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Some other links of recent interest to Pasty Cam watchers:
• Ancestors 2007  • New Arrivals 2007
• The Hut Inn Re-opens  • Kevin's Story
Eight years ago on the Pasty Cam: 03/02/99^{Printed on Recycled Internet}

This is one of the best things about living in the U.P. Eight years ago, Jonathan Hopper captured a view of the Aurora Borealis, aka the northern lights. The lights seem to dance across the sky, changing colors and pulsating. You could set some classical music to them and have quite a multi-media show.

Michigan Tech's geological engineering/geology department has an Aurora page with more photos and information about the source of this natural wonder. The University of Alaska Fairbanks has a page that provides Aurora predictions for anywhere in the northern hemisphere.

Good Morning!

Mornin'

Good morning! TGIF.

Ooooo, someone was really lucky. I've only seen them twice, early childhood and early adulthood.

WOW! I've never been lucky enough to have my camera handy when I've seen them.

TGIF is right!

Still don't know how much snow we got but I drove home from work in a blizzard yesterday. My tracks have not filled in out in the driveway though, so I don't think we got the 20" they were calling for.

The best aurora viewing I've ever seen was when I was on the Belcher Islands in Hudson Bay one summer doing some research. It was the first time I have ever seen the lights change colours from green to red to purple and everything in between in a matter of seconds.

If you peek at the MTU Aurora page, there are two photos on the front taken by Claudia Perko in July, 2004. She was part of our TESI program that summer and just happened to be outside to view them for the first time. I don't think she stopped talking about them the rest of the time she was in Houghton.......

Good morning fellow Yoopers and Yooper Wannabees! It's a great thing to have in common, eh! TGIF...Holy Wah, it's almost the weekend!!

I just read that MTU has closed classes today, first time in 32 yrs. due to snow conditions.

Off the Michigan Tech website.......

MICHIGAN TECH IS CLOSED TODAY: ALL CLASSES ARE CANCELED AND OFFICES ARE CLOSED. ONLY ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL ARE EXPECTED TO REPORT. PAYROLL OFFICE IS OPEN TO DISTRIBUTE PAYCHECKS.

Is it really that bad up there this morning, or is MTU playing it safe finally??

I just emailed my Uncle and told him Tech was closed, he's a grad living in Seattle. He probably braved it in some nasty weather since he lived at home off campus.

Together more;

http://www.climatechallenge.gov.uk/

Capt. Paul, It really is that bad here. We received over a foot of snow and the 40-50mph winds are really blowing it around, drifting the roads closed.
Since my employment didn't close, I made it out but I am watching the winds and will head back home as soon as I can no longer see across the Portage Canal.

Seems like the definition of a blizzard has evolved over the years. 30 or 40 yrs. ago this would have just been another winter day in the Copper Country; now it's a "blizzard". I remember back in the early 80's when the drifts on Fifth St. in Calumet were up to the eaves of the 3-story buildings and then tapered down at an angle to the other side of the street. Most of the secondary roads were drifted solid across even with the top of the banks. Many of them had to be opened with a sno-go because even the v-plows couldn't get thru. Now that was a "blizzard".

I remember us kids walking to school in "blizzard" conditions. We'd be fighting the wind & the snowbanks were taller than us. We were so bundled up all you could see were our eyes. Winters are changing & so is the way we handle the storms. I rememer when the farm kids were sent home during a storm & we town kids stayed in school. It had to be really bad for school to be called off. Not anymore, there are "snow days" now.

My nephew just wrote and said it was closed three times while he was there in 95/96. Oh, well, it must be pretty bad nonetheless.

Lol Dave, and I suppose you had to walk uphill both ways in bare feet WITH the scarecrow chasing you??? ;-)

Seriously though, I don't believe storms are any worse than they were 10, 50 or even 100 years ago; in some respects they're not as bad. I believe the problem lies with many drivers today being over-confident in their vehicles ability to navigate adverse weather conditions, which in turn prompts the NWS to issue storm warnings much quicker to keep people off the roads.

