• Friday-What'sUP May 30 - 03:26 pm

One of Donna MacIntosh's favorite past times in the spring, is to head North in the Keweenaw to the Mouth of the Gratiot River. Normally this has been a good agate picking spot for her, but this year, she was surprised and disappointed with the change in the shoreline that the Big Lake had made over the winter.

Donna said that in the first photo, where it's water, is where she sat last Labor Day, sifting through the rocks to find some Lake Superior gems. She said the change seems unreal that it can be so different from what it was last spring and summer.

In the third shot, she said the change is where the closest "pool" of water is. Last year it was full of rock there and that's where she did some of her best "gem picking". Donna notes that now there's a sandy hill to go down there, then the water pool, then the agates, so it makes picking more difficult for someone with mobility issues.

These photos illustrate the power that Lake Superior possesses within her waters. This spring especially, I've heard a number of stories of how the shoreline and beaches have changed on the Northern Keweenaw Peninsula, all the way from McLain park to Copper Harbor. It's still a glorious place to be, though, agates or not.

Donna threw in a bonus shot for another type of Keweenaw gem…thimbleberry bushes. She found a brand new one taking root and beginning the journey to producing those beautiful, red berries that make the finest jam in the world. In case you couldn't tell, thimbleberry jam is my favorite. It's good to see new plants flourishing!

Give the old girl a chance and the shore will be back to more normal after a couple of good storms. Of course you can always go for a swim in the pool and hunt agates that way.
A nice refreshing dip on a hot summer day.

If anything, the changing of the shoreline should make it better for agate picking with the new gravels having been brought up from offshore. I'll be curious to see how some of my favourate agate spots faired in a couple months.....

Hi
We've been coming to the same coastline since 1958, at our place outside of Cheboygan, and have seen a lot of changes, even week to week. I agree with James, the change above is not likely permanent.

That said, we seem to be having higher water and less lower beach to walk on. My cousins, in the lot next to ours, had a nice fire pit and part of their stairs washed out over the winter.

Oh that change is never permanent...each Spring it's
all NEW GROUND!! And new agates!! :D LOVE
SUPERIOR...no matter what!

That shoreline still looks to be an amazing walk about.

What can wash out in a gale in a few hours can sometimes take years to come back.

It is fun to go out in the spring and see how the
mouths of rivers and shorelines have changed. great
pics!

It'll change back.