• Thursday-What'sUP October 12 - 02:41 pm

Today's first photo comes to us from Jeff Dennis, taken from the Houghton side of the Portage Canal. That's the Hancock Beach you're looking at on the left and right around the corner, if you look close enough, you'll see the wheelhouse of the Algolake, docked on the Hancock side, unloading road salt for the Keweenaw winter coming up.

Danielle Adams snapped the next two shots of the Algolake and the pile of road salt being unloaded. Danielle also supplied us with the following information about the delivery: "The Algolake was scheduled to deliver the road salt to the Keweenaw, on Thursday morning, but due to the high winds and nasty weather, she sat out in Bete Grise for two days and then on Sunday, made her way to Hancock to deliver her goods. When the unloading was complete, the Algolake headed back out to Lake Superior, making her way to Superior, WI for a load of ore."

Meanwhile, Marquette's Harbor was busy with freighters coming and going, too.
Rod Burdick sent the last three shots of some fall shipping happenings there. Rod's first shot is the Paul R. Tregurtha, at the dock unloading coal. Rod said the Tregurtha is the largest lake vessel, measuring in at 1,013'6"...that's a lot of boat there.
His second photo is the stern view of the classic laker, Philip R. Clarke and the third one is the Tug/Barge Victory/James L. Kuber just arriving at the dock, amid a spray of yellow leaves overhead.

With fall in full swing here in the Keweenaw, we know the shipping days on Lake Superior are numbered, as the weather doesn't usually cooperate too well from November on, but the shipping season stays open until the middle of January most years. These large lakers just have to watch the weather more closely and hold up in safe harbors if the Big Lake is acting UP.

Thanks to all three of our photographers for the freighter fix today. :->

Very nice pictures!!

Thanks for the freighter fix AND the Marquette fix! Tho the weather is a bit damp and cold, i'd still like to be at Presque Isle watching the boats and the lake!

Very nice indeed and a nice time to be a sailor and view the fall color show.
Best ride in the park!

Odd to see the Paul R. in MQT - the typical run for that vessel is between Duluth & Port Huron. (Which I believe they accomplish the round trip in 5 days... it may be faster.)

Ah, there's old "Cool Beans". Those of you who are boatnerds will know what I mean. The wife of the former capt. of the Algolake, gave it that name.:)
Love all the photos!

You know...it's always so nice to take a cruise by boat to see the land from the lake side. Imagine the views the sailors see...sometimes just water forever...and other times....LOL..I wonder if they say and point..."Oh look..land"...as we on the land are saying and pointing.."Oh look..a ship"....

I know this is not the place for a rant but am I the only one who thinks the Houghton & Keweenaw County Road Commissions had a better strategy of using less salt and more sand in the winter months?

The Lake Linden hill is made into a greasy mess by the slurry the state applies after a snowfall.

Anyway, nice pictures of the freighters today with fall color in the background.

You can always count on Danielle & Rod for great "Laker" pictures! Thanks for the fix! :)

And a Thanks to Jeff as well! Today's pictures are really awesome! :)

When I saw the above photos, I knew Danielle had to be involved in there someplace..... Great photos everyone!!

Good Morning! I love today's photos, but especially Jeff Dennis' and Danielle's views of the Algolake and the Houghton side, from Hancock! And, it's great to see the Paul R. Tregurtha back on the lake after its grounding earlier this summer in the St Mary's River. (It went to New York, I think, for it's repairs after the grounding.) I wonder if those were just a quick patch job, or if it will need to go into drydock for more permanent repairs, or something, over the winter?

Nice to see the great pics today of both the freighter and the glowing color scene. Did the Algolake come into Hancock via Jacobsville entry and exit by McClains park to Wisconsin to load ore? When reminiscing with my older relatives we always mention the many "coal boats" that passed by on the Portage Lake as we swam out at the dock at Dreamland.
When I sailed on the CRISPIN OGLEBAY we would cruise along about 10knots and got to view the whole Keweenaw landscape for some 20 hours on a trip from Minnesota to the Soo.

Eddyfitz I'm so envious of your memories of your experiences as a young man and the ships you sailed. I hope you have saved some of those days' experiences for the future for our young people.

Again, more Autumn leaves. Thank you.

In response to Eddyfitz, we believe the Algolake came in by McLain and left the same way, not passing under the bridge. I could be wrong, and perhaps someone could tell us if they saw it on the Marine Traffic report that day.

Edie and I were driving along the canal the day the shots above were taken, and we captured this short video:

Mary: Am I looking at this wrong this morning? If this is taken from the Houghton side of the Portage Canal, how can that be Hancock Beach on the left? What is the big tan building across the canal on the left-hand side? Don't want to start something again, but just wondering....maybe this was taken from the Hancock side?

