On a beautiful February day, Laurie Bashaw was out walking the North Country Trail in Marquette. She said it was cold, but the sky was just so blue and with the clouds, it was so pretty out there walking. The pictures she snapped are of the replica of the Darter/Dace submarines conning tower. These two submarines changed the course of the largest naval battle in history, the battle for the Leyte Gulf in the Philipines. These sub replicas are located in the Ellwood A. Mattson Lower Harbor Park and are dedicated to Captain David H. McClintock USN, Marquette; to Captain B. Dulaney Claggett USN, Bethesda, MD; and to the officers and men of submarines Darter and Dace. Laurie’s first husband, Steve, who passed away from cancer due to Agent Orange, was honored to have been a pallbearer for Captain David McClintock in 2002. So not only do these submarines have a connection to the Marquette area, but also a connection to Laurie and her family. Such a neat piece of history preserved right there near Marquette Harbor.

MI Playground takes us to the 2024 Pine Mountain Continental Cup Ski Jumping in Iron Mountain. This year’s event starts today and goes through Sunday. Put on by te Kiwanis Ski Club, who has been presenting world class ski jumping events at Pine Mountain since 1939. The Pine Mountain Ski Jump is world renowned as one of the best jumping hills, with jumpers from North America and Europe competing there each year. For more information click here: 2025 Pine Mountain Ski Jump 2025

Nice set, Laurie! I don’t ever remember seeing
that tower. Is it by Presque Isle?
Perhaps I passed by it and didn’t notice.
And I wonder how one would begin training
for the ski jump. I’m sure you wouldn’t start
out on a jump like that.

How cool...

The vid has the Winter that Wasn't. Still so
amazing to me. They sure are airborne...just wow.

Very cool, Laurie. What an honor
for Steve. I had no idea these
were in Marquette, nor the history
behind them.