Circumnavigating Lake Superior

dmcb said:
I did it about the same time. Maybe 1977 or 78. I was by myself. One memory was I got hit hard on the side of the head by a bug. I stopped and had lunch. When I put my helmet back on I got stung on top of my head. That bug was a bee. Damn that is a bad place to get stung.
Do you happen to remember a small sign saying waterfall with an arrow? I went up the short road and there was this nice waterfall.
No big deal was made of it. In the states it would have been a park or something.

I hear ya on the old part.
Doug
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Along the MN shore and in Canada there are alot of rivers and waterfalls. My wife and I checked out alot of them although I don't remember any names right now. At one location the water had cut a very narrow gorge through the rock. Looking down in it was full of many drops, swirling pools of white foam etc. Some buzzed up kids were riding through it sort of like a giant water slide and others were jumping into those foamy pools from quite high. We didn't do any jumping but we did take the ride through the gorge. Great fun, I'd like to do it again. When we went around the idea was to camp. Most of the first trip we could see/smell smoke from large forest fires. It was extremely dry and campfires were prohibited for most of our trip. Still had a lot of fun.
 
sbw1 said:
Having seen it, I would never do it by boat. It's just too much time spent looking at a shore and tree line. People I know who have gone up into Lake Superior describe how dicey it can be getting fueled up. The truck is late; the Lake is rough when you need fuel; lack of ports of refuge; cold, foggy weather. Not my idea of a good time. Conditions are better suited to a large sailboat. The UP is beautiful, however, and offers interesting driving conditions and places to see.
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When you boat your area what is it that you look at? You do have trees there I know. Or are you referring to civilization in general....marinas, stores, restaurants, etc.
 
Having seen it, I would never do it by boat. It's just too much time spent looking at a shore and tree line. People I know who have gone up into Lake Superior describe how dicey it can be getting fueled up. The truck is late; the Lake is rough when you need fuel; lack of ports of refuge; cold, foggy weather. Not my idea of a good time. Conditions are better suited to a large sailboat. The UP is beautiful, however, and offers interesting driving conditions and places to see.
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Woody said:
When you boat your area what is it that you look at? You do have trees there I know. Or are you referring to civilization in general....marinas, stores, restaurants, etc.
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I was wondering the same thing?
Woody, you are probably like most of us others that live and boat up here; relaxed people who enjoy a real sense of "community", pefectly content with a shoreline of rock and trees, the untouched outdoors, a bit of adventure and in no hurry to get anywhere. No need for a pharmacy on every corner or to get your vacation done in a certain amount of time. Vacation is everyday or evening right out our back door. It's a totally different type of living and boating and I personally don't mind that many are turned off by the challenges of the lake and cold - it helps keep it that way.:thumbsup:
 
There used to be a sign when you crossed the Big Mac to the UP. Welcome to clean air, clear water country. I always loved that sign.
Maybe you have to live in the UP to appreciate what it means.
Doug
 
Woody said:
When you boat your area what is it that you look at? You do have trees there I know. Or are you referring to civilization in general....marinas, stores, restaurants, etc.
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We do three types of boating: We putz around out lake and say hello to friends who live on the lake, check out new houses, etc.; we cruise and run for several hours on Lake Michigan to get to a port where we will stay for a few days; and, we drop the hook in an isolated spot and stay for a day or two on the hook. Each type has its benefits and is more interesting in my view than running on a cold water lake and looking at trees all day.
 
Any time on the water is great and everyone boats where they do for their own reasons and enjoyment. We have raced on Lake Michigan many times but it is the only Great Lake we have not completely gone around yet by water and I would love to some day. I think we are off the original subject of experiencing the circumnavigation of Lake Superior and not necessarily boating there all the time - two completely different things, with any of the lakes.
 
sbw1 said:
We do three types of boating: We putz around out lake and say hello to friends who live on the lake, check out new houses, etc.; we cruise and run for several hours on Lake Michigan to get to a port where we will stay for a few days; and, we drop the hook in an isolated spot and stay for a day or two on the hook. Each type has its benefits and is more interesting in my view than running on a cold water lake and looking at trees all day.
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I wasn't going to tell you but aside from looking at all the new houses littering the shore line, it sounds like you do what we do.:lol:
 
KC_Sundancer said:
I was wondering the same thing?
Woody, you are probably like most of us others that live and boat up here; relaxed people who enjoy a real sense of "community", pefectly content with a shoreline of rock and trees, the untouched outdoors, a bit of adventure and in no hurry to get anywhere. No need for a pharmacy on every corner or to get your vacation done in a certain amount of time. Vacation is everyday or evening right out our back door. It's a totally different type of living and boating and I personally don't mind that many are turned off by the challenges of the lake and cold - it helps keep it that way.:thumbsup:
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I've got a floppy brim hat that somehow has become known as the 'adventure hat'. When the grandkids see it they get excited saying we're going on an adventure, meaning somewhere new. I like getting on the lake, running for hrs and sometimes not seeing another boat. If it tells you anything, one of the places we like is Big Bay, great folks there. We've been over to Marquette a few times, once for the blues festival which was a good time. Haven't gone to far east from there yet.

