PHOTO OP ED: A daunting trek with a delightful reward

High water, mudslides, rocky terrain and fallen trees piled high by Lake Michigan storms have made Port Washington’s north beach, once the jewel of the city’s lakeshore recreational offerings, almost inaccessible. But some determined beach lovers proved recently that “almost” is the key word. People who picked their way through and over the various natural barriers at the beach entrance were rewarded with something rarely seen in these years of high lake levels—a wide sandy beach reminiscent of the old days beneath the bluffs of Upper Lake Park. A couple strolled on it with the iconic Mile Rock and a brave swimmer testing the frigid surf in the background.

                     Photos by Sam Arendt