Hiking Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids
An awesome aspect of living in the Keweenaw is how close you live to so many great opportunities for hiking and other outdoor adventures! This past Sunday we got out for a 6-mile hike with friends at Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids. The Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club takes care of this beautiful trail system on the north side of the City of Hancock. We hiked in from the Tomasi trailhead which located next to the Hancock DPW garage a short distance from the UP Health Systems Portage hospital.
While the fall colors for 2021 are rapidly winding down, we were able to find many pockets of stunning gold leaves which were made all the more beautiful by the low angle of the autumn sunshine as in this instance on the Pine Loop along the rim of the Swedetown Creek Gorge.
Even though the Fathers Day flood of 2018 wiped out the beaver dams on Swedetown Creek, the beavers have re-established their presence along the New River Trail where you will find a series of dams as you hike upstream!
One of the big highlights of making a hike into Churning Rapids is the opportunity to visit Ruby Marsh! This interesting wetland eco-system features a handful of beaver lodges and the fall color reflected beautifully on its surface.
By hiking farther into Churning Rapids you will find an observation tower where you can catch a glimpse of Lake Superior on the distant horizon!
Circling back from the observation tower on the Ruby Marsh Crosscut allows you to pick up the Long Bridge Trail which is favorite of mine to ski in the winter!
Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids can be hiked, biked, and skied in so many different ways that you will have countless opportunities for adventure in this single place among so many choices found in the Keweenaw! Learn more about this outstanding trail system by visiting https://keweenawnordic.org. Do you have the ability to work remotely? Would you value living in a place with ubiquitous natural beauty that has NO congestion? Consider locating in the Keweenaw where you will be surrounded by amazing places like this! Learn more by visiting Remote Workforce Keweenaw at: https://remoteworkforcekeweenaw.com!