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| Welcome to Trenary, Michigan Home of the 7th Ever Outhouse Races Photo by J. Loose | |
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The 2000 Outhouse Classic Trophy Photo by J. Loose |
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The Outhouses That Received Awards | |
People's Choice - Man on the Can! | Most Miles Traveled - Hillbilly Hide-a-Way |
Most Humorous - Dog Patch | Best Workmanship - PU PU INA HOLA |
Most Colorful - Brown Growler |
Most Original - Snow White |
Race Results and Times | |
Kids Category | |
1st Place - Midnight Special: 12.81 Seconds | |
2nd Place - Lil Pooper: 14.96 Seconds | |
3rd Place - Pokey Pooper: 15.335 Seconds | |
Adults Category | |
Ages 13 - 30 | Ages 31 and Over |
1st Place - Kurts Place: 23.30 Seconds | 1st Place - Log Slide: 25.99 Seconds |
2nd Place - Hacks Camp: 24.07 Seconds | 2nd & 3rd Place (tie) - Sawyer Saw Dogs: 29.67 Seconds |
3rd Place - Who Cut The Cheese?: 24.49 Seconds | 2nd & 3rd Place (tie) - Bungalow Birch: 29.67 Seconds |
GOTTA GO! | |
 What is the Outhouse Classic? Build an outhouse with wood and/or cardboard, put in a toilet seat & roll of toilet paper, mount it on skis and PUSH it 500 feet to WIN! They even give an Outhouse Classic Tshirt with every paid entry (2 pushers per entry).Where is The Outhouse Classic held? Trenary, MichiganWhen is the Outhouse Classic held? The last weekend of February. How do I get there from here? In Michigan, drive North on I-75 to Mackinac City, MI. Cross the Mackinac Bridge to St. Ignace and head West on Route 2. Eventually you come to Rapid River, MI. From there, head North on US 41 for about 19 Miles and watch for the signs to the Outhouse Classic! Nearest Airport is Escanaba, MI.Who can race and is there anything else to do? Kids Race (Ages 6 to 12): Size of the outhouse must be 18" x 24" x 40" tall. Attach 12" push bars on each side for safety. Skis or toboggan allowed for runners. You must register by noon; race starts at 1:00 PM. Cash prices for 1st - 3rd PlaceAdult Race (2 age categories): Minimum size must be 3' x 4' x 6' tall on skis only! (Push bars, not to exceed 16", recommended.) Cash prices for 1st - 3rd PlaceVolleyball: Played on a snow field with orange lines painted on the snow.Be creative and get judged on your workmanship, presentation, most humorous idea, miles most traveled and closest to theme ideas of your outhouse. | |
| OK. Enough advertising. Let's get down to my viewpoint of this event...Being the Curator of the Outhouses of America tour, I thought it only fitting that I make the pilgrimage up to Trenary again this year to see what this year's event would be like. I departed Detroit on Friday morning and arrived at the motel in Escanaba before 5 PM.This year Michigan did not get that much snow so I was beginning to worry when I didn't see that much snow along the way. Total mileage to get there: 438 miles! I still can't believe I drove 438 miles to see Outhouses Racing down Main Street on Skis. I was NOT disappointed. It was the Best Ever! | |
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| Introducing Rollie; The 2000 Outhouse Classic Leader Photo by J. Loose | |
| I arrived at the Trenary Tavern late Friday night and met up with Rollie (Outhouse Classic Committee President), Sherry (Outhouse Classic Secretary) and Cindy and Terry Pilon, owners of the Trenary Tavern. The Tavern was hopping with lots of people of all ages and we talked late into the night. At midnight, we heard a payloader outside. It was bringing the snow for the Outhouse Race Track and dumping it on Main Street. In a short time, all the snow necessary for the race was placed all down Main St. A snow bank on either side would help to keep the Outhouses on the track. The trophies for the race winners were on display in the bar and they were hand-made for the winners. T-shirts, sweatshirts, buttons, headbands and various other souvenirs were on sale either in the Tavern or outside the next day. The Outhouse Committee this year was chaired by Rollie. He was very nice to talk to. I found out that this event is just like many other events; it is hard to find volunteers to be on the Outhouse Committee because it is hard work to organize it every year.On Saturday, I arrived in Trenary around noon and took many of the pictures you see on this page. During the races, I took video. There were people everywhere playing volleyball on the snow, drinking all kinds of "beverages", walking down Main St. and talking amongst themselves. A local radio station was there and had speakers mounted to many poles and they announced the races.The first racers to head down the track were the kids. I think there were around 4 or 5 entries and they were really funny to watch. People were lining the track all the way from the start to the finish line and beyond. The kids race about 200-300 feet. I found a spot about 50 feet down the track from the starting line and took the pictures you see of the kids racing from that location.Around 2 PM, the real action began. The adults push the outhouses 500 feet down Main St. and all kinds of strategies were used. Some pulled, some pushed, some had one pusher in the front on one side and at the back on the other side. The correct way to push the Outhouses is to have two people in the back, pushing, which is very hard to do. Just think about it; you have to run at top speed down a snow covered surface. How do you get traction? Some used spikes or golf shoes; others fell! This year was no exception; many outhouses kept going off the track on one side or the other. I attributed that to uneven pushing. In some cases, the racers stopped to "mingle" with the crowd. One funny thing happened to one outhouse; the pushers stopped halfway down the track and one went inside the stopped outhouse. A short time later, you heard what sounded like firworks going off from inside the outhouse. I