Third Stop, Sault Ste. Marie

Aerial view of Soo Locks. Soult Ste. Marie, Michigan is on the right.
Soult Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada is on the left.
photo by Army Corps of Engineers

After nature's display overnight, we arrived at Soult Ste. Marie early in the morning. The Great Lakes tour group promised that we would travel to all five Great Lakes. So, when we got to Soult Ste. Marie, we traversed the Soo Locks, entered Lake Superior, made a wide circle for 15 minutes, and then returned to the Lake Huron side of Soo Locks. Mission accomplished, I guess. I think I slept through it.

The sister cities are located on each side of the St. Marys River which flows from Lake Superior to Lake Huron. The recent history of Soult Ste. Marie closely relates to the mining of iron. A quick review of ancient history is in order. Let's go back 3 billion years.

Although the human species has been correctly credited with altering the world environment, some have spuriously opined that we are the only species that has altered the global environment. Our impact is puny compared to that of cyanobacteria. These bacteria were the first capable of photosynthesis, and are responsible for flooding the earth's atmosphere with oxygen for the first time. This changed everything. All complex life on earth depends on oxygen and could not exist without it. 

About 1 billion years ago when land and seas were in far different locations than today, an event referred to as the Midcontinent Rift occurred creating a new ocean basin where the Great Lakes sit today.  Underwater volcanic activity poured huge amounts of iron into the ancient oceans. Iron cannot rust without oxygen. When oxygen became plentiful, it reacted with iron dissolved in the ocean which sank to the seafloor as iron oxide. This created iron ore deposits. The region around Lake Superior is particularly rich in iron ore.

The first iron ore deposit discovered in this region was at the Marquette Range along the south shore of Lake Superior in 1844 by William Burt, a surveyor who noticed that a magnetic compass was disturbed by a force later identified as the presence of iron ore. Thus began the mining of vast amounts of iron ore from the shores of Lake Superior.

Transportation of the ore from Lake Superior to the steel mills and blast furnace facilities along the lower Great Lakes posed a seemingly insurmountable problem. Rapids in the Saint Marys River was an obstacle which totally prevented water transport out of Lake Superior. Various actions were taken, including unloading the ore and reloading it on ships below the rapids. The ore was loaded on animal drawn sleds. Long distance railroad was attempted, but was abandoned due to logistical and economic problems.

The solution was created when the first Soo lock was constructed in 1855. The first ship to pass through the lock in 1855 did so in less than one hour. This changed everything. In 1881, the U.S. Army took over the lock. Today, there are five locks on the U.S. side, maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

For me, the highlight of this stop was visiting the Museum Ship. The ship was built in 1917 in Lorain, Ohio by the American Shipbuilding Company. She was originally named the Louis W. Hill. The name was changed to the Valley Camp in 1955 after it was sold. It was sold again in 1966 to Le Soult de Sainte Marie Historical Sites, Inc. for $10,000 to become a museum.

Deck of the Valley Camp
from the Sault Historic Sites Photo Gallery

A comparison to the biggest freighters on the Great Lakes.
The Valley Camp is on the left. (puny, but nearly 2 football fields in length)

The biggest item on display at the museum was of course the ship itself. At 550 feet in length, it is only half as long as the longest freighters on the Great Lakes. Yet, it feels enormous to its visitors. Although there are innumerable displays on the museum ship, the outstanding collection relates to the Edmund Fitzgerald which went down in Lake Superior in 1975.

Artist's rendering of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Recovered life boat, torn in half by the storm

In summary, you may listen to the recording, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

When Gordon Lightfoot died, the Mariners' Church bell in Detroit tolled 30 times, 29 times for each crew member lost on the Edmond Fitzgerald, plus one additional time to honor Gordon Lightfoot.

Aurora Borealis

 We departed Mackinac Island, headed for Sous Ste. Marie. At 2AM, we got the call from the Captain that an unusually nice display of northern lights was visible on the starboard side of the ship. Since our room was on the starboard side, it was easy for me to roll out of bed, grab my camera, and head out. I was not disappointed.

