Where Did the Stamp Sand Go at the Breakers?
One of the first adventures I had in the Keweenaw was during orientation week as a freshman. Tons of us loaded into cars and headed out to the breakers. I had no idea what was there, but it sounded fun so I went.
We arrived after dark and fires were blazing all over. We got out of the car and started walking towards the lake. Wait a minute…the sand felt funny. It was very coarse. Lit by bonfire light, I could see that the sand wasn’t quite sand. I later found out it was stamp sand - a remnant of the copper mining activity in the area.
I went out to the breakers numerous times after that first trip. I even remember someone daring me to take my car out on the stamp sand but I wouldn’t do it. Trucks were venturing out there, but I wouldn’t dare take my car. I was fine with walking the distance.
I can’t remember the last time I have been out there. I want to say that I haven’t been out there in over six years. I knew the Environmental Protection Agency completed some rehab work to the breakers but I was not prepared to see what I saw last weekend.
I stopped…and stared. I was speechless. What was black was now green.
Heading to the water, we discovered that there is still stamp sand next to the lake. I ran my hand through the familiar texture. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the EPA shouldn’t have done what they did. I’m also not saying they should have. It just really took me by surprise and I wish I took some pictures of it pre-EPA. I didn’t even think about it back then.
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When I started at Tech, there were two big places to go for a bonfire: Breakers and Redridge. A while back the owners of the beach at Redridge decided that having a bunch of flaming debris on their land wasn’t exactly a good idea, so that’s closed off now. Then the EPA capped off the sands at Breakers, and that’s gone too.
I was talking to a young Tech student the other day and mentioned those places — he had absolutely no idea where either was, because people don’t party there any more!