• Labor Day-WhatsUP September 4 - 09:12 pm

It's been mentioned time and again how Lake Superior has many moods and if you check along her miles of shoreline, you'll see there are innumerable variations in the way her borders appear also. Several good examples are provided here today by Grant Soehnel who recently took a ride along the Bete Grise portion of the Big Lake. He encountered large rock formations that seem dropped in the way, a stony natural archway to travel under and walls of rock that look to be parting the way for travel off to who knows where. Looks like a nice way to spend your Labor Day!

Yes Mary, Lake Superior sure does have many different types of shorelines. Rocky, craggy, sandy, forested, wetlands, ... could go on and on. But one thing is always true -- COLD !! I've been along nearly every portion of the Lake Superior shore, including around the canadian side, but never around the Bete Grise portion. I think we're going to have to do a camping excursion there next summer.

I can hear the water and now I have a new background. Thanks !

Beautifil photos! Makes me long for a kayak and an afternoon free for exploring. Mom and I are heading next Saturday to the Paradise area for a few days. We are staying at Saunder's Sunrise cabins right on the Lake, and if all goes well my brother Brian from Chicago will join us. (Mom can't manage the long ride up to Copper Harbor anymore.) Anyone know if the leaves are turning early there? We have a lot of color already, due to the drought and incredible amount of sunshine. Those leaves have been soaking up light all summer and are getting ready to release it. Should be a lovely autumn.

Aaaaaaaaaah, the deep majestic blue of Lake Superior :) Beautiful pics Grant :)

Fabulous pics today! I would love to see these same shots taken about a month from now in the peak of the autumn color. It's beautiful in any season, I'm sure.

gelid: very cold; icy

Oh my Mary! These pictures are absolutely beautiful. I too wish I could kayak along these shores. Afraid my arms wouldn't hold out though. Thanks Grant so such great shots! I'll be adding these to my collection.

what a great photo! makes me wish i never left..and that was only yesterday.

Therese, many of the trees have started to turn color. not quite to the caliber of a great fall show just yet, but a good deal. have a great time up there.

Nothing like the Great Lake Superior! She is still warm enough to swim in by the beach. Just love to watch her anytime of the day!

Therese: Just got word that the new Steve Hamilton novel, A Stolen Season, comes out tomorrow. I already have it requested at my local library. His "Alex McKnight" series of books feature the Paradise area. When you read them you can actually imagine the cold Lake Superior wind blowing in! If you haven't read any of his books try to pick one up at your local library before going to Paradise. You'd enjoy reading it in your spare time. Have a good time!

Didn't know Bete Gris had these rock formations!

What great shots! Thank you.

Marsha,

To the best of my knowledge, these are off-shore on the way from Bete Grise towards the Montreal Falls. You cannot see them from Bete Grise, per se.

It's nice to know where this beauty is. Next year I think we'll have to take the drive from Bete Grise to the Montreal Falls. What beautiful country. Grant, could you please tell us exactly where this scenic beauty is?

Deb S.

That "drive", should best be by boat. The "two track" past Smith Fisheries stops at a very "iffy" cliff-hugging trail that is slipping into Superior at several spots, some 20-30 feet below.

A BIG thanks to both Mary and Grant for today's pix. I've grabbed several hundred of these picture o' the day shots over the last few years and I still find great new shots for backgrounds. It's always a pleasure to spend a part of my online day here at Pasty Central. MUCH appreciated and thanks!

On a nudder note, some friends and I did the bridge walk today for the first time. Twas a great experience. The people in Mackinaw City and surrounding area who are involved in hosting the yearly trek should take a BIG bow for their work. This is one smoooothly run operation. Imagine the logistics involved when around 60,000 hikers descend on the straits each Labor Day. YOIKS!!!

-Biz in Kalkaska

oh, and a ps. to mheyde re: spelling. Hee, hee. Or should I say he, he? lol ;-))

Judging by the types and dip angles of those rocks, it looks like Grant was very close to the Keweenaw Fault when those pics were taken.

Thanks for the information, Little M and Marsha! I will look up that Steve Hamilton and bring it next weekend.

Hi All,
My hubby and I just returned from a long weekend on our boat (and in our kayaks) in the Copper Harbor area. We didn't get to kayak on this shoreline pictured today, but we did go all around the Copper Harbor area and right by Sharon Smith's camera too, but we must have passed by between takes and then by the time we circled away from her house, the fog was so thick, we couldn't see her place behind us. Good thing I had my GPS with me, in case we got lost in the fog! :-)
Anyway, I just had to say what a beautiful shoreline it is up around Copper Harbor too and how thankful we are that it is "in our backyard" where we're able to enjoy it like we do!