Judging from the time of day and the direction of the northern lights, I believe we were on or near Munuscong Lake, Michigan at the time, circled on the map. The night sky was crystal clear without clouds. In addition to perfect weather conditions, solar conditions were excellent as well. I had a good camera and the right lens. I was missing a tripod and terra firma. Fortunately, the water was calm.

The lights we see at night are caused by events on the surface of the sun. Solar storms are colossal events the emit huge clouds of electrically charged particles which can travel millions of miles. The particles that happen to collide with planet earth are deflected toward the north and south poles by earth's magnetic field. These high energy charged particles transfer their energy to atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere, causing them to glow. Getting out of the weeds, here are some of the pictures I took.

Second Stop, Mackinac Island (the 2nd "c" is silent)

 

For starters, the name of the island is pronounced Mackinaw, like the Michigan city of Mackinaw. Mackinac is a shortened version of the Native American name, Michilimackinac. We cruised overnight, east across northern Lake Michigan, under the five mile long Mackinac Bridge (also known as "Mighty Mac"), arriving Tuesday morning at Mackinac Island. While crossing we had a nice view of northern lights (more on that later.)

Northern Lights from Lake Michigan

The Mackinac Bridge connects the Upper Michigan Peninsula to the rest of Michigan

There is so much history on this little island. Long before the French and English discovered it, it was inhabited by multiple Native American tribes. First, it was the French fur traders who moved in, starting around 1630. The French formed strong military and economic bonds with the Odawa and Ojibwe tribes to repel the Brits. British soldiers took some control in 1761, and later constructed Fort Mackinac. The entire area including Macinac Island was officially acquired by the United States through the 1783 Treaty of Paris. During the War of 1812, the Americans were caught by surprise by the Brits, who took the island back. In 1815, the Treaty of Ghent returned the island to the United States.

Tourism began after the Civil War. The federal government transferred the land to Michigan, and the area became Michigan's first state park in 1895. Automobiles were banned from the island in 1898, and that ban continues to the present.

The size of the island is less than four square miles. Transportation other than emergency vehicles is by horse and buggy, necessitating daily cleanup. The carriage rides set the pace of life for the visitors and the few hundred permanent residents. We did not lack for things to do and places to visit on the small island.

Mackinac Island is famous for fudge. That becomes clear by numerous fudge merchants, hawking their goods as "the best on the island."

Fort Mackinac on top of the hill is rich with historical exhibits and spaces. The views from the fort are wonderful. We look forward to a return trip to Mackinac Island.

First Stop, Escanaba, Michigan

Upon departing Chicago, we traveled along the coasts of Illinois and Wisconsin for two days to northernmost Lake Michigan. We arrived at Escanaba the following morning. Escanaba is the 3rd largest city on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with historical significance for the iron ore industry. In 1863, Escanaba was selected to build the first massive iron-ore dock on Lake Michigan. It was strategically located as a trading post for timber, and furs.

For tourists today, we were able to visit an interesting museum and the Sand Point Lighthouse. Docked at the Marine Terminal only a few hundred feet from where our Victory I ship was docked, is the huge Cason J. Callaway freighter, no longer in use. The freighter was built in 1952 to haul mainly iron ore, coal, and limestone. It is 767 feet long, 70 feet wide, and is powered by a steam turbine. Standing next to it, one feels quite small.

The Callaway docked. Victory I, our home for 12 days to the right.

 

Traveling the Great Lakes

 At 4:00 AM, on a Friday morning, we embarked upon a two week journey that would include a 12 day cruise of all five Great Lakes. It started a few hundred yards from Lake Erie at the Amtrak train station in Cleveland, our home. Six-and-a-half hours later, we disembarked at the beautiful train station in downtown Chicago. We spent one night at a hotel on the Riverwalk.

On Saturday, we visited the great Art Institute of Chicago. Our first and only misadventure occurred when Eric's wallet was removed from his pocket without his consent. Lots of chaos and confusion ensued, but no permanent damage occurred.

Evanston, Illinois at sunset

We boarded our ship two hours later at Navy Pier, and we were on our way to Escanaba, Michigan.

Fourth Stop, New York

 Visiting New York gives us a chance to visit our kids, and friends. We also get the opportunity to visit museums, see plays, and dine on great food. Since our kids live in Brooklyn, the Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge is a great place to stay. This is the view from our room. The Brooklyn Bridge is on the left, the Manhattan bridge is on the right, and the Empire State Building is in the background, far right.

