A Little Slice of da Harbor...: Ice Fishing and Snowmobiling

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Ice Fishing and Snowmobiling

Wait a minute. Ice fishing and snowmobiling? Those are not my usual activities! Maybe this is someone else's blog!

Nope. It's mine.

Tuesday was gorgeous. Aaron and I got up early to celebrate his birthday with some ice fishing. I have never gone ice fishing to ice fish before, so I thought it would be Aaron's gift. (What? We are cheap!) Here are the pictures from the day.

Sunshine!!!

Aaron checking the ice... how does it look to you???

Setting up the whip-ups

A Coho Salmon: first catch of the morning

Shadows of love

We caught one more salmon before the day was through. I tell you, if the weather wasn't 30 degrees, sunny and calm, I don't think I could do that very often. I mean, I know I can go in the shanty, but it's warm in there, and I fall asleep! Bartending and ice fishing are not on the same schedule. But we had lovely time!

Aaron is in charge of panking a part of the trail for the CopperDog this weekend, so yesterday I went with him for an adventure. Here is a video of the highlights in less than two minutes.

Today the winds have really picked up. Now it's cold again. Today I finally psyched myself up for a run (you know how I love to run), but when I opened the door, the wind nearly blew it back in my face! Heck no! I'll stay home and write a blog! There's so much going on this week that I figured I'd better stay ahead of the game.

Here are a few notes about optimizing your time on this blog:

- You can click anywhere on the pictures to see them bigger

- You can click on the videos to see them bigger (bottom right corner)

- You can click on the youtube icon on the videos to watch them on Youtube

- You can click on any words that are brown and underlined -- it's a link.

You might be computer savvy and know all this, but I just figured some of it out myself! Happy clicking!

9 comments:

AmandaMarch 2, 2013 at 4:15 PM
Hey Richard! Thanks for the compliment. Your feeling is exactly the reason why I keep on writing and capturing moments in da Harbor!
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AnonymousMarch 26, 2013 at 10:24 AM
I just wanted to start by saying I dont blog or facebook but thought I could communicate through your awesome site.Your book sounds great and hopefully could get a signed copy in Summer when I come biking I was just up there staying at the pines looking for that epic ride at Mt. Bohemia and just missed it by a day or two but was fortunate to meet Aaron at Copper Harbors only grocery store and talk biking and trail building.Since reaching Chicago rally-ed over 50 friends and still climbing to support Bell build.
Shane
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AmandaMarch 26, 2013 at 10:37 AM
Shane, glad you got to meet Aaron. He is something, all right! And thanks for rallying support for our club! I'll have s signed copy of the book for you, just find me at the Harbor Haus bar tending.
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AmandaApril 1, 2013 at 3:11 PM
September should be great for biking... especially since we still have all this snow! The Harbor Haus is down on the water at First Street. See you this summer!
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AnonymousApril 2, 2013 at 7:10 AM
Hopefully you got my gift in the mail!
Me and my son cant wait to check out your book he has to read 20 minutes every night for school and thought he would enjoy hearing about copper harbor.Weather will be breaking for you guys soon we start breaking ground on are new trails in a couple weeks and hopefully you guys get the votes you need and start soon as well.Harbor Haus looks nice defently gonna have to check it out when we come forsure.
Shane
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AmandaApril 2, 2013 at 9:51 AM
I thought that was you, Shane. I'm mailing it out today!
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AnonymousApril 19, 2013 at 7:41 AM
Congrats on the big win super pumped for you guys now you have to get the 100 inches of snow out of there! Chicago weather isn't so great here either has been raining like crazy!
Good luck on next book i will purchase that one also! Tell flying man to take it easy he has trails to build and snow to shovel.
Hope to see you guys when we come to ride
Shane
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Unofficial Overview from a Resident's Point of View

“If you’ve never been there, you wouldn’t understand” is a quote printed above an outlined picture of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on a t-shirt sold in gift shops in the area. Some people cock their heads in bewilderment of what this could mean. Well, if you’ve never been there (to da U.P.), then you wouldn’t understand.

It’s simple really. Where are you guaranteed to see more trees than people on any drive or walk? Where can you sit in a bar in April and know everybody’s name? Where can you wear flannel and Carharts anytime of the year without a flinch from a passerby? Where can you end most of your sentence with the colloquialism eh, eh? Where can you go to truly get away from the civilized world? If you answered “da U.P.” to all of these questions, why, you must have been there.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula makes up one third of the state’s land mass, but only 3% of its entire population. It’s no wonder the average number of people per square mile is 19.3. Nineteen people per square mile! Its lack of inhabitants combined with a plethora of wilderness, unique geographical features and an abundance of water is a big part of what makes the U.P. so unique. In fact, it was included in the Sherman Travel worldwide “Top 10 Places to Go in 2005."

And unique in itself, at the most northern tip in the Keweenaw Peninsula sits the little village of Copper Harbor. “Tops in Michigan,” “the beginning of the road” and quite frankly, the hardest place to leave once your soul has found its peace. It’s the least visited and most revisited place in America. Returning visitors make an appearance at least once a year, no matter what gas prices are. And when they’re back at home, they dream of their next visit to the end of the world.

Why would people want to return to a place where their cell phones don’t work and they can’t get a Big Mac for at least 54 miles? Once you drive through the one and only blinking stop light in town, you are 99% guaranteed not to see any authorities. The town can take care of itself for the most part, and people respect each other and each other’s property.

To the local residents and the handfuls of returning tourists (of which some have been adopted), Copper Harbor is the only place where they can be themselves -- completely and shamelessly (at least until the next morning). Fashion does not exist, but comfort is a must. Possessions mean nothing, but attitude means the world. Loitering is encouraged, and talk is ceaseless. Fresh air is plentiful, and serenity is down the block on Lake Superior’s shore. Ahhh.

Only 90 people can bear to live there year-round (good thing because the post office only has 130 mailboxes), but the population peaks around 250 in the busy summer months when people reopen their business or their summer home.

Copper Harbor and the rest of the Keweenaw Peninsula average 270 inches of snow each season. Whether it falls consistently throughout the winter or all in one dump, it’s guaranteed to fall if it isn’t drilling sideways. Only four businesses stay open through these long months because sometimes, there’s just nobody there.

U.S. Highway 41, which runs all the way to Miami, Florida, begins in Copper Harbor, and yes, it gets plowed the whole way up. A half mile north, six miles east and five miles south of this landmark puts you in magical Lake Superior. I know it’s magical because I’ve caught myself and many other people staring, mesmerized by its pure vastness, undulations and crashing waves.

When you can enjoy every breath of Lake Superior air, wear clothing soley for funtion and not mind seeing the same people day after day after day after day, then, my friend, then, you’ll understand.

A Little Slice of da Harbor...

Copper Harbor, That is!

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Ice Fishing and Snowmobiling

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Unofficial Overview from a Resident's Point of View

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