A Little Slice of da Harbor...: Rock Ice

Monday, March 17, 2014

Rock Ice

"Spring is coming!" I announced like Peter crying wolf. No wolf. No spring.

In fact, the day after my proclamation, all the slush and puddles froze up solid and jagged like the shores of High Rock Bay. Unshovelable ice. I think it did that just to spite me.

I knew winter wasn't over, but that was a quick shift. And now we're in the middle of our second "winter storm" since then. More snow is predicted than is actually falling, but that often happens with a south wind.

Did I do anything fun and exciting outside lately? Not really. Sorry. But Aaron and his fishing buddies did. They've been catching some beasts out of the Harbor. Here is a picture of one that nearly went viral on facebook.

Aaron and the big pike

This bugger was 44 inches long and weighed 24 pounds. Photo credit goes to Allan. Guess they had fun on the ice that day!

I'm kind of, um, waiting for spring now. Darn it. I should never do that. For your benefit, I will make it a point to get out more and embrace what is left of winter. You deserve that at least. And so do I. And so does Duce, but he's ready for spring too. I can tell. He likes to lay out in the sunshine and absorb it into his black fur.

Business has slowed way down. Especially during the week. There are still some die hard snowmobilers, skiers and ice fishermen, but they don't come up in droves anymore. We've got two weeks left of operation at the Bear Belly, so if you want a cup of award winning chili or the best reuben around, you better get there quick! Tell them Amanda sent you!

What else can I say without boring you with life's insignificant details? My writing is going well. If you want to check out some of my latest work, you can find it at Actionhub.com. Just search "Amanda Wais" in the top right search box to see my articles listed. And hey, if you do that, it gives them more traffic, and my editor is more likely to hire me again. Win win!

Also, my article about professional mountain bike coach (and awesome person), Lindsey Voreis is in Mountain Flyer Magazine right now. I guess you have to find a copy of Issue 35 to read it. I should have my copy soon!

Okay. You probably don't really care about my writing stuff. You care about da Harbor. So do I. The ice on the big lake is still seiching. Now you see it. Now you don't. Everyday is a surprise. Just another thing I love about this place!

1 comment:

AnonymousMarch 19, 2014 at 10:25 AM
Nice fish Aaron !!! Thanks for the head's up on ActionHub. Great articles Amanda ! The pending arrival of Spring probably the same everywhere. Kinda like a parent spooning out a bowl of icecream in front of the child, then telling the kid they'll have to wait as the bowl is put into the refrigerator. Still predicting snow for our area down here. Hang in there . . John
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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!

Monday, March 17, 2014

Rock Ice

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Unofficial Overview from a Resident's Point of View

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