What was your experience getting fuel when you went around the lake? About the only place I have questions is between Rossport and Wawa everywhere else shouldn't be a problem. I figure my safe range at 100mi but I have run almost 140 out of necessity.
 
Just read this thread again. The marina at Houghton was mentioned. We were at the dedication of the marina near the bridge when we made the trip up from Saginaw Bay. It was the 4th of July 1966 as I recall. It was a city or at least government marina. I don't know if there are more now. I remember Big Bay and the walk to the hotel where the movie was made.
Munising had few docks. A lot of them were almost ruins. No power. Grand Maris was great but Little Lake was almost all filled in. The boat with us ran aground and I had to pull him off.
Reading these posts bring back a lot of fond memories of that trip.
Doug
 
dmcb said:
Munising had few docks.
Doug
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As a tenant of the Munising City "state" marina I thought I'd give a few updates:
There are 9 transient slips but more are often available. 4th of July is the busiest but they can usually fit you in. This fall they are adding 100 feet to the "L" dock which also acts a break wall.
The Tour boats dock along the inside of that and the extension will open up more space.
2013 is tentatively set for the addition of another pier with finger docks - about 20 more slips.
There is also great anchorage in nearby Murray Bay on the southwest corner of Grand Island.
When traveling through you can always tuck in there if for some reason the city happened to be full.
 
Thanks. I knew there were a few updates from 1966. :grin: Such a nice area to boat.
I drive through there once in a while. I'll pay more attention.
Doug
 
KC_Sundancer said:
As a tenant of the Munising City "state" marina I thought I'd give a few updates:

KC Sundancer, How is the Lake fishing up in the Munising area? I've spent a lot of time up in that area for work but have never brought the boat up with me. It's always been on my list of places to take the boat to but I haven't made it happen yet. I've actually done a lot of work on the Munising Water and Wastewater system along with Marquette and many of the other cities in the UP. I'll send you a message if I get up there this summer. I'd love to see all of the work that you've done to the 270.
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We probably crossed paths when you were working on the water system up here - send a message when heading this way, that would be great.

As far as fishing; we mainly go for the Lake Trout. There are specific areas that are good ranging from 5 to 50 miles offshore and chosen depending on the weather forecast. The best is 50 miles out in, a ridge past the deepest point that comes up to about 150 to 200 feet of water. You can troll with down-riggers but we personally like to hand-line bouncing a jig off the bottom, limit out every time. In the winter we get out as far as the ice will let us - same thing jiggin". During the warmer months (July, August, September) we start catching the "fats". Not as good to eat, these Lake Trout look almost identical but have a more pastel colored meat that is not the as good as transparent pink meat.

Coho fishing in Munising Bay with down riggers is popular too along with jigging off the bottom for Whitefish.
 
Was wondering if anybody has anything to add to this old thread. We passed on the Bahamas when we looped so that we HAD to go back to do them right. Spent 2 months last winter there and still wished we had more time. It was pretty much the same thing with Superior. Thought about ducking through the Soo so we could say we had been to all 5 Lakes but it wouldn't have been right. We have spent considerable time on the other 4 so now thinking about Doing the Greatest of the Great Lakes. Preliminary plan is clockwise Grand Marais MI, Munising, Marquette, Houghton, Apostle area, Isle Royale, Thunder Bay, North Shore anchorages, Red Rock, The Slates, and east shore back down to the Soo. Or something along those lines. Plan to spend all July and August west of the locks. What am I missing? With that rough itinerary, are Copper Harbor or Duluth must sees? Don't know what may be in Duluth that's not in Marquette big city wise. Already have Bonnie Dahl's book, looked at charts and have plotted out the north and east shore and have confirmed we are good on fuel. Thanks in advance.
 
tiara 3600.jpg

Just one man's opinion about Lake Superior. It is best seen in a sports car with the top down and sleeping in motels in the quaint towns. The shoreline begins to look pretty much the same after 4-5 hours and the weather can be brutal all summer. It can be sunny and warm or cold and foggy. There are tour boats for the really cool places to see from the water.
 
