Remote Worker Networking Event
With Jessica and the guys still in town last Thursday, we would get out for a hike on the Boundary Road Trails just off the north edge of Chassell Township. This often overlooked place is an awesome location for a hike through the woods with varying terrain and beautiful views of the Pilgrim River.
The full loop provides about a 3.5 mile hike. We were the only ones hiking there on this day.
Late that afternoon I would travel up to Aggasiz Park in Calumet to help Leah Polzien (Main Street Calumet), Megan Haselden (Calumet Village Manager), and Ian Lewis (Laurium Village Manager) set up for our remote worker networking event. We had a really nice turnout which included seven remote workers that I did not have in my data!
Ben Garbacz from the Daily Mining Gazette was on hand and wrote a nice piece about the event that you can find online at: https://www.mininggazette.com/news/business/2024/07/in-person-networking-remote-workers-gather-for-bbq/ We would learn that there was a strong interest among the remote workers in having game nights. Megan Haselden, the Calumet Village Manager, is going to look into hosting these on a quarterly basis in Calumet. More about this as it develops.
Friday was a bit more laid back as Jessica and the guys flew out early that afternoon. That evening we would have our friends Mark and Lynette over for dinner before they would head back downstate on Saturday.
It would be a very warm weekend with temperatures in the low 90s in Chassell on Saturday. Looking over the local forecasts in and around Keweenaw, we noted that it was supposed to be a bit cooler (low 80s) farther up in the peninsula. Our hiking group was scheduled to hike the Silver River Canyon on Sunday, but an advance trip to look for berries and to take a cool hike in the river seemed like a great idea for a hot day!
We found quite a few ripe thimbleberries and raspberries at the beginning of our adventure, but better picking is definitely ahead. We would then pack away our berry containers to start our bushwhack toward the river. Along the way, Julie spotted this skull.
The Silver River flows over a conglomerate formation through this portion of the stream. The canyon walls get steeper as you move upstream providing a largely shaded hiking experience. We did this hike in our Teva sandals and took great care to step on mossy rocks where we would have the best traction. The bare rocks can be as slippery as banana peels.
The gradient of this stream is quite steep, so you will find yourself crossing both gentle rapids and waterfalls over the entire course of the hike. Fallen trees provide an array of obstacles that many may find undesirable. In other words, be prepared to show some sisu if you decide to check this out!
There are some really cool white cedars along the banks and some very impressive pine trees like this one.
The waterfalls on this stream are numerous and quite beautiful! One in particular has an excellent swimming hole below it. All of them are very climbable, but slips and falls are definitely a risk.
You can see my GoPro video from this adventure on the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel at this link:
Stay tuned for a recap of Sunday’s longer adventure in the canyon!
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.