“The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down… Of the big lake they called Gitche Gumee… The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead… When the skies of November turn gloomy.”

The lyrics from Gordon Lightfoot’s masterful ballad “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” are timeless. The Canadian folk singer’s tribute to the tragic 1975 shipwreck captivated the country, ensuring that the 29 crew members who lost their lives would never be forgotten. 

Lightfoot’s verses echoed in my mind as we drove along the banks of Lake Superior, the shining waters once called “Gitche Gumee” by the Ojibwe.

Powerful gale force winds, rip currents, seiches, icey temperatures, and unpredictable weather make the Great Lakes region a wild, dangerous place.

Researchers estimate that there are more than 6,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, which have taken more than 30,000 lives. Lake Superior alone is believed to have 550 wrecks, most of which are undiscovered, according to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.

Of the five Great Lakes, Lake Superior is the coldest, deepest, and largest (by volume). Lake Superior’s average depth is 483 ft and its deepest point is 1,332 ft, according to the U.S. EPA. For scale, if you placed the 1,250 foot tall Empire State Building at the bottom of the lake, the entire skyscraper would be submerged and only the antenna would be visible!

EXPLORING DULUTH-

We intended to make a quick overnight stop in Duluth, Minnesota on our way to Voyageurs, but we were so taken by this industrial port city’s unique history, that we decided to spend two nights here.

Each year, the Port of Duluth-Superior handles an average of 35 million short tons of cargo and nearly 900 vessel visits. Climbing Enger Tower provides a fantastic vantage point for viewing the port of these twin cities on the shores of Lake Superior. We enjoyed the blustery panoramic view!

Duluth is also legendary among bird-watchers. In the fall, the Hawk Ridge area is one of the best places in the country to spot migrating raptors like northern goshawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and bald eagles on their pilgrimage from Canada to the U.S. Thousands of raptors may be spotted on a single day at this beautiful preserve overlooking Lake Superior.

Alas, we struck out on the birding front when we visited the overlook (perhaps we went at the wrong time of day), but we hope to try our luck again during the big migrations sometime. 

MISADVENTURES-

Duluth had one of our favorite RV campsites to date: a boat marina with hook-ups, overlooking Lake Superior. A narrow jetty absorbed Lake Superior’s fierce water action, protecting the many sailboats docked inside the harbor. It was spectacular to be able to walk along the jetty and observe both the “rough” and “calm” sides of the lake water. We parked our travel trailer in one of the RV spots overlooking both the lake and the marina. 

After a full day of traveling, we went to bed fairly early in the evening. At 4 a.m., we were startled awake due to the 45+ mph gale force winds slamming our trailer! Despite having both wheels solidly chocked and all four stabilizer jacks down, our little trailer creaked back and forth worryingly. Adam hooked the trailer back up to our SUV to anchor to 4 more wheels and keep us from rolling into the harbor!

These aggressive winds that lasted a few hours and then stopped almost as abruptly as they had started. The nearest pier monitor recorded the average winds picking up from >10 mph to barreling gusts over 45 mph! It was an unsettling morning, but one that instilled a healthy respect for Lake Superior’s tempestuous mood swings. Great Lakes weather is bright and gentle for an hour, then dark and crushing the next.

~Safe Travels, Nathalie

1450 miles traveled, en route to Voyageurs National Park