Duluth is also known at the Arctic Riviera. Thus, when a snow storm hit two hours before dawn, it was a HUGE invitation for me to get outside with my camera. Today’s wind is out of the northeast which mean big waves as they coming rolling down hundreds of miles of open water of Lake Superior. Thus, rather than being a “stay inside” type of day, I’ve had a great time outdoors. I will admit to having gotten wet due to the sloppy snow, but birding was easy. The snow concentrated birds in prime birding locations. However, taking photographs was a challenge! 🙂
Blue Morph Snow Goose Family
Snow Bunting
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Snow Geese in the Snow Videos
Wave Videos from Canal Park: The first video was taken from the 2nd floor of the Duluth Marine Museum. For the second video I had moved outside, but unlike folks seen in my first video, I am well back of the Lakewalk. The waves were throwing up on shore 20 to 30 pound rocks. The tourists did not realize they were in danger … not from the waves but thrown rocks. I warned a few folks before I went back to my car.
And a photograph of our house from an hour before sunrise this morning, just as the storm was really getting started in the Duluth area.
Amazing. I’ve never seen Superior rolling like that before. Wowwzza!
“Hundreds of miles of waves on Lake Superior.” That is an exaggeration.
Perhaps hundreds of miles is an over exageration, but the far northern Ontario shore up by Marathon would be 250+ miles from Duluth by water. A strong NE wind comes down the lake in that direction.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called ‘gitche gumee’
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and crew was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early
The Fitz sunk about ten miles offshore at the Crisp Point … the lighthouse where I served as keeper last week. Two days after Molly and I left Crisp Point, they had 70 mph winds and 25 to 30 foot waves! Those would make the waves I saw this morning look puny!