Mary says: Sorry, Debi, I guess you must be looking at it wrong, as you said. I checked with Jeff Dennis who took the photo and here's what he said, "Hi, I took the picture from Houghton, we went up the hill to the old "poor farm" and there is a clearing there with a view of the lake."

The taller tan building you're wondering about is the old hospital, the shorter tan building is the Senior housing on W. Quincy St. The clearing where the dock is, that's Hancock Beach. You can also see the Houghton water tower over towards the right in this first photo below.
Then in the second photo below, if you look directly across the canal from where the freighter is, that clearing with the buildings is UPPCO on the Houghton Canal. Hope that helps you get it into perspective.

Charlie, we live several blocks straight up from
where these salt piles are located, by the ISD
Center. Nice video and I posted it on FB. Thank
you!

As a nerd who first learned what a "boatnerd" was from this site, many thanks for today's pics! Yup, old "Cool Beans" she is! Have not had a chance to do any freighter watching this year so I really appreciate the pics! Thanks again!

Thank you for taking and posting the video, Charlie. That was fun to see! I wish we could have been up there to see it!

Eddy & Charlie,

They did come in the North entry...they do not fit under the bridge as they sit too high in the water. :(

I have a ton of pictures taken at daybreak I took at the North Entry Sunday morning amongst others that I can post on my account if you would like to see them. I went out on Saturday to Bete Grise/Lac La Belle Rd to see them anchored there and took pictures of them and the Joseph L Block....but the Block was there for maybe 10 mins before pulling anchor and leaving.

Danielle, for one, I would love to see more of your pictures of both ships!

My thoughts and prayers are with those who are ailing and their families! Take care!

I have added the albums "Lac La Belle" "South Portage Entry" and "Algolake" below is a link to my pasty.com gallery :)

http://betag.pasty.com/index.php?cat=10033

Nice collection of pictures, Danielle. One of my favorites is from the reverse angle. This would make a great calendar picture:

Thanks Charlie!
Wow, I had the same thought! I have wanted to do a calendar before with some of my pictures, but just have never done it I guess. Maybe you all at Pasty could do a fundraiser with calendars and use some of the photos we have sent to you and Mary?
Just an idea. :)

From the added note above:
"Mary says: … The taller tan building you're wondering about is the old hospital, the shorter tan building is the Senior housing on W. Quincy St. The clearing where the dock is, that's Hancock Beach. You can also see the Houghton water tower over towards the right in this first photo below."

I recognized the old hospital (Wasn't it St. Joe's, and later the Houghton County Medical Care Facility, before the new 'facility' was built on W. Quincy? — Mother spent considerable time at the Houghton County Medical Care Facility ≈ 11-15 yeas ago.) It also looks like it's a view of the 'back side' of the old St. Joe's, perhaps from near Coles Creek Road. The Senior housing on W. Quincy St. — a.k.a. Hancock Housing Commission/Heritage Manor?

But where is that narrow forested point of land in the mid-ground — the same one that's partially hiding the freighter in the second picture?

Hancock Beach? At the end of Beach, er… Birch St?

And what's the Houghton water tower doing on the Hancock side of the canal?

"[Mary says: … ] Then in the second photo below, if you look directly across the canal from where the freighter is, that clearing with the buildings is UPPCO on the Houghton Canal. Hope that helps you get it into perspective."

Surely that's not the (former) UPPCO building between the old Houghton Railroad Depot and the Dee Stadium? Maybe there's another one I'm unaware of?

Color me confused. Or I've definitely been away too long. Maybe I should start planning to be UP there for FinnFest USA 2013 next summer!

I'm still a bit confused. All I can figure is that Jeff was way out on the Houghton Canal Road--maybe across from the boat launch (or thereabouts) on the Hancock Canal Road? Then that would make sense. Sorry for the confusion, Mary!

OK, one more time...and this is my final answer...

After the question was raised that the photo didn't look like it was taken from the Houghton side of the canal, I contacted Jeff Dennis to find out exactly where he was standing. This was his reply:

Hi, I took the picture from Houghton, we went up the hill to the old "poor farm" and there is a clearing there with a view of the lake.

FRNash...I guess I'll color you confused, like you said to do. Using the map below, I've numbered the points in question. Hopefully this will help you (and the other doubting Thomas') "see" the lay of the land. NOTE: All arrows are approximate in location:

Mary Drew at Pasty Central (Mdrew):
"OK, one more time...and this is my final answer... "

Omigosh, Mary talk about above and beyond the call of duty! Thanks for your hard work, and patience!

There sure were a few optical illusions in that photo, like that "narrow wooded spit of land" that the Algolake was apparently hiding behind! Oddly enough I really never new where the "old poor farm" was, although I had a hunch it might be up on that little plateau on Gedvillas Road", and so it was.

I may have to turn in my (virtual) "Geography merit badge"! :-)

Thanks again!