A Little Slice of da Harbor...: Oh, Canada

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Oh, Canada

I really didn’t know what I was getting into when I booked my writer’s conference trip to Ontario’s Algoma Country. I had no expectations, and they were all exceeded.

First off, the members of the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association are an amazing bunch: down-to-earth, high-spirited and fun-loving. I fit right in.

Second, the crew at Ontario’s Algoma Country, who put this trip together for us, did an outstanding job. They made sure we were uber-organized, visited their finest sites and ate until we turned into marshmallows. Plus, they, and all the other Canadian folks I talked to while I was lost on the way to my hotel, were so sweet they made my teeth hurt. I am writing an article about that.

So what did I do there?

At 9am-ish, we took the Algoma Central Railway 206 miles north of the Soo to Lake Wabatong, where we would spend three nights at Errington’s Wilderness Island Resort. Kind of like being on Isle Royale except we had motor boats to cart us, a cabin with a fireplace to sleep in and a lodge with an exquisite chef to feed us. We were spoiled, I tell you.

Though my camera ran out of battery power a few too many times, I did manage to get some footage. It is all compiled in the video below. Please, as an avid reader of this blog, let me know if you prefer pictures and video separate like in the past, or if you like the presentation style I’ve been dabbling in. Your opinion matters!

CLICK HERE FOR MY ONTARIO VIDEO

A couple other guys saw a moose, but I did not. We also saw lots of eagles, caught lots of walleye and pike, heard lots of loons, saw a couple sand hill cranes, saw a great blue heron and floated around many other waterfowl. The wilderness was deep and rich. My soul was at peace. And, you know, it kinda reminded me of the Keweenaw!

Speaking of my homeland, all is well here! Memorial weekend kicks off our busy season, so here we go! Now if you'll excuse me, I better get ready for work!

3 comments:

AnonymousMay 25, 2013 at 4:38 PM
Awesome video, Amanda! You captured the trip. I vote for continued posts in this format that you do well in. Extremely jealous that you got the drumming and displaying grouse. I guess when I sit by the fire, I snooze and I looze. I'm happy my awesome stand-up paddleboard made it into the end of the show. ;) Have a great weekend! tp
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richMay 26, 2013 at 9:22 PM
I like with the pictures interspersed between paragraphs, but if this way is easier it's fine too. I had an awesome bike ride up there today, and the company I was with was even better.
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AnonymousMay 30, 2013 at 1:20 PM
I like pictures AND video!!
Can't access the video at work, so have to wait until I'm at home for that part. So the pics will hold me!
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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!

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Oh, Canada

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Unofficial Overview from a Resident's Point of View

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