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| HWY, I, BAYFIELD TO MADELINE ISLAND |
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| DOGLEG AT BAYFIELD SHORELINE |
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| ICE ROAD GRIDLOCK |
A week ago, the five Great Lakes were 88% frozen over, but with recent warmer weather the ice has retreated to 62%, according to an article in the Duluth News Tribune. Satellite images show Lakes Superior and Huron mostly frozen over, with Michigan about 70% open and lakes Erie and Ontario pretty much open. Superior has gone from 84% ice to 75.5% in the last two weeks. The melting has made the work easier for the Coast Guard's nine ice breakers that work to keep essential shipping lanes open on all but the two largest lakes and the Sioux Locks on the St. Mary's River, which close down for a period in the winter. A soon-to-arrive polar vortex is expected to re-freeze much of the open water.
But what about the Ice Road? It seems pretty solid at this point and is carrying constant traffic. I thought Almanac readers would be interested in seeing the extent of the road and the traffic it carries, so I hitched a ride with the Bayfield Traffic Helicopter and took a few photos (just kidding...the photos were take from Catholic Hill, on North 1st St.).
As you can see, it is a straight shot, something less than three miles, between the Bayfield docks and the Madeline Island landing, except for a dogleg just before the Bayfield exit ramp, there, I assume, to avoid a weak spot in the ice. There must also have been a miscalculation as to the route earlier, as the Christmas tree markers are nowhere near the actual plowed road. I guess that's OK this winter, because the plowed road has high banks and it would be very difficult not to stay on it, and the deep snow makes it very unlikely anyone would try to follow the unplowed line of trees, although a truck did go partially through the ice earlier doing just that (see the 1/19/2014 post).
And of course one should never underestimate the mischief that can be caused by mixing alcohol with lake ice.
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