Whose view? From where? — February 2010

Dave Stack correctly guessed the location of Februarys view:

"This looks a lot like a spot I have kayaked by on the east bank of the Mississippi between St. Paul Park and Lower Grey Cloud Island. The location is either on Upper Grey Cloud Island or just north of Upper Grey Cloud Island. This is a wonderful area for kayaking, with picturesque bedrock cliffs and isolated side channels.

(As a side comment: I sure wish that a kayakable culvert could be installed at the Upper Grey Cloud Island Channel where the road embankment has blocked access.)"

This area, known as Robinson's Rocks, is a fossil-filled limestone cliff. As the photo shows, portions of the cliff has been scoured out at water level by the continuing impacts of water and ice, making for interesting canoeing. The cliffs are one of the great scenic treasures found along the river in the Twin Cities. They are one of the few places on the river where a vertical bluff rises directly from the water. In spring and summer the west-facing cliffs are alive with flowers, ferns and mosses each occupying different microclimates based upon exposure to the sun. Many birds, insects also use the cracks and fissures for nesting and refuge.

— Bob Spaulding, River Planner

About Whose view? From where?

Each month in this section, we feature a photo somewhere along the river corridor in the Twin Cities that is in some way significant or important or just plain scenic. Individuals may then e-mail us and identify the view and explain why they believe it is significant to the community or important to them personally. Well publish some of your responses in the next issue of Mississippi Messages, where we will also reveal the correct answer.

To submit your guess and response, e-mail Bob Spaulding, River Advocate, through our contact form. The respondent to provide the first correct identification of the view and hopefully some interesting thoughts about its significance will receive a valuable prize for their effort. All entries must be received by the first day of the following month for consideration.

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