• Friday-What'sUP February 21 - 06:18 am

Probably the last thing you're thinking of during a winter UP North, is heading to the shores of Lake Superior to picnic and swim. And these frozen shoreline photos from Marquette don't conjure up warmth and sunshine, either. So, it really made me chuckle when I looked at the second photo here today, from Art Brabbs and was able to read what the red sign says: Beach Closed for Season. Since that's pretty obvious this time of year, I'm thinking that sign was put there, along with the fencing, long before the snow flew. This looks like the Picnic Rocks area, but from a slightly different angle than the photos Art took back in December 2008.

Audre Lorde observed that we have been raised to fear the"yes" within ourselves...our deepest cravings. And the fear of our deepest cravings keeps them suspect, keeps us docile and loyal and obedient, and leads us to settle for or accept many facets of our own oppression.
There is some open water out there...GO SWIMMING!

GO SWIMMING???? I don't think so, lol. It's hard enough in July and August.

I agree wth Deb, GO SWIMMING? Pat & Glenda, you go in first!

Darn...and I felt like a nice dip.

I will DEFINITELY go sw... wait, where's the open water?!

I'll be the guy standing in the middle of the Portage, looking confused.

The scary thing about that picture is to see how far away from the shore the Picnic Rocks are compared to when I was young. When I was about 6 years old I can remember my big sister walking me out to first picnic. Then later I would play in the bushes and huge mound of sand at the end of the point. Now it is often a full blown swim from the edge of a parking lot many yards further away from the islands (and in a current that can be very dangerous).

In the 1930s the sand went all of the way to first Picnic and was quite wide, and it was an easy swim to 2nd Picnic Rock in calm water. After they put the extension on the Upper Harbor breakwall the currents seemed to change and it took out the sand and has caused the dangerous currents for swimming in rough water. In winter we used to ski on the high ice banks that were always present where todays pictures show the area closed for the season!

Don't think that it is swimming weather in the Big Lake yet. Remember when I was a kid that August was the best month. Beautiful pictures as always.

Tom Dessellier

It sounds like this area is not too far from where the US Coast Guard had to rescue a crazy surfer a couple of days ago:
http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=262017

Good pics.

Mary like you I also thought it pretty obvious this time of year. BUT as Marianne pointed out, just on the other side of picnic rocks as seen in the third picture is the area were the surfer was pulled from the jaws of mighty Lake Superior.

Alex -- you meant to say you felt like an ICE dip.