Spring Waterfalling
The past week featured a blend of meetings and outdoor adventures, starting with a drive through some rather dense fog to Calumet and then down to Lake Superior at Cedar Bay via the the Tamarack Waterworks Road to hike the Black Creek Nature Sanctuary. This 2-mile hike crosses forest covered dunes along and crossing creeks to reach the beach. We had around twenty hikers meet up to make the hike and enjoy a little time exploring the Lake Superior shore. You can see my GoPro video from the hike on the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel at this link:
Monday morning Charter came out to put pods in place to improve our wifi reception down near the lake. We have tried a couple of different amplifiers, but they have not provided consistent reception which is really important to our guests coming here for workcations. After the installation we were picking up a solid five bars. Julie and I then got out to pick up trash that accumulated over the winter along Lakeshore Drive and along the rail-trail here in the neighborhood. We managed to fill two trash bags. Along the way I ran into our neighbor a few doors down, Ed, who has been quite involved with the township’s efforts to control milfoil in the bay. We talked for the better part of a half-hour and I invited him to Tuesday evening’s Recreation Committee meeting to help us fashion questions related to the milfoil topic.
Tuesday was spent running errands and getting ready for the evening’s Recreation Committee meeting where our Planning Commission Chair Brian Waters, Chassell Township Clerk Lynn Gierke, and I spent time working on the questions for the recreation survey we plan to send out to Chassell Township residents in June. Responses to the survey will form the basis for our next MNDR 5-Year Recreation Plan and related improvements to be addressed with the help of our recently renewed recreation millage.
Wednesday morning I attended the Keweenaw Chamber’s breakfast followed by 1 Million Cups at the Bonfire in Houghton. Daniel Yoder from the Small Business Development Center and Jason Mack from the MTEC SmartZone presented on their respective services. Between the programs I had the opportunity to talk with Don McLean who is developing the 120-acre River Trails master planned community fronting the Pilgrim River on lots averaging 2 acres. The project adjoins the 500-acre Michigan Technological University trails system.
After the meetings, I put together the draft recreation survey and forwarded it to the township board members for discussion at the evening’s Chassell Township Board meeting during the planning commission report. I squeezed in a 4-mile run ahead of the meeting and picked up the pace to 8:23/mile as I continue my rehabilitation from my ski crash in Finland. In addition to talking about the recreation survey, I briefed the board on the Hancock Street properties RFP process which was extended to May 30th and a phone call I had taken from an interested individual on Monday. I also briefed them on steps we will be taking to enhance our SPARK Grant proposal to the DNR, particularly since receiving approval of our EGLE permits and our additional letters of support. I also discussed the progress on the signage for the Historic Trail and Sturgeon River Canoe/Kayak Launch as well as the MSU Extension webinar on Capital Asset Planning that Lynn Gierke and I attended as our planning commission’s capital improvements committee pursues our work to develop a 6-year Capital Improvement Plan.
Thursday, Julie and I decided to get out to take advantage of the over 80 degree weather to do some spring waterfall hikes. We started out with a hike to Douglass - Houghton Falls which is the tallest waterfall in Michigan.
You can catch my GoPro video of this hike on the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel at this link:
From there we headed up toward Eagle Harbor to hike to Madison Gap Falls. Spring is the ideal time to check out this waterfall!
You can find my GoPro video of this hike on the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel at this link:
While it was over 80 degrees up on the spine of the Keweenaw Peninsula, our thermometer on the truck was reading 54 degrees when we hit Great Sand Bay on Lake Superior. We clearly would have had the beach to ourselves if we decided to stay there.
Instead, we made a stop at the Jam Pot to pick up a carrot cake muffin and some oatmeal raisin/chocolate chip cookies and stopped at Jacobs Creek falls.
We also made a stop at Eagle River Falls and 10-Foot Falls as we made our way along M-26 back to US 41.
Heading homeward we made a stop at the Keweenaw Land Trust’s Boston Pond.
As we were leaving we ran into our friend Steve Jurmu. If you would like a guided tour to waterfalls in and around the Keweenaw, Steve is definitely the guy to see! You can find him at http://www.funintheup.com/
Friday was spent cutting grass and getting our cabin ready for our next Airbnb guests. I learned that Industrial Graphics had completed the printing of our signs for both the Historic Trail and the Sturgeon River Canoe/Kayak Launch. They are still in the process of mounting ten of these signs to their bases, but I was able to stop by to pick up the trailhead sign for the historic trail that Brian Waters, Steve Spahn, Mat Moore, and I will install on Monday. Friday evening, Julie volunteered at the Mom Prom at the Rozsa which is an event that supports local Keweenaw families and their adoption journeys.
Yesterday was spent doing wash, turning over the cabin, and building up the fire kindling supply for our next Airbnb guests, but I also found time to squeeze in another 4-mile run with this one incorporating the Historic Trail along the way.
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! Learn more by visiting Remote Workforce Keweenaw at https://remoteworkforcekeweenaw.com and learn about those making the decision to locate here by following the Remote Workforce Keweenaw Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RemoteWorkforceKeweenaw.