Epic waves crash above cliffs on Lake Superior's shore

Monster-size waves slammed the North Shore as a spring storm whipped up Lake Superior earlier this week.

"The storm blew all night Sunday and into Monday with winds hitting 40 mph and up to get the swells there," said photographer Christian Dalbec. Dalbec, who can view Lake Superior from his home in Two Harbors, stood on Crystal Beach at Tettegouche State Park to capture waves crashing into the 100-foot cliff. "The swells moved down the lake and it got wild."

Often times, the waves come in sets of three, he said. "Old fisherman call it the three sisters," Dalbec said. The waves hit the wall, bounce back and amplify the next one. The wave he captured Monday was the one of the biggest series of waves he's seen in about a decade.

Dean Packingham, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Duluth said the strongest wind recorded during this week's storm was clocked at 59 mph near Devils Island, one of the Apostle Islands. The storm produced large swells on Lake Superior, including one measuring more than 15 feet, he said.

"That's big for spring," Packingham said. The waves tend to be even larger during the fall storms that blow across Lake Superior, he said.

Dalbec, dressed in a wet suit, often stands in the lake to better capture waves. But not on Monday. "I'm crazy," he said. "But not that crazy."

Standing on the shoreline, Dalbec said he was in awe. "It makes you feel small."

Mary Lynn Smith • 612-673-4788