Michipicoten - Winter Evening Arrival for Iron Ore

Here is the Michipicoten arriving in Duluth, Minnesota late on the afternoon of December 18, 2020, shortly after the arrival of the American Integrity which was seen in my previous upload. The Michipicoten was visiting Duluth for a load of iron ore from the Canadian National dock in West Duluth. Like most loads she carries, this load was bound for the Algoma Steel plant in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

As the Michipicoten made her entrance into the Duluth Shipping Canal, a light snow started to fall. After watching her pass under the Aerial Lift Bridge, I then re-located to Rice's Point to watch as she passed under the John A. Blatnik bridge, by which time darkness had started to fall over Duluth. She moved fairly slowly for this portion of her passage through the harbor, as she had to give the American Integrity time to dock at the Superior Midwest Energy Terminal before she could pass by. (While the harbor looks relatively large on the surface, the shipping lanes within the harbor are actually quite narrow.) This slow movement allowed me the chance to get a few more different shots of her as she passed by.

While the calendar said it was still autumn for this arrival of the Michipicoten, the temperature in the air and the ice in the harbor clearly indicated that winter had arrived in Duluth. Fortunately, Duluth had a relatively mild winter to end the 2020-2021 shipping season, with no major storms and no extreme cold temperatures. All things considered, it allowed for a relatively smooth end to the shipping season. The Michipicoten was able to squeeze in two more trips to Duluth after this visit before she went into winter layup at Sault Ste. Marie on December 31.

The 698-foot Michipicoten was launched in 1952, originally named the Elton Hoyt 2nd. She sailed for Interlake Steampship Company until she was laid up in 2001 due to lack of demand. She was then purchased by Lower Lakes Towing in 2003 and renamed the Michipicoten before starting work with her new owners. All of the Lower Lakes Towing ship are named after rivers. (Her fleetmates include the Mississagi, Cuyahoga, and Saginaw... though the Mississagi has now retired with the conclusion of the 2020 season.) In 2010, her steam turbine was replaced with a 6-cylinder 8,200 horsepower diesel engine. Her current cargo capacity is 22,000 tons.

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