Winter in a Nutshell

Wow.  I think I picked the right winter to be a single mom.  With Aaron in Arkansas, and me taking care of B-man 24/7 (well, some hours I get a break!), taking care of the winter too sounded a bit daunting.  Luckily, when the snow was pummeling us for days in a row, Grammy and Grampy had my little guy in Wisconsin, so I could shovel every day and go to Mount Bohemia to shred some fresh pow.  Ow ow!

And bring in wood.  

I really should have put on my helmet cam this one time I had to bring in wood.  I mean, no time is easy, but some days are horrendous.  Like the one time I had to shovel off a three foot drift on my back porch just so I could get the wood-hauling sled off the porch.  But then, I had to pull it approximately 40 yards over undulating drifts (one as high as the top of the wood pile!) with my legs post-holing up to my thigh in spots and me swearing like a drunken sailor.  Then to dig out the flapping tarp and secure it up, so I could get to the wood, fill up that otter sled and haul the loaded sled like a scorn donkey back over the humps and finally up the steps to the porch where I could fill up my wood rack next to the wood stove.  Three times in a row to fill up the rack.

Yeah, that would have made a funny video.  Perhaps my neighbor John took one.  Hopefully he at least noticed my efforts.  Anyway, we stayed warm!

But back to my first point that this was a good winter to do all these burly chores myself.  This was certainly the mildest winter I can remember in my ten years here.  The harbor never even froze over!  Maybe a little sheet, but not for the walking!  Here are several pans of the Harbor with different ice statuses that I took throughout February.

Looking through "The Gap" early February

On the shore by the Fanny Hooe Creek exit mid February

Near the Harbor Haus later in February

So many times this winter I would look out and think, This it is!  She's gonna freeze for good this time!  But, nope.  Ain't gonna happen this winter, folks.  

And that is fine, I guess.  It's already March, so bring on the spring!

As the sun shines on my chair as I type now, I think spring is on the way.  Yes, it was a short, mild winter indeed.  But B and I made the best of it.  We got out for XC skiing, snowshoeing, pulling in the sled, shoveling, and walks along the ever-changing shore.  Oh, and here is a super fun one: ice volcanoes!

Me celebrating climbing the biggest one!

B erupting from one just his size!

I pan of the shore that day -- see which ones we were in?

No ice skating this year.  And no death-defying descents down Brockway Mountain.  Not this year.  Wink.

Nope.  B and I are headed to Arkansas to visit our hard-working man in some snowless weather.  For two weeks!  So we'll be gone for most of March and then lots of April to Portland, OR.  Spring is a good time to get out of here because there's often not a lot of do-fun-stuff opportunities while everything is melting, mushy and muddy.  Except see waterfalls...

So who knows where I'll be when I see you next?  Enjoy your life til then!

Sparkling, Rushing Water

Hello!

Except for today, it's definitely springtime.

But that makes sense -- the today thing.  You know that saying that includes, "Red in the morning, sailors take warning?"  This morning, when B woke me up, I looked out the window to a spectacular sunrise.  Oh, man.  Red and magenta beamed from the sky.  I considered taking a picture, but the power lines were in it, and pictures just never do it justice. 

In general, though, the weather has been sunny and pleasant.  My cheeks are getting rosy from getting out pretty much everyday!  Here are some highlights.

April 12th, I believe, the ice left the harbor.  She was all open and sparkling like a freshly opened bottle of champagne in the sunset.  I don't know which is better.  Wink.  Here is proof!

Open water from Third Street Dock

The waterfalls are pretty great right now.  Well, I'm assuming they are.  I've only been to Manganese Falls so far, but it was sweet!  Here's a video from Friday, April 17th.

It's always enchanting there when the sound is loud, the air is wet and the ground turns green and woody.  I love to watch the mist suspended above the rushing water.  Surreal, you know?

Another cool thing about that day was that I got to go there with three other friends.  Kind of cool how our little group hike randomly came together for a magical experience.  We got up to Lake Manganese and the serenity continued.  At the mouth near the creek leading to the falls, we paused (mostly because the bridge was no longer adhered) and chatted away.  Who did we scare up?

At least 200 geese.

A fraction of the geese on Lake Manganese

Suddenly they flew east past us in many different V (and some not-so-V) formations.  We stood there in awe.  "Woah," exhaled from all of our bodies.  These geese then circled back west and east and west again.  Then we watched them land on the southwest end where they must have took off from.  

Silly humans, riling up the peaceful geese.

People must be coming up to see the falls because I feel like there are more people around than usual this time of year.  Usually it's just us local folk.  But people who come up this time of year often don't have high expectations for a little town that's half shut down.

I knock on wood as I say this, but I seem to be getting this mom thing under control.  Nap times are somewhat on a schedule.  Solid foods help the boy sleep longer.  We have not had a medical emergency in a month.  Life is good!

What's my point?  Well, don't hold me to this, but I hope that this may be the beginning of a break for me.  A break in favor of my writing.  I miss it so much, and even this blog helps me feel like a whole person again.  

So I hope you enjoyed this post with actual media besides my rambling words.  And stay tuned because I have some news for you...

