• Friday-What'sUP March 25 - 07:49 pm

Today marks the re-opening of the Soo Locks so that shipping can begin again on Lake Superior, but three vessels have been moving ore from Escanaba, to the steel mills on lower Lake Michigan, since the beginning of March. Rod Burdick was at the Escanaba dock and snapped these photos of the Joseph L. Block and the Philip R. Clarke surrounded by churned up ice in the harbor. It will be good to see the freighters sailing on the Big Lake again, just one more sign that winter is just about over and spring is right around the corner.

The first true sign of Spring, when the locks open!

Isn't it great to see those ships again?

They've been busy up here with the James R. Barker departing Duluth on Thursday afternoon, March 17, 2011 with a load of coal for somewhere, perhaps Taconite Harbor? It's due into Marquette soon with more coal, too, but I've not spotted it going by.

Yesterday's MODIS satellite image of Lake Superior is showing a lot of ice in Whitefish Bay and the St. Marys River system. Hope the Biscayne Bay and the Mackinaw have been able to open up a clear passage for the big boats.

Eddyfitz asked me to post this for him:

I have been watching great lakes freighters since growing up in Hubbell. Went aboard my first one in about the year 1947 down at the dock at Quincy Location as a guest of Mr Koepel. We played on the coal piles in Hubbell and were able to go onboard many "coal boats" as they arrived from Lake Erie ports with loads of coal for C & H and also home heating fuel. (remember when everyone had a stoker in the basement)

For everyone's info: The Michigan Tech women's basketball team is playing in a tournament tonite(Friday) at 8:00 PM on ESPN2. GO TECH!!!

Is this you Eddyfitz in the picture with the Manistee? Your recollections are always of interest to me.

Nice photo Eddie! Did the captain stop the ship just for that shot? :)

and Alex, your humor is always appreciated by me!!

Like those Great Lakes freighters!

Well JT, you know what they say: Humor is the best medicine. (stay positive)

Yes it is me in the picture. We took the picture in the morning last week and that afternoon the MANISTEE was towed to Toledo to finish winter lay up work.