North Shore of Lake Superior Posts

Astrophotography on Observation Hill and Lake Superior

Astronomer and photographer Kyle Johnson spent three weeks on Observation Hill in Duluth and shares the wonders of the cosmos in cinematic fashion in the video above.

In a second video, below, he treks along the North Shore of Lake Superior — visiting the Temperance River, Oberg Mountain Trail and Grand Marais — shooting the North America Nebula in the constellation Cygnus.

Lake Superior Aquaman: I just went to Wisconsin for a second

The other day was so warm I didn’t wear a wetsuit, just my Golden Age costume. Didn’t even wear my flippers because I felt natural. I was at the Duluth rock beach called The Ledges — you can see Richardson Island from there. Standing at a sheer drop, in one-foot-deep water, within a step you plunge in @7-8 feet deep. From there, a casual swim to 12-15? I vaguely fear the sight of large fish. Happens sometimes/nothing there this time but the boulders. Loons and mergansers hunt here though. When I came up after a minute my friend Stephen Bockbock said, “I was getting worried about you,” and I said, “I just went to Wisconsin for a second.” Someone said, “Rock.”

On Patrol

Lake Superior Aquaman on patrol.

Pretty Drive Around Lake Superior Near Duluth in 1921

This postcard image is dated 100 years ago today — July 9, 1921. It appears to be two families parked on the side of old Highway 61.

Back at it

Spur of the Moment Road Trip to Two Harbors

If I don’t have plans for the weekend, Friday evening looms like a desert with me standing at the edge sans camel or water or compass. And since the pandemic started, my “plans” consist of shopping for people food or dog food, so I wander the shifting sands of the weekend looking for an oasis.

This Friday when my daughter-in-law arrives to pick up my grandkids, I ask if Clara, nine, can spend the night. Her mom agrees, and Clara agrees, performing a double-fist pump while jumping up and down.

Peace Pipeline: Duluth-based Yes Men video takedown of Line 3

My brother Allen Richardson and I were “Yes Men” for a day. This is how the amazing project went down.

Postcard from Stromgren’s Motel

This undated postcard from Gallagher’s Studio of Photography shows Stromgren’s Motel, located on Highway 61 in Duluth Township.

Postcard from Little Two Harbors

This undated postcard from Duluth Photo Engraving Company shows Ellingson Island at Little Two Harbors, the bay best known for its views of Split Rock Lighthouse.

AP: University of MN Anomalies Department tests gravity-refracting material in Duluth

The Arthur M. Anderson fitted with gravity-refracting hull invented by Dr. Mallard McPurdy of UMD

AP: University of Minnesota Duluth – The university’s Anomalies Department worked closely with the local Institute for Sideways Research to develop the space-age material necessary for hovering ships, seen lately in the skies over this Midwestern beach town. The hulls of cargo ships (called “ore boats” on the inland seas) were irradiated with strangelet particles discovered by UMD’s Dr. Mallard McPurdy in 2018. These particles were later commercialized by the Institute for Sideways Research which specializes in gravity refraction. The Institute’s founder, Dr. Horace Zontal, explained, “With this innovative particle, we were finally able to refract gravity a full 180 degrees in the hull of the revered Arthur M. Anderson.” The shipping lanes of the world are expected to be revolutionized in the coming years to take advantage of the new phenomenon. Dr. McPurdy estimated, “Costs will be slashed by two-thirds leading to cheaper commodities for all humanity.”

Fish Frozen in Lake Superior Ice Sheet

 

Fish of increasing size frozen at various depths in 8 inches of ice or so. Pic #1: 3-inch fish. Pic #2: 6-inch fish. Pic # 3: 12-inch fish.

Ice Angler Rescue

Ice anglers rescued after ice sheet breaks away from shore.

KBJR. WCCO-TV. Star Trib. Duluth News-Tribune.

I was skating that ice 48 hours ago, so I’m going to crawl under my bed now.

Skated the big lake today

Skated the big lake today in -30 windchill or so. Had it all to myself because I’m a baller, shot caller, 20-inch blades on the Impala

Santa Claus Island circa 1875

Where precisely was Santa Claus Island and when did it collapse into Lake Superior? Well, although this photo was shot by a Duluth photographer, all signs point to the rock formation having stood on the shore of Isle Royale. The internet doesn’t easily offer answers on when it collapsed or if it still stands.

More Wild Ice

Skating Duluth’s inner harbor at “the slip.” Photo gallery below.

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