We’ve had quite a few windy days here in the Keweenaw lately, the wind is good for keeping the bugs at bay, but in the early evening hours, it’s nice when the wind lets up and the calm arrives. Recently Mary Schmitt experienced that calm by Torch Lake in Lake Linden, just down from Gregory Street. She said it was so pretty there on this evening with the reflections and shadows. She enjoyed seeing a Goose family and their six small Goslings in the water where the only ripples were from the Geese, swimming along all in a row. Such peaceful scenes.

Rock Skip Panda shares a video highlighting Mackinac Island’s famous Wilmer T. Rabe Stone Skipping Competition that takes place every 4th of July at Windermere Pointe Beach on the Island. This event features open divisions for all ages and a professional tournament where top skippers regularly hit 20 to 40 plus skips across Lake Huron. Sounds like a fun event to attend. The lead-in to the video says: “Professional Stone Skippers are invited every year to historic Mackinac Island, MI for a chance to be crowned the Wilmer T. Rabe Pro-Invitational Stone Skipping Tournament Champion on July 4th at High noon . Stones are chucked across the broken clear waters of Lake Huron dodging ferries and docks before the dreaded shot clock expires. In the world of stone skipping, this is considered one of the hardest courses to win at. Sanctioned by the Mackinac Island Stone Skipping and Gerplunking Club (M.I.S.S. & G.C.).”

Aaah… summer time!
Enjoyed by humans
and animals alike.
The video reminds me
of a song by Dylan;
“ They'll stone you when
you're riding in your car
They'll stone you when
you're playing your guitar
Yes, but I would not feel
so all alone
Everybody must get stoned.”

Awesome pictures...aren't they supposed to do more
cleaning of Torch Lake this year?

That stone skipping is sure a "thing", hey? I bet
there are a pile of "good" skippers by that dock!

The world is holy. We are holy. All life is holy.
Daily prayers are delivered on the lips of breaking
waves, the whisperings of grasses, the shimmering
of leaves.

Terry Tempest Williams

Beautiful photos and reflections, #2 is my
favorite. Love it when everything is so still
and serene like that! Read that they will be
removing contaminated mining sediments in
the Lake Linden area this year. Hopefully the
cleanup goes well.
Love your quote Donna! And how about those
Professional rock skippers! Another event I’ve
not heard of before, very impressive.

I love these photos. I loved them when Mary posted
them on her fb page and I still love them. My
favorite is also the 2nd one. Definitely a frame
worthy one.

Yes, Cindy, they're working on the lake. And is it
ever noisy, lol. Nice that they're doing that.

I am so thrilled that more environmental cleanup is coming to Torch Lake. It looks like a very small portion of the lake but it's progress. It looks like a continuation of the land reclamation previously done somewhat adjacent to the targeted area.

In 2016 I took a week long MTU Geo-Heritage tour that included one day of looking at the environmental damage done by decades of mining. They sent a scooper to the bottom very near the clean up target, and the photo shows the result. They said that normally there are thousands of microscopic life in lake mud. This sample has almost none.



Torch Lake EPA Cleanup

I missed Saturday's review of the Gay Stamp sands. It is another mining area that experienced a huge amount of environmental damage, including Buffalo Reef.

These photos, from the 2016 MTU Geo-Heritage Tour, better show the enormous amount of stamp sands. I've been told that 90% of the sand has already eroded into the Lake. Damage is ongoing to the shoreline as far south as Traverse Bay.

From more recent satellite photos, it looks like some of the sand is being removed.

More Gay Stamp Sand news...

From this recent satellite photo, it appears there has been an effort to remove some of the Gay Stamp Sand. It kind of looks like a gravel pit operation with ramps and roads and then the depression fills with water. Can anyone shed more light?