Plan our camping trip!

("john smith" wrote)
Hmmmm... peak black fly and mosquito season, isn't it?
Nothing like getting your exercise swatting, swimming and running on the
beach to escape the clouds of swarming, hungry, bloodthirsty insects.


Swimming on the beach? Superior? Ha! Jet ski in a FULL insulated body suit -
maybe.

I swam in Superior in June (40 miles up the shoreline from Duluth - we all
call it north, but it's really mostly east) Not swimming at the mouth of a
45-50 degree river, mind you, but out on the rocks (by our rented cabin)
wading in up to my neck.

Top 6 inches of surface water was ...44 F, at the most. Going down to 4-ft
or 5-ft or 6-ft and it was in the HIGH 30's (F). I could feel the 5 or 6
degree change in water temp, initially. Then I couldn't feel my toes, or my
fingers, or my....

I lasted 15 minutes - the last 9 were miserable.
(About 75-ft from shore, the lake depth is 800-ft deep where I was swimming)

http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/glcfs/swt2d-03.html

http://www.landbigfish.com/watertemps/superior.cfm

These temps don't change much come summer! :-)

Superior's big draw is having the Twin Cities at 97 degrees while you're up
on the North Shore in a sweatshirt - not much humidity and almost no
mosquitoes.

Blackflies and mosquitoes are NOT much of a problem hiking or lounging
around the shoreline vs. being inland a few miles. A few, not many though.


Montblack
http://www.acousticmusic.com/staines/bsdisco.htm
Bill Staines - The BlackFly Song
Album: Just Play One Tune More (1977) Now out on CD
Great LP record, album, CD ...whatever.