had a big draw on me. Ever since I was a kid riding with my dad in his International Harvester Scout, I felt at home in the Keweenaw. No matter where I have lived in my life, the Keweenaw has always felt like home, where I belong. I stopped in a usual spot for me, walked around, took some photos, and cried.

Anyway, once I got back to the main road south out of Eagle Harbor on US-41, I hit road construction, and a lot of it. They were redoing the road all the way from Mohawk to the south side of Calumet, and a long wait for a section that was one lane. I felt like I was waiting there for ever.

Lake Gratiot

Superior Shore with Storms on the Horizon

Splash

Lake Superior Shore

Big Betsy River