Michael and Marilynn tour
The Great Lakes:
From Duluth to Toronto
Who knew that Silver Islet would become the largest silver mine in the world during its lifetime, and that it was all mined underneath Lake Superior. Truly an astonishing engineering success until it flooded! Here’s the fascinating story: <https://www.ontarioparks.ca/parksblog/sleeping-giant-silver-islet-mine/>. We managed to get a tour on the Special Operations craft which is a 30 foot jet boat very like the ones used by the Army in Vietnam. The ship has two and they are capable of 60mph on the water! The seats on the boat are supremely comfortable! We could not get too close to the closed silver mine as the water was very shallow, but seeing it left me in awe of what the miners had to deal with. Perhaps the wildest bit of engineering I’ve ever seen and to realize it was so hugely successful is just miraculous.
Port where we board our jet boat.
We were flying!
Island housing a light house.
Sea Lion Rock
As hard as it might be to believe, this is the famous Silver Islet mine, or what is left of it.
Hangar where all the boats are stored on the ship.
Special Operations craft are loaded on the stern and winched along the tires.
Silver Islet Township
Arrival by Zodiac
Miner’s General Store.
Notice the price of Coca Cola!
Most houses were abandoned, but there remains a small, rural community here at Silver Islet-note the “road number”!
A submarine ride!
A ride to remember for a long, long time!!!!
rock fall from weathering.
Approximately 200 ft down we find bedrock stone.
Disembarking.
What fun that was!
