• Wednesday-What'sUP October 12 - 06:47 am

If you travel US 41 between Ahmeek and Phoenix on a regular basis, you might take the cliffs along the way for granted, not even giving them a second glance. But not Steve Haagen, who recently took a closer look and discovered something interesting on those steep, rocky outcroppings. Check out the zoom-in to the top of the cliff and you'll see there are several people in various stages of climbing that precipice.

At the same time Steve was on the ground snapping the first two shots, Grant Soehnel and a number of others from the Michigan Tech Rock Climbing Club, were up there on the top, capturing the same climbers from a closer angle. Grant said that they noticed people down below, stopping and watching them that day. What a neat coincidence that both Grant and Steve have Guest Galleries and decided to share photos of the same event with us. I don't know about the rest of you, but I think I'll stick to finding my way to the top of the cliffs the old fashioned way - hiking up the trails!

Pasty Cam disclaimer: Please do not attempt to climb these cliffs (or any others), unless you are a trained professional or part of a group with some climbing experience and know-how, such as these club members pictured here today.

Don't worry Mary! I'll definitely stick to trails. These people are either very brave or a little crazy I think. Great shots though.

Beautiful, but I wouldn't attempt climbing them.
I keep clicking on Wednesday's picture and get Tuesday - that's what happened when I saw the picture change - maybe there's something wrong with my computer?

smfwixom, there is nothing wrong with your computer cause the same thing happen to me.

Fear not, Mary! No way would I attempt to climb those rocks
though I have family members who would. I'm one of those folks
who is terrified to climb a ladder beyond the second rung...

Kosk, I am with you! Tried to repel once to get over my fear of heights. Lets just say it got really ugly and I am still afraid of heights.

All brave souls... Braver than I at this age. Has the snow started up there yet? They say you're in for 10 inches or more....

Remember, it's not the fall that hurts, it's that bump at the end.

My Mother played in that area when she was a child. She said there was a face of an Indian in one of the rock formations??? They picked berries there and would always look for that formation. Does anybody remember that?

Is Pasty cam down?? Bridge picture has been the same for days now.

If memory serves me correctly, that is the outcropping called “Obsession” by the local climbers. It’s located on the northern stretch of the cliffs almost across the street from the old Cliff Cemetery. I remember climbing that exact same route some ten years ago while a student at Tech. There used to be (and I imagine is still there) a little “ledge” about half way up the steep overhanging rock face that made for some great photo opportunities. We would un-clip from our harness (wasn’t exactly the smartest thing to do) and have somebody take of picture of what looked like somebody magically sitting on a vertical rock wall 50 feet above the ground. I don’t think my mother was as impressed with the picture as I was.

While a member of the Michigan National Guard 107th Engrs back in the 50's we had our rifle range practice at the foot of the cliffs and we would climb up the hill but surely not the cliffs as shown in todays great pictures.

Great Pics!! I did not even see the people on the first pic til he zoomed in! What a view. But man, I wouldnt be looking at the view while I was inching my way up a cliff! Andrew, you are right, your mother wouldn't have been impressed knowing you unclipped your harness....My daughter does this stuff sometime and I don't even want to know about it. Would love to see the same area in a snow blanketed pic!

I will happily keep my TWO FEET ON THE GROUND, thank you very much!

good pictures,

can only imagine the view

seems like the climb down would be the real issue

"TWO FEET ON THE GROUND"
Gee, that sounds like the weather forecast for da Keweenaw through Thursday night and Friday morning!:

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Quote:

"...SNOW WILL FALL HEAVY AT TIMES INTO THURSDAY NIGHT WITH STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS NEAR 2 FEET EXPECTED OVER MUCH OF THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA BY FRIDAY MORNING."

---

Deb s. Hey thanks for the info,we were wondering how it went. Hope she has a quick recovery.

Oops, wrong page, Deb s. RCW

I remember back in the 1960s a Sved from Dollar Bay fell climbing those cliffs and was killed. Anyony remember that?

One of my greatest memories is driving up the "all American highway" to the top of the cliff in my jeep. My brakes got wet going thru the huge puddles, and we were lucky to get back down with no incidents. (we did have other people in another jeep with us)

Great pictures today!

So, who owns the cliff? Is it all CFR, owned by the paper company [Lake Superior Land Div]? Personally, I'd love to have a little shack [maybe more than a shack] right near the edge [any edge from Ahmeek to Brockway to East Bluff], with a wall of triple pane windows from the ground to the third floor giving me a 24 hr/365 day view. The stairway to the front door would be (approx 300 ft elev / 8" per tread) about 450 steps, but it would beat climbing the wall. Hmm ... is a half million $$ shack nuts? Not if I had it!
-dº

In the early 80's drove w/my sis up the road on top and down to the otherside to Eagle River. Only we had the cement chimney blocks in the back of said vehicle. Got home and B-i-law says in his wonderful way, " Did you have the chimney blocks in the rig?" "Yes." "Then there is probably less I got to haul up on the roof."

Ohhh, I just love the photos today. They are extra special nice!I probably would have enjoyed the climb a few years ago.Thanks for the view!

Denman if you see something through the trees it's just MY dream house. It's built similair to yours but has a V shape wall with all windows , shaped like the prow(?) of a ship looking out over the Lake. Dreamed of this for many years. Do you think there might be an eaasier way to drive up from the back approach? Hi neighbor...:>)

Mary no need for a disclaimer for me. I get nosebleeds up past the 2nd step on a ladder! But have one son who loved it up on our steep roof. But also one like me that wouldn't be caught dead helping his dad with any roofing !

My Mother, Aunt and a Uncle were born around those
cliffs in the Phoenix-Delaware area. Not much left
to those towns anymore...but the cliffs still remain.

I would never climb the cliffs. But they sure do make a beautiful picture.

Hei, Koke, It was Charley Sved that fell from the cliff. Fran from GA and I graduated with him in '57. He was our class pres.

I went to grade school with Fran. I think I do remember Charley Sved! I know my Uncle Jim would remember him.
And Fran, hope you are doing OK. Keep us posted!

Mskatie,
I'm in Ann Arbor. Dad was from Phoenix, Mom from Kearsarge, so I've spent lotsa years dreaming of a place UP there. I like the prow idea, especially if it projected out from the cliff. How 'bout a glass bottomed lap pool from a sauna out to the end of the prow to look down through the water to the tops of the trees below? Or how 'bout a 30 room house, terracing the rooms from the bottom to a topside coffee klatch? If I must dream, I'm gonna dream extreme!

I just took a pic of those 2 weeks ago when I was up there looking
at a house. I didn't buy it, but I'll be back!! :)