Monday, June 19, 2023
Today was originally planned as a kayak tour. There's a company here that does four, six or nine hour tours. I signed up for a six hour one. I got an email from them saying they had cancelled the tour. Their reasoning made sense. Tourist season is just winding up here. If they don't have enough people, they cancel. So, 0-2 for kayak tours. That left me with a day and no plans.
I was thinking a second attempt at Horseshoe Cove. But first, a trail that starts behind the Welcome Center. With the name Stairway to Heaven, you knew it would catch my attention.
But first, two quick stops. Just a short drive from downtown Copper Harbor is the site of the Clark Mine, established here in 1853. All that remains is the smokestack from the power station.
The mine was in operation from1853 to 1901. By the time it shut down, they had removed 320,000 pounds of copper and 240,000 pounds of Manganese ore.
Driving back, I noticed a small pullout and sign for Manganese Falls. The trail is really short and I was back in the car in a few minutes.
There are a series of hiking trails that begin behind the Welcome Center.
They take you through a community garden and then behind a curious place known as Grandpa's Barn. It doesn't look like anything from behind. But, it's actually a bookstore.
This is private land at this point and as long as you stay on the trails, the owners don't mind. They just really don't like mountain bikes and snowmobiles.
From there, it eventually works its way into the tree line.
From here, you can either go right for the Garden Brook Trail, or continue on for the Stairway to Heaven Trail. Guess which one I picked.
While the rail could definitely use a few more colored blazes, it's not that hard to figure out, though I still don't like unmarked junctures.
Eventually, the trail comes to this overlook of downtown and the harbor.
From the hike back out...
Now that I knew where I was supposed to have gone, I made another attempt at Horseshoe Harbor. This time there were plenty of cars in the lot, and I watched a family take a trail down into the woods. That's where I should have gone the day before.
It's not a bad trail, just a lot of roots to step over. The reward, Horseshoe Harbor, framed on both sides by old lava flows.
I walked off to one side and took a few side shots. Note the woman crouched down at the waterline...
I start walked that way and heard my name called out. It was Anna from the night before. She was getting out exploring before heading to her next gig in Marquette.
There was a family up on top of the lava rocks. I called up and asked how they got up there. They told me there were plenty of hand and foot holds, but they were a little concerned with getting back down.
Instead, I followed it back away from the beach, looking for easier access. I didn't find any. But, I did fine some interesting rocks...
Fort Wilkins was established n Copper Harbor in 1844. With the area suddenly booming, both the federal government and business owners were concerned about the reaction from the Chippewa and Ojibwa to the sudden influx of miners, loggers and settlers. The other concern was maintaining law and order as more and more people flooded into the area.
Two years later, none of these concerns had manifested and the soldiers in the fort were needed in Texas for the fight against Mexico. The fort was left in the hands of a single caretaker. It was briefly reoccupied after the Civil War, but abandoned for good in 1870. It's now a state historical park.
Being a clear day with no smoky haze, sunset seemed promising. It's times like this I really miss my good cell phone. These are from my burner Tracphone.
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