By us on the South Shore we have some wonderful sea caves, plus the Apostle Islands. Might be worth looking in to.
 
sbw1 said:
View attachment 79599
Just one man's opinion about Lake Superior. It is best seen in a sports car with the top down and sleeping in motels in the quaint towns. The shoreline begins to look pretty much the same after 4-5 hours and the weather can be brutal all summer. It can be sunny and warm or cold and foggy. There are tour boats for the really cool places to see from the water.
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Yup, it's cool and foggy on Superior some times, and sometimes it's sunny and warm. Sometimes the lake can even get a bit brutal. Hey wait a minute...that sounds like lake Michigan.:D

My boating experience is limited, only lake Superior other than when I ran the 420DA up from Sturgeon Bay, it was heavy fog all the way until just south of Grays Reef. What a long day, spent the first night in St Ignace. I plan to go back to Lake Michigan sometime but it's only the top quarter of the lake I have interest in. The rest looks pretty boring. To each his own of course but where's the adventure in always being within an hour of port, gaudy tourist shops, restaurants, and a glass of wine.

I've met boaters from all over the world as they've stopped in Houghton/Hancock. Not one was disappointed in Lake Superior. One fellow from Australia said he'd sailed every ocean and Lake Superior was as beautiful and good sailing as anywhere he'd been.

One power boater from Seattle had boated the entire west coast, Alaska to Panama. He said he always heard about the Great Lakes so he bought a used Sabre in Chicago and spent a summer on Michigan, Huron, and Superior. His opinion was the boating was as good as any he'd done, specifically that Superior was the gem. He question them being called lakes and said 'of all places to get a harsh reminder to watch the weather I got mine on a lake, Lake Superior.'

Once on Isle Royale I slipped next to a trawler and got to talking with it's first mate. Her husband had said when he retired he was going boating. She laughed when she told how they got on their new boat in CA and started their boating adventure. They were near the end of the maiden voyage, it had been 3yrs since they started. Up to Alaska, back down and through the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, east coast, and into Great Lakes.

In the Caribbean she told of being 100-150mi offshore and approached by large open boats, just a tarp propped up for some shade. She was nervous and wondering if they were pirates. They were fishing boats, when near enough they said 'aqua' and held up jugs. The fisherman knew which boats likely had water makers. They filled the jugs, gave some snacks, and away they went. She said Lake Superior was as beautiful, exciting, and as interesting boating as any they've done.

New places, fun, some adventure, and excitement. To varying degree isn't that why we all have boats?

I'd think more fitting input on something one hasn't done would be....I don't know, I've never been there.
 
Woody said:
Yup, it's cool and foggy on Superior some times, and sometimes it's sunny and warm. Sometimes the lake can even get a bit brutal. Hey wait a minute...that sounds like lake Michigan.:D

My boating experience is limited, only lake Superior other than when I ran the 420DA up from Sturgeon Bay, it was heavy fog all the way until just south of Grays Reef. What a long day, spent the first night in St Ignace. I plan to go back to Lake Michigan sometime but it's only the top quarter of the lake I have interest in. The rest looks pretty boring. To each his own of course but where's the adventure in always being within an hour of port, gaudy tourist shops, restaurants, and a glass of wine.

I've met boaters from all over the world as they've stopped in Houghton/Hancock. Not one was disappointed in Lake Superior. One fellow from Australia said he'd sailed every ocean and Lake Superior was as beautiful and good sailing as anywhere he'd been.

One power boater from Seattle had boated the entire west coast, Alaska to Panama. He said he always heard about the Great Lakes so he bought a used Sabre in Chicago and spent a summer on Michigan, Huron, and Superior. His opinion was the boating was as good as any he'd done, specifically that Superior was the gem. He question them being called lakes and said 'of all places to get a harsh reminder to watch the weather I got mine on a lake, Lake Superior.'

Once on Isle Royale I slipped next to a trawler and got to talking with it's first mate. Her husband had said when he retired he was going boating. She laughed when she told how they got on their new boat in CA and started their boating adventure. They were near the end of the maiden voyage, it had been 3yrs since they started. Up to Alaska, back down and through the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, east coast, and into Great Lakes.

In the Caribbean she told of being 100-150mi offshore and approached by large open boats, just a tarp propped up for some shade. She was nervous and wondering if they were pirates. They were fishing boats, when near enough they said 'aqua' and held up jugs. The fisherman knew which boats likely had water makers. They filled the jugs, gave some snacks, and away they went. She said Lake Superior was as beautiful, exciting, and as interesting boating as any they've done.

New places, fun, some adventure, and excitement. To varying degree isn't that why we all have boats?

I'd think more fitting input on something one hasn't done would be....I don't know, I've never been there.
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Man plans and God decides, but if and when we get to the Keweenaw Waterway, we’ll give you a shout!
 
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