I know, I know, Santa's workshop is in the North Pole, not Christmas, MI, but I just couldn't resist! Actually this is an old Iron Smelter at Bay Furnace Campground, part of the Hiawatha National Forest. It was operational from 1869 to 1877, when fire destroyed the little iron smelting town of Onota, population 500. Robert Goniea brings us today's shots of U.P. history being preserved. The beach shot has a couple pieces of wood that have washed up on shore. The lower one has a metal spike in it. Robert speculates that it could be a remnant of a support structure for the furnace, perhaps a dock, or a piece of an old shipwreck. With the timber still round, not hewn, he figures it's more likely the former. If only those brick walls and pieces of wood could talk, what a story they'd be able to tell! For those of you not sure where we are today, here's a little help - -

Wow - always educational.

Not so early actually, but still first post!

Hey, I finally got the early bird.

Grrrrr

Good Morning all.

Looks like someone did some touch ups to this photo. This looks alot different than Roberts original in his gallery.

http://pasty.com/pcam/rjgoniea/bayfurnace_001

Have a great day
John Jacob

Toivo sezs -- Check out the Pasty Cam Photo Submission Policy, for clarification, in particular #3.

Good morning to everyone.

Good morning from Mishawaka IN. Great pictures. Is there a campground in Bay Furnace? I remember camping at Bay Furnace when I was little and on our way up to Copper Harbor (late 1950's). It was pretty rough. Tall weeds, terrible outhouses and remnants of the iron smelters. The mosquito's were the size of dragonflies. As a kid I loved it. My Dad loved it. My Mom hated it. Just wondering if its the same place.

NKR- Yes, there still is a campground at Bay Furnace. ALthough it is rustic camping, the grounds are well kept with two campground host. We stay at a cabin nearby but ride thru there at least twice a day while up in the area. ALso walk along the beach and the paths in the woods. Very quiet and peaceful with some stunning scenery.

Carole- Thank you. It brings back such great memories. Thats why I love this web site. Although my children and sister and her family still go camping, we go a little closer to home at the Sleeping Bear Nat'l. Park. But I hope to get them to the UP soon so they can see for themselves how beautiful it is up there.

Hi Chuck and Dad, Hope you had a safe trip back to Motown!! Sarah, hope you are doing okay with all the rain in Ohio. Have a great day everyone!!

Good morning to all and congratulations to my son Bob
for having been choosen today. A very good picture
and also excellent album.

My husband and I stayed in the campground this summer after being away from there for 15 yrs. It is such a beautiful place and wished we had our canoe to go across to the island. The hosts were really helpful and interesting to visit with. We were there in Aug. and most of the places were full. Nice to be seniors as the Golden Pass only cost us $5 a night. Great pictures. We took many but don't have a digital camera yet.

You have a great eye for taking pics keep up the good work.Your dad put us on to this site, thank you very much. Now we can see all the out of the way places we missed while camping through some of the more main stream areas.

Go visit Robert's photo galery!
Grand Island is a nice shot. Never been
there and will visit soon.

This is... a calming place to visit.

Welcome back Toivo, it has been awhile, was the mystery of your disappearance ever solved? For what it's worth, I think the touch ups to the photo are for the better. Have a good one cammers....

Yes I have to agree that touch ups on photos, bring out more of the natural colors of the area it has been shot from.
It is just more of a natural look.

Mitä kuuluu? Suomalainen tyttö

Hyvaa Paivaa to all living near the Iso Vesi (Big Water).

Hope all have a kaunis syksy päivä (beautiful autumn day).

Nauttia (enjoy) a day in your soutuvene (boat) on tyyni vesi (calm water)

Näkemiin

I was just re-reading yesterday's posts, and, with all the talk of berry picking, I started to wonder about snakes. I seem to remember that there are no venomous snakes in the UP. Is that correct?

Don't think there are any venomous snakes, but a pine snake can have a particularly ornery and nasty attitude. The bite can give you an ugly infection but it's not poisonous.

Toivo,

You might have took my comment the wrong way. It was a compliment.

Still waiting to see a pine snake.I'm starting to think they are a 1st cousin to the snow snake...They also have a terrible bite...

MI State playing against ND. What a way to spend the afternoon.

Paivaa, F'Cubed,
Ei hyvin. Lauantai askareet. ja te?
Obviously, I'm just learning...it's great that you're helping all of us with these words. Kiittos!

Anyone know when the bridge cam will be back in order? I miss my daily CC fix! And Toivo, I'm glad to see your handiwork again, too -- nice tweak of today's pic. Amazing what a little push on the contrast and brightness will do! Nice original, too, Robert -- lots of great shots in his gallery!

The snow fleas should be out pretty soon. They appear about the same time the snow snakes do. They are a nuisance along with the yellow snow.

Isn't it amazing to think of how technology has changed in iron smelting from the smelters at Bay Furnace to the modern methods used by companies like CC and Minnesota/Mesaba.

Remember, if it can't be grown, it has to be mined!!!

You know, you people keep it up and I'm gonna need a larger hat! :) Of course, many of the compliments came from relatives so I'm not sure I can count them.;) Thanks to all. Special thanks to Toivo for bringing the extra pop out of the photos. My scanner is not the greatest in the world. I think he actually brought them back to what they are on the prints I got back from the lab. (yes, I'm a dinosaur using a film camera)

Would've responded earlier in the day, but I was out feeding my other major hobby, woodworking. Scored a huge cache of oak and cherry at a local auction for a great price. Bad news, I blew out TWO tires on the trailer hauling it back. (I MAY have overloaded it just a TEENY bit:) )

Thanks again, and maybe when the mood hits, I'll add more photos to the album from my archive.

To F Cubed: Don't know if you prefer spelling out F Cubed, but it can also be written as F³ simply by depressing Num Lock and holding the Alt key while typing 02227. A²

05555 works too

Bob G.--- Charming photos! I went over your whole album! I too am a "dinasour" with a film camera ( Pentax K1000 35mmSLR--for now!) Remember tho, many of the top professionals and "purists" still stick with film! Digitals are more "crisp" and faster to use, but I believe many of the film shots have a more natural or "honest" look so to speak! I notice that my scanned pics lose something in the process too. The prints in hand from the lab ARE more clear. Some of my real old pics from the older simple cameras seem to scan better! I have more old ones and upcoming ones to sometime put in my album here. Anyhow --keep up the good work!

Bobby Va.
Lesson learned. Hei Hei {and kyvasil}