Silver River Falls

October 1, 2010: The colors of fall are certainly everywhere! What a great time of year to be outside. Today my daughter and I visited the Silver River Falls after stopping at the Esrey Park. It was cool and windy, so we headed for a place in the woods to hike. We ended up deciding on the falls for its pretty views and for its foot trail. The trail itself is not long, but travels up and down over the rocky terrain and tree roots. There are some wonderful views of the falls from the trail and we got lots of pictures. We traveled as far down as the path would take us then headed over the street to check out the path on the other side. We were delighted to find a little beaver dam.
Silver River Falls is marked from the road on Highway M-26 between Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor. The river flows beneath a Jacksonville sandstone, mason bridge. If you are looking, this is an easy set of falls to find.

Esrey Park

October 1, 2010: Today my daughter and I made a stop at Esrey Park. This is one of our family-favorite places to stop and grill up dinner on Lake Superior. It was breezy, but this did not stop my daughter from climbing a big rock face that stretches 15 or so feet up in the air. We hiked the little foot trail that followed the lake shore, looking for rose hips, although we did not find any. Instead we were forced to be content with the view. After we had visited for forty minutes or so, we were thoroughly chilled and headed back to the truck for a warm up and a stop at the Jam Pot for a snack, down the road.
The Esrey Park is located five miles east of Eagle Harbor on Lake Superior, is day-use only with a rocky beach, pavilion and picnic area. There is a nice overlook into Lake Superior and along the shore line from a naturally occurring basalt rock face that towers up into the air and is accessed through stone built stairs on either side of the formation.

Clifton Trail

September 30, 2010: Today my daughter and I went to the Cliff Mine area. The Cliff Mine supported the town of Clifton. This is now a ghost town and the only proof of the the town's existence are the poor rock piles, crumbling foundations and cemetery. The land has since returned to forest, swamp and streams at the base of the cliff. Today it was sunny and warm, sweatshirt weather, making for a good day to go explore. We used the trucks four wheel drive to cross the small river by the road so we could park at the base of the rock piles. First we did a little rock hounding at the poor rock piles, finding some copper and other minerals. Then we had decided to hike the trail at the base of the cliff from the poor rock piles to the cemetery. We saw little squirrels and pat along the way. The trail we hiked was a foot trail that proved easy to follow. We then turned off our trail at a marker marked 'cemetery'. Although this is a small cemetery, it was easy to spot due to a tall erect marker/gravestone where we crossed a fallen fence into the cemetery. Many of the headstones that we had viewed were from the 1800's. For those interested, there is a more direct route to the cemetery. The way is marked from Cliff Dr. After taking the turn off from Cliff Dr., there is a turn around that can double as a parking area. Follow the foot trail that is off of this loop to go to the cemetery. In the woods there is a marker indicating that it is just ahead. I have described how to get to the Cliff Mine area in my July 1, 2010 post.

Alaska

September 12-23, 2010: I have been in Alaska! I is just beautiful! I can't say enough about it...the mountains, the water, the animals and terrain, what is there not to love. I went to visit family and got the chance to do some hiking around Anchorage. Some places that I explored included a trail along the mudflats, the Kink Glacier and a trip down the Scenic Seward with some hiking along the way. It was a fabulous trip and I hope to return with my family someday. I am back in the Keweenaw now and I am enjoying the colors of fall.

The Lower Montreal Falls

September 6, 2010: Today we drove north toward the tip of the Keweenaw to hike to the Montreal Falls. It was a sunny, clear day out today with calm winds. The hike had wonderful views and we took many pictures along the way. The trail for the most part followed the Lake Superior shore and was easy to follow. There were many washouts that we had to keep an eye out for, for the sake of our daughter. The trail was narrow and there were many downed trees to climb over. It made for a fun family adventure. As we approached the falls, the forest and trees cleared and opened to a grassy and sandy/pebbly beach area. We passed some friends on the trail heading out that had camped in this clearing and had said it had made for a great campsite. We had stopped here for a snack and drink before exploring the area and heading back. If someone is considering this hike, I advise taking a quick look at google earth before heading out to familiarize yourself with the driving route. The drive is scenic and most pleasant, but can be tricky if one is not familiar with the area. From Lac La Belle go east about two and half miles until you see a gravel road on the left marked Smith Fisheries Rd. Continue down this road, passing the parking area for the Bare Bluff hiking area, and park where the road comes to and end by a parking area near the water. From the parking area a trail head toward the north that begins the hike to the Montreal falls.

Nara Nature Park Trailhead

8/17/2010-8/31/2010: We have just been LOVING the Nara Nature Park Trail area. It is located on 41 South of Houghton, by the animal shelter. It is a great trail system! There have been all kinds of blackcap berries to snack on while hiking the trails this late August. Some of the best places for berries are located along the 'River Loop' by the Pilgrim River and between the base of the sledding hill and the 'River Loop' trail. YUM! There are also many thimbleberries located along the trails. We have seen lots of wildlife. By the river we saw a blue heron and have seen deer in the woods. There are lots of squirrels and birds to be enjoyed. During the spring and summer, butterflies fill the meadows and wildflowers are everywhere. The trails are well posted and are assigned difficulty ratings of easy, moderate and difficult. Some trails are wide and others are foot trails to be shared with mountain bikers. Some of the terrain is flat while other parts are quite hilly. Maps are located throughout the trail system. The Nara Nature Trails meet up with the Michigan Tech Trails creating miles and miles of trails to be enjoyed.

Central Mine

8/15/2010: Today we went to the Central Mine and hiked the Power House Loop. Central was once a mining town that offers itself as a great family area to explore. Some of the buildings are kept to period. You can tour the buildings and way of life of it's former occupants from the 1800's. Today the weather was cool for August. The trail was easy to follow and wound through the woods and by some of the old buildings. The terrain was hilly and at times could be a little steep offering some pretty views. Included is a picture of the powder building. Central is located off 41 going north of Phoenix. For more information about this area check out the site http://www.keweenawhistory.org/central.html which includes a link to a map to Central.