NASA
Lake Superior Ice Cover, March 6, 2015
Lake Superior's ice cover on March 6, 2015.
Ice caves closed, then reopened – for now
Lake Superior's ice cover reached 95 percent for a second consecutive winter, but at the Apostle Islands ice caves, access has been fleeting.
The Apostle Islands ice caves hosted more than 12,000 visitors on opening weekend, February 28 to March 1, and then were temporarily closed on March 3 because of high winds and a winter storm. On March 5, the caves reopened – but with temperatures expected to top 40 degrees next week, the ice may not remain stable for long.
The caves were accessible for two months in 2014 during an exceptionally cold winter.
Cooler by the lake
Grand Marais, Minnesota, was voted America's Coolest Small Town in a Budget Travel contest. The town took 30.3 percent of the popular vote, about 6 percentage points ahead of runner-up Chincoteague, Virginia.
Duluth Traverse Trail receives $65,000
Ahead of its March 7 gala fundraiser, the Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores announced donations of $30,000 from Loll Designs and $35,000 from the Minnesota Power Foundation for the Duluth Traverse Trail.
The multi-use, natural-surface Duluth Traverse will eventually span the entire length of the city, forming a 100-mile-long trail network. It's expected to be completed in 2017.
Read more about the trail in our April/May issue, mailing mid-month.
+ A $10,000 donation from the Ford Motor Company will fund Women in Engineering scholarships at Michigan Tech.
+ The new owners of Marquette's Landmark Inn have big plans, reports WLUC-TV's Rebecca Himmelstein.
+ Michael Gordon, UpNorthLive: "Lake Superior State University plans aquatic lab extension."