North Shore and Lake Superior

Lake Superior was angry but we were happy

Had the opportunity to travel up to the North Shore of Minnesota and Lake Superior. The purpose of the trip was to attend the Cook County Commission hearing regarding a permit to build a gravel pit and temporary asphalt manufacturing facility off the Caribou Trail near a friend's north country cabin.

The Commission hearing was to determine if an Environmental Assessment Worksheet should be requried for the project. The hearing was on a Tuesday morning.

Jenny and I drove up Sunday to Schroeder to stay a few days at a home on Lake Superior. There happened to be a Winter Storm Warning for the North Shore that Sunday. We decided to go any way, take our time, and, if necessary, stop until the storm eased. Turned out it was bad with snow blowing across the roads but we were careful and made it just fine.

Since the hearing was on Tuesday, we had Monday to "play" in the snow...and there was lots of it everywhere.

Lake Superior was churning with big waves and lots of ice on the shore when we arrived. By Monday it was clear and sunny and gorgeous.

Snowshoeing into Gust Lake

The snow up at the Gust Lake cabin was beautiful. Someone had plowed a good portion of the road so we were able to drive in and park. We put on snowshoes and trekked the rest of the way to the cabin.

Everything at the cabin was in good order. From the cabin we drove down to Grand Marais. Jenny did some shopping and we ate a hardy meal at My Sister's Place.

The house we stayed at in Schroeder was amazing. Right on Lake Superior and with all the comforts. There is a fantastic view of the Lake. We saw deer and I saw an otter (briefly). The sound of the waves is so relaxing.

The house faces mostly east so the sunrises were spectacular but the sunsets were equally beautiful as the entire horizon filled with all the colors of the rainbow.

The Cook County Commissioners agreed to a petition asking for the Environmental Assessment Worksheet...a victory for the cabin and homeowners along the Caribou Trail and Grade.

View from the house in Schroeder

The house in Schroeder is near Temperance River State Park. We were able to walk over and hike the upper and lower gorges of the Temperance River. So incredible with snow and ice and how the river has carved through what was once lava!

We made our way back to the house for a peaceful night before heading back to Minneapolis with much calmer weather.

To see a video of the trip click here.