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Even though I had met her before, it really wasn't until I stayed
the week at McLain that I fell madly and hopelessly in love
with Lake Superior! |
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On
my first night, I watched the sun melt right into her. |
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mood then was very calm and soothing and I loved how accessible
she is to the campground right across the road. |
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I
never did feel warm enough to totally immerse myself in swimming,
but saw lots of people who did. |
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One
day when it was really windy, I was walking along the beach
admiring the waves and the rocks and the driftwood. I was in
such awe that I said to myself, "I love you, Lake Superior
- do you know that?" |
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about that time, I came across this rock heart someone had made
on the beach - and someone was there to take my picture in it!
I think it was either Lake Superior letting me know it heard
me and/or it was telling me it loves me too!. |
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matter how much she is loved, though, Lake Superior has her
dark and wild side... |
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Here
you can see how she is slowly but surely claiming this beachfront
as her own. |
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I was told the erosion has been one of those no-win deals
for a long time.
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Park Supervisor Lee VerBerkmoes showed me one of the methods
they've tried for erosion prevention. |
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gabion method (retaining wall of thick galvanized wire filled
with stacked stones) didn't work, unfortunately...the gabion
is now falling into the lake. |
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This
shot shows some of the lakefront sites that were lost due
to safety concerns and now they fear the road is threatened.
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gravel road is where the sites used to be and where you see
#91, that used to be the road. Site 91 is still in use, but
is moved further back. Site 92 (in front of 91) is no longer
used. |
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They
also had to take out #97, which used to be the most popular
site closest to the lake. Now it's too close to the part of
the bluff that's eroding. |
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It
broke my heart to hear the DNR knows it will have to move
this campground eventually because they have researched or
tried every financially feasible option. This has all occurred
within the past 15 years or so - pretty fast, geologically
speaking...
I
was told, "McLain is very much subject to erosion damage
when there is a "Nor-wester" coming at it off Lake
Superior. Since Lake Superior even generates her own weather
patterns, we can't fight mother nature at McLain."
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When
I was discussing this sad situation with Jean, one of the state
workers at the registration office, she sagely said, "Lake
Superior is big and tough - she eventually wins..." |
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We
also talked about how hard it is to really define what makes
this place so exquisitely special. She said so many people
have come here and said the same thing - they wish they could
define it or capture it in words or pictures - but there's
just no way.
I
know sometimes I must sound crazy about Lake Superior, but
in talking to people around the park, I know I'm not the only
one. As a neighbor from Wisconsin said, "Once you've
seen Lake Superior, you've got to come back every year because
she feeds your soul..." Besides being so pristine and
clean, there really are just are no words to adequately convey
how special she is...but it's such a special feeling just
to be around her, that's all I can say...
Many
people mentioned they come here just to watch the weather
come in and move across the water. And that the lake is different
every time they come.
According
to Judy from nearby Hancock, "I've been all over MI,
Wisconsin and Minnesota, but there's just something special
about this place."
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