Toe Dipping in Frigid Lake Superior

Friday after work we headed up north for the weekend to enjoy some fall color. I made reservations over a month ago, gambling that this would be the peak color weekend.

For once, I think I won the gamble!
One of our stops was the Iroquois lighthouse which stands watch at the entrance to the St. Mary's River and the Soo Locks. History notes that Ojibwa Indians massacred a group of invading Iroquois warriors at this location in 1662, and the light was named in honor of the slain Iroquois.

The lighthouse is now a part of the Hiawatha National Forest and has undergone extensive renovation. I found it interesting that the residence now houses volunteers who man the visitors center. The lady (and her husband) we talked with has spent two years living upstairs in the tiny quarters of one side of this lighthouse.

Visitors who climb the 72 narrow steps to the top of the 65-ft. tower are rewarded with an impressive panorama view of the Whitefish Bay coastline.

We, of course, made the climb.

And it was indeed a lovely view.


Of course once you climb up, you must climb down. If you are claustrophobic, you may not enjoy going down this hatch and navigating around all those spiral steps.
I think it was harder going down than it was climbing up.

It was a nice crisp 41° when we stopped here at about 10:30 a.m.
I felt full of energy and left the boardwalk to walk to the shore of Lake Superior.

For some strange reason I had the urge to dip my bare foot into the huge lake. So I slipped out of my backless shoe and did so.

Ah, nothing quite like a little toe dip when it's 41° outside!