The U.P. is such a diverse area from east to west and north to south, filled with history, unusual attractions, heights of beauty and dangerous aspects, too. The archives hold so much of all this in pictures, so looking back at them is like a U.P. lesson. Today's lesson starts in 2004, when Rick Mayer was doing some exploring in the Painesdale area and came across what is left of the foundation for the rock crusher in Champion shafthouse #3. The large concrete part is the base for the stamp hammer used to break up large pieces of copper before they were placed in the bins for shipment to the mill in Freda. Interesting mining heritage.

The second photo is a great example of the interesting and unusual attractions that can be found here UP North. Donna MacIntosh submitted this photo back in 2011 of a Big Tree located in Baraga County. That's a huge cottonwood tree that was cut down in 2010 with the following statistics of its size on a plaque for display: Diameter (some argued that it's really circumference): 231 inches; Age: 100 years; Weight of each log: 6000 lbs.; Cut with 84 inch bar; Courtesy of Paul Pierce. That is one massive tree right there and an unusual attraction for folks to check out.

The third archive photo shows the heights we go to for beauty here in the Keweenaw. That's a shot of the Cliffs near Phoenix on the way to Copper Harbor. They were all decked out for Fall a year ago in 2016, when Elaine Robbins snapped this shot. It never ceases to amaze me that trees can grow in the midst of rock like those cliffs.

All this leads to the last aspect I mentioned, the dangerous part of the U.P. Sharon Bodenus shares a photo of the waves crashing ashore at McCarty Cove in Marquette during the gale wind storm this past Tuesday here UP North. It was reported that this storm produced the largest recorded wave height on Lake Superior with 28.8 feet at the Granite Island buoy located north of Marquette.

Today's video takes us to the Blackrocks area of Presque Isle in Marquette, video recorded by Jerry Mills during this gale force windstorm on Tuesday that produced 70 mile an hour wind gusts. Jerry was in a safe cove, high above the water while recording, but unfortunately several other folks didn't heed the warnings of the Big Lake's fury and were swept off the rocks into the raging waters. One man miraculously grabbed on to the rocks and was pulled out, while two others were not so lucky. Jerry's video shows the size and fury of those massive waves, along with the wind during the storm. Note while viewing that those rocks are the same ones you see people jumping off in the summer and are normally about 15 to 20 feet off the water's surface. Lake Superior is beautiful, but also very powerful and dangerous during storms.

Wow!!! That's all I got!

There was a lot of boats on the lake looking for a hiding place on that day.

Deb, you stole my Wow, cause that's all I had, too.
So let me add: Tumultuous, dynamic beauty!

Duane, Many of them are just now beginning to come out of hiding.

So, so sad about the two people that were lost. Their identities have been released as a man and woman from Iron River.

Midwest Ed:
Back in my Isle Royale days I used to see them now and then anchor off the leeward side of the island when there was a bad storm.

Duane,
As they say, "Any port in a storm". Were you working on The Island back in 1990 when the Kinsman Independent (now the Ojibway) ran aground on the shoals off Siskiwit Bay? Or do you know anything about it? It's come up recently, somewhere else.

Midwest Ed:
I worked there from 1975 to 2006. I don't recall the incident you referred to. I don't recall hearing about it either. I think somewhere around 2012 or so, somebody deleted my memory cache.

November 24, 1990, The Kinsman Independent, presently The Ojibway, was attempting to traverse the Passage Island channel from the east. It missed the mark by a full 25 miles and struck the Island straight on, close to Siskiwit Bay. It had to be towed to Thunder Bay for repairs.

My memory cache has recently been skipping every 5th or 6th word lately.

I sailed aboard the SS HENRY R. PLATT Jr. in the fall of 1959 and spring of 1960 and we parked between Isle Royale and Canada for about a day and a half before the storm let up. At the time I was very happy to be there instead of out on Mother Superior. :o)