Getting Slammed
The weather last Sunday was very mild for late November with temperatures in the upper 40s. Our hiking group would be meeting up on South Laird Road to the south of Alston to hike the North Country Trail. We would head out early and grab lunch at Bosio Biscuit in Tapiola along with our friend Sue and then we would make a visit to Red Hen in Nisula where Alison had some awesome freshly baked apple crisp that was still warm from the oven ready for purchase.
We were running almost an hour ahead of schedule, so we made the decision to head out on the hike. This would be an out-and-back adventure across Boulder Creek and the Silver River to the Sturgeon River. We particularly enjoy this hike because of the beautiful old growth hemlock stands found from Boulder Creek to just past the Silver River.
The trail first takes you past a sizable beaver impoundment. We had a bear try to cross the trail in front of us a couple years back just west of the pond. We have also seen a pair of trumpeter swans with seven signets in the pond just below the larger one a few years back.
It had been cold enough at night to create a thin layer of ice on the beaver pond. You can see the top of a good-sized beaver lodge to the left of center in the photo above. During the summer, this is a great location to see kingfishers.
At the smaller pond downstream, North Country Trail volunteers rebuilt a bridge across the pond. I had been too busy with the bridge project on the Chassell Classic Ski Trail, so I was unable to help with this project that was led by Mark Roberts.
The water in Boulder Creek would be low enough to make it easy to step across.
It is past this point where you enter the hemlock forest which is a really beautiful place if you enjoy forested environs.
You can get a better feel for the experience associated with taking this hike by watching my GoPro video on the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel at this link:
Monday would be spent closing down our cabin for the season. The weather was perfect as the temperature would reach about 50 degrees. It was particularly urgent to knock out this work (shutting down the water, draining the hot water heater, blowing out the lines, winterizing the toilet, putting away kayaks and outdoor furniture, etc.) as a snowstorm was predicted to hit us on Wednesday.
Tuesday morning, I would be in Hancock on the air with Elaine and Nona at WMPL for the Morning Brainwave. We would talk about the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation’s Giving Tuesday going on now through Tuesday, December 2nd. I would make a plug for the Hancock Trails Club as we are in the process of raising funding for a Snow Rabbit for grooming the trails at Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids. I would also discuss the importance of supporting the Keweenaw Land Trust as they are instrumental in protecting lands for public use here in the region.
Also on Tuesday, Dan Palosaari would be a huge help to the Chassell Recreation Club as he helped coordinate getting the Polaris snowmobile to Dollar Bay Power Sports so they could do much needed maintenance on it ahead of our grooming season. Last summer’s two floods had raised concern about whether or not water had penetrated the engine.
Throughout the week, the forecast for the amount of snow from the incoming snowstorm seemed to keep growing with talk of gale force winds exceeding fifty miles per hour.
The storm slammed the region as expected causing widespread power outages in the region. Our lights and broadband flickered several times through the course of Wednesday, but we were spared the loss of power that affected thousands. The Chassell Volunteer Fire Department and Emergency Responders opened up the Fire Hall to those impacted. With all the wind, it was hard saying how much snow we received, but it seemed to be on the order of ten to twelve inches here. There was much more on the spine of the Keweenaw Peninsula and out west toward Ironwood where I heard reports of over twenty inches.
With the storm having passed by Thursday morning, Steve Spahn and I got out on the Chassell Classic Ski Trail to assess the damage and to start chainsawing fallen trees and shaking snow from and pruning the hundreds of tree branches bowed over the trails by the weight of the clinging snow.
We would spend three hours working on the trails on Thursday before heading out to our respective Thanksgiving dinners. Julie and I would be guests at our friends Mark and Kathy’s home along with a handful of friends. As you might imagine, the storm was a big topic for discussion.
Friday, Steve and I spent five hours continuing to clear the trails. We had some breaks in the overcast, but not near enough to melt off the accumulated snow that was weighing down the trees.
There were times when just finding the trail became a huge challenge, but over the course of our five hours that day we would make huge progress and then Dan Palosaari would deliver the tuned-up Polaris which would be critical to getting the trails to some level of use by the weekend.
Check in next time as Steve and I wrap up the trail clearing and get the trails ready for use!
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.