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Christmas at Little Sand Bay – a poetic take on an Apostle Islands adventure
The holidays are a time for family, friends, faith and food. And for time outdoors if you love the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Friends of the Apostle Islands board member Neil Howk took some time on Christmas Day to explore early winter at Little Sand Bay. Click on the photo gallery to see the photos that go along with Neil’s poetic description of his adventure.
T’was about 10 o’clock on the morning of Christmas Day,
I put my camera in the car and drove out to Little Sand Bay.
I stopped briefly on Old County K to take in a lovely sight.
I looked out across the lake to see the Raspberry Island Light.
Little Sand Bay was the perfect place to avoid any hustle and bustle.
There was no one in the campground operated by the Town of Russell.
On most of my trips to this locale, I start at the visitor center.
But this time of year, the building is closed. I was not allowed to enter.
But it really didn’t matter that my entry was denied,
Because the exhibits, objects and stories are all located outside.
There are many lovely photos, both in color and black and white.
The main object to be seen is a historic fish tug…the TWIILITE.
Fisherman Marty Erickson explains how his gill nets were usually lifted.
Florence Hokenson tells her Christmas story about a shotgun she was gifted.
I walked to the Hokenson Brothers Twine Shed…it was looking pretty nice.
As was the building by the lake where the brothers stored their ice.
Speaking of ice…it’s no understatement to say that it was quite a shock
To see all the ice that totally encased the end of the Hokenson dock.
Then I went to the park service dock and quickly exclaimed, “what the heck?”
A similar block of ice had totally consumed the entire observation deck.
The ice is mostly along the coast and not covering the open lake.
The chunks floating in the marina are the type of ice called “pancake”.
Along the beach, wind and waves have eroded the main coastal dune.
Sand has blown across the frozen surface of the nearby lagoon.
Passing Roy Hokenson’s house on my way to the car, what do you think I did see?
But a shaggy little balsam fir in the yard, the perfect Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
Now that Christmas is behind us and we look forward to another New Year,
We hope anticipation of your next trip to the park brings lots of holiday cheer.
Neil Howk began working as a park ranger/interpreter for the National Park Service in 1978. He worked at a number of different parks over the years and served as the assistant chief of interpretation at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore from 1993-2016. He now serves as a board member of Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
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