• Monday-What'sUP September 26 - 01:13 pm

An appropriate follow-up to yesterday's Shoebox Memory... Countless pictures of the Portage Lift Bridge have been taken and enjoyed here on these pages, but my favorites always lean towards the night time views. Especially when the canal is calm, like in this shot by Dennis Kemper. It gives one a sense of tranquillity with the reflections from the bridge, along with the glowing moon and the luster from Houghton's town lights, all adding to the luminescent scene. It's like fireworks, only in reverse!

Beautiful!

WOW!! I love it!

I've been so busy lately, I haven't had much of a chance to post a message. I have peeked in briefly, however, and I've enjoyed the fabulous photos of the last couple of weeks. What a gorgeous pic of the bridge today!

A good one for next year's calendar.

Mornin' great shot of the bridge

Beautiful!

Good morning from Fort Hood TX!! This pic is just awesome, I love it! Thanks for posting it up. I checked out your gallery Dennis, you have some awesome shots. Well, you all take care and Keep the Faith!

I'm a few days early on this, but the Keweenaw
lost someone special Friday.

Cheryl DePuydt Passes Away
Cheryl DePuydt, chair of the physical education department, a champion of the area figure skating program, and a wonderful person, passed away Friday following a battle with cancer.

I don't know many here that didn't know Cheryl in one way or another.

I know I, along with the rest of the Keweenaw, have lost a good friend.

Rest in Peace Cheryl. You will be missed.

I still use the night photo of Ripley from just west of the bridge using the bridge as the main pic and Ripley at night with the lights on the pure white snow as the background. I don't think I will ever change this screensaver.........

OK, guys, I'm planning to come UP Thursday through Sunday to the Keweenaw area for the colors. How are they? We'll spend a day in the Keweenaw and a day in the Porkies. We have to shut off the water at our cottage in Aura for the winter. Time for the weekly color report!

Great shot! My wife and I will be heading up there in another week and a half. Comming up for our annual color tour to the Copper Harbor area. Can anyone tell me how the colors are comming along? Last year we were a little early and got a "green tour". Hoping that by leaving about the 6th of Oct we will hit the colors and not be late and end up on a "stick tour"...but as long as I'm in the UP it is a great place and time, but colors just top it off!

I meant to put my post on the What's Up page! Karl, it sounds like our minds are thinking alike and at the same time.

MAGICAL! Thank you.

My favorite spot in the UP!! Can't wait to see it this weekend!! I'm with the others, wondering about the colors this weekend. It'll be the first time my husband will be in the UP for the color season, and I'm hoping we're going at a good time!

Sorry for the off-topic question, but does the city of Calumet have a home page on the net like Houghton? (I can't seem to find anything.)

Awesome view! Can't get enough pictures of the bridge. Thanks for sharing.

Mikeb,

Here's the website and cam for Calumet.

http://www.mainstreetcalumet.com/

Thanks Sur5er

Wow this is a great shot. I wish I were up there in Houghton. It reminds me of the night during Winter Carnival at the fireworks show.

Just like I remember it.

Mary,Thanks for using my picture. I saw the Full Moon shining on the bridge from my deck and had to drive down and try my luck at it. Thank you all for your kind comments.

What a beautiful shot! It's now my new wallpaper! I would love to be up there and check out the colors this fall, but the price of gas being what it is..... You get the picture! I'm glad I have this site to visit and check things out!

I know that this question will "open up a huge can of worms," but can someone please try and explain to me the fascination this particular bridge seems to have on 'everyone' in the Copper Country??? It seems as though every business in town and every photo show (limited, I admit -- photo shows that is ... I've been coming to the UP several times a year for at least the last 20 years ... thanks to marrying a "YOOPER") I've been to up there has pictures of this bridge. Have to admit ... I don't "get it"!!! It seems to me that there are much more beautiful, natural scenes that are more representative to the Upper Peninsula then a bridge, especially since most of your visitors cross the "Mighty Mac" to get there!

CindyMay,
Personally, to me, the Portage Lift Bridge symbolizes the gateway to the Keweenaw...and to the most northern region of Michigan. Yes, the Mighty Mac is beautiful...but far more people travel over the Mighty Mac, then they do the Portage Lift Bridge...which makes it that much more unique, to me.
During the past thirty years, I have traveled numerous times to the UP...but there is just something special about the Keweenaw...and crossing the Lift Bridge. ;)

It's nice,is all. Just like the picture.

You got it right...Gateway to the Keweenaw (aka Gateway to the next best thing to heaven)!!!

The bridge is representative of the beauty. For me, the bridge represents all that area has to offer. I've climbed that bridge over ten times and been caught twice. I remember drinking a six pack from the top new years 1996. The bridge warms my heart everytime I see it.

Miigwetch (thanks) for warm feeling this morning. -wood

What is great is that I now live on an island, where the only way to the island, other than boat, is a one lane swinging bridge. People here have the same obsession over their bridge too. go figure.

If you live "north" of this bridge it means you are almost home. I can't really discribe the feeling but I surround myself with pictures of it everywhere I am for what it stands for to me-gateway to home and friends

In reference to not getting the attraction to the Houghton Hancock Lift Bridge, Being a native yooper...having walked it, driven it, or run across it and having listened for the ore carrier horns or the Ranger's blast and knowing the bridge would be going up so that they could pass through and the excitement of getting down to the lake to watch was part of our daily lives. Seeing the bridge in front of a sunrise or behind a sunset or not seeing it shrouded in fog or being covered with wind whipped snow, the fascination for me is simply because it is 'the bridge'.

I visit the Keweenaw twice a year, was there just two days ago in fact. I agree with everyone else that this bridge is the gateway to heaven, or at least as close to it as you can get in Michigan. I have taken probably over one hundred photos of this bridge from winter to spring, day, night, etc., and I'll probably take over a hundered more.

Beautiful photo! My lucky son goes to MTU and has that view every single day from his house. We were up there recently and the best color show we saw was on the way to Ontonogon. We live in the Detroit metro area and there are abolutely no colors to speak of.