Originally Posted by BrentD, Prof
Originally Posted by Ted Schefelbein
Originally Posted by BrentD, Prof
Originally Posted by Ted Schefelbein
I know that the fishing usually sucks, and if you want to go swimming, you can sometimes get an hour in near the pier on Stockton Island, in September, if the sun has been shinning to warm the water up a bit. I’m still the only guy I know who did an hour in the lake at that spot. I’d pay admission to see you fall in the lake, in your clothes, off the sailboat, that we chartered every summer up until 9/11. Or, out the back of my speedboat on a beer run to Bayfield, nicer town, better food, fewer slums, by the way.

I’m sure for an Iowan, Superior looks really beautiful, but, as lakes go, it offers less to do, and you better know what the hell you are doing if you are planning on boating on it. When they say they won’t find your body, they mean it.
If you want to actually use the lake, rather than sit on your ass and look at it, Rainy, Leech, Lake of the Woods, or the White fish chain in Wisconsin are better for almost anything I do on a lake, spring, summer, fall and winter. Hayward is a nice little town.

How many guns have you bought from the dealer in Gary/New Duluth?

Zero?

Best,
Ted

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Figured he’d see you coming….

Haha! I've swam in the lake. It's not a big deal, but apparently, to you, it is. Bayfield is a nice place to visit. Not much to live in or near 365.25/year. I am sure you have touristed up there a lot. Many do. Living is another thing.

What I do up there is fish, hunt, hike some trails, whatever I want. While you sit and pout on your keyboard.

Ever do much climbing? Thought not.

Keep hammering on those better towns to live in on the lake. Bayfield won't cut it. Not by a long shot. You confuse your days as a tourist with a real living experience. You would not last 12 months in Bayfield. But what's stopping you?

You are bragging about the climbing you do in Minnesota?

Really?

Best,
Ted

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Iowa must have been rough…..

nope, not bragging. Just figured, you having told us about the best towns on the lake (Bayport! crazy ), your swimming adventures in the lake, and everything else about Lake Superior, you would have free climbed all the routes on Palisades and Shovel Point, at least. And I have no doubt you are quite the ice climber too, right? Done it all, no doubt.

You got me on the sailboat. I don't own one (but then neither do you apparently). And don't worry about me falling off any boat (my name is not "Stan").

So, tell us more about your heroics on The Lake.

Lake Superior is not the place for heroics.

I have about a decade of crewing on 38-50’ sailboats rented out of Bayfield by a good friend who is a licensed charter boat captain. Less time doing the same thing in the Caribbean. I wasn’t paid for this, just considered the trip payment enough. I also tagged along with a different friend on several scuba/camping trips in his dive boat, a 24’ Lund Commander. You need a guy to stay topside with the boat and mind the lines around the wreaks these guy were interested in. We camped on Isle Royale on those trips, and spent 3 extra days on one trip weathered in on the island. There will be times you can’t get off Isle Royale. The harbor is rocky and treacherous as well. I also spent quite a few weekends dragging my little 19’ Larson up around the Apostles. The Larson had a 150 FICHT and would hit 60 on a good day, and, some days that doesn’t seem fast enough when you need to get to shelter, or, off the lake. I proposed to my wife on Madeleine Island. We had endured about 3’ rollers to get from Bayfield to La Point, and I wasn’t sure she would get back in the boat to go home. She did. When you are dragging your own boat, I’d advise you to stay out of Bayfield, and launch at Red Cliff. I left my car and trailer there many times over the years, never had a problem, and everything is cheaper.

We did have a guy fall off the sailboat while sailing in the main lake off Outer Island, he was in the lake maybe 3-5 minutes, and the Coast Guard guys on the radio figured he had less than 10 minutes of consciousness in those conditions. Humans don’t do well in 40 degree water. We got him in, but the captain had the Coasties on the horn immediately. You can swim at some of the beaches, but, the main body of the lake is a different deal. Most people aren’t able to survive falling into the lake without immediate help. You go into the lake in your clothes, out there, you are in serious trouble.The interactions I had with the Coast Guard really left me with the impression that they felt people were far, far too cavalier about boating on Lake Superior. The fishing is much better in Lake Michigan, but, nothing compares to Lake of the Woods for catching fish. I did quite well catching walleye’s in the St Louis river, and casting for northerns from shore where the river enters Lake Superior. If you wade in, you won’t be out there long.

There is only so much that you can use Lake Superior for. The inland lakes are manageable, warmer, easier to fish, boat and swim in.

I could live in Bayfield the rest of my life. I’d miss the pheasants, but, you don’t have to drive too far south and west to be in great grouse cover. The town of Superior is right down the road, anything I needed that I couldn’t get in Bayfield I could get there.
Duluth is just another decaying liberal town full of gang tag, bad roads at the expense of lefty pipe dreams like electric buses, and crummy housing, with the added bonus of steep roads that are tough to get around in the winter.
Sounds like you like it. Be careful when you go swimming.

Enjoy.

Best,
Ted