I would hate to see what would happen if Houston ever got a blizzard!! Too many of these people here have an "invincibility" complex when they get behind the wheel of their trucks and suv's to begin with.......

For those who haven't already heard there was to be public hearings March 12 at the DEQ in Lansing regards the Yellow Dog Plains area mining endeavors by Kennecott. These hearings have been cancelled as the DEQ has now denied the permits for such!! For more on this very important UP issue go to:
DEQ reverses preliminary decision
Or just go to www.Savethewildup.org
and just click to the pertaining page(s)

Also regards the cancellation go to:
WLUC TV 6 story

Isn't that why people buy them - to feel "safe"? And then they feel a little too safe, and neglect to think a little. Who could blame anyone for wanting to feel safe, but it sure can numb the senses.
Even if everybody is taught about how to drive in winter conditions, that'd be just one lesson among many. Easily forgotten.

That is great news about the permits being denied for sulfide mining in the Marquette area. The voice of the people was heard!

Why do we "save" the wilderness then spread millions of tons of salt on the roads and think nothing of it. Just what do you think happens to the salt? Where is the balance here?

Russell,
They havent canceled the permit, they delayed it... The DEQ messed up and didn't release the information provided.

maija, the voice of the people was not heard, the voice of a small group of people shouting. The permit process will continue once they sort this out.

Joe Dase
Mining Engineer

Dosen't MTU offer a course in local winter driving?

People have to voice their support for the mining project. Mining and logging is what the U.P. is all about. Seems like just about everyone I know is in favor of the project but the vocal and organized opposition gets 99% of the publicity. Supporters make your voices heard.

Cotton,boy do I remember being all bundled up in a snow suit and had a big old scarf wrapped all around my head with just my eyes uncovered. We never got a day off of school. The Oneco kids did tho cause they rode the bus. I remember when I was in high school(53 to 57) that the snow banks on the main street of town were taller than me. I was 5'7'' then and they were way taller than me. We had one blizzard(56 or 57) that was really bad.I walked down to Richie's to wait for my ride to work.It was on a Sat I think By the time I walked that block I was about froze. The temp was -44 with strong winds that just blew the snow so hard it felt like neeedles going into my face. When I got to Richie's I stood in his entry way that he had at the time to wait until my ride to work came. I was so glad that good Ol Mr Sanford drove us that day. A good man and a good driver.

The balance between trying to preserve at least a little bit of wilderness, or perhaps less spoilt wilderness, and pouring salt on the roads is naturally a compromise, a more or less lousy one, as compromises usually are to one or more sides. As far as I gathererd online, in this case it's maybe ten dozen jobs, for a mere ten years, against the potential ruin of the last (one of the last?) salmon spawning grounds on the south side of Superior, among other side effects. While the company says they'd contain their waste, they'd be the first to do so with this kind of mining (sulfide).
Road salt - that's acting responsible towards the life that surrounds the roads vs. responsibility for the mobility of the life that travels said roads. Salt sure makes it nice and easy, but there are substitutes, ways to lessen the amount of salt being used, and then, one of the most impressive rides I ever had was a coach ride in northern Finland, going skiing, with 60-70 mph on what was more or less sheer ice. If they don't have to salt their (cross country) highways in northern Finland, perhaps the same would be possible elsewhere? I'm not necessarily saying, though - just wondering.

Why do a vocal few, usually not local, try to shut down all hope for jobs in the area? Is it NIMBYISM at it's worst? I left the Copper Country, as it used to be called, 30 years ago because there was little going on. Doesn't look like it is getting any better.

whoa, now I'm confused. I thought there was heavy local opposition to sulfide mining. I did wonder about the other side of the issue. I had no idea that the opposition was not supported locally.

Well if they're not local, it's hardly NIMBYISM. Thought too, though, that there was local resistance. Always interesting so see what comes up.

Anyhow, no need to worry. Chances are mining will make a comeback in the UP.
Copper is a limited ressource and in much demand. Rise the need enough, and it will pay to mine the UP again, including the leftovers from the last boom time.
Which will take care of the stamp sands, too, if I understood the matter correctly.

Maija Please e-mail me.