NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Mar 30, 2009 16:11:34 GMT -5
Wow, Mother Nature is dealing out a challenging early Spring here in the Northland! We had a storm come through about a week ago. Torrential rains melted a lot of snow and freezing rain followed. I’m sure you’ve heard about the floods in Fargo/Moorhead, and the same storm created havoc up the North Shore of Lake Superior. My buddy called Saturday and said, "Let’s go check out one of the disasters!" He wanted to go over to the Fargo area to take photos and check out the flood or go up the North Shore of Lake Superior where the Freezing rain devastated huge tracks of forest. We got a late start, so we went up the North Shore. Wow...miles and miles of trees broke off or laid over. We were lucky here in Duluth. We're right in the middle of 2 ugly situations. These pics are a week after the storm and some of the roads are still impassable. We went until we couldn’t go anymore. Some of these areas have lost 100% of the deciduous trees. I’m not sure why, but the conifers seemed to fair a bit better. Beyond where we had to stop, it looked as though all of the mature Aspen and Birch were done. The same precipatation that caused all the trouble, also exposed new rock. It really got cold after the storm and refroze the ground that had thawed. That allowed some fantastic hounding where the snow was gone and the rocks power washed! I checked out a favorite wash and everything was new…including these Lake Superior Agates! A few Moss and Fortification Lakers The Moss I think this is a high grade Ruin Jasper healed with Agate The Fortification Lakers Hovering right at a pound, this one is going straight to the collection! This will probably go to the collection also. I might put this one away for a face polish, keeping the cool druzy pockets. A Laker Geode Thanks, Steve
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huffstuff
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since August 2007
Posts: 1,222
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Post by huffstuff on Mar 30, 2009 16:35:21 GMT -5
How awful to see all of those trees destroyed! I admit, I was wondering if the waters had exposed or loosened new rock. That Laker geode is really cool!
Amy
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Post by Bejewelme on Mar 30, 2009 18:06:02 GMT -5
Steve: It is totally devastating! I have a friend that lives in Cooperstown, ND, I think that is East of Fargo, and she said it was the worst winter!! But you found super lakers! We had a tornado touch down near us last night, the weather is getting crazy, too many people on the planet I fear!
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Post by frane on Mar 30, 2009 18:08:53 GMT -5
It sure goes in phases with mother nature. In a few years some new trees will fill in where the old have passed on. It will take a number of years before it looks as nice as it did before these storms but time will heal it. I am so glad that you have some rocks exposed! They are outright beautiful! Fran
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Post by akansan on Mar 30, 2009 20:33:27 GMT -5
I'm also always amazed at how much bending a tree will take before snapping, though. I've been through a couple ice storms, and it amazes me how things you thought were gone snap back to health after a little Mother Nature trimming & bending.
Natural disasters have a way of reshaping the area, don't they.
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Post by Tweetiepy on Mar 30, 2009 20:49:32 GMT -5
I just can't watch those snow pictures - brings back current memories of the stuff still around here.
When we got hit with the big ice storm back in 1998 (? - you see I tried blocking this out) my daughter saw all the broken trees on the way to grampa's house and she said "Grampa can fix those, he can fix anything" She still remembers this even though she was only 2 or 3 at that time
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Post by MyNewHobby on Mar 30, 2009 21:14:37 GMT -5
Wow!!!
Very cool!
Mother Nature is NOT something to be reckoned with ... She shows her most awesome storehouses when she is ready.
Did that come out of me? Oh well ..... I will be profound again in the year 2068.
As always Julie
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Mar 30, 2009 21:39:31 GMT -5
Ya know, none of this affected area is old growth forest. I think it was mostly white pine, balsam and spruce before it was logged in the late 1800's early 1900's. All of the conifers handled the ice much better. It may be Mother Nature's way of slowly reverting back to the way it was.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Mar 30, 2009 21:56:45 GMT -5
It looks like a lot of them snapped, but a lot of the others should bounce back, provided they didn't start budding out before the ice hit.
BOHICA tonight!
Nice finds on the Lakers! That pounder is awesome!
Chuck
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rockwizz
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since May 2007
Posts: 971
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Post by rockwizz on Mar 30, 2009 23:02:02 GMT -5
Cool pictures. Thanks for sharing...the rocks are cool too:)
Ozzy
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Post by stonesthatrock on Mar 31, 2009 0:14:16 GMT -5
yep another reminder of why i live in az...............
nice lakers.
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Post by sitnwrap on Mar 31, 2009 9:37:16 GMT -5
The devastation is aweful but driving down that road must have been very quiet and peacful.
The rocks you found are beautiful.
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Mar 31, 2009 10:01:02 GMT -5
That was the erie part sitnwrap...a normally quiet stretch of forest was LOUD! Constant cracking and crashing followed by the sound of glass shattering as the ice fell off the branches.
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Post by tandl on Mar 31, 2009 15:12:47 GMT -5
Awesome scenes and rocks . Ted
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,711
Member is Online
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 31, 2009 20:59:48 GMT -5
Bad stuff.looks like NW Oregon did this winter,trees snapped and lots of ice and snow! Anymore winters suck,I hate snow and cold!
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bwcachick
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2008
Posts: 63
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Post by bwcachick on Apr 1, 2009 6:33:13 GMT -5
AWW MAAN!!! We just got about 10" of snow here yesterday! (at least that's what we can guess since it's blowing around so much) but We STILL have school!!! Darn. Up where dad took the pics, they got about a foot and a half of snow...poor them.
I'm just sooo ready for summer! ;D
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Post by NatureNut on Apr 1, 2009 20:24:15 GMT -5
Wow Steve, Cool pics showing us an area quite different than most of us live in. Wow, you must be so grateful to have this hobby while coping with all that snow, ice and cold for such a long season! Thanks so much for taking us there and again, those lakers are a pleasure to see. Each one is a work of art! Jo
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Post by LCARS on Apr 4, 2009 1:44:33 GMT -5
I wouldn't mind having a few of those in MY collection! ;D
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