We were up fairly early in the morning to
make our way to Marquette, Michigan, since we intended to stop along the way to kayak on Lake Superior. We had a backup plan to do this on the return
trip, in case the weather was bad, but the day’s forecast included sunny skies
and only gentle breezes. Our kayaks are more of the open-cockpit variety, which
could fill with water and sink in extreme conditions, and the lake has been
known to have waves ten feet or higher during storms.
When we arrived at Miner’s Beach and saw
signs warning kayakers to have the proper type of boat, I took a walk down to
the lake before unloading our kayaks and noted that, although it was a little
choppy, we had paddled in much worse conditions last summer off the coast of
Nova Scotia. We understood the need to be safe and appreciated the advice on
the sign, though – we had our lifejackets, so we were more than comfortable to head
out.
The area nearby is known as Pictured
Cliffs, and I don’t know if we were spoiled by our trip last year, but we didn’t
think it was any better looking than some of the colorful rock strata we saw in
Prince Edward Island. These cliffs did have a bit more carved out areas from years
of pounding storms, and in one spot a large ledge had given way and slid down
into the lake, forming a narrow chute that we enjoyed paddling through
repeatedly. It was particularly fun when we could catch a swell or some wake
from a large power boat to push us through.
Although the water was far too cold for us to
bathe, it was pleasant to put our feet in for a while, just to cool off after about
four miles of paddling. The beaches were quite different from the manicured versions
we are used to in Stone Harbor. The coarse, rocky sand gave way easily under
our feet when waves crashed in, and the beach itself dropped off dramatically after
just a couple yards into the water.
I can’t say lugging the kayaks the
couple flights of stairs back up the cliff was a highlight of the trip so far. We
are, however, getting pretty good at loading them on the roof, though Sue has
stated her days of climbing up on top of the van are numbered.
We reached Marquette a little over an hour
later, and we immediately noticed the wonderful rail trail between the highway
and the Lake Superior shoreline. The city is a pretty college town (Northern
Michigan U.) with a rich history as an iron ore port. Soon after we unpacked at
our AirBnB accommodations, Sue took a short bike ride to explore the area, and
she excitedly returned to alert me that a train was unloading cars at the giant
ore dock to the north.
The steel industry has taken huge hits in
the U.S. due to competitive prices overseas, and the iron ore industry has been
affected just as badly. There used to be several ore docks like this in the
Great Lakes area, in fact, there were three operating in Marquette alone, with
three different railroads servicing the town. Today only one active dock
(another is being converted for alternate use) and one railroad, the regional
Lake Superior and Ishpeming RR, remain.
Marquette has an incredible bicycle
infrastructure, much of it built on the abandoned railroads, which particularly
makes getting around very simple for students - during the warmer months, that
is. The city averages over 150 inches of snow a year, and last year had 202
inches! Sue and I really enjoyed the surroundings and the comfortable summer
temps, but that type of winter would be a deal-breaker.
The next morning we set off west on the Iron
Ore Heritage Trail, which began right in the middle of town at the former Duluth,
South Shore and Atlantic railroad station (currently with no tenant). The paved
trail had a decent grade up from the lakeside, and we imagined the railroads
were glad the ore cars were empty going back up the hill.
Because Sue has been attending to many
family issues the last few months, she will readily admit to not being at her
usual cycling fitness level, as she has only been out on a bike a handful of
times this spring. She knew that the thirty-mile round trip I had planned out to
the city of Ishpeming and back was probably not in the cards. I kinda had the
feeling she was counting the neat-looking mile markers (photo left) as we continued climbing,
over three miles away from our starting point.
The trail leveled out a bit shortly after
crossing County Route 492, and the surface changed to a finely crushed white
stone. Our route was consistently marked by interpretive signs marking sites
pertaining to iron ore mining and described industry that once thrived along
this corridor. We soon passed under a steel girder bridge that carried the
active LS&I mainline over the trail. A protective canopy had been built to
protect cyclist from the pellets that may fall from loose bay doors on the ore
cars.
The abutment and area beneath the bridge were
piled with iron ore, and a push broom was actually on hand to clear the trail,
if needed! The product form is perfect for loading blast furnaces, and the
pelletizing process is described here, if you are interested. I grabbed a small
handful of the Cocoa Puff-sized balls as a souvenir.
When we started to drift downhill towards
the city of Negaunee, and Sue dreaded the prospect of having to climb back up,
she decided to turn around. A short distance ahead I found the attractive
former DSS&A depot, built in 1910.
Ishpeming was just a couple of miles
further, and I had to weave around a major Main Street (it’s actually named Division
Street) construction project to find the former LS&I depot. It had been
moved many years ago from its trackside position to Pine Street and is now a
business.
I really thought I was going to catch Sue,
as I hadn’t gone too much further, and with the wind at my back, I was really
moving. However, I never caught a glimpse of her - I think as soon as she hit
the downhill, her triathlon time-trialing need-for-speed kicked in!
Back into town, I cut north on the Marquette
Multi-Use Trail, circling the university campus over to Presque Isle. The trail
ducks under the rail leads to the iron ore dock, so this gave me a chance to
see this unreal structure again. I did about a two-mile loop through the wooded
park that sits on the small peninsula that reaches out into Lake Superior.
I followed the trail back along the
shoreline into the city center, then climbed the short steep hill up 3rd Street
to our place on Michigan Street. I looked forward to checking out the rest of
the trail that followed the lake shore, but that would wait for another day.
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