PHOTO OP ED: North beach returns, but you (almost) can’t get there from here

Lake Michigan did its part for Port Washington’s north beach by dropping its water level by more than a foot, allowing a narrow sand beach to return. But the beach’s custodian, the City of Port Washington, did nothing to make it accessible in the summer of 2021. Stacks of storm-tossed driftwood logs and the remains of a winter mudslide block the beach’s entrance, forcing visitors to the shore to navigate a steep, challenging path. Marshall Hermann of Grafton helped his children Evan, Allison and Nathan clamber over the baked clay to join others seeking a walk beside or a swim in the 70-degree lake water. The Hermann family walked as far as Mile Rock to make a classic summer-in-Port Washington photo. North beach, part of Upper Lake Park, has long been one of city’s most beloved recreational resources.

                                                 Photos by Sam Arendt