guess the pusher had to go!One thing I noticed again this year was that as the outhouses were pushed by you, the ground actually felt like it was moving and you could hear a low rumbling noise from the weight of the outhouse on the skis. It was pretty neat. Anyway, the young adults raced first followed by the "kids" aged 13-30 and then the older adults. This year, I had many favorites, including the PU PU INA HOLA entry. It looked like a tiki hut with green flowing grass all over it and a palm tree. It was pushed by two girls with coconut bras and was very funny. The construction of it was fabulous. Another outhouse, which took the place of the Vati-Can, was Dog Patch. It was pushed by Daisy May and Mammy. They gave out small jugs of Kickapoo Joy Juice with an XXX "Dogpatch Gals" label on it. Daisy Mae was dressed with a stretch black sweater, which was stretched TO THE LIMIT!!! As she walked, she would bounce up and down and it was quite a site to see. Many a man was hugged by Daisy Mae and enjoyed every inch of her strained sweater! It was a riot! Another favorite of mine had a beer tap coming out the back and a keg of beer inside. It was a working tap. Another all time favorite outhouse was The Man On A Can. It was so funny! The outhouse was constructed out of pvc piping and was "open air" with a "can" and a toilet seat. I think it was built on a pallet. When it came time for the race, a HUGE man with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other squeezed himself into the outhouse and as he sat, smoked and drank, two poor fellows pushed him, er, it down the track. It was hilarious and I laughed my head off.The weather on Race Day started out sunny and warm for the U.P., but as the day wore on and during the race, the temperature began to drop and fog rolled in as you can see in the photo's. I ate my meals at a restaurant in Escanaba called Delonas and it had excellent home cooked meals. I'd recommend it to anyone. They also kept their parking lot sanded which was nice. I also had a Pasty at the Fire Hall in Trenary. They served home cooked items including Bratwursts and Pasties, which are a specialty of Wisconsin and Northern Michigan. They were excellent.So what will be on tap for next year? Only time will tell but if the weather is good, you just might find me at the 8th Annual Outhouse Classic Races again!One last thing: I have told many people about the Outhouse Races in Trenary and I can't tell you how many times I heard the comment "Oh, I know someone from Trenary!".
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This year's massive crowd at the 7th ever Outhouse Classic. Who says Outhouse Racing is not popular? The crowd this year was much larger than last years. |
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The 7th Ever Outhouse Classic Crowd Photo by J. Loose |
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Best Workmanship AwardThe workmanship on this entry was fabulous. The detail was authentic right down to the real coconut air freshener hanging inside the outhouse. This same group created last year's car outhouse, which was one of my favorites last year. The designers are delightful to talk to and very talkative. They told me to just wait until next year. They have a great idea cooked up.Return to the Awards SectionReturn to the race descripton above... |
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| PU PU INA HOLA Photo by J. Loose | |
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Here are the pushers complete with their real coconut bras. |
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Look at them coconuts! Photo by J. Loose |
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Most Humorous AwardThis was by far the funniest entry. As I described in the description of the races above, Daisy Mae was the most outgoing person at the races, in more ways than one.Return to the Awards SectionReturn to the race descripton above... |
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Daisy Mae and Mammy Photo by J. Loose | |
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This was the view from the front of The Dog Patch |
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Enter the Dog Patch Outhouse Photo by J. Loose |
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People's Choice AwardReturn to the Awards SectionReturn to the Commentary AboveThis was by far my favorite outhouse and I laughed the hardest the whole time he was racing down the track. Just take a look and you'll see why. |
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| Man on the Can! Photo by J. Loose | |
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The general structure is made out of pvc piping but the push bars were heavy duty because once the Man on the Can got in, it took every ounce of energy to push this entry. |
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Construction of The Man on the Can Outhouse Photo by J. Loose |
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Most Colorful AwardReturn to the Awards SectionAs the front of the outhouse says, "Wider is Better Der Eh?" Inspecting and judging the Outhouse is Rollie. |
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| Most Colorful Entry Photo by J. Loose | |
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Here's another view of the front of the Brown Growler. |
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The Brown Growler entry Photo by J. Loose |
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| Here's what the back of the Brown Growler outhouse looked like. |  |
| Back of the Brown Growler Photo by J. Loose | |
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Most Miles Traveled AwardReturn to the Awards SectionThe Hillbilly Hideaway was a great entry. As I remember the video, the two hillbilly's came by swinging and swaying while smiling all the way. There were some missing teeth but that didn't stop them from smiling. This picture was sent to me by the hillbilly's themselves! |
