• Tuesday-What'sUP August 28 - 11:33 pm

While driving up M-26 on your way to Copper Harbor, you'll pass through the little town of Eagle River (home of our very own webmaster, Charlie Hopper) and right over Eagle River as you drive across a bridge that spans it. If you've never taken the time to stop and check out the footbridge, you're missing out on a beautiful opportunity, as Scott Dennis and crew can attest to. That second photo shows Eagle River Falls, which is looking a bit pitiful this year with the lack of rainfall we've had here in the Keweenaw, but still fascinating to behold.
Today's third picture has been provided to us by Paul Roberts, who also supplied a bit of information about the "old" footbridge (located further downstream) and the restoration plans he heard about this weekend. Here's the scoop from Paul:

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Quote:

For the past several years rumors have been circulating on the fate of
the old Eagle River bridge (the lower one). I was up in Eagle River today and Jim Vivian (Houghton Township Supervisor) was sitting on the bridge talking to a guy taking pictures. From what Jim said, they are going to restore the lower bridge. They've got all that fencing down and I actually got to walk on it. I don't think I've ever been able to do that. First time for everything! Figured I'd give you the scoop. I feel like Peter Parker or Clark Kent...with a beard. :-)

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We were there when the falls looked like that. It was a sad sight to see.

The falls were pitiful when we were there too, Deb. I don't think I've even seen the falls quite that low before. While we were there, the Dr. and I took the opportunity and climbed halfway up the rockface to check out those potholes below the dam structure; very interesting indeed. Also checked out the boundary between volcanics and conglomerate below the lower pothole........

This is how it looked last year when my sister and I visited. Must be great when it's flowing full force like in the spring! I really love waterfalls next to lighthoouses. And the UP is sure full of each of them hey? Thanks for todays pictures folks.

My sister and I were able to walk on the old bridge a couple years ago when we were staying at the Eagle River Inn - like you said "first time for everything". Falls were trickling a bit more then than shown in the above picture, tho.
A few more days & I'll be UP there!

I remember back in 1993 when I was working at the camp in Eagle River. I'm sure there are home videos that people took of those crazy people swimming in the falls! :-) It is sad to see it now but the memories are still there and that's what I like!

I am a daily visitor to this page but rarely post.
My wife and I recently took a UP trip and saw this same trickle of water with family members who(whom?) had never been to the western UP!! I was amazed at the low flow of several rivers.

Today's image prompts me to share some photos I took in April 2005 when there was a lot more water flowing over. We also were treated to a daring feat by someone on a kayak.

I put a few pictures from 2005 on my web space as well as a 5meg video of the kayak rider going over the falls.
You can see them starting here:
http://irontonwebcams.com/eagleriver/1001.htm

Looks like Newberry and Sleeper Lake are getting good rain shower this morning....Bet they are ready for any help from Mother Nature that they can get........Get em Neil Harri.....

Those holes were dry earlier this month, a trickle on the one side is even being generous describing what we saw. It is still beautiful.

My father was born and raised in Eagle River and played in the falls when he was young.
That will be real nice if they redue the old bridge down below. I walked accross it when i was a kid. My uncle used to live in the 1 room green shack at the roads bend, and he used to give us history on the falls and bridges. I visit every year and will never forget that site's. P.S. Thimbleberry Jam rule's.!

Thank you Mary for posting some of our vacation pics. The kids thought it was pretty cool! I couldn't believe how low many of the streams and rivers were when we were up there a few weeks ago. When we were on our way up we stopped at what we used to call Rootbeer Falls, a roadside park half way between Marquette and Hancock, and there was barely a trickle. The kids couldn't understand why I called it Rootbeer Falls, so I had to explain that the tanic acid from the cedar trees turned the water brown and when the water cascaded over the rocks it would foam and look like rootbeer. It was always a favorite pit stop when traveling from Hancock to Marquette to visit Grandpa and Grandma's for the weekend.

The legend back when I was a kid (50 years ago) was that the potholes were ancient mines. My cousin and I ventured up to them one time and dropped a weighted line in. One of them was surprisingly deep. I don't remember exactly how deep but more than 10. I would expect them to be nearly filled now. Perhaps Capt. Paul will put forth a more scientific explanation of their origin. Back then the pond behind the dam held much more water, this has been replaced by stampsand from the mills up stream.
Further up the river about 400 yards below 10 Foot Falls, one can find a copper and silver bearing fissure cutting across the river bed. With the low water this year, it should be easy to find. I suspect it is one of fissures mentioned by Jackson and Hill in the 1840's.
Spent many hours playing along the river - looks like some of the many rocks I threw in it have been exposed. Dropping big ones off either bridge was allot of fun.

Hey Ironton, thanks for sharing the pics and the video! It's definitely a nicer view when the water is higher. Here's a July shot from a wetter summer a few years back. http://gallery.pasty.com/keithinks/albuq33/scan_109.jpg.html

Potholes form where there is a current of water that swirls around little rocks that eventually wear a rounded depression in the rock beneath them.

Two weeks ago I was up there. Now I am stuck in Houston. What have I done to deserve this punishment?

Dr Nat...you must have been as naughty as I...I am stuck in my padded cubicle here in Lansing. If you're not in the UP, you might as well be in Houston or Lansing, they are equally NOT the UP.