Sturgeon River Fascination
After getting last week off to a great start with a hike on the Boundary Road Trails, I had a number of meetings on Tuesday starting with a discussion with Kevin Store from the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation about our recently approved Blight Mitigation Fund for Chassell Township. As a quick refresher, this program will allow interested individuals to contribute to a fund to help local community members who cannot afford to address blight conditions with their homes with the additional goals of helping these structures avoid becoming dangerous buildings and to improve the appearance of the community. After this meeting, I then drafted minutes from the previous Hancock Trails Club board meeting and distributed them to the board. Julie and I then attended the Lions Club meeting at Centennial Park pavilion. Jim Vaught, who I was sponsoring, was inducted into the Club after which the Strawberry Festival Queen candidates would introduce themselves and answer member questions. Afterwards there would be more planning activities taking place with regard to the festival, but I needed to duck out to get up to Hancock to keep minutes at the Hancock Trails Club board meeting.
After starting Wednesday with a 2,000 yard swim, I would reach out to some contacts about the Finance Director vacancy at the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation. You can check out this excellent career opportunity at this link: https://www.coppershores.org/jobs/finance-director. I also made contacts related to upcoming remote worker vignettes. If you are a remote worker here in the Keweenaw who would be interested in telling your remote work story, please feel free to reach out to me!
Thursday we would receive great news from the MDNR that the plans and specifications were approved for our waterfront boardwalk which will allow for this key project funded by our Spark Grant to be put out for bid by our prime professional. Julie, our friend Jennifer, and I would then head down to the Canyon Falls Roadside Park on US 41 to the south of L’Anse to hike 4.65 miles on the North Country Trail as an out-and-back route to the east.
This route follows closely along the beautiful Sturgeon River. On this initial segment heading eastward, the trail runs both immediately along the river and, after a couple of climbs, up above it.
It is getting to that time of year when the ferns, raspberry bushes, and wetland grasses need their annual trimming. On this day we would find ourselves wading through some fairly tall growth!
The recent rains had caused the river to swell up and the moist conditions supported the appearance of a handful of mushroom varieties.
Near the Humpback Bridge we came across several white admiral butterflies!
The white cedars found along the Sturgeon River make this part of the North Country Trail a special place. This specimen is particularly unique.
You can check out my GoPro video from the hike at this link to the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel:
We returned home in time for Julie to hike with the Thursday evening hiking group in Chassell and I went out for a three-mile rail-trail run.
Friday would start out with a 1,900 yard swim at the SDC at which time I would re-up our passes for the next year at $599. The rainy conditions allowed me to chase down details related to the upcoming installation of the stair-climbing units at the Chassell Heritage Center and to write the quarterly report to the MDNR on the Spark Grant. The big news would be Julie receiving the first shipment of the children’s book she wrote and illustrated titled “The Adventures of Hairy the Hare and The Yooperlites”. This whimsical look at the Keweenaw through this tale of Hairy the Hare’s search for yooperlites came from the artistic inspiration Julie has received from our countless adventures. The medium for her artwork in the book is pan pastels on 600 grade sandpaper.
If you would be interested in buying a copy for your a child or grandchild, give Julie or me a shout. Julie will also be selling them at the Chassell Strawberry Festival on July 12th and 13th. It is also available on Amazon at this link. The book will be featured at the Keweenaw Land Trust’s Lily Creek Nature Sanctuary as a Tyke Hike starting in August.
Saturday, Feighner Dock would be back in town to start adding key ADA accessibility features to the Sturgeon River Launch here in Chassell.
Julie and I would then head down to Alberta Fest where we ran into a few friends who were there to take in the festivities. Since the weather was nice we also made stops at Ogemaw, Black Slate, and Quartzite Falls.
Bushwhacking out from the Slate River upstream from Black Slate Falls, we ran into this curiosity in the woods!
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.