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The Hillbilly Hide-A-Way Photo by J. Loose |
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Most Original AwardReturn to the Awards SectionThis outhouse took some time to do. A lot of great painting went into this one. |
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Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work we go... Photo by J. Loose | |
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This is a shot from the side of the Snow White Outhouse. |
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Snow White's Dwarf(s) Photo by J. Loose |
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1st Place - Kids Race |
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| 1st Place Kids Racing Teams Photo by J. Loose | |
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3rd Place - Kids Race |
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3rd Place in the Kids Race Photo by J. Loose |
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1st Place - 13-30 Yrs Old |
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| Rose Bowl Champs and 1st Place; Not bad in one year Photo by J. Loose | |
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2nd Place - 13-30 Yrs Old |
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2nd Place - 13-30 Hack's Camp Photo by J. Loose |
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3rd Place - 13-30 Yrs Old |
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| 3rd Place - 13-30 yr olds: Who Cut the Cheese? Photo by J. Loose | |
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1st Place - 31 Yrs Old and Up |
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1st Place ages 31 and up: The Log Slide Photo by J. Loose |
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2nd Place - 31 Yrs Old and Up |
Image is AWOL |
| 2nd Place ages 31 and up: Sawyer Saw Dogs Photo by J. Loose | |
| Image is AWOL | 3rd Place - 31 Yrs Old and Up |
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Sawyer Saw Dogs Photo by J. Loose |
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| This outhouse represents one of the two taverns in Trenary on Main Street. I spent a bit of time in this Tavern having conversations with the owners and some of the Outhouse Classic Committee members. |  |
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Trenary Tavern's Outhouse Photo by J. Loose | |
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This outhouse was pretty well constructed as you can tell. |
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Rapid River, MI Swallow Inn (Birch Run Social Club) Photo by J. Loose |
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| This outhouse was made to quench one's thirst. Inside was a full keg of beer and the tap was outside. You can see the beer tap in the back shown in the picture. See the next picture to see what was inside.
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| Chums Bar (Notice the Beer Tap!) Photo by J. Loose | |
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Inside shot showing the working keg of beer. Even though it was cold outside, everyone hoisted a beer when they visited this outhouse. The circles in the photo are distortions caused by a bright sun background. |
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Chums Bar (shows the keg inside the outhouse) Photo by J. Loose |
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| This outhouse tried to take advantage of the fact that air will flow through the holes during the race. This would reduce friction and make the outhouse go faster. It didn't work! |  |
| Da Many Holer (Don't worry about smell buildup in this one) Photo by J. Loose | |
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Inside Da Many Holer was a huge roll of "paper". As you can see, it was called Da Sit House Paper. |
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Da S_it House Paper Photo by J. Loose |
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| This outhouse had some very nice paintings on the side. It kind of looked like a sheet that had been painted had been draped around it. |  |
| Erb Lumber from Hillman, Michigan Photo by J. Loose | |
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This outhouse had some writing on the side. Here is what it said:
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Every Mans Heaven Photo by J. Loose |
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| This was what you saw when you looked inside the Every Mans Heaven Outhouse. As you can see, they used PVC piping to construct some of the frame for this one. |
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| Inside Every Mans Heaven Outhouse Photo by J. Loose | |
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Outhouses of all shapes, sizes and designs were at Trenary this year. This outhouse was representative of your basic quick fixer upper outhouse. |
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Your basic cardboard outhouse Photo by J. Loose |
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| This was Patty the Painter's entry this year. She told me she did not have the time this year to come up with a completely new design so she modified last years entry and created the "Nothing runs like a deer" entry. This outhouse was raced by the children and they were friends or relatives of Pattys. This year, new push rods were installed and they did not break off like last year. |  |
| Nothing runs like a deer Photo by J. Loose | |
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OK, here they are ready to race down the track. Unfortunately, Patty could not find any adults this year to push her entry. I almost offered but then who would take the pictures and video? |
