Madeline Island is one of the 22 islands that make up the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. Located about 80 miles east from Duluth, these island are part of the National Lakeshore Park system.
(Map courtesy of the world wide web.)
In the summertime, thousands of visitors come from all over the world to take in the beauty of Lake Superior. Sailing, fishing, kayaking, hiking and camping are just of few of the many activities that visitors can enjoy.
Madeline Island is the largest of these islands and is home to about 2,500 residents in the summer months.
The town of La Pointe has been around for over 400 years and was originally a fur trading outpost. Year round there is a post office, library, restaurant/tavern, convenience store, cafe, and coffee shop. From June through September, there are other restaurants, cafes, gift shops, stores, and hotels, open during the tourist season.
(Photo courtesy the world wide web)
Ferry boats provide transportation for passengers and vehicles to and from our island to Bayfield, Wisconsin. They also provide transportation for trucks that carry gasoline, diesel, propane, building materials, supplies and food for the local stores, restaurants, shops and merchants on the island.
Temperatures in the summer time are usually in the mid-80s and a quick dip in the lake or lagoon is a great way to cool off. The lake is very clear and many people enjoy snorkeling or scuba diving around some of the local ship wrecks. Campers and kayakers also take the waters for primitive style camping on the other islands.
As the temperature drops, so does the local population. There are only about 250 residents in the wintertime. As the lake between the island and mainland freezes over, the ferry boats stop running sometime in January. Most years the ice between the island and mainland is thick enough for an "ice road" for a few weeks in the winter. This road is officially recognized as "Highway H" by the county and maintained by the town of La Pointe.
(Photo courtesy www.windsled.com )
Until the ice thickens enough to become safe to drive on, the only way on and off of the island is the "wind-sled". This craft is essentially an aluminum boat with two airplane propellers mounted to the back. Generating over a 1000 horsepower, this vehicle can go extremely fast but rarely does. About 25 people can ride at a time and many visitors who have gotten the opportunity to take a trip on the wind-sled will tell you it's a trip that you'll never forget. Loud, fast, and exhilarating are some of the adjectives that have been used to describe it.
By mid-April, the ferry boats break their way through the slowly melting ice from Bayfield back to the island, establishing a "channel-way" until all of the ice eventually melts. It's not unusual to see chunks of ice still in the lake in mid-May.
Living on Madeline Island can be quite a challenge, and very few places offer the extreme conditions that produce the beautiful imagery and influence on those who call themselves "Islanders".
(All photos by Michael Allen unless otherwise noted.)