[Crowbob]

A few years ago I had the 'opportunity' to go up north one mid-winter. Specifically, up to Copper Harbor which is the northern tip of Michigan's Upper Penninsula in February. I had been up in that area before but not in winter. The UP is economically disadvantaged, so to speak, so it's not uncommon to see homes in remote areas that most would describe as 'deer camps', meaning they are inhabitable but without the luxuries we in the real world would call necessities, such as vinyl siding, for example...

What I saw were numerous two-story homes that appeared unfinished owing to second story exterior doors that had no landing, deck or any structure such that if you stepped out, down you went. There were also not infrequently a few 4x8 sheets of plywood leaning up against these houses. What an odd kind of recurrent architectural theme is this, I thought. Well my winter visit resolved that question.

Snow! The only way out after a big storm was through that second story door. The plywood gets laid out to spread the load and prevent sinkage.

Cold is one thing. But dangerous cold is quite another. 40 below, say, and 30 mph wind can freeze exposed skin solid in 10 seconds. That's what can happen walking from your hotel to your car in the morning. Were you lucky enough to have the car start, back to the hotel you went to let the car warm up. 30 minutes minimum for a Dodge Caravan in case you're wondering.

Heading south (which is your only option) along US 41, Lake Superior will be on your left, supposedly. There was no way of confirming this as I had to peer through an 8 X 12 inch oval directly above the defroster vent set at WOT.

I could sometimes see the tracks left by some other insane idiot ahead of me. Beyond that the experience can only be described as driving inside a gigantic ping-pong ball. Pure whiteness all around.

Generally, the whole trip felt like a National Geographic special.