Back in Copper Harbor for the summer... I made my first crossing to Isle Royale as master of the Isle Royale Queen III on Saturday. The top two shots are from Tobin Harbor on a beautiful cool summer day along the shores of Isle Royale. What a great day it was. The lake level was low, but the water was, as usual, still astonishingly clear.

Captain Ben

The bonus flower is from Tex DeGraves

Hi, Ben
Greats shots! been a while since I've been out there. This makes me miss it even more. May have to pay you a visit later this summer!!

Captain Chris

is the flower a trillium ? ... just a guess hence the 3 petals and 3 leaves ? .. Julie B

Large-flowered Trillium, Trillium grandifolium, start out white and turn pink with age.

Can someone tell me how to get to the Mining Gazette web page? I was told they have one, but the person who told me couldn't remember the web site address. Thanks

www.mininggazette.com

What a great morning it is to wake up and view Tobin Harbor on Isle Royale! I wish it was me in that kayak. Are trilliums found on the island? Thanks Captain Ben for the WOW!

Speaking of low water I was SHOCKED on the way home via the US-2 "Banana Belt" at how low Lake Michigan is!!!!! It was back 20-30 ft from shoreline just 3 years ago.....Superior did not seem so dramatic a drop.
Anyone with some insight on the "other" lake water level?????

A buddie and I took the Isle Royale Queen out to the island in 1982. Beautiful but sooooo cold. I remember standing by the ranger station in Rock Harbor on that sunny August day staring at the thermometer; 46 degrees. Hard to believe we had frost at night. Too old for that now.

Larry, a recent story in the Detroit News stated the the Great Lakes are as much as a foot lower than last year at this same time! Who would belive we could have a water shortage in the lakes region.

Hi from Minneapolis!!
Can anyone tell me of a website or a store in the Copper Country where I may be able to find a U.P. license plate holder. Being so far away from home, I would like to get something to let everyone know I'm not from around here and that I'd much rather be "there"!!! Only 15 more days and I'll be "HOME" ! :-)

I just had to add that I haven't thought of " Holy Wah" for years and I'm sitting here with a smile on my face remembering the times I said that as a kid :-). Thanks for taking me back !!

Thanks for the flower pics. So pretty. Something relaxing about flowers. Hope there's a pic of the Trailing Arbutus. Haven't seen one since I was a child. I remember how wonderful they smelled.

Do you take requests? My trip to Lake Michigamme the week after 4th of July was canceled. Wah! If the Pasty Cam guy can go to the little waterfall just west of Lake Michigamme (Tioga Creek), and take a nice pic, I can survive the rest of the summer in Cincinnati. I'm gonna have to get my T-shirt from the Yooper Tourist Trap over the Web instead of in person. Wah again!

Larry-IN.,
Here is a link to all y'all want to know about the Great Lakes water levels.
http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now/wlevels/
Your tax dollars at work!!!

My wife and I just got back from a rare perfect weather trip to Isle Royale on Thursday. We rented kayaks on Tobin Harbor just like the blue ones photographed by Master Ben. Normally, we get fogged out, rained on, or chased by blackflies at least once during a few day stay at Isle Royale, but Tobin and Rock Harbor were like mirrors Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. There was not a cloud in the sky. The winds kicked up on the way back to the mainland later in the week, which made the ride entertaining with 2-4 foot waves. That boat ride made me wonder what 4-6 or 6-8 foot waves would feel like, which probably happens a lot in September. Made me respect Gitchee Gumee more than I already did.

Maybe you can find your license plate holder here, http://www.dayoopers.com/catalog.html

Ben - Enjoy your e-mail. God's Peace - Jack

Hey, Jack, glad to see your message to Ben. You're coming along fine using your new computer. I'm proud of your progress. See you soon.

Two months and six days until my Isle Royale trip! Thanks for the pictures, I can't wait to get out there!

Thanks for the link Sam, but what I'm looking for is a license plate frame/holder, not something the same size as the license plate, just the frame to go around it...
I'll keep searching!!

Hello Jack. This is Capt. Don Sr. Good to see you on
the web and enjoying the pictures at pasty.net. What a
wonderful service they provide. I made what will be
one of my final trips to the island today and probably
my last will be on July 4th after which I will "hang it up."
It's been a good career and a lot of fun at times
(especially during calm seas) and I got to meet many
peole on the island and the boat. But 33 years is a long
time. Also got to see some spectacular weather
formations on the lake, a lake that is ever changing.

Tim, Gitchee Gumee can kick up 16 and 18 footers in a good November blow out of the Northwest. The night the Fitzgerald went down in 1975 the waves were as high as 25 and 30 feet, washing over the boat deck with spray sweeping over the stack. We're talking 60 and 70 knot winds! Six and eight foot waves on Superior are routine when you're sailing on a laker.

Capt. Kelpala- I used to watch your yellow Queen come around the islands and go to your dock at Rock Harbor. Loved hearing the diesel every day. I was about 14 or so and lived at the white house for a while, west of the lodge at Rock Harbor. I could walk across to Tobin's and see the sights in the pictures. Also remember the Queen Two. As I remember, the picture is still in the web site Fish tugs of Superior. Spent a total of 12 years as a kid at Isle Royale.


kelpala-

To Capt. Don Sr.:
Happy retirement! We have gone on the Queen with you in the past and enjoyed it very much. Each year when we get to Copper Harbor I am there almost every morning and evening to watch the Queen leaving and returning! I don't think I could even count how many pictures I have taken of her! Thanks for great trips!

If my stomach forgot to growl I always knew it was lunchtime when the I.R. Queen would come into Snug Harbor about 12:30 p.m. We'd watch it from Coffee Pot Landing. Isle Royale is the closest to paradise that I hope to get in this lifetime. Happy retirement, Captain!

WOW, Beautiful pictures. Brings back memories of working on "the island". (summer of 1965)

Thanks for the note, Bryan. Westy and I were good friends. I have a signed copy of his book, "From My Old Boatyard." I would have given my eye teeth to have been able to spend a couple of relaxing days at Coffeepot Landing. And to Dave, they used to call the Queen the "keweenaw county snowplow" when they would see that bright yellow boat with that huge bone in her teeth enter the harbor.

Hello, Capt. Don Kilpela,
Another era is passing with your 'hanging-it-up' on the Isle Royale Queen.
Watching the Queen leaving and returning was always such a thrill, in our young years, when Dad ran the "Sea Gull" from the near-by docks there.
We spent many days out on "the big lake" with him on 'trolling parties.' I remember the Harbor even before the motels were built there.
Best wishes in your lazy years.