Alas, the visit was marred by a very sick pup. In retrospect, Laura and Alex's Golden Retriever Ruby decided to swallow a sharp stick. When we arrived, she was lethargic, breathing too fast, and her heart was racing. Based on examination, ultrasound, and WBC count, something was terribly wrong. The veterinarian recommended emergency surgery. The stick had perforated her small intestine, and infected intestinal fluid surrounded her bowel. It was a messy three hour operation.

Well, that put a damper on things. We did get to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art where we saw two great exhibits. The first was on the history of photography in the United States dating back to 1839. You can find out more here.

The 2nd exhibit was an amazing and extensive display of the art by John Singer Sargent. (detail here) Both the history and the talent of the artist were remarkable.

John Singer Sargent
Self Portrait

Next stop, Baltimore

Fells Point, Baltimore
home while training at
Johns Hopkins

 I was born in Baltimore. My parents were born in Baltimore. My grandparents lived most of their lives in Baltimore. Jessica's mother was born in Baltimore. Jessica's mother and my mother knew each other in Baltimore.

Jessica and I share 2nd cousins in Baltimore. What does that mean? She and I are related by two marriages, only one of which is our own. My great uncle married her great aunt - in Baltimore. I will not trouble you with a family tree.

So, off we went to Baltimore to visit our cousins and extended family. It was great to see all that extended family. We also saw my first cousin Jeri and her husband Michael.

Road Trip - Maine!

 We are embarking upon a road trip that will take us to Maine. First, we will head for DC to visit Deedee, my sister of another mother. Then the plan is to meander up the east coast, visiting family and friends along the way. Here is the plan:

On the way to Fairfax, we stopped off in Potomac, MD to visit my cousin Karen and husband Howard, and a nice dinner, and continued the trip into Virginia. After a delightful visit with Deedee and Tom with lots of talk talk talk, we headed for one night stay in Washington, VA (also known as little Washington).

This is the home of The Inn At Little Washington. This is no ordinary restaurant. Michelin lists 20 one and two starred restaurants in Washington, DC. These 20 are in DC. One is not, and that is the only restaurant on the Michelin DC list that has three stars. That is The Inn at Little Washington. We are foodies. If you are too, try to get here.

A Photo Workshop in the Middle of Nowhere

 I have recently returned from a photographic workshop which was held in south-central Utah. Hanksville is a town with no traffic lights, one gas station, two restaurants, and three hotels. Our hotel was our home base for five nights.

Bob and I attended the workshop together. The workshop was run by Caryn Esplin who can be found on Facebook here. Bob has attended her workshops in the past, and got me interested.

    Bob and I are childhood friends since we were 11 years old. Here we are back in the 1960's.

We have been together on many adventures together since. Here we are together in 2015 on the Greek Isle of Santorini, and again in Singapore in January of 2024.

Now, we have turned our attention to the middle of nowhere for a photography adventure in Utah. This blog shows entries in reverse chronology. To follow our adventures and my photography, it is best to take this link to the beginning of our adventure. Then click on "Newer Post" to follow to the next location. All the photographs are my own unless stated otherwise, and most have been lightly edited in Adobe Lightroom. I will continue to make additions and corrections.

David and the Colorado National Monument

 Sunday was our day of rest after an exhilarating five days. Bob and I loaded the car and headed back to Grand Junction, Colorado. David and Shanna were wonderful hosts. It was an evening of guacamole, margaritas, and wonderful talk into the night.

Monday would be our only full day in Grand Junction. David has been a volunteer guide for the Colorado National Monument located near Grand Junction for decades. David is at home in and keenly aware of his surroundings at the Monument. He was able to provide all sorts of information and anecdotes about the area. He shed light on the unusual geology of the area. A publication written many years ago and published by the Department of the Interior is called The Geologic Story of Colorado National Monument, and can be found here. This publication provides in depth historical and geologic information about the Monument.

Equipped only with my iPhone 15, I took many pictures including the one of David. Here are some of those pictures.

This is a vertical panoramic view

On a ledge far away, an astute nearby observer noticed these guys. Turns out she was a naturalist from the National Geographic. Too bad I had the wrong camera and lens.

