Autumn at Estivant Pines and Gratiot Beach

We had just started our hike at Estivant Pines as I was wrapping up my last issue. As a refresher, this preserve protects a grove of 300 to 500 year old eastern white pine just to the south of Copper Harbor. October is an awesome time to visit because the forest here is intermixed with old-growth maples which provide an awesome splash of color among these towering pines.

These pines have such significant girth that it would take more than two people with arms extended to reach around them.

You can see my GoPro video from the hike on the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel at this link:

Monday would start with a 2,350 yard swim at MTU. I went a little easier since my foot was feeling the impact of hiking over two miles for the first time in over six weeks. I then coordinated with the Chassell DPW staff on determining the nature of the underground vessel at the northeast corner of the old Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. After scraping back the dirt, it was clear that this was not a fuel oil tank or septic tank, but an abandoned concrete cistern with a metal hatch.

I shared this information with Jeff Ratcliffe at the Keweenaw Economic Devleopment Alliance so he could include this information in an addendum to the demolition RFP. I would also do a write-up for Jesse Wiederhold at Visit Keweenaw summarizing projects in Chassell that he could include in a Chassell roundup as well as an update about Trail 17 bridge project at Maasto Hiihto.

Julie and I would take advantage of the great weather on Tuesday to head up to the mouth of the Gratiot River on Lake Superior. The fall color driving in from Ahmeek was beautiful!

I spent a good hour digging around for agates. I found some cool minerals, but no agates on this trip.

We would then take a hike to nearby Lower Gratiot Falls. The fall color on our way to the river was beautiful.

Although the falls are not large in size, the setting here is quite pleasing to the eye.

You can see a photo/video montage that I put together from this hike with the GoPro Quik app on the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel at this link:

Wednesday morning my foot would feel good enough for a 2,700 yard swim at MTU. I would then attend an MTEC SmartZone annual meeting the Lakeshore Center in Houghton. That evening I would attend a Chassell Lions Club meeting where I would have the opportunity to brief the members on the recent award to MJO Contracting to reconstruct the waterfront boardwalk, viewing platform, and connecting boardwalk to the north side of the off-leash dog park as well as upcoming aspects of the MDNR Spark Grant.

Thursday morning I headed over to Maasto Hiihto where Wuebben Sand & Gravel had just finished filling in the second crib for the Trail 17 bridge with rock and placed the boulders in front of the cribbing on both sides of the bridge with their excavator.

Since the excavator could reach all the way across the creek from the edge of the opposing cribbing, this will result in a significant savings in time for our volunteer crew. We were expecting that we would need to place the beams and then haul rock across either with the tractor or by power wheelbarrow. I then met up with John Diebel and Wolf Meingast up the trail where we marked trees that we would have the Wuebbens take down in the S-curves coming down to the creek and to create adequate space for the groomer up the trail from there.

That afternoon I would meet up with Ian Helman and John Diebel at KC Bonkers in Hancock for a Hancock Trails Club nominating committee meeting. If you have an accounting background and would be interested in becoming the Treasurer for the Hancock Trails Club board of directors, please reach out to me!

From that meeting I would run back to Chassell for a Chassell Recreation Committee meeting where we would discuss our progress on transitioning care for the trails from Jim Tervo who has done it the last 43 years to a reconstituted board which will locate the equipment at the former ice rink warming building that DP Construction will be renovating to accommodate the equipment. Local remote worker Jim Vaught volunteered to be the new back-up groomer. We are still looking for a primary groomer. Please reach out to me if you would be interested in helping out with the trails!

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.