Ubiquitous Natural Beauty
I talk frequently about the ubiquitous natural beauty found in the Keweenaw and how we are surrounded by amazing places. Our adventures over the last week underlined just a sampling of the possibilities!
Since the autumn leaves seem to turn earliest along the higher elevations along M-26 to the southwest of Painesdale, we headed out for an afternoon drive on that beautiful highway following the spine of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Our first stop along the way was Perreault Lake which is one of the sources of the Salmon-Trout River. While the color there was not yet at its peak, we took in this beautiful view looking down the access road toward the lake.
Continuing onward, we drove down to Twin Lakes in order to take the short hike just north of the golf course to Wyandotte Falls on the Misery River. Had it been closer to dinner time, there is no doubt that we would have stopped at Krupp’s Mini-Mart for pasties! Fall is beautiful time to check out Wyandotte Falls. The dark pools in the river beautifully reflect the fall foliage!
The falls didn’t have a great deal of flow due to the dry weather, but its sound was soothing to the soul. Check out this short GoPro video of the hike:
We drove the Trail 13 and the Camp 18 roads to get over to Misery Bay where we enjoyed a walk along the Lake Superior shore at the mouth of the Misery River! As is the case with so many places we venture to, we had the place to ourselves!
On another afternoon this past week, we took a different drive into the higher elevations starting with a stop at Canyon Falls. This popular roadside park provides access to the North Country Trail that follows along the Sturgeon River to where it spills into the Canyon Falls Gorge at the falls. Most visitors seem to limit their hikes to the initial stretch of rapids and Canyon Falls, but the hike beyond the falls along the cliffs provides spectacular views accented by the fall colors. Follow the river to where it finally flattens out and consider following the NCT into the hardwood forest beyond. You will have the trail to yourself at that point and you will be rewarded with awesome views of the fall foliage!
From Canyon Falls, we drove across the Baraga Plains to where the Sturgeon River bends northward and drops into the Sturgeon River Gorge. On this day, we chose to make a stop at the Bear’s Den Overlook. This short hike within the Ottawa National Forest rewards you with a spectacular view of the gorge! We were there ahead of the peak color, but there was still a pleasing blend of colors to be seen!
Once we took in the view at the Bear’s Den Overlook, we traveled a short distance northward to Silver Mountain. This volcanic plug is a geological outlier in an area otherwise made up of sandstone. Not particularly surprising, we had the whole place to ourselves until we met up with a few hikers just starting out as we were nearing completion of the hike. This hike begins by following the base of the mountain a short distance from tall vertical cliffs frequented by rock climbers. It is worth going off trail in this area to get close to the base of the cliffs to marvel at their steepness. Once you leave the wooded part of the trail and make the ascent toward the summit, be sure to check out the glacial grooves carved into the surface of the mountain. You will find spectacular views of the surrounding Ottawa National Forest from the top!
Check out my GoPro video of the Bear’s Den Overlook and the hike to the top of Silver Mountain.
On Friday, we met up with friends at Porcupine Mountains State Park to do an out-and-back hike on the Escarpment Trail from the Lake of the Clouds. This hike never disappoints! The overwhelming majority of those visiting the park seem to confine their time to the overlook. You will meet some hikers on the trail, but it will feel uncongested. You will be rewarded with one outstanding scenic vista after another!
Saturday found us on the North Country Trail with the objective of having Julie complete her 100 miles on the NCT in 2021. We hiked one of our favorite stretches along the Sturgeon River from the Humpback bridge which is located out to the east of the Canyon Falls roadside park. The fall colors were spectacular and Julie met the Hike 100 Challenge for the fifth consecutive year!
Sunday started as a rainy day, but we headed out with friends to do some cruising through the higher elevations of the Ottawa National Forest. The earlier cold nights in this interior region brings on the fall colors at an earlier point in the season and we found near peak to peak conditions the farther south we drove. The rain broke long enough for us to take a hike on the Deer Marsh Trail. The Deer Marsh is one of the sources of the East Branch of the Ontonagon River. If you would like to enjoy a beautiful wetland and well kept trail, I would strongly recommend this hike! We saw a pair of swans, a wide array of mushrooms, and outstanding fall colors in the course of our adventure!
After driving westward through blazing fall colors in the Ottawa National Forest, we completed our day with a beautiful hike in the rain to Duppy Falls. This series of three waterfalls on the Jumbo River was made all the more beautiful by the fall color and the rain-charged stream!
If you would appreciate living in a place with ubiquitous natural beauty that has no congestion, consider locating in the Keweenaw to surround yourself with amazing places like these! Subscribe to the Remote Workforce Keweenaw Newsletter to continue following along and learn even more about what makes the Keweenaw the most amazing place you may have never heard of before! Be sure to visit us at https://remoteworkforcekeweenaw.com!