Meanwhile, it was time for these cliff dwellers to leave.

The next morning, we awoke at an ungodly hour, drove to the airport, said goodbye to our rental car, and boarded the great silver bird for our ride home.

About Drones

 

I was determined to advance my skills as a drone pilot while I was in Utah. The learning curve is not trivial. My skills did improve, although not as much as I expected.

On day one, upon taking off, I got confused about the controls, lost sight of the drone, and the screen got messed up in a way that I could no longer see what the drone was seeing. Finally I saw the drone several hundred feet away over an inaccessible rock field. There are two buttons which trigger an automated landing. The button I intended to push brings the drone home and lands at the spot that it took off.

I suspect I pressed the wrong button, instructing the drone to land at the spot directly below its current position. I panicked because I did not know how to abort the landing. I was saved by on onlooker pilot who hastily showed me which button to press to abort. That done, we were able to bring the drone back and the day was saved - an inauspicious start! I almost lost my drone that day.

By the next day, I was brave enough to launch the drone again. Day 2 went much better than day 1. Here is one of my excursions.

On day 5 at the Silver Spire, I had another chance to fly. However, the situation did not allow for me to have sufficient one-on-one time with Caryn. Furthermore, two drones belonging to our group had already crashed that day, and were damaged beyond repair. I chose to take lots of still photographs instead. What follows is a video created by Caryn.

Drone Video by Caryn Esplin

Day 5 - The Silver Spire and Rainbow Mountains

 I believe it is fitting to begin this record of the last day of our workshop with my last photograph taken on that final day.

The Silver Spire, sunset

This was our best day. The day was supposed to begin at 5 AM, but our fearless leader learned that the road to The Silver Spire was unsafe due to mud. Although we did miss the sunrise, we did get to sleep in to  7 AM! 

Our plan was to again visit the Rainbow Mountains from a closer vantage point, and then spend the rest of the afternoon and evening at the Silver Spire. The locals have a different name for the spire, but I will leave the discovery of that name as an exercise for the reader. A major activity of the day was flying and photographing with drones. This is a big subject which I will leave for a separate entry.

The vehicle of choice for today's outing was the All Terrain Vehicle (ATV), and that was entirely appropriate. Although the road was too muddy in the morning for safe passage to the spire, it had dried somewhat under the sun by mid afternoon. So, off we went in our fleet of seven ATV's.

Kaylin is navigating golfball and some baseball size chunks of wet clay that are being flung at us by the wheels ahead of us and our own wheels.

Kaylin determined to get that shot!

The closest ATV is ours. There was a layer of clay chunks several inches deep on the floor of the cab.

We felt battered when we emerged from that ride. Wet clay was everywhere. We had to somehow clean our glasses - with what? Mud was in our pockets, inside our clothes - everywhere.

Onward! We were here to make pictures!!

Keith, onward and upward

After lunch, it was time to move on to the Silver Spire, our final destination on our final day. There, Bob and I would climb to a good vantage point and spend the next two hours taking many pictures.

It was a bit of a trek for us septuagenarians  to get to this perch. Once here, Bob and I stayed put for the duration.

The clouds and the light were constantly changing. Although we remained in the same place, the scenery was constantly changing.

On a technical note, the photos were taken with a Sony ⍺6700 which has an APS-C detector. The lens for most of the shots was a Tamron 11-20mm zoom. Most of the pictures are HDR merge with 3 images, with shutter speed quadrupling and re-quadrupling. The shutter speeds ranged from hundredths of a second to 8 seconds. Post-processing was done mostly in Adobe Lightroom. After HDR merge, the exposure setting, contrast, white balance, texture, clarity, and dehaze were typically manipulated. Most of the images were taken toward the 20mm end of the zoom. The last image was taken with an 11mm setting, and the spire appears tilted. It was not falling over. I believe this is an artifact from the wider angle.

Thus ends the saga of Bob and Eric in the middle of southern Utah. Leaving our slope in the dark was not as easy as getting there. Keith assisted us, and we got down in one piece. We are grateful for his patience. Had I complained, Bob would have reminded me that we need to know our limitations and exceed them frequently.