A NCT Focus on the area near Old Victoria
Starting with Memorial Day, we would book end the week with a focus on the North Country Trail to the west of Old Victoria. Our friend Mark is involved with the care for the Peter Wolfe Chapter’s segments 13 and 14 which are located to the west of this former mining site and community which includes Old Victoria, a Keweenaw Heritage Site affiliated with Keweenaw National Historical Park. Mark wanted to give his segments a once over before the start of the summer hiking season so our friend Jennifer, Julie, and I joined him on the hike starting from near the former mine captain’s house.
We would see all kinds of trillium during the course of the hike with a lot of it starting to turn from white to pink. These and other wildflowers would bring a splash of color to the emerald green of the forest.
Segment 14 includes a beautiful view over the Victoria Dam and Reservoir. Since the hydro-electric facility is currently closed for maintenance, the water is flowing around the top of the dam through the spillway which you can see in the distance in this photo of the dam below.
Segments 14 and 13 run along the Trap Hills escarpment which provides numerous opportunities for commanding views. With the foliage now in place the views are much more limited than they become in the late fall, winter, and spring; however, there are still points along the way where the trail breaks out of the forest allowing for panoramic vistas. In the photo below, you can see the Norwich Bluff out in the distance. You will also note that head nets were worn to keep the black flies away from our heads.
About two miles in there is a spur trail that leads 300 feet off trail to Cushman Falls. While not as well-known as many other Upper Peninsula waterfalls, you will find an incredible amount of solitude in this place where Cushman Creek tumbles over a moss-covered rock wall beneath tall evergreens. Check it out at this YouTube Short: https://youtube.com/shorts/Ug9w3nd623U?si=3KZos78YpK-xNrwt
Julie and I would hike onward for just over an additional mile so our return trip would put us over six miles closer to our #hike100NCT. Mark and Jennifer would hike all the way to the end of segment 13 before turning around. The time gap would provide us the opportunity to make additional stops on the way back and to hike on to the Victoria Mine Hoist House where the NCT runs in one door of and out the next.
You can see my GoPro video from the hike on the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel at this link:
The shortened week would be a mix of grass cutting, a Houghton County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority meeting, a 2.5 mile walk on the MTU Trails, and a 2,500 yard swim. Woven into this was a golden opportunity to re-seal our waterfront deck. With two open nights in the cabin, nighttime temperatures above 50 degrees, and no rain for over twenty-four hours after completion, I spent nine and a half hours on Thursday applying the sealer.
Saturday I would spend three hours volunteering for National Trails Day helping a crew of volunteers move fifteen yards of gravel onto about a quarter mile of a muddy area of the North Country Trail to the west of Old Victoria. Our friend Jennifer also volunteered and rode down with me. The two us stayed on afterwards to help our friend Mark with a couple of other small matters that needed to be addressed along the trail.
You can see my GoPro video from this volunteer effort on the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel at this link:
You can also see a walk of on what was close to being the final product on National Trails Day at this link to the Peter Wolfe Chapter of the North Country Trail Facebook page: link.
Do you embrace winter and have the ability to work remotely? Consider locating in the Keweenaw where you will find ubiquitous natural beauty, no congestion, and lower crime! Not sure? Come UP for a workcation to check it out! Learn how at Visit Keweenaw at https://www.visitkeweenaw.com/plan/trip-ideas-itineraries/workcations/ Visit Remote Workforce Keweenaw at https://remoteworkforcekeweenaw.com. Learn about those making the decision to locate here by following the Remote Workforce Keweenaw Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RemoteWorkforceKeweenaw.