Twin Peaks

Porphyry Island, Lake Superior, 16” x 12”, oil on panel, 2004

From the Coast To Canvas Project

Our trip to Porphyry Island was going to be one of the highlights of the summer leg of our project. I was eagerly looking forward to exploring the archipelago southeast of Thunder Bay after being dropped off there by the Melissa, a fishing boat belonging to local fisherman Jim Dyson.

As protected as these islands were however, a canoe was no match for the pounding of the winds and waves that we received over the next several days. With the realities of the weather settling in, I turned to exploring the island on foot. There was a couple of old trails through the forest that allowed access to the other side of the island. By the time the sun did peak back out, I found myself sitting on the rocks facing these rugged outcrops along the south side of the island. Many other discoveries made up the balance of our stay, including the very rare Devil’s Club plant, and would have been missed had we not been wind bound. In the end, the trip to Porphyry was a highlight, just not the one we had planned on.