Learning to Groom
This past Wednesday would start with only a 2,100 yard swim at MTU. We got a bit of late start due to needing to clear the overnight snow from the driveway. We went from MTU to Cyberia Cafe in downtown Houghton where I met up with Ben Garbacz from the Daily Mining Gazette to talk about the township’s activities regarding the rail corridor between Chassell and Arnheim as well as with working with the DNR to take over the maintenance responsibilities for the rail-trail within Chassell Township.
With a good deal of fresh snow on the ground covered by a glaze of freezing rain and with more snow on the way, I strategized with Jim Tervo that a rolling of the trails that afternoon would help a great deal with establishing our base. Steve Spahn and I met up at 3:00 p.m. in heavy, wind-driven snow to run the Gator towing the roller with the comb down. Our first order of business was to scrape enough of the windshield so we could see where we were going. It probably would have been good to have scraped more as we found ourselves open the doors on each side of the Gator in order to stay on the trail in a number of places.
Coming uphill from the high bridge and just before the hemlock grove we came across this whitetail buck which was clearly curious about what we were doing as it stood around watching us long enough for me to get several photos of it.
After we wrapped up Steve and I scraped the rest of the glaze off of the Gator’s windshield which turned out to be quite a project!
When I returned home my attention turned to clearing the snow from our furnace, stove/oven, and bathroom exhaust vents on the roof of the house. This meant getting out the extension ladder and climbing up on the roof with a shovel to dig them out. If the furnace vent would get covered, the furnace would stop operating. The prospect of getting up in the middle of the night to clear it was motivation enough to get up there to complete this task. This turned out to be a good decision as the snow was getting perilously close to drifting over some of them.
The next morning we had at least six inches of new snow with a lot of drifting.
Our rolling on the Chassell Ski Trails the previous afternoon turned out to be a great decision as it made finding the trail much easier. To make sure we located the trail correctly, I would lead with the Polaris and Steve would follow with the Gator pulling the roller with the comb down.
That afternoon I would go up to MTU to see a class presentation by Mark Rhode’s students in his Introduction to Sustainable Tourism class discuss global heritage tourism and its intersection with possibilities here in the Keweenaw. The thought here is looking at working toward pursuing either World Heritage Site or Global Geopark status for the Keweenaw. This was an intriguing discussion as achieving this type of status could be a big help in drawing world travelers to our region.
Afterwards I had a great conversation with Jason Swain from Keweenaw Boat Tours. Definitely check out his business at https://www.keweenawboattours.com.
After slamming down some dinner, I was off to a Chassell Township Recreation Committee meeting followed by a Chassell Township Planning Commission meeting. We have the public hearing and action coming up next week by the county commissioners on the housing TIF for Dan Palosaari’s project on the Chassell Mercantile site, so this was a significant point of discussion. We also were very focused on the Spark Grant projects, particularly UPEA finalizing the drawings on the restroom and adjustable boat ramp projects so those can be reviewed/approved by the DNR and put out to bid.
I would talk with Jim Tervo before turning in about setting tracks in the morning. Jim had moved the actuator from the larger Ginzu to the smaller one so it would be ready to set tracks in the morning. I met up with Jim just before 8:00 on Friday morning and he had everything ready to go. I have started to really understand why Jim enjoyed taking care of the Chassell Trails for so many years. It is like a puzzle figuring out how to work with all of the variables including the various types of snow, changing temperatures, which equipment to use in what conditions, etc. Most of all, it has been the opportunity to get out and enjoy the beauty of the Chassell Trails.
The tracking would go smoothly, and I would get through the entire trail system without having to re-hitch!
Since I had to groom so early, Julie and I would defer our swim to 5:00 p.m. I would get in a 2,500-yard swim on top of snow removal I would get in around the yard that afternoon.
Unfortunately, freezing rain would make an appearance overnight and glaze things up. I took Julie over to the mall to help her set up for a holiday craft show where she selling her books and cards. I then drove down into Houghton to wait out the rain at Cyberia Cafe over an iced mocha. As the rain was letting up, I stopped by MTU’s SDC to pick up our ski passes for the season and then skipped over to the MTU Trails to put in a 4.65-mile ski on the icy and largely un-tracked surface.
Yesterday evening we would go over to our friend Beth’s place for a potluck dinner and presentation by Nancy Langston on her journey to Svalbard. This was an outstanding opportunity to learn about this unique ecosystem (bowhead whales, sea birds, reindeer, and polar bear) and some unexpected adaptations being made by wildlife in the arctic!
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.