The Best Ice Rink. Ever.

The last two days brought our first break in the snow since early December.  I can't promise that not a single snowflake fell, but no accumulation stuck.  It was traded for our long lost friend: the Sunshine!  I think Keweenaw residents will be rejuvenated for at least a couple weeks before we get all cranky again.

Now this next part is a feat I've been hoping to do since I moved here eight years ago.  A venture that requires the perfect blend of temperature, lack of wind, lack of snow and cooperation from Her Majesty, Lake Superior.  It is a rare occurrence, and by now it's already too late to do it again.  But I took full advantage when I had the chance.

I ice skated across Copper Harbor's bay.

Here is some visual media, so you believe me.

Looking toward Porter's Island over the Harbor's rink

Looking at Brockway Mountain from the middle of the rink

Giddy as I was.  I got a little video for you.  Hopefully it will help quell any fears you may have brewing in your stomach.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE ICE SKATING VIDEO

Skating out there was amazing.  Simply the most scenic, alluring, glassy rink I have ever skated.  

The first day (Thursday) I booked it all the way to Porter's to check out the scene there.  The ice was all chunked by the time I got to the opening on the east end toward where the boats come in.  The 20 mph south winds made it a little tough to skate back to where Duce waited, shivering in cold and fear.  But I gave 'er heck, and finally made it back.

When I went out Friday, my original launch spot at the Harbor Haus was more like a pool, so a couple buddies, a couple pups and I tried the shore at Third Street Dock.  Perfect.

We skated around on ice even better than the day before!  My curiosity antennae pointed to the gap on the west side of Porter's that day.  My friends were a little leery, but I knew what to look for.  By the time I got there, the ice looked only 3 1/2 inches thick.  We didn't stay there too long!

Besides the occasional burp through a fissure in the ice, it seemed really stable out there.  My heart fluttered the whole time with glee.  There was really nothing like it.  Maybe someday it will happen again!

In my own little world, I thought this was really rad.  I posted a picture on facebook, and it seems that over 100 people thought it was really rad too -- people that have never been here!  That made me think... maybe other people who don't know about this will think it's rad when they learn about it!

Here's where you come in.

You like this blog.  You enjoy the adventures, pictures and whatnot.  Why don't you share it with a friend?  One friend who you think might need a little inspiration or a smile in their day.  Go ahead!  Try it right now!  Just tell them that you think this is rad, and they might too.

Hopefully you can brighten someone's day for the rest of their life!  And thank you for sharing.

Now I have to pack for a trip.  I'm traveling to 5 UP ski resorts that I'm writing articles about.  Now that's my kind of research!

Oh, before I go, here's a picture of the north shore of Hunter's Point.  The ice stretched as far as I could see into the lake that day (Tuesday?).  But now, it's all gone.

Ice off the north shore

Have a great week!

"Beautiful Day Today"

The weather has been so pleasant that everyday we get to say, "Beautiful day today" to whoever we are talking to.  Mostly visitors for me, since they are coming to the Harbor Haus in droves.  At least the last two weeks of work won't be boring!

Color Report

"They're turning a little more each day," I hear people who actually leave Copper Harbor and drive the roads say.  The consensus seems to be about 25% change south of the Covered Stretch.  The Covered Stretch itself is spotty with some brilliant maples.  Not much change in the Brockway Valley yet.  With these warmer temps, colors are changing slowly.

I thought about you the other day before I went to work, and I brought my Go Pro to shoot a time lapse of the interesting sky over Copper Harbor for you.  Aren't I sweet?

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TIME LAPSE

(I recommend fullscreen mode for it) 

Oh my gosh, guess what.  I got a kayak!!!  Now I can cross Fanny Hooe and head out to Porter's Island and paddle to Horseshoe Harbor and traverse Isle Royale in my very own kayak!  That means a whole new set of adventures for you to follow me on.  I am pumped.

Other than that, all the businesses are still open up here for lodging, food, gas and gifts, so come on up (hint, hint Mama and Papa).  Next week should be beautiful for colors, we're predicting.  As for the weather, I won't even try to predict that!

Back to the grind for me.  But at least life is good!

A Skate on the Harbor

I just got in from my first ever skate on the Harbor. Ice skate, that is. This morning (while I was in da big town) Aaron went out all the way to the lighthouse and told me the ice was a perfect rink.

This afternoon we went out to give it a try. Well, the afternoon sun and 40 degree temps turned the rink a little soft and slushy. But I didn't care. I was going to skate on the Harbor! So I did.

The ice was a little slow, but the day was so glorious, and a hard-earned sweat felt marvelous.

Above is a view of the crisp, clear ice -- the kind most people think thrice about stepping foot on. You can see right through it! Duce, Allan and Aaron are the creatures in the background. In the valley in the center of the picture stands East Bluff.

Just for fun, here's an action shot of Aaron and Duce on the ice. I tried to get that brut of a dog to drag me around on my skates, but he was having none of it. I'll have to get a harness!

Of course, I had to travel further West toward the center of the Harbor. Here is my perspective from way out there facing East. See my skate tracks through the slush?

I hope to get out again, if conditions permit. I forgot how fun skating was!