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Nothing Runs Like A Deer Photo by J. Loose | |
| This entry was here last year as well. I guess that's why the theme is Keep It Simple Stupid. |  |
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The KISS philosophy Photo by J. Loose | |
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I'm not sure who entered this outhouse. It had a craps table set up at the base so I was thinking it must have come from a casino. Anyone know for sure? |
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Roll Them Bones, er, the Dice! Photo by J. Loose |
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| The Co-op Flyer. This outhouse was pretty colorful for sure. On one side of it, there was a sticker with the following words: Sure Fine Baked Beans. On the other side it said "Powered By Shur Fine pitted Prunes. Outhouse Classic Power. |  |
| Better Eat Those Prunes! Photo by J. Loose | |
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The Co-op Flyer. I thought this outhouse was pretty well constructed. If not, it certainly was colorful. |
| Pitted Prune Powered Outhouse Photo by J. Loose |
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| I don't know much about this outhouse. It may have been one of the aluminum framed outhouses from Superior Extrusion. It certainly was FAST! |  |
| Team SEI Aluminum Photo by J. Loose | |
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If anyone deserved an award for quality construction, this outhouse did. I couldn't believe the detail on this one. It seemed to be constructed mainly of heating ductwork and other assorted heating and cooling parts. |
| Weil McClain Quality Plumbing and Heating Photo by J. Loose |
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| This outhouse was beyond words. It must have taken a lot of time to string all the cardboard tubes together but it was highly unstable. As it was pushed down the track, the whole thing was swaying as though an earthquake was occurring. |  |
| The cardboard earthquake outhouse Photo by J. Loose | |
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I think this entry was here last year. It still is pretty cool the way it looks. |
| Whiskey Creek Hunting Camp Photo by J. Loose |
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| I think this entry was pretty fast going down the track. It had to be one of the lightest outhouses on the track all day. |  |
| Superior Extrusion's Kids Entry Photo by J. Loose | |
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Many people truck in their outhouses and put them together at the last minute. As you an see, everyone here is busy using duct tape and tie wraps to complete the outhouse. |
| Last minute repair and building Photo by J. Loose |
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| Here is another view of the above outhouse as they do the finish work to the outside. |  |
| Another view of the Shit Happens outhouse Photo by J. Loose | |
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What can be said about his entry? The name says it all. |
| Gettin Sht Faced Photo by J. Loose |
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| This picture and the next shows the entry from Spot Lake Racing. It too was a pretty unique idea of a design. |  |
| A double holer outhouse Photo by J. Loose | |
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Here is another shot of the Spot Lake Racing outhouse. I kind of liked the design. |
| The front of the Spot Lake Racing Entry Photo by J. Loose |
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| Here's another shot of the cardboard tube outhouse. |  |
| The Cardboard Waving and Weaving Wonder Photo by J. Loose | |
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This shows yet another view of the outhouse constructed of cardboard tubes. |
| Open Sesame, er, cardboard tubes Photo by J. Loose |
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| Ever played volleyball outside before? ... On Snow??? Well, you can in Trenary. There was a very spirited game going on most of the day inspired by high spirits. No pun intended...or is there? |  |
| Winter Snow Volleyball Anyone? Photo by J. Loose | |
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This was one of the last outhouses racing down the track. There was a head sticking out at the top just below the roof. As it was pushed, the head swayed back and forth! |
| For Sale: $10,500 Firm! Photo by J. Loose |
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| As you drive East out of Escanaba, you come to a bay with a memorial fishing bridge sticking out into the water. In this picture you can see some of the ice fishermen shantys. In the foreground is a tiny speck. It is an outhouse. The next picture shows it better. |  |
| Escanaba Bay Outhouse and Ice Fishermen Photo by J. Loose | |
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Here you can see the outhouse a little better. Beyond it is a memorial fishing bridge devoted to a conservation officer who lost his life in the line of duty. In the background are all the fishing shantys. As I took this picture, the ice was melting fast and beginning to break up. The next day all the shantys were required to be off the ice or face a stiff fine. |
| Outhouse and Ice Fishermen in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan Photo by J. Loose |
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| What else can you see in the images shown? Many times a photo is worth a thousand
words and I've only elaborated with a few so here is
your chance to add
some "color commentary" to my collection. If your addition is worthy, you
will find the quote added on the Comments to the Curator
page. You can use Email to respond. |
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This Home Page was created on May 29, 2000
Most recent revision March 4, 2001