Whaleback, Waterfalls, and Stargazing

August 13, 2020

After a quiet night at the golf course we decided to check out a little of the Superior, Wisconsin waterfront before heading North into Minnesota. Crossing onto Barker's Island we spotted a Coast Guard buoy tender heading out of the harbor. The crane is used to haul large buoys onto and off the deck for cleaning or winter storage.

We found Barker's Island in the Lake Superior Circle Tour guidebook. The island is home to the Lake Superior Estuarium.

Unfortunately, the Estuarium was closed, so we have nothing to report. Please tell us about it in a comment if you have been there.

Barker's Island also has a memorial to Seamen of the Great Lakes. The engraving reads:

"I challenge the deep with god as my helmsman, courage my vessel, and the love of those who wait on shore my strength."

Looming behind the memorial was one of the few remaining Whaleback freighters. The S.S. Meteor was built in 1886, to carry iron ore, about a mile from where she now lies. The rounded hull reminds me of a submarine with a pilot house attached.

A plaque near the stern told of a young Franklin Roosevelt attending the launching with his father. In his enthusiasm to get a good view, he was swept into the slip by waves. A member of the Superior fire department rescued him before he reached deep water.

At 1100 we docked in the McQuade Small Craft Harbor. Rock breakwaters formed a protected basin where small boats can find protection in bad weather.  Lake Superior was high at the time as evidenced by the dock being partially submerged. Lots of signage around the harbor showed the Lake Superior Circle Tour as a 1,300 mile (2,092 km) adventure. Lake Superior facts included the surface being about the size of the State of Maine. Water-wise, it could cover all of North and South America to a depth of one foot. We wondered who thought that "Extremely Cold Water" and "No Bicycles" should share a sign post.

Fifty minutes further north, we stopped in Two Harbors, Minnesota. The 1907 Duluth and Iron Range Railroad Depot was once the Railroad headquarters and is now a museum.

This Baldwin 2-6-0 named the "3 Spot" was used to build the railroad from here to the iron mines of Soudan. Pulled on a barge from Duluth in 1883, it was almost lost in a storm during the passage. Burning wood for fuel, it was well suited to moving supplies as the railroad cleared a way through the wilderness.

Wooden gondolas like this one built in 1884 hauled iron ore to the docks here in Two Harbors. Only costing $615 each, they needed lots of repair as the heavy, abrasive ore took a toll on the timber construction. Steel cars phased out wood frames starting in 1900.

This bobber caboose was purchased in 1893 and saw service up until 1932. Neither the caboose nor gondola had automatic couplers or air brakes. Brakemen had dangerous jobs jumping from car to car adjusting the hand brakes while the train was underway.

At the other end of the steam locomotive spectrum, this powerful 2-8-8-4 articulated Mallet provided power in 1943.

Complex linkages are far more interesting than the direct drive of modern diesel electric engines. 

Deemed critical to the war effort, the engine pulled trains of iron ore that became ships, planes and tanks. 

Viewed from the rear,  the tender shows capacities of 25,000 gallons of water along with 26 tons of coal.

In 1884 iron ore began shipping from Two Harbors. Today, special ore cars matched to the spacing of chutes on this dock, roll out to dump their loads into waiting ships for transportation to auto plants in Michigan and beyond.

Two Harbors was also the place a little company called Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing was incorporated in 1902. The company, now known as 3M, later relocated to St. Paul.

 

Only thirteen miles north we moved from trains, ships, and iron to natural beauty when we stopped at Gooseberry Falls State Park. A short hike took us to the lower falls.

And the Upper Falls. The park, built by the Civilian Conservation Corp offers camping and great hiking. We would definitely return here to explore more, and would recommend reserving a campsite in advance.

On the road again, we were surprised to encounter a tunnel through Silver Creek Cliff.

Shortly after emerging from the tunnel, a parking area leads to a looooong ramp and set of stairs.

It is well worth the short walk to find elevated views of Lake Superior.

Smoke rose from a lake freighter steaming east as we scanned the lake.

 

By 1500 we stopped at another overlook trail to see this huge plant in Silver Bay. Over five million tons of taconite (iron ore pellets) are shipped from here annually.

An hour later we found a state forest site at Eckbeck Campground in Findland. Site 24 was only $14 and featured a short walk to the communal water spigot. This is a good, nearby alternative to Tetteguchi State Park if their campground is full.

After securing a site, we went out to the Four Seasons Supper Club to celebrate Beth's Birthday. She changed the left digit in her age this year! We were the only people in the dining room, but the fresh Walleye was delicious.

After dinner we hiked to Illgen Falls along the Baptism River.

From Illgen we drove to Tettegouche State Park where we hiked along the lakefront waiting for the sun to go down. 

Some determined trees were patiently working to break up this boulder.

One more view of the lake from a high vantage point before we headed back to the park visitor's center. 

 

Here's why we were looking forward to sunset.

As dusk settled, volunteers inflated a portable planetarium and we sat for an introduction to the Minnesota summer night sky.

A couple of telescopes were available to look at the sky. It was great to have them pre-aimed and focused. This one gave a good view of the lunar surface.

A bigger scope let us see Saturn, four of Jupiter's moons, and a binary star. 

If it wasn’t for voracious mosquitoes we might have stayed to see the meteor showers. 

By 2150 we were settled back in our site at Eckbeck ready to fall asleep surrounded by the quiet of the forest. 

Our route on day 1 of the north shore route.