Sturgeon River in Baraga County near Alberta as it flows toward Canyon Falls
Canyon Falls. The larger falls drops down into a canyon which is the beginning of what sometimes is called "The Grand Canyon of Michigan".
Keweenaw Bay. This was taken at the Baraga State Park picnic area. The parks campground is directly across the highway from here.
Some of Baraga State Parks campground.
Another trip was to the site of the former Jackson Iron Ore Mine in Neguanee. This was the site of the first Iron Ore deposit in Michigan. At one time it was a very large open pit and then underground ore mine. The city of Negaunee grew up around this mine but unfortunately as time went on, the tunnels under the roads and part of the city started to cave and an entire area of the town was picked up and moved. the entire area was declared unsafe for building and over the years has changed hands through various mining companies after the mine was closed and was fenced in and off limits to the puclic. Just recently in the past few yaers it was deemed safe enough to reopen sections of the property to the public and now is being made into an outdoor historical area with biking and hiking trails. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Mine for those of you who might be interested in it's history.
Miners trails which the miners used to get to and from the various parts of the mine, take in supplies and haul ore out. They run all over the place here
the only remaining building of the original townsite. It is in the process of being restored
It's hard to see in this picture but this area still has a fence around it as it is too dangerous for the public. Underground cave in's and old mine shaft entrances lie beneath all this vegetation.
This building on the edge of the old town site shows how the caving will collapse old buildings. Even today, there are still instances where a road might sink a little and need repair or a home begins to settle and needs to be either abandoned or moved.
Twin Lakes State Park, 25 miles south of Houghton in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Another nice park and is on my list for a future camping trip
The parks picnic, beach and campground. This park is on Lake Roland
The area near Twin Lakes State Park is also getting close to Michigan's Porcupine Mountains which can be seen starting in the distance.
The Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum in Ishpeming is also a really great place to stop and visit. The tour of the mine and grounds was fascinating and very informative. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffs_Shaft_Mine_Museum. The museum itself is located in the old "Dry" building as it's called in mine lingo. It's the shower and changing area for the miners. As the guide was explaining to us, the miners wear the same clothes everyday and change from them before they go home. When the clothes wear out, they get new ones.
Down in the mine tunnel
Some of the equipment used in the mine. A cart for hauling ore and a transporter for taking the miners from the hoist shaft to their work site underground
Carbide lights that the miners wore down in the mine
Some of the various buildings of the museum housed the equipment shop, repair shop, power house and various other things. The tall gray Headframe as they are called was built in 1959. This houses the cables and hoist system for lowering the miners from the entrance tunnel down into the shafts and tunnels below. During the tour of the mine tunnel, you are actually standing under this at one point.
One of two original Headframes built in 1919 to replace old wooden structures that were beginning to deteriorate
The power house with it's large electrical boxes and giant gears used to power the hoist system and other needs of the mine
And this is today's version of the ore truck. It's used in the two currently operating open pit mines in the area
The Portage Lake Lift Bridge which spans the Portage Canal between the two cities of Houghton and Hancock and effectively cuts the Keweenaw Peninsula in half is a short cut for ships so they don't have to go around the tip of the peninsula. It rises and lowers when a ship needs to pass through http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage_Lake_Lift_Bridge
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Snow in July? No a field of wild Daisies. The wildflowers especially the daisies were out in abundance up there.
And when I wasn't out sightseeing, I was enjoying being by the shores of Lake Michigamme watching the activity and the water. This lake also has two campgrounds on it's shores, Van Riper State Park and Michigamme Shores Campground
and The William too!
