Spring Cleaning
The last week of April was intensely focused on getting the cabin ready for our Airbnb season which starts with graduation weekend at Michigan Technological University. This involved more deck scraping and power washing as well as house cleaning, firing up the utilities, and splitting more wood. Most surprisingly, I would need to cut grass for the first time ever in April!
We would also put in swims at the MTU SDC on Monday and Wednesday mornings before they shut down for their spring cleaning on Friday morning.
We had a weasel make an appearance in the yard this past week as well. While they are great for helping control mice, we started setting out live traps with the goal of a relocation.
The week saw potential interest in the former Holy Trinity Lutheran Church site at the entrance of the cemetery. This property which is set to be demolished with funding assistance from the county is currently in the Houghton County Land Bank. The township is seeking to develop both that site and the adjoining property that is also in the Land Bank after the township claimed it after it went over on taxes.
I would also work with the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region’s (WUPPDR) Steve Rouser who would develop a map for our Chassell Township Recreation Committee to help with our ongoing discussion to develop a snowmobile trail between Chassell and the Nichols Trail by way of Tapiola.
We would receive word from the MDNR of the approval of the plans and specifications for the ADA accessible walkway project that will connect the pavilion with the waterfront at Centennial Park which will allow our Prime Profession (U.P. Engineers and Architects) to put this portion of our SPARK Grant projects up for bid.
Wednesday evening we attended the Chassell Lions Club meeting. The Chassell Lions Club is the second largest in the U.P. and closing fast on Bark River which is currently the largest. I introduced remote worker Jim Vaught who is a chemical engineer working remotely from Chassell and will be formally joining the club next month. The meeting also gave me the opportunity to brief the club members on the five grant proposals I had recently submitted and to thank everyone who volunteered and attended the previous Saturday’s pancake/french toast/sausage breakfast at the VFW that benefited the Chassell Historical Organization. The proceeds from the event will support our wiring and lighting retrofitting project as well as bringing power to our planned stairlift to improve the Chassell Heritage Center’s accessibility.
Thursday, I knocked out the minutes from the previous month’s Hancock Trails Club board meeting and got them out to the board ahead of the meeting that evening. That afternoon I attended a Chassell Recreation Committee where we would do a call with a company that produces kayak vending equipment that we are exploring as a potential option for the township.
Friday would kick-off our Airbnb season with guests from Iowa who have stayed with us before and were up for their son’s graduation from MTU. We would also have a nice dinner with our friends Steve and Lisa here in Chassell.
Saturday’s highlight would be Julie’s birthday party in the studio above our garage. It was an awesome get together with around twenty-five of our friends!
Sunday we headed down to Ontonagon County to do trail maintenance on the segment of the North Country Trail between US 45 and O Kun de Kun Falls. Julie and our friends Jennifer and Susan have adopted this segment. Our hiking group would be meeting there at about 2:00 p.m., but we would get a two-hour jump on them in order to lop branches crowding the trail and plants/trees that had started growing next to trail last year.
It is about a mile in to the upper falls also referred to as Konteka Falls. The Baltimore River which is a tributary of the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River flows over a sandstone shelf in the bedrock at this point.
A short distance downstream the river flows over another taller shelf in the bedrock to form O Kun de Kun Falls. These falls are quite impressive and offer the opportunity to actually get behind the cascade.
A short distance below the falls is a really cool suspension bridge. A similar bridge to this can be found to the east of this location over the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River.
After crossing the bridge you can walk back upstream to take in some really cool views of the falls!
Our hiking group caught up with us at the falls where we were able to explore the area together before hiking back to the parking area at US 45.
You can see my GoPro video from the hike at this link to the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel:
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.