Serendipity is wonderful.
Sometimes, something passes you by for a split second. You observe it, photograph it in your mind, try to make sense of it, and determine that what you just witnessed seemed exciting, and that you should go back, spend some time re-visiting it, and figure out if it was really that exciting or a damp squib.
It was a cloudy, July morning – not too hot but a bit unusually chilly from all the (Superior) lake wind. Driving back from our camping trip up north in Minnesota, we passed a spot on Highway 61 that had many docked boats. There’s nothing special about docked boats but what really caught my attention was a breakwater extending into the lake. The glimpse that I caught of the breakwater, for a fraction of a second, was enough for me to exclaim in excitement in my mind. It seemed like something I had never seen before, and something told me that it was worth visiting. It seemed like a (not so) hidden gem – something that people would pass by without even noticing. That’s what even we almost did. We did notice it but didn’t stop to see what it really was.
In case you didn’t know, Lake Superior is a giant water body! It’s grandiose beauty extends for miles, in every direction. At various intervals on the north shore, there are several points of interest. However, this, what I had just observed seemed a little unmarked. It had boats which meant that people definitely visited it, but it must only be the ones with boats, right? Why else would you want to go there?
After having stopped at some sort of a garage sale just a few miles down, we decided to head back to this spot. There was something intriguing about it, and I really wanted to check it out. I am glad I saw the name of this place written on a board right at the entrance.
Silver Bay Marina
We went back a few miles and found this magical spot. It was the Silver Bay Marina on Highway 61. We entered, parked our car, and walked around a bit. There was a little trail, a restaurant, and a bunch of boats. And then there was the breakwater. Made up of giant boulders, it extended quite far into the lake. What was so interesting about this one was that at the other end of this breakwater, it connected to an island, which I later found out was Pellet Island.
The breakwater, and the giant boulders that made it, were very inviting. The boulders looked rugged yet peaceful. They didn’t look dangerous. The path that they made were so wide that there was no chance of us falling/slipping into the lake if we just kept to the middle. The boulders were giant enough to give us stable footholds, although you still have to be a bit cautious about where your foot lands. The breakwater is substantially long, and you wouldn’t want to frolic too much and end up twisting your ankle somewhere in the middle! Pellet Island on the other end is a beautiful reward, and once you start heading towards its direction, coming back without touching it just seemed unsatisfying – like going to a candy store and walking out without buying any.
Rusty Boulders
As soon as you start walking towards the island, you notice that the rocks are really rusty. North shore is a hub for iron ore mining. That area has Taconite and other igneous rocks in abundance, and turns out, the boulders in this breakwater comprise mostly of these rocks that oxidize when they come in contact with water and air, and form a beautiful rusty texture. They are vivid! They are bright, and have a very vibrant marigold-orange hue. Some of these rocks are covered with rust, and they are just so beautiful that you cannot help but stop and look at them in awe for a minute or so. The entire stretch of the breakwater is full of such rusty boulders!
The Ladder
A ladder?
After around a half hour of carefully jumping from one boulder to another, we finally get to the end of the breakwater. We reach the adjoining island, only to see a man made ladder hung from the top! Did I say earlier that the breakwater was inviting? There was no way in hell that we could have gone back without climbing up the ladder and going up the island to see the other side. The ladder, made purely of ropes and wooden rungs, was decently sturdy. We climbed up it, walked around a bit only to find another couple of small islands in the back covered in white. They were full of seagulls just sitting there – the wind didn’t seem to bother them at all.
We spent maybe 15 minutes up there before heading back down. Going down these makeshift ladders is always fun! With a bit of nervousness, we went down the ladder, and it took all of 15 seconds or so to set down.
It took us another 20-30 minutes for us to head back to the marina. On our way back, it was really cool to see different rust patterns on the other sides of the boulders that we couldn’t see when we were heading towards the island.
Worth It?
Totally. Check out the photos below to see what it’s like. It’s a different kind of adventure – something that you don’t come across everywhere. If you are heading to Northern Minnesota, definitely check out this breakwater at the Silver Bay Marina.
To show what the breakwater and the boulders look like on a cloudy, windy morning, I decided not to edit the photos. Click on the first one to see bigger sized photos. There’